System and method for using a portable information device to establish a conference call on a telephony network

Claim 3

The system of claim 1 wherein the user communicates voice data on the voice-over-data channel with the at least one communication partner.

Claim 4

The system of Claim 1 wherein each data network telephone includes a device identifier.

Claim 5

The system of claim 3 wherein the device identifier includes an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Claim 6

The system of claim 3 wherein the communication partner data includes at least one Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) address.

Claim 7

The system of claim 3 wherein the communication partner data includes at least one E.164 telephone number.

Claim 8

The system of claim 1 further comprising: at least one database accessible through the network to store a plurality of device identifiers and a plurality of user identifiers associated with the plurality of device identifiers; and at least one network telephony connection server operable to access the at least one database to initiate the voice-over-data channel in response to the first data network telephone inviting the at least one communication partner.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1 , wherein the conference call is set up in accordance with the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

Claim 10

The system of claim 1 , wherein the conference call is set up in accordance with the H.323 Protocol.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1 , wherein the conference call is set up in accordance with the MEGACO protocol.

Claim 12

The system of claim 1 , wherein the conference call is set up in accordance with the MGCP protocol.

Claim 13

The system of claim 7 wherein: the first data network telephone sends an invite message to invite the at least one communication partner, wherein the invite message includes a communication partner user identifier the request message includes a callee user identifier; and wherein the network telephony connection server accesses the database to determine a communication partner device identifier corresponding to the communication partner user identifier.

Claim 14

The system of claim 2 wherein the user communicates PID data on a PID data channel with the at least one communication partner, the PID data channel being one of the plurality of data communication channels on the data network.

Claim 15

The system of claim 1 , further comprising a conference server linked to the network, wherein the first data network telephone invites the at least one communication partner to the conference call by inviting the conference server, and wherein the conference server invites each at least one communication partner at corresponding data network telephones.

Claim 18

A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a processing unit to perform the method of claim 15 .

Claim 19

The method of claim 15 , wherein the data network telephone invites the at least one communication partner by transmitting at least one invite message to a registration server, wherein the at least one invite message includes the user identifier, wherein the registration server accesses a registration database to determine a device identifier registered to the user identifier, and wherein the device identifier corresponds to a communication partner data network telephone linked to the data network.

Claim 20

The method of claim 15 , wherein the portable information device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Claim 21

The method of claim 15 , wherein the portable information device is a wireless phone.

Claim 22

The method of claim 15 , wherein the data network is a public internet.

Claim 23

The method of claim 15 , wherein the conference call is established according to the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

Claim 24

The method of claim 15 , wherein the conference call is established according to the H.323 protocol.

Claim 25

The method of claim 15 , wherein the conference call is established according to the MGCP protocol.

Claim 26

The method of claim 15 , wherein the conference call is established according to the MEGACO protocol.

Claim 27

The method of claim 15 , wherein the user makes the at least one contact entry selection using an address book application located on the portable information device.

Claim 28

The method of claim 15 , further comprising: accepting PID data from the user at the portable information device; and transmitting the PID data to the data network telephone, wherein the data network telephone communicates the PID data to at least one communication partner data network telephone to enable at least one of the communication partners to receive the PID data at a communication partner portable information device.

Claim 29

The method of claim 15 , wherein the PID data is non-voice data that is communicated concurrently with the voice data.

Claim 30

The method of claim 16 , wherein at least two communication partners are invited, and wherein the data network telephone mixes the voice data to enable each communication partner to communicate voice data with each other communication partner and the user.

Claim 31

The method of claim 15 , wherein at least two communication partners are invited, wherein each of the communication partners is associated with a communication partner data network telephone, and wherein at least one of the communication partners invites another communication partner to enable each communication partner to communicate voice data with each other communication partner and the user.

Claim 32

The method of claim 15 , wherein the data network telephone invites the at least one communication partner to the conference call by inviting a conference server, and wherein the conference server invites each of at least one communication partner data network telephones corresponding to each of the at least one communication partner.

Claim 33

A data network telephone for use in establishing a data network telephony conference call, comprising in combination: a network interface linking a first data network telephone to a data network, wherein the data network includes a plurality of data network telephones with which the first data network telephone may be used to communicate voice data-in a conference call; a PID interface for accepting PID data from a portable information device associated with a_user, wherein the PID data includes at least one user identifier corresponding to at least one communication partner, and wherein the at least one communication partner is selected by the user via an address book application on the portable information device; a processor for constructing at least one invite message containing the at least one user identifier, wherein the invite message is used to invite the at least one communication partner to the conference call; and a user interface including an audio input and an audio output, wherein the user interface enables the user to communicate voice data with at least one communication partner associated with at least one of the plurality of data network telephones.

Claim 34

A data network telephone for use in establishing a data network telephony conference call, comprising in combination: a network interface linking a first data network telephone to a data network, wherein the data network includes a plurality of data network telephones with which the first data network telephone may be used to communicate voice data-in a conference call; a PID interface for accepting PID data from a portable information device associated with a_user, wherein the PID data includes at least one user identifier corresponding to at least one communication partner, and wherein the at least one communication partner is selected by the user via an address book application on the portable information device; a processor for constructing at least one invite message containing the at least one user identifier, wherein the invite message is used to invite the at least one communication partner to the conference call; and a user interface including an audio input and an audio output, wherein the user interface enables the user to communicate voice data with at least one communication partner associated with at least one of the plurality of data network telephones.

Claim 35

The data network telephone of claim 31 , wherein the PID data additionally includes on-voice-data that may be communicated to the at least one communication partner to enable the at least one communication partner to receive the non-voice data on at least once communication partner portable information device.

Claim 36

The method of claim 31 , wherein the portable information device is a personal digital assistant (PDA).

Claim 37

The method of claim 31 , wherein the portable information device is a wireless phone.

Claim 38

The method of claim 31 , wherein the data network is a public internet.

Claim 39

The method of claim 31 , wherein the invite message is constructed according to the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

Claim 40

The method of claim 31 , wherein the invite message is constructed according to the H.323 protocol.

Claim 41

The method of claim 31 , wherein the invite message is constructed according to the MGCP protocol.

Claim 42

The method of claim 32 , wherein the invite message is constructed according to the MEGACO protocol.