Patent ID: 7436428

Claim:
A method for initiating an ad hoc conference between an inviting participant and one or more invited participants or adding the one or more invited participants to the ad hoc conference if already initiated, the inviting participant being connected to a conference managing system having a capability and booking database, and the respective participants having at least one conferencing end-point associated therewith, the method comprising: triggering transmission of a request identifying the one or more invited participants or associated end-points to the conference managing system at initiation of the ad hoc conference or when adding the one or more invited participants to the ad hoc conference, and at receipt of the request in the managing system, investigating in the capability and booking database at least whether the one or more invited participants' associated conferencing end-points currently are idle, and if so automatically connecting the inviting participant's end-point and the one or more invited participants' end-points in the ad hoc conference.