Method of organising a conference call

0001The present invention relates to the organization a conference between several distant people, and more precisely between an organizer and several conference participants. For example the conference is a conference call, said also multipoint conference, organized between several telephone terminals of the participants through dedicated equipment called MCU.

0002More particularly, the invention is directed to the reservation of the conference in a conference reservation server to reserve the necessary resources in a bridge conference will be available on a given date the conference.

0003Currently, a conference call, said also telephone meeting or teleconference is reserved by the organizer or so occasional or by subscription, indicating at Conference booking server directly or by an operator, date, time, duration and number of conference participants. In response, the reservation server assigns a bridge number telephone to the conference which is reserved transmitted to the conference organizer. For that participants are warned the establishment of the conference organizer the conference must prevent himself all Participants in the coordinates of communicating their Conference, namely the date, time and duration and naturally the topic that will be addressed during the conference, and the bridge number telephone. The conference organizer must therefore itself prevent each Participants for example by telephone or email to provide them characteristics of the conference.

0004The main objective of the invention is to unload the conference organizer automating the communication characteristics Conference to the various participants. This Automation requires no download any application in terminals participants nor registration in any service or even a connection to a service particular application for each participant be notified of the characteristics of the conference.

0005To achieve this objective, the invention provides a method for organizing a conference between organizer and several participants terminals respectively connected to a network telecommunications by means of a server reservation called from the terminal the organizer to reserve one of several ways conference management. The method is characterized in that it comprises the following steps:<ul><li>transmission means addresses of notification of participants from the terminal organizer of the reservation that the server stores,</li><li>automatic notification messages Invitation by the reservation server means notification of participants nominated by stored addresses, and </li><li>selecting a conference management means available for the conference by the server booking.</li></ul>

0006For example if a person, said organizer wants to go that evening to the movies with his friends, participants said, and decided to discuss with them the choice of film, the invention gives the possibility to book a conference that dialogue live with all his friends. Through communication Automatic notification of friends means such as free telephone and / or messaging, friends will be notified automatically the existence of this conference and will receive invitation messages including characteristics the conference needed to connect their terminals using reserved conference management, such as a conference bridge.

0007The invention also aims to facilitate terminal connection for each participant in a available conference management means without the Participant entering any address or eg number on the booking server or a conference which management means to be available.

0008To this end, in a first embodiment, each invitation message sent by the server reservation and received by a terminal includes, Further features of the conference, a link to connect the device to a means for conference management. This link may designate implicitly or explicitly address management means already booked conference or to book subsequently by the reservation server before conference.

0009For example, the link is a hyperlink including a masked address redirection in Server booking. In this example, the participant terminal selects the hyperlink that points to Masked forwarding address to connect terminal to the booking server and redirect terminal connection and booking server available to conference management means. This feature of the invention allows the booking server to decide himself Booking a conference management means not not immediately after receiving the addresses terminals of the participants, but after that reception to maximize occupancy resources in conference management means. In particular, the reservation server may book an available conference management means substantially before the time of the planned conference by the organizer and forwarded to the addresses means for notifying participants server booking.

0010In another example, the link is a hyperlink including an address management means conference available. In this example, the participant of a terminal selects the hyperlink points to the address of the managing means of conference available to connect to the terminal.

0011According to a variant of the first embodiment, the conference management means is available selected by the reservation server before the notification of invitation messages to the introduce reservation server address means conference management available in messages invitation.

0012In a second embodiment, the means selects a reservation management means available conference that reports itself to some participants. The method then comprises, after the selection conference management means available, transmission of a control message notification from the reservation server booked conference means a transmission notifications comprising a hyperlink including a address of the available conference management means the terminals of the participants, and a selection of the hyperlink that points to the said address each terminal to connect through management available conference. The notifications including the link can be sent to means of notification by the management server conference available significantly before the hour the conference provided by the organizer and forwarded with the addresses of the means of notification participants reservation server.

