1. A folding table, comprising:
a frame;
a top mounted to the frame;
a linkage mounting to the frame and the top and facilitating movement of the top between a horizontal use position and a folded position wherein the top is substantially vertical, the linkage comprising:
a link mounted to the frame at a first end and to the table top at a second end;
a first element mounted to the top and defining a slot, the slot having a straight portion and an end portion extending upward at an oblique angle to the straight portion; and
a follower mounted at the top of the frame and slidably mounted in the slot and resting in the end portion when the top is in the use position.
2. A table according to claim 1, further comprising a damper extending between the table top and the frame.
3. A table according to claim 1, wherein the curving portion extends at an angle of about 25 degrees from the straight portion.
4. A table according to claim 1, wherein the table top comprises a stone top.
5. A table according to claim 1, wherein the end portion curves upward.
6. A table according to claim 1, wherein the end portion is configured so that the follower cannot slide from the end portion at the use position and wherein the follower passes into the straight portion of the slot when the table top is lifted and folded.
7. A table according to claim 2, wherein the damper comprises a gas spring.
8. A method of folding a folding table, the folding table having a frame with a follower and a table top having an element with a vertical wall mounted to an underside of the tabletop with a longitudinal slot formed in the vertical wall and having a main portion and an angled end portion extending upward at an oblique angle to the main portion, the method comprising:
lifting an edge of the table top opposite the slot end portion upward and pivoting the table top toward a vertical position, to raise the end portion of the slot relative to the follower, to move the follower into the main portion;
allowing the table top to move toward a generally vertical position under its weight, wherein the follower moves along the main portion away from the angled end portion.
9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising:
unfolding the table by raising a lower edge of the table top at a folded generally vertical position, wherein the follower moves along the main portion of the longitudinal slot toward the angled end portion and automatically moves into the end portion as the table top is moved to a horizontal use position.
10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the main portion and the angled end portion form a toggle point and wherein the follower is moved past the toggle point as the table top is lifted and folded.
11. A method according to claim 8, wherein the angled end portion comprises an upward curving slot.
12. A linkage for a folding table having a frame and a folding table top, the linkage comprising:
a linkage configured for mounting to the frame and the top and facilitating movement of the top between a horizontal use position and a folded position wherein the top is substantially vertical, the linkage comprising:
a link configured for mounting to the frame at a first end and to the table top at a second end;
a first element configured for mounting to the top and defining a slot, the slot having a straight portion and an end portion extending upward at an oblique angle to the straight portion; and
a follower configured for mounting at the top of the frame and slidably mounted in the slot and resting in the end portion when the top is in the use position.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A conference call method performed by a system that includes at least one mobile station, at least one call centre server, at least one computer and at least one gateway server, the method comprising:
initiating, from a mobile station associated with a conference initiator, a conference call by transmitting a conference call request wirelessly to a call centre server, the conference call request identifying at least two desired conference participants, and their contact information unless the call centre already has access to the contact information,
calling, by the call centre server via a gateway server, the conference initiator and the desired conference participants,
establishing a call between the gateway server and each of the conference initiator and the desired conference participants,
digitizing, at the gateway server, each of the established calls with the conference initiator and the desired conference participants into a corresponding audio stream,
recognizing, by the call centre server, the conference initiator based on the conference call request,
based on recognizing the conference initiator, initializing, by the call centre server, a computer of the conference initiator,
relaying, to the initialized computer of the conference initiator, each of the audio streams digitized at the gateway server, and
connecting, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to establish the conference call between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein connecting, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to establish the conference call between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants comprises merging, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to form a teleconference between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein recognizing the conference initiator based on the conference call request comprises recognizing the mobile station of the conference initiator or a client application operating on the mobile station of the conference initiator.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein initializing a computer of the conference initiator comprises initializing a personal computer of the conference initiator.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein initializing a computer of the conference initiator comprises initializing, by the call centre server, a computer of the conference initiator for the gateway server.
6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call centre server or the initialized computer of the conference initiator comprise parameters for defining the conference call.
7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the relayed audio streams are real time protocol (RTP) streams.
8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising recording, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to a data file.
9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the recorded data file forms the audio minutes of the conference call, further comprising adding metadata to the recorded data file.
10. A method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising archiving the recorded data file to a database.
11. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the mobile station is a GSM-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, HTTP-, H.323-, SIP-, SMS-, MMS-, email-, LAN-, TCPIP-, imode-, Globalstar- andor WLAN- compliant mobile phone, PDA andor a portable computer.
12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the call centre server comprises any of the following: database server, disk array, gateway server, application server, external phone centre, virtual phone andor a SIP andor H.323 phone.
13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gateway server comprises any of the following: at least one dial in line, at least one dial out line, at least one digital signal processor, gateway server software, and media recording software.
14. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer is a personal computer (PC), a Unix computer or an Apple Macintosh\u2122 computer.
15. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:
recording, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to a data file,
adding, to the recorded data file, metadata that indicates conference participant names, contact information, date of the conference call, and time of the conference call, and
after completion of the conference call, emailing, by the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the recorded data file to all of the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
16. A method as claimed in claim 1:
wherein the conference call request includes a specified time at which the conference call is to occur, and
wherein calling, by the call centre server via a gateway server, the conference initiator and the desired conference participants comprises calling, at the specified time included in the conference call request, the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
17. A method as claimed in claim 1:
wherein recognizing, by the call centre server, the conference initiator based on the conference call request comprises recognizing, by the call centre server, the conference initiator from caller identification information transmitted with the conference call request, and
wherein initializing, by the call centre server, a computer of the conference initiator comprises starting at least one program or process in the computer of the conference initiator.
18. A conference call system, comprising at least one mobile station, at least one call centre server, at least one computer and at least one gateway server, wherein:
a mobile station associated with a conference initiator is arranged to initiate a conference call by transmitting a conference call request wirelessly to a call centre server, the conference call request identifying at least two desired conference participants, and their contact information unless the call centre already has access to the contact information,
the call centre server is arranged to call the conference initiator and the desired conference participants via a gateway server,
the gateway server is arranged to establish a call with each of the conference initiator and the desired conference participants
the gateway server is arranged to digitize each of the established calls with the conference initiator and the desired conference participants into a corresponding audio stream,
the call centre server is arranged to recognize the conference initiator based on the conference call request,
the call centre server is arranged to initialize a computer of the conference initiator based on recognizing the conference initiator,
the gateway server is arranged to relay, to the initialized computer of the conference initiator, each of the audio streams digitized at the gateway server, and
the initialized computer of the conference initiator is arranged to connect the relayed audio streams to establish the conference call between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
19. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the initialized computer of the conference initiator is arranged to merge the relayed audio streams to form a teleconference between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
20. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call centre server is arranged to recognize the mobile station of the conference initiator or a client application operating on the mobile station of the conference initiator.
21. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer is a personal computer of the conference initiator.
22. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call centre server is arranged to initialize the computer for the gateway server.
23. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call centre server or the computer comprise parameters for defining the conference call.
24. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the relayed audio streams are real time protocol (RTP) streams.
25. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the initialized computer of the conference initiator is arranged to record the relayed audio streams to a data file.
26. The system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the recorded data file is arranged to form the audio minutes of the conference call, and the initialized computer of the conference initiator is arranged to add metadata to the recorded data file.
27. The system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the initialized computer of the conference initiator is arranged to archive the recorded data file to a database.
28. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the mobile station is a GSM-, GSM-data, IP-RAN-, UMTS-, WAP-, Teldesic-, Inmarsat-, Iridium-, GPRS-, CDMA-data-, WCDMA-data-, HTTP-, H.323-, SIP-, SMS-, MMS-, email-, LAN-, TCPIP-, imode’-, Globalstar- andor WLAN-,compliant mobile phone, PDA andor a portable computer.
29. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the call centre server comprises any of the following: database server, disk array, gateway server, application server, external phone centre, virtual phone andor a SIP andor H.323 phone.
30. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the gateway server comprises any of the following: at least one dial in line, at least one dial out, at least one digital signal processor, gateway server software, and media recording software.
31. The system as claimed in claim 18, wherein the computer is a personal computer (PC), a Unix computer or an Apple Macintosh\u2122 computer.
32. At least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
initiating, from a mobile station associated with a conference initiator, a conference call by transmitting a conference call request wirelessly to a call centre server, the conference call request identifying at least two desired conference participants, and their contact information unless the call centre already has access to the contact information,
calling, by the call centre server via a gateway server, the conference initiator and the desired conference participants,
establishing a call between the gateway server and each of the conference initiator and the desired conference participants,
digitizing, at the gateway server, each of the established calls with the conference initiator and the desired conference participants into a corresponding audio stream,
recognizing, by the call centre server, the conference initiator based on the conference call request, based on recognizing the conference initiator,
initializing, by the call centre server, a computer of the conference initiator, relaying, to the initialized computer of the conference initiator, each of the audio streams digitized at the gateway server, and
connecting, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to establish the conference call between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
33. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein connecting, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to establish the conference call between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants comprises merging, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to form a teleconference between the conference initiator and the desired conference participants.
34. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein recognizing the conference initiator based on the conference call request comprises recognizing the mobile station of the conference initiator or a client application operating on the mobile station of the conference initiator.
35. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein initializing a computer of the conference initiator comprises initializing a personal computer of the conference initiator.
36. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein initializing a computer of the conference initiator comprises initializing, by the call centre server, a computer of the conference initiator for the gateway server.
37. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the call centre server or the initialized computer of the conference initiator comprise parameters for defining the conference call.
38. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the relayed audio streams are real time protocol (RTP) streams.
39. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 32, wherein the operation further comprise recording, at the initialized computer of the conference initiator, the relayed audio streams to a data file.
40. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 39, wherein the recorded data file forms the audio minutes of the conference call, and the operations further comprise adding metadata to the recorded data file.
41. The at least one non-transitory computer readable memory unit as claimed in claim 39, wherein the operations further comprise archiving the recorded data file to a database.