Subscription and paired authorization code based access to a meet-me conferencing service

Claim 2

In a telecommunications network including a plurality of switching systems, one or more of which having one or more conference bridges, a method of accessing a conferencing service to effect a conference, comprising the steps of: maintaining subscription information including predetermined primary authorization codes associated with respective subscribers; receiving, from a first call, an input subscriber identification; providing, responsive to correlating the input subscriber identification to a particular subscriber identified from the maintained subscription information, a secondary authorization code to the first call; maintaining an association pairing the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber with the secondary authorization code; receiving, from a second call, an input primary code; selecting an available bridge from the one or more bridges; maintaining, responsive to correlating the input primary code to the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, an association between the selected bridge and the particular subscriber; connecting the second call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the second call initiates a conference; receiving, from a third call, an input secondary code; and connecting, responsive to correlating the input secondary code to the secondary authorization code paired with the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, the third call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the third call joins the initiated conference.

Claim 3

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of selecting the available bridge includes: maintaining availability information with respect to the one or more bridges; selecting a particular bridge which the availability information indicates is available; and updating the availability information associated with the particular bridge to indicate that the particular bridge is not available.

Claim 4

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the input subscriber identification is the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber.

Claim 5

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the input subscriber identification includes a predetermined identification code.

Claim 6

A method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the input subscriber identification includes the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber.

Claim 7

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the third call includes a plurality of calls initiated by respective participants.

Claim 8

A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the telecommunications network includes an intelligent network having a service control point (SCP) and one or more service switching points (SSPs).

Claim 9

A method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the step of connecting the second call to the selected bridge includes the SCP instructing one of the SSPs, which triggers in processing of the second call, to route the second call to a first directory number which provides call connections thereto with control over conference initiation at the selected bridge.

Claim 10

A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the step of connecting the third call to the selected bridge includes the SCP instructing one of the SSPs, which triggers in processing of the third call, to route the third call to a second directory number which enables call connections thereto to join initiated conferences at the selected bridge.

Claim 11

A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the first directory number and the second directory number are the same.

Claim 12

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary authorization code has a validity limit.

Claim 13

A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the validity limit includes a predetermined number of conferences.

Claim 14

A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the secondary authorization code is valid for a single conference.

Claim 15

A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the validity limit includes a predetermined conference size.

Claim 16

A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the validity limit is an absolute time period.

Claim 17

A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the secondary authorization code is permanently paired with the primary authorization code, and the second call from which the primary authorization code is received occurs prior to the third call from which the secondary authorization code is received.

Claim 18

In a telecommunications network including a plurality of switching systems, one or more of which having one or more conference bridges, a system for effecting a conferencing service, comprising: means for maintaining subscription information including predetermined primary authorization codes associated with respective subscribers; means for receiving, from a first call, an input subscriber identification; means for providing, responsive to correlating the input subscriber identification to a particular subscriber identified from the maintained subscription information, a secondary authorization code to the first call; means for maintaining an association pairing the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber with the secondary authorization code; means for receiving, from a second call, an input primary code; means for selecting an available bridge from the one or more bridges; means for maintaining, responsive to correlating the input primary code to the primary authorization of the particular subscriber, an association between the selected bridge and the particular subscriber; means for connecting the second call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the second call initiates a conference; means for receiving, from a third call, an input secondary code; and means for connecting, responsive to correlating the input secondary code to the secondary authorization code paired with the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, the third call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the third call joins the initiated conference.

Claim 19

In a telecommunications network including a plurality of switching systems, one or more of which having one or more conference bridges, a system for effecting a conferencing service, comprising: means for maintaining subscription information including predetermined primary authorization codes associated with respective subscribers; means for receiving, from a first call, an input subscriber identification; means for providing, responsive to correlating the input subscriber identification to a particular subscriber identified from the maintained subscription information, a secondary authorization code to the first call; means for maintaining an association pairing the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber with the secondary authorization code; means for receiving, from a second call, an input primary code; means for selecting an available bridge from the one or more bridges; means for maintaining, responsive to correlating the input primary code to the primary authorization of the particular subscriber, an association between the selected bridge and the particular subscriber; means for connecting the second call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the second call initiates a conference; means for receiving, from a third call, an input secondary code; and means for connecting, responsive to correlating the input secondary code to the secondary authorization code paired with the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber, the third call through the network to the selected bridge whereby the third call joins the initiated conference.

Claim 20

A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the means for selecting the available bridge includes: means for maintaining availability information with respect to the one or more bridges; means for selecting a particular bridge which the availability information indicates is available; and means for updating the availability information associated with the particular bridge to indicate that the particular bridge is not available.

Claim 21

A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the input subscriber identification is the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber.

Claim 22

A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the input subscriber identification includes a predetermined identification code.

Claim 23

A system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the input subscriber identification includes the primary authorization code of the particular subscriber.

Claim 24

A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the third call includes a plurality of calls initiated by respective participants.

Claim 25

A system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the telecommunications network includes an intelligent network having a service control point (SCP) and one or more service switching points (SSPs).

Claim 26

A system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the means for connecting the second call to the selected bridge includes means for instructing by the SCP one of the SSPs, which triggers in processing of the second call, to route the second call to a first directory number which provides call connections thereto with control over conference initiation at the selected bridge.

Claim 27

A system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the means for connecting the third call to the selected bridge includes means for instructing by the SCP one of the SSPS, which triggers in processing of the third call, to route the third call to a second directory number which enables call connections thereto to join initiated conferences at the selected bridge.

Claim 28

A system as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first directory number and the second directory number are the same.

Claim 29

A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the secondary authorization code has a validity limit.

Claim 30

A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the validity limit includes a predetermined number of conferences.

Claim 31

A system as claimed in claim 28, wherein the secondary authorization code is valid for a single conference.

Claim 32

A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the validity limit includes a predetermined conference size.

Claim 33

A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the validity limit is an absolute time period.

Claim 34

A system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the secondary authorization code is permanently paired with the primary authorization code, and the second call from which the primary authorization code is received occurs prior to the third call from which the secondary authorization code is received.