0013To organize the conference, each message Invitation may include such data timestamp, such as date, time and duration of the conference, and so that the theme of the conference which are transmitted with the means to address notification of participants by the terminal the organizer to the reservation server so that the reservation server transmit messages Invitation including a timestamp and conference theme through notification.

0014No special hardware is required to level of each participant. A simple terminal phone may suffice. Preferably, the server Reservation suits playback modes means for notifying participants. In that case, the organizer terminal transmits indicators playback modes means of notification Participants in association respectively with the addresses thereof to the reservation server to as invitation messages transmitted to the means of notification are appropriate in the server booking respectively as playback modes notifying means. For example, a message Invitation is a digital voice message to a traditional landline or mobile telephone associated with a voicemail, or is a message text to a terminal of the personal computer type can consult a mail courier e-mail or fax or a mobile telephone associated with messaging short messages.

0015The invention also relates to a server Conference booking to arrange a conference between an organizer and more Participants with terminals respectively connected to a telecommunications network. The server is characterized in that it comprises means for storing addresses of notification means participants transmitted by the terminal Organizer after it is called the reservation server to reserve a several conference management means, and way to automatically notify messages Invitation to the means of notification Participants designated by the stored addresses so the server selects a management means conference available for the conference.

0016The reservation server can also include a message adapter to convert a part of a message transmitted by the terminal organizer in party messages Invitation to the means of notification participants as indicators respectively play mode notification means.

0017Other characteristics and advantages of the This invention will become more apparent in the reading of the following description of several Preferred embodiments of the invention, as non-limiting examples, with reference to the drawings correspondents accompanying in which:<ul><li>FIG 1 is a network block diagram telecommunications between terminals several conference participants and a server conference booking to implement the process of conference organization as the invention; and</li><li>Figures 2 and 3 are algorithms stages of the conference organization process into first and second embodiments of the invention, respectively.</li></ul>

0018For the implementation of the organizational process conference in the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, it is assumed that a conference is organize between N = 4 participants P0 to P3 = P (N-1) each have at least one respective terminal to TE0 TE3 TE = (N-1). All terminals are voice type so as to establish a voice conference, called Also audio conference. However, alternatively, All terminals can be of the video type for establish a videoconference, or may be of text to establish a conference by exchanging text messages.

0019All terminals TE1, TE (N-1) are connected to a conference reservation server through SRC an RT telecommunications network comprising at less the switched telephone network RTC and a network RP packets such as the Internet.

0020In the embodiment shown, the terminal TE0 is that of P0 Conference organizer Reserve conference in the booking server SRC. The terminal is a terminal TE0 mobile telephone connected to the telephone network switched PSTN via a radio network digital cellular RA0 as the access network. TE0 the terminal has a browser and individual has access to the implemented applications SW in a web information server that serves portal to the mobile terminals in the network RA0 cellular radio. In practice, the TE0 terminal has access to WAP (Wireless Applications Application Protocol) through an access server SA interconnected between the radio network RA0 PR and the internet. The SA server acts as a conversion gateway between the protocol transportation WTP (Wireless Transfer Protocol) compliant with WAP applications and protocol Transport HTTP (HyperText Transfer) applicable in SW server so that the terminal and the server TE0 SW exchange data in WML (Wireless Markup Language). Alternatively, instead of the server SA access, communications for applications WAP TE0 between the terminal and the web server SW are carried out through a switched network by packets with mobility management and road access radio GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).

0021In a WAP application menu offered by the SW server, the organizer can choose P0 on its TE0 a conference terminal application according the invention so that the reservation of a conference is performed from the terminal in the server TE0 Reservation SRC through the server SW.

0022According to a more concentrated Alternatively, the server SW web hosts a booking application conference according to the invention which is illustrated materially in a distinct manner in the SRC server in Figure 1.

0023The organizer TE0 terminal can receive Voicemail notifications from an answering machine MN0, also said voicemail, associated therewith in the radio network RA0.

0024The TE1 terminal P1 is a participant fixed telephone terminal connected to the network Switched Telephone PSTN via a telephone line classic. The terminal TE1 is also associated with a voice mail answering machine types MN1 in the PSTN telephone network.

