Importance

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Abstract

A multi-level conference in which an originator of a telephone conference of the multi-level conference controls the parties that can be added to that conference and can terminate any party at any time. Further, if two existing telephone conferences are combined together to form the multi-level conference, the party that originated the combining of these two conference calls can control not only the parties on its conference call but can disconnect all of the parties on the second conference call. In addition, the control of the conference resides in the telephone terminals being utilized by the participants, rather than in a centralized service computer. Information concerning the conference and control of the conference is communicated between the telephone terminals utilizing the standard telecommunication communication control channel and does not require the establishment of a separate data call to a centralized service computer. In addition, the telephone terminals display the names and telephone numbers of parties on the multi-level conference and identifies parties controlling the individual conferences. In addition, when two conferences are combined together, each originator of a conference maintains control over their subconference and can independently separate that subconference from the other conference in a multi-level conference.

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First Claim