Systems, Methods, and Computer Programs for Transitioning from a Phone-Only Mode to a Web Conference Mode

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for transitioning from a phone-only mode to a web conference mode. One embodiment is a method for participating in an audio conference comprising: a conferencing system establishing an audio conference between a plurality of participants via a communication network, at least one of the participants participating in the audio conference in a phone-only mode; and a server in communication with the conferencing system presenting to the phone-only participant, via a user interface on a computing device, a phone-only control menu for enabling the phone-only participant to selectively transition from the phone-only mode to a web conferencing mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for participating in an audio conference, the method comprising:
 a conferencing system establishing an audio conference between a plurality of participants via a communication network, at least one of the participants participating in the audio conference in a phone-only mode as a phone-only participant; and   a server in communication with the conferencing system presenting a phone-only user interface to a computing device associated with the phone-only participant, the phone-only user interface comprising a phone-only control menu for transitioning from the phone-only mode to a web conferencing mode by replacing the phone-only user interface presented to the computing device with a web conference user interface presented to the computing device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the phone-only control menu comprises a list identifying the participants, a mute/unmute control, a disconnect control, and a switch mode control for requesting the transition from the phone-only mode to the web conferencing mode. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a transition request via the phone-only control menu;   in response to transition request, the server presenting the web conference user interface to the computing device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the web conference user interface displays a plurality of interactive participant objects uniquely identifying each of the participants in the audio conference. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the interactive participant objects comprise a plurality of selectable display faces for displaying information about the corresponding participant. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the phone-only participant joins the audio conference via one of a dial-in number or a dial-out feature. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 monitoring a quality or cost of an audio connection associated with the phone-only participant;   based on the quality or cost, determining an alternative audio connection; and   prompting the phone-only participant via the phone-only control menu to reconnect to the audio conference via the alternative audio connection.   
     
     
         8 . A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium and executable by a processor for providing an audio conference, the computer program comprising logic configured to:
 establish an audio conference between a plurality of participants via a communication network, at least one of the participants participating in the audio conference as a phone-only participant in a phone-only mode, via a phone-only user interface;   present the phone-only user interface to a computing device associated with the phone-only participant, the phone-only user interface comprising a phone-only control menu for enabling the phone-only participant to transition from the phone-only mode to a web conferencing mode;   receive the transition request initiated via the phone-only control menu; and   in response to the transition request, change the phone-only participant from the phone-only mode to the web conference mod.   
     
     
         9 . The computer program of  claim 8 , further comprising logic configured to replace the phone-only user interface presented to the computing device with a web conference user interface, and wherein the phone-only control menu comprises a list identifying the participants and a switch mode control for requesting the transition from the phone-only mode to the web conferencing mode. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program of  claim 8 , wherein the phone-only participant joins the audio conference via one of a dial-in number or a dial-out feature based on a current location of the computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The computer program of  claim 8 , further comprising logic configured to:
 monitor a quality or cost of an audio connection associated with the phone-only participant;   based on the quality or cost, determine an alternative audio connection;   receiving a request via the phone-only control menu to reconnect via the alternative audio connection; and   connect the phone-only participant to the audio conference via the alternative audio connection.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program of  claim 11 , wherein the alternative audio connection comprises one of an alternative dial-in number or a dial-out feature. 
     
     
         13 . A computer system comprising:
 a conferencing system for establishing an audio conference between a plurality of participants via a communication network, wherein the participants participate as a phone-only participant in a phone-only mode or in a web conference mode; and   a server configured to communicate with the conferencing system and present a phone-only user interface to a computing device associated with the phone-only participant, the phone-only user interface comprising a phone-only control menu for enabling the phone-only participant to transition from the phone-only mode to the web conferencing mode by changing the phone-only participant from the phone-only mode to the web conference mode and presenting the web conference user interface to the computing device.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the server is further configured to:
 receive the transition request initiated via the phone-only control menu; and   in response to the transition request, present the web conference user interface to the computing device.   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the phone-only control menu comprises a list identifying the participants, a mute/unmute control, a disconnect control, and a switch mode control for requesting the transition from the phone-only mode to the web conferencing mode. 
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the phone-only participant joins the audio conference via one of a dial-in number or a dial-out feature based on a current location of the computing device. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein one or more of the conferencing system and the server is further configured to:
 monitor a quality or cost of an audio connection associated with the phone-only participant;   based on the quality or cost, determine an alternative audio connection;   receive a request via the phone-only control menu to reconnect via the alternative audio connection; and   connect the phone-only participant to the audio conference via the alternative audio connection.   
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 17 , wherein the alternative audio connection comprises one of an alternative dial-in number or a dial-out feature. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 13 , wherein the phone-only participant joins the audio conference via one of a dial-in number or a dial-out feature. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 19 , wherein the dial-in number is based on a current location of the computing device associated with the phone-only participant.