0025The participant has a terminal P2 TE2 radiotelephone connected to the telephone network switched PSTN via a radio network RA2 as digital cellular access network. To notify a message to P2 participant, mail short messages assigned to it in a short message server (SC Service Centre) MN2 connected both to the Internet RP, and secondly to radiotelephony network RA2 through a network RI intermediate access such a network transmitting X.25 packets, a network Integrated digital ISDN services, or ATM network.

0026The terminal TE3 TE = (N-1) is a participant P3 personal computer which is connected to the network Switched Telephone RTC by a fixed link, for eg an ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line). Messages for the participant P3 can be deposited in a mail courier electronic (email) assigned in him MN3 mail server which is connected to the Internet RP.

0027Messages deposited in the Courier MN2 and MN3 servers can be hypertext, that is to say containing hyperlinks.

0028Voice recorders MN0 and MN1, the MN2 short message server and the server MN3 email allocated as an example to TE0 terminals TE3 respectively participants P0 to P3, and constitute means for notification to notify invitation messages to attend a conference, as discussed in the following.

0029In other embodiments, other means of notification can be assigned to terminals TE0 to TE3. For example, the terminal TE3 is notified by a voice server or a voice mail Fixed telephone answering machine like the instead of an e-mail messaging, TE2 terminal is notified by an answering machine the voicemails instead a mail short messages, etc.

0030In a more comprehensive embodiment, one of TE0 terminals TE (N-1) is associated with an email Unified which combines several means of notification such as voice mail answering machine connected to the switched telephone network RTC or network Radiotelephone associated with the terminal, a receiver Short Message interconnected between the Internet RP and associated radio network, email messaging example supported by a POP server type (Post Office Protocol), and a facsimile recorder connected to switched telephone network.

0031In general, a notification means is consulted by the participant to check whether a message was left there, or notify the filing of a message to the associated terminal if the participant refused to receive the message directly from the terminal. Depending on the notification means, it may repeat the notification as long as the associated terminal has not recorded or played for reading or listening by the participant. A notification means may even be confused with the RT terminal to the network, it is to say, notification means and the terminal offer common address including SRC server, as is the case where the notification means is a integrated answering machine in the terminal telephone or associated with the telephone line connected to a telephone terminal.

0032In addition, a given terminal, such as a telephone mobile TE2, TE3 a computer or a landline Modern TE1 has a memory that records latest telephone numbers and addresses of calling terminals and servers who called given terminal, according to a presentation number / address of the caller CLIP kind (Calling Line Identification Presentation). The participant given terminal may subsequently select number / address of one of the terminals and servers Callers to establish communication / connection therewith.

0033In the following description, an "address" AD1 to AD (N-1) of a means of communication to MN MN0 (N-1) associated with a terminal is regarded as a telephone number of the telephone terminal as the terminal TE1 for an answering machine or MN1 such as a mail short message terminal MN2 in the server, or as an email address an electronic mail messaging terminal in MN3 server.

0034As also shown in FIG 1, M bridges PC1 conference PCM are connected to the network switched PSTN telephone. Each conference bridge PCm 1 ≤ m ≤ M is a dedicated MC to manage multiple conference calls and real-time managing the conduct of these conferences with the call by the bridge participants in each conference, the withdrawal of a participating in the initiative of the organizer or participant itself, specific signals for the organizer of a conference of identifications of speakers, an organization of votes, a word restrictions for at least one participant determined, etc. MCU can simultaneously manage several dozen conferences, each with several participants thus providing access to several hundred telephone communications with terminals participant. Within the meaning of the invention, means Conference management comprises all or part of the resources of a bridge to hold at least one conference call.

0035In practice, the MCUs are distributed in a given area, such as a country. In Alternatively, at least one of the MCUs PC1 PCM is connected to the conference reservation server SRC through a dedicated link.

