Management of sequentially scheduled conferences

• US 10,063,706 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Abuelsaad, Kelly, Jang, Soobaek, Mehra, Maneesh, Morales, Renier R., Rieth, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Louis-Fils, Nicole
• Application Number:
  US14/613,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20160227041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 455416, 455445, 455403, 4554122, 455466, 370260-269, 379 9321, 379158, 37920201, 37920501, 709204
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/16 Sequence circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5081 Inform conference party of participants, e.g. of change of participants conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection, H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

In general, embodiments of the present invention relate to conference management. Specifically, sequentially scheduled conferences (e.g., conference calls) are determined for a conference participant. The connection details (e.g., call-in details) for the second of the two conferences are retrieved. If the conference is not over when the second conference is scheduled to begin, a connection is initiated with the second conference using the connection details while maintaining a connection to the first conference.

Claims

1. A method for managing sequentially scheduled conferences for a user, comprising computer-implemented steps of:

extracting information from an electronic calendar;

receiving, from the user, input of preferences comprising;

an amount of time, and

an action to be taken in response to a first conference overrunning a first time allotment by the amount of time into a second time allotment, wherein the first time allotment is for a first conference and the second time allotment is for a second conference, wherein the action to be taken is one of;

ending the second conference,

rescheduling the second conference, or

beginning the second conference without the user;

determining, based on the extracted information, that the first conference is sequentially scheduled with the second conference;

determining the first conference is not over;

retrieving connection details for the second conference;

initiating, on a conferencing server computer comprising a conference bridge, a connection with the second conference while maintaining a connection to the first conference;

receiving a passcode from the user;

providing an engagement notification, based on the received passcode, to one or more conference participants other than the user when the connection to the second conference is initiated, wherein the engagement notification comprises at least one of an email message, text message, or chat notification that indicates that the user has been connected to the second conference, but is currently on hold;

playing a pre-recorded message to which the engagement notification corresponds;

determining that the amount of time has expired; and

executing the action in response to the determination that the amount of time has expired;

wherein the first conference and the second conference are each a multi-party instant messaging session;

wherein the method is performed on a smartphone.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second conferences are conference calls, and the connection details for the second conference include a phone number related to the second conference.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a computer-implemented step of providing an engagement notification to one or more conference participants of user engagement in the first conference when the connection to the second conference is initiated.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the engagement notification is based on a predefined passcode and includes at least one of an email message, text message, or chat notification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a computer-implemented step of joining the second conference when the user is disconnected from the first conference.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising a computer-implemented step of generating a join notification to one or more conference participants when the user joins the second conference.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises one of:

ending the second conference, rescheduling the second conference, or beginning the second conference without the user.

7. A system for managing sequentially scheduled conferences for a user, comprising:

a memory medium comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor, for executing the program instructions, coupled to the memory medium that when executing the program instructions causes the system to;

extract information from an electronic calendar;

receive, from the user, input of preferences comprising;

an amount of time, and

an action to be taken in response to a first conference overrunning a first time allotment by the amount of time into a second time allotment, wherein the first time allotment is for a first conference and the second time allotment is for a second conference, wherein the action to be taken is one of;

ending the second conference,

rescheduling the second conference, or

beginning the second conference without the user;

determine, based on the extracted information, that the first conference is sequentially scheduled with the second conference;

determine the first conference is not over;

retrieve connection details for the second conference;

initiate, on a conferencing server computer comprising a conference bridge, a connection with the second conference while maintaining a connection to the first conference;

receive a passcode from the user;

provide an engagement notification, based on the received passcode, to one or more conference participants other than the user when the connection to the second conference is initiated, wherein the engagement notification, comprises at least one of an email message, text message, or chat notification, that indicates that the user has been connected to the second conference, but is currently on hold;

play a pre-recorded message to which the engagement notification corresponds;

determine that the amount of time has expired; and

execute the action in response to the determination that the amount of time has expired;

wherein the first conference and the second conference are each a multi-party instant messaging session;

wherein the system is a smartphone.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second conferences are conference calls and the connection details for the second conference include a phone number related to the second conference.

9. The system of claim 7, the memory medium further comprising instructions to provide an engagement notification to one or more conference participants of user engagement in the first conference when the connection to the second conference is initiated.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the engagement notification is based on a predefined passcode and includes at least one of an email message, text message, or chat notification.

11. The system of claim 7, the memory medium further comprising instructions to join the second conference when the user is disconnected from the first conference.

12. The system of claim 11, the memory medium further comprising instructions to generate a join notification to one or more conference participants when the user joins the second conference.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the join notification includes at least one of a beep, name announcement, or predefined custom announcement.

14. A computer program product for managing sequentially scheduled conferences for a user, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, to:

extract information from an electronic calendar;

receive, from the user, input of preferences comprising;

an amount of time, and

an action to be taken in response to a first conference overrunning a first time allotment by the amount of time into a second time allotment, wherein the first time allotment is for a first conference and the second time allotment is for a second conference, wherein the action to be taken is one of;

ending the second conference,

rescheduling the second conference, or

beginning the second conference without the user;

determine, based on the extracted information, that the first conference is sequentially scheduled with the second conference;

determine the first conference is not over;

retrieve connection details for the second conference;

initiate, on a conferencing server computer comprising a conference bridge, a connection with the second conference while maintaining a connection to the first conference;

receive a passcode from the user;

provide an engagement notification, based on the received passcode, to one or more conference participants other than the user when the connection to the second conference is initiated, wherein the engagement notification comprises at least one of an email message, text message, or chat notification that indicates that the user has been connected to the second conference, but is currently on hold;

play a pre-recorded message to which the engagement notification corresponds;

determine that the amount of time has expired; and

execute the action in response to the determination that the amount of time has expired;

wherein the first conference and the second conference are each a multi-party instant messaging session;

wherein the computer program product is a smartphone.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the first and second conferences are conference calls and the connection details for the second conference include a phone number related to the second conference.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device to provide an engagement notification to one or more conference participants of user engagement in the first conference when the connection to the second conference is initiated.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the engagement notification is based on a predefined passcode and includes at least one of an email message, text message, or chat notification.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device to join the second conference when the user is disconnected from the first conference.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, further comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device to generate a join notification to one or more conference participants when the user joins the second conference, wherein the join notification includes at least one of a beep, name announcement, or predefined custom announcement.