Conference call alerts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9549072-B2
Application number	US-201514645799-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Conference call alerting is provided. A first device of a plurality of telecommunications devices initiates a telecommunications link between the first device and a second device of the plurality of telecommunications devices. The first device receives an interaction that includes a communications address of a third device of the plurality of telecommunications devices. The telecommunications link is modified to include the third device. In response to the third device joining the telecommunications link, the first device issues an alert to the second device and the third device, wherein the alert indicates that the third device has joined the telecommunications link.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for conference call alerts, the method comprising:
initiating, by a first device of a plurality of telecommunications devices, a telecommunications link between the first device and a second device of the plurality of telecommunications devices, wherein each device of the plurality of telecommunications device is a telephone, and wherein the telecommunications link transmits voice communications;
receiving, by the first device, an interaction that includes a communications address of a third device of the plurality of telecommunications devices;
modifying the telecommunications link to include the third device;
in response to the third device joining the telecommunications link, causing the first device to issue a first alert to the second device and the third device, wherein the first alert indicates that the third device has joined the telecommunications link, and wherein the first alert provides (i) a name of a user of the third device, (ii) the communications address of the third device, and (iii) an indication that a user of the first device requested a user of the third device to join the telecommunications link;
in response to a departing device leaving the telecommunications link, causing the first device to issue a second alert or a third alert that indicates that the departing device has left the telecommunications link;
wherein the second alert is issued to the third device and the second device when the departing device is the second device, and wherein the third alert is issued to the second device and third device when the departing device is the third device;
wherein the second alert and the third alert provide (i) a name of a user of the departing device and (ii) an indication that the user of the departing device has left the telecommunications link, wherein the second alert comprises a second short message service (SMS) message to the second device and the third device and a second voice announcement over the telecommunication link to the third device only and wherein the third alert comprises a third SMS message to the third device and the second device, and a third voice announcement over the telecommunication link to the second device only;
wherein issuing the first alert further comprises: issuing a first SMS message and a first voice announcement each including the first alert to the second device, and the third device.

2. A computer program product for conference call alerts, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable storage medium, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage medium, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to initiate a telecommunications link between a first device of a plurality of telecommunications devices and a second device of the plurality of telecommunications devices;
program instructions to receive an interaction that includes a communications address of a third device of the plurality of telecommunications devices;
program instructions to modify the telecommunications link to include the third device; and
program instructions to cause the first device to issue a first alert to the second device and the third device in response to the third device joining the telecommunications link, wherein the first alert indicates that the third device has joined the telecommunications link and wherein the first alert provides (i) a name of a user of the third device, (ii) a communications address of the third device, and (iii) an indication that a user of the first device requested a user of the third device to join the telecommunications link;
program instructions, in response to a departing device leaving the telecommunications link, to cause the first device to issue a second alert or a third alert that indicates that the departing device has left the telecommunications link;
wherein the second alert is issued to the third device and the second device when the departing device is the second device, and wherein the third alert is issued to the second device and third device when the departing device is the third device;
wherein the second alert and the third alert provides (i) a name of a user of the departing device and (ii) an indication that the user of the departing device has left the telecommunications link, wherein the second alert comprises a second short message service (SMS) message to the second device and the third device and a second voice announcement over the telecommunication link to the third device only and wherein the third alert comprises a third SMS message to the third device and the second device, and a third voice announcement over the telecommunication link to the second device only;
wherein program instructions to cause the first alert to issue comprises:
program instructions to issue a first SMS message that includes the alert to the second device, and the third device; and
program instructions to issue a first voice announcement to the first device, the second device, and via the telecommunications link.

3. A computer system for conference call alerts, the computer system comprising:
one or more computer processors;
one or more computer readable storage media;
program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to initiate a telecommunications link between a first device of a plurality of telecommunications devices and a second device of the plurality of telecommunications devices;
program instructions to receive an interaction that includes a communications address of a third device of the plurality of telecommunications devices;
program instructions to modify the telecommunications link to include the third device; and
program instructions to cause a first alert to issue from the first device to the second device and the third device in response to the third device joining the telecommunications link, wherein the first alert indicates that the third device has joined the telecommunications link, and wherein the first alert provides (i) a name of a user of the third device, (ii) a communications address of the third device, and (iii) an indication that a user of the first device requested a user of the third device to join the telecommunications link;
program instructions, in response to a departing device leaving the telecommunications link, to cause the first device to issue a second alert or a third alert that indicates that the departing device has left the telecommunications link;
wherein the second alert is issued to the third device and the second device when the departing device is the second device, and wherein the third alert is issued to the second device and third device when the departing device is the third device;
wherein the second alert and the third alert provides (i) a name of a user of the departing device and (ii) an indication that the user of the departing device has left the telecommunications link, wherein the second alert comprises a second short message service (SMS) message to the second device and the third device and a second voice announcement over the telecommunication link to the third device only and wherein the third alert comprises a third SMS message to the third device and the second device, and a third voice announcement over the telecommunication link to the second device only;
wherein program instructions to cause the first alert to issue comprises:
program instructions to issue a first SMS message that includes the alert to the second device, and the third device; and
program instructions to issue a first voice announcement to the first device, the second device, and via the telecommunications link.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Gunhalkar Krupa S
• Janakiraman Gopi
• Mandava Srinivas

Classifications

• H04M2203/5018

  Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party service or three-way call · CPC title

• H04M2203/5081

  Inform conference party of participants, e.g. of change of participants · CPC title

• H04W4/14

  Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD] · CPC title

• H04L12/1822

  Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission · CPC title

• H04M3/56 Primary

  Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities (video conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title