0036The booking server CBC shows known functions of a website server to to be called by the P0 a conference organizer and send him a form to establish conference, and includes an establishment PLC AA communication to call the means MN0 notification MN (N-1) of the participants of the conference organizing. In particular, the memory of SRC server includes a table TB to associate details of participants in each conference, and particularly for associating coordinate P0 organizer, such as name, possibly his name and address AD0 of the notification means MN0 organizer and possibly TE0 address of the terminal or other terminal the organizer, the addresses AD1 AD (N-1) means of notification to the other participants P1 P (N-1).

0037Each address AD0 to AD (N-1) an average of notification is preferably associated with a MD indicator MD0 to (N-1) specifying the mode read message in the notification means when the SRC server supports different modes of read notification means. For example, Playback modes a voice mode for messages in voice to voice recorders MN0 and MN1, a text mode for text messages in means of notification MN2 and MN3, and a video mode for picture or audiovisual messages for through MN3 notification. The server includes CBC AD then a message adapter that converts the least a portion of a message transmitted by the terminal TE0 organizer messages Invitation to MN0 notification means N. (N-1)) of P0 participants P (N-1) respectively according to the playback mode indicators MD0 to MD (N-1) MN0 notifying means to MN (N-1).

0038For example, if the terminal TE0 PO organizer sends a message including DH timestamp data indicating the date, time and the duration of the conference and the theme of the TC conference in the form of a text in a form, the adapter AD message in the SRC server is then similar to a voice server and converted by speech synthesis data DH textual and TC in a portion of a voice message scanned. Voice recorders and MN0 MN1 can reproduce the voice message to be listened, after notification of the receipt of the message Voice to the respective participants P0 and P1.

0039The preliminary organization of a conference between P0 participants TP3 = PE (N-1) initiated by P0 organizer since TE0 terminal includes essentially of the steps E1 to E10, as shown in Figure 2.

0040To book a conference, the organizer P0 calls since the radio terminal TE0 SW server through the wireless telephone network RA0, the SA Access server and the Internet RP. Then P0 organizer selects the menu SW applications submitted by the server and displayed TE0 terminal in the conferencing application telephone so as to establish communication WAP TE0 between the telephone terminal and the server SRC reservation that was called by the server SW, in step E1. In the following steps E2 to E9, the exchange of messages between the terminal and the TE0 SRC reservation server pass through the server SW.

0041In the next step E2, the reservation server SRC transmits to the terminal TE0 a form that is received WML to ask the organizer P0 specify the characteristics of the conference he wants to organize. The characteristics of the conference include the name and surname of P0 organizer, address AD0 and the mode indicator MD0 reading of MN0 notification means by which the organizer wishes to be possibly notified of booking a conference bridge available later selected by the server CBC HR timestamp data such as date, the time and duration of the conference to organize the TC theme expressed in a few words the conference such as "choosing a film for tomorrow evening ", and pairs of address and indicator playback (AD1, MD1) to (AD (N-1), MD (N-1)) of notification means MN1 to MN (N-1) N-1 = 3 participants P1 to P3 = P (N-1) by which these participants wish to be notified of characteristics of the conference. And in step E3, the terminal transmits TE0 characteristics conference organizing, that is to say at least AD0 addresses AD (N-1) notification means Participants can be entered directly keyboard or in an address book, in SRC reservation server whose memory table supra TB stores them.

0042In step E4, a load balancer through bridge included in the booking server CBC research into useful TGP management tables to management MCUs if a slot having at least the expected duration of the conference the date and time indicated by the data timestamp is available.

0043If no conference bridge is available according DH timestamp data transmitted by the terminal TE0 organizer, the server transmits CBC a message inviting TE0 terminal P0 organizer to later recall the CRS server in step E5. In practice, the SRC server can accept Conference bookings on the waiting list internal representative of approximately 10% to 30% all MCU resources when that group is already fully booked, in view of subsequent withdrawals by organizers. A conference bridge reservation registered in the waiting list will be considered below as a conference bridge reservation available.

