IP: A patent of some interest [ I am one of the inventors djf]

[Dave Farber <farber@cis.upenn.edu>]

http://www.caritastech.com//

Abstact:

In a telephone conferencing system, a digital communication network is used 
to establish and control the telephone connections between multiple 
conferees with the telephone network being the means of exchanging verbal 
information. Each conferee may have a computer connected to the digital 
network, and each has an independent telephone instrument connected to the 
public switched telephone network. An in-charge conferee utilizes his 
computer containing appropriate software to initiate the conference and to 
control the participation of the conferees. The in-charge conferee sends 
digital control signals to a switch interface controlling a telephone 
switch as a gateway to the telephone network. These control signals include 
the commands by which the conferee telephones are rung up, brought on line, 
or dropped from the conference. The switch provides telephone status 
information back over the digital network, and the in-charge conferee, as 
well as other conferees if provided with appropriate software, display this 
status information on their PC monitors.