Systems and Methods for Facilitating Teleconferencing without Pre-Reservation of Conference Resources

Abstract

A teleconferencing system has a teleconference bridge provided by software executing on one or more computerized servers in a network, the bridge having an access telephone number or address, and a plurality of signal processing banks coupled to the teleconference bridge. The bridge answers incoming calls with an automated message asking for a conference code, assigns a specific bank of processors having a specific maximum call capacity for a teleconference associated with a first incoming call asserting a specific conference code, connects a second incoming call asserting the same conference code in live conference with the first incoming call asserting the same code, connects further incoming calls asserting the same conference code in conference with the first two, tracks the number of calls in a conference as further calls are connected, and connects further banks of processors one-at-a-time as maximum call capacity in already-connected banks is reached.

1 . A teleconferencing system comprising:
 a teleconference bridge provided by software executing on one or more computerized servers in a network, the bridge having an access telephone number or address; and   a plurality of signal processing banks coupled to the teleconference bridge and providing digital resources for managing teleconferences;   wherein the bridge answers incoming calls with an automated message asking for a conference code, assigns a specific bank of processors having a specific maximum call capacity for a teleconference associated with a first incoming call asserting a specific conference code, connects a second incoming call asserting the same conference code in live conference with the first incoming call asserting the same code, connects further incoming calls asserting the same conference code in conference with the first two, tracks the number of calls in a conference as further calls are connected, and connects further banks of processors one-at-a-time as maximum call capacity in already-connected banks is reached.   
     
     
         2 . The teleconferencing system of  claim 1  wherein the bridge, as calls are terminated, reduces the number of connected banks of processors to handle the total number of calls in a conference. 
     
     
         3 . A teleconferencing method, comprising the steps of:
 (a) automatically requesting a conference code from a first incoming call by a teleconference bridge provided by software executing on one or more computerized servers in a network, the bridge having an access telephone number or address;   (b) assigning a first bank of processors having a specific maximum call capacity to a conference associated with the conference code asserted;   (c) connecting a second incoming call asserting the same conference code in live conference with the first incoming call;   (d) connecting further incoming calls asserting the same conference code in live conference with the first two;   (e) tracking the number of calls in a conference as further calls are connected; and   (f) connecting further banks of processors one-at-a-time as maximum call capacity in already-connected banks is reached.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the bridge, as calls are terminated, reduces the number of connected banks of processors to handle the total number of calls in a conference.