0044If one PCm conference bridges PC1 to PCM is likely to be provided in correspondence DH with the time stamp data in step E4, the SRC reservation server transmits a message acknowledgment TE0 the terminal to confirm P0 the organizer that the booking is validated step E6. The acknowledgment message contains only any selected conference bridge address but includes a INV invitation to "join conference "specific to the invention and described far. When the conference is not to organize immediately, a booking of a bridge determined conference lead advance unnecessary capital resource in a bridge conference. After the reservation phase, the SRC server keeps track features Conference organizing.

0045In the next step E7, call AA PLC then calls automatically afford notification MN1 to MN (N-1) other participants P1 P (N-1), some of which can be called with associated terminals, for a message to them Invitation to attend the conference. The message invitation is saved in the means of notification and includes, besides the data of DH stamp, the name of the P0 organizer and TC conference theme to be discussed at During the conference, as well as the invitation to INV "Join the conference" specific to the invitation.

0046The message of invitation to participate in the Conference transmitted by the AA call to a PLC notification means MN1 to MN (N-1) in step E7 previously adapted the play mode means notification according to MD MD1 indicator (N-1) AD message adapter. The message to MN1 is answering machine voicemail synthesized by the AD in the message adapter SRC server; the message to the mail short messages in the server message MN2 Short formatted by the AD adapter in server SRC; the message to the mail courier electronics in the MN3 server is a message email formatted by the adapter AD the SRC server.

0047If the participant P1 is present at the receiving the message of invitation to participate in the conference, this one picks up the handset of his terminal TE1 in order to listen to the message; if not the message is saved in the answering machine MN1 which preferably notify him deposit this message eg the next lifting the handset of the terminal TE1. Concerning P2 participant, filing the invitation message attend a conference in the MN2 server notified by a message immediately ran to TE2 radiotelephone terminal if it is not out coverage to the participant consults P2 the short message soon. The message Invitation to participate in a conference transmitted the MN3 mail server is stored by it and will be consulted by the participant P3 from his personal computer to the next TE3 consulting its mail courier electronics in the MN3 server.

0048The invitation "to join the conference" INV specific to the invention and included in each invitation message to participate contains a external hyperlink that points to an address Any predetermined masked AM which is linked to MCU to book by the SRC server, as will be explained below. Masking AM address relative to the displayed content or listened each participant terminal prevents the participant of the terminal stores an address for attend a conference. When the means notification of a participant terminal, such as a mail server or in the MN2 MN3, receives text messages, the invitation message is a small page hypertext eg WML (Wireless Markup Language) or HTML (HyperText Markup Language). In the content posted in this small page, the text "join the conference" is set Relief in a pointer active area of ​​a link hypertext to the masked AM address. For example, in the invitation message, the invitation is INV presented following the conference theme TH and can be proposed: "If you want to participate at the conference, see this message and click "Join the conference" the date and time of the conference. "Similarly, when the means notification is the vocal type, such as voice recorders MN0 and MN1, the invitation message is a small voice page written such language VXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) and including the voice prompt: "If you want to attend the conference, see this message and tell "Join the conference" the date and time of the conference "in which voice active zone "Join the conference" is pointing to the address masked AM.

0049In a first embodiment shown in 2, the masked address included in the AM invitation message to participate and to which the tip hyperlink text or voice, is an address redirection URL (Universal Resource Locator). This refers to a redirection address predetermined path that is established by the dispatcher bridge load in the booking server CBC and which serves to subsequently redirect the connection, including voice over IP (Internet Protocol), between terminal of the participant and the SRC server to a MCU PCm available.

0050In step E8, the load balancer in the SRC server and decides itself depending on different tasks it must perform the time, before the time set by the organizer for the conference, to select resources Available in one PCm conference bridges, without disclosing the address of the bridge explicitly the organizer and participants in steps preceding E6 and E7. For example, when the conference is scheduled in a few days, the load balancer in the SRC server can select the resources available in a bridge conference at peak hours of traffic, eg at night or minutes significantly before the time set for the conference. The selection deferred resources into a conference bridge allows better optimize load balancer occupation of distributed lectures in MCUs PC1 to PCM avoiding tying up much needed resources therein and thus to better manage Wait.

