The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 2006
Filed:
Jun. 21, 2001
Randy L. Hackbarth, Western Springs, IL (US);
James David Herbsleb, Naperville, IL (US);
Graham John Wills, Naperville, IL (US);
Randy L. Hackbarth, Western Springs, IL (US);
James David Herbsleb, Naperville, IL (US);
Graham John Wills, Naperville, IL (US);
Lucent Technologies Inc., Murray Hill, NJ (US);
Abstract
A so-called 'OpenChannel™' conference is established by separating particular participants of the conference from those participants that are actually currently active in the conference. This establishes a type of virtual conference, i.e., meeting, that can be monitored by participants, i.e., users, without requiring them to be actively a part of the conference call. These particular participants are in a so-called monitor mode. These participants can readily change their state from the monitor mode to a listen mode or active mode, as desired. One advantage of this invention is that a long-term conference of months or even years duration can be set up, only incurring a cost to participants when they are active participants in the conference call.