0051If a participant requests a connection with CRS server before the time of the conference, SRC server refuses to tell him.

0052As indicated in step E9, the date and time DH indicated by the timestamp data notified in the message of invitation to participate, each participant P0 to P (N-1) consult the message Registered invitation in his way notification MN0 to MN (N-1) and selects the area INV active, either by speaking or by clicking on "Join the conference."

0053In step E10, the selection of the active area INV in the invitation by saying "join conference "in TE0 terminal TE1 and validation, as called party number, address AM caller who sent the message Invitation in MN0 notification means, MN1, triggers the call of booking server to a CBC inlet thereof designated by the number AM which is Direct selection type number on arrival temporarily reserved for the conference to be organized. In response to this call, the server abuts the SRC TE0 connection to the terminal TE1 to a connection with the MCU selected PCm.

0054At step E10, when the user of the terminal TE2, TE3 click on the active area in the INV invitation, terminal TE2, TE3 participant application automatically establishing a connection terminal to the path designated by the masked address AM in the SRC reservation server. This way redirects the connection to the address APCM Bridge PCm booked conference.

0055Participants P0 to P (N-1) and enter the conference, their terminals being connected to MCU available PCm selected.

0056According to a first variant of the first embodiment, the masked address included in the AM invitation message is the address of a bridge APCM PCm conference that the CBC booking server selected as available at the time of the conference, in response to the characteristics of the conference that were transmitted by the terminal TE0 organizer in step E3. In this variant, step E8 is thus between the steps and E4 E6. A step E9, the selection of the active zone INV in the invitation message to participate viewed each participant leads to an establishment a connection of the terminal TE to TE0 (N-1) participating in the conference bridge PCm reserved.

0057In a second simpler alternative, the SRC reservation server selects in step E8 above the E6 and E7 steps, resources in a conference bridge available and introduced PCm the address of the bridge APCM available in PCm invitation messages notified to the terminal steps E6 and E7. The address that replaces APCM AM masked address is read by each participants P0 to P (N-1) and serves to time the conference call bridge directly PCm available to connect to the conference TE0 terminal TE (N-1) of the participant instead of steps E9 and E10.

0058In a second embodiment shown in Figure 3, INV invitation with the hyperlink in invitation messages to participate in the steps E6 and E7 is replaced by a notification of information later without hyperlink type conference "You will be subsequently notified within minutes before the conference of your participation in the conference "in steps E6a and E7a.

0059After the bridge load balancer has selected resources available in one PCm conference bridges to step E8a as this second embodiment, the server transmits a CBC CN notification control message including the DH characteristics, and TC (ADO, MDO) to (AD (N-1) MD (N-1)) to the conference bridge via selected PCm RP internet, a step E81. In response to the message CM, the PCm bridge establishes a second notification INV containing a hyperlink with invitation "Join the conference" of the type: "if you want to immediately participate in the conference, click-on / say "join the conference." The hyperlink and contains the active area "join the conference "that points to the telephone number APCM MCU reserved PCm as an address masked AM.

0060In a next step E82 performed substantially the time of the conference according to data DH timestamp of the reserved conference bridge PCm transmits second notifications <APCM AM => INV the terminals TE to TE0 (N-1) of the participants in adapting the second notifications respectively the playback modes MD0 to MD (N-1) means for notification MN0 to MN (N-1) terminals, as for the first notifications to steps E6a and E7a. This adaptation is performed previously by the PCm bridge which comprises a message adapter, or although the SRC server adapter AD establishes and previously transmits the second notifications PCm bridge. Then P0 participants P (N-1) select the active area in the invitation INV in the second notifications for them attending the conference in PCm bridge E9a the stage. In the next step E10a and in a manner analogous to step E10, the pronunciation of the area active in TE0 and terminals TE1 and the recall of last caller number in the means of MN0 notification and MN1, as AM Number = APCM and the button click of the active zone in the TE2 and TE3 trigger terminals respectively Connections institutions TE0 terminals TE (N-1) to the conference bridge PCm selected via the PSTN.