Method and system for supporting rendezvous based instant group conferencing among mobile users

• US 20040001446A1
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Published: 01/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guda Venkatesh, Jorge Lobo, Randeep Bhatia
• Original Assignee: Guda Venkatesh, Jorge Lobo, Randeep Bhatia
• Inventors: Lobo, Jorge, Bhatia, Randeep, Venkatesh, Guda
• Granted Patent: US 7,602,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/10 Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. conference server dials participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A method and a system for supporting rendezvous based instant group conferencing among mobile users allows a conference originator to initiate and setup instant group conferencing to a set of participants even when the participants may not be immediately available to commit to the conference call at the time of its initiation. All negotiations for obtaining commitments from the participants are performed by the system, thus relieving the originator of the time consuming task of negotiating with the participants. The system automatically decides as to when to actually dial out to the participants to setup the conference call after obtaining commitment from all (or a quorum of) required participants.

Claims

1. A method for enhancing instant group conferencing using an automated rendezvous mechanism, comprising:

receiving a conference call request from a conference originator;

sending out conference invitations to one or more conference participants;

testing for responses to said conference invitations over the course of a predetermined invitation period; and

setting up a conference call upon obtaining a quorum of conference commitments from said conference participants.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein conference participants who commit to said conference are allowed to toggle between committed and un-committed response states during said invitation period.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein said conference invitations include conference context information that includes one or more of an identification of other conference participants, an identification of invitation response states for other conference participants, and status of said conference.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 further including prompting said conference originator to set up said conference call in response to a quorum-defeating number of said conference participants declining said conference regardless of the absence of a quorum of committed participants.

5. A method in accordance with claim 4 further including advising all of said conference participants that said conference is being terminated upon said conference originator responding to said prompting by requesting that said conference call not proceed.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 further including sending conference reminders to said conference participants during said invitation period if there is no quorum of said conference participants committed to said conference.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6 wherein said conference reminders include information as to the status of said conference and how long said conference will remain pending.

8. A method in accordance with claim 6 further including, following sending of said conference reminders, responding to a quorum-defeating number of said conference participants declining said conference or expiration of said invitation period by prompting said conference originator to set up said conference call in response regardless of the absence of a quorum of committed participants.

9. A method in accordance with claim 6 further including, following sending of said conference reminders, responding to a quorum of said conference participants committing to said conference and said invitation period not having expired by setting up said conference call.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 further including allowing additional conference participants to join said conference after said conference call has been set up.

11. A conferencing system for providing enhancing instant group conferencing using an automated rendezvous mechanism, comprising:

a subscriber access interface adapted to receive a conference call request from a conference originator and conference participation information from conference participants;

an information disseminating interface adapted to send conference invitations to one or more of said conference participants; and

a conference scheduler adapted to test responses to said conference invitations over the course of a predetermined invitation period and to initiate set up of a conference call upon obtaining a quorum of conference commitments from said conference participants.

12. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted to allow conference participants who commit to said conference to toggle between committed and un-committed response states during said invitation period.

13. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said conference invitations include conference context information that includes one or more of an identification of other conference participants, an identification of invitation response states for other conference participants, and status of said conference.

14. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted to prompt said conference originator to set up said conference call in response to a quorum-defeating number of said conference participants declining said conference regardless of the absence of a quorum of committed participants.

15. A system in accordance with claim 14 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted to initiate notification of all of said conference participants that said conference is being terminated upon said conference originator responding to said prompting by requesting that said conference call not proceed.

16. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted initiate the sending of conference reminders to said conference participants during said invitation period if there is no quorum of said conference participants committed to said conference.

17. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said conference reminders include information as to the status of said conference and how long said conference will remain pending.

18. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted to respond, following sending of said conference reminders, to a quorum-defeating number of said conference participants declining said conference or expiration of said invitation period by prompting said conference originator to set up said conference call in response regardless of the absence of a quorum of committed participants.

19. A system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted to respond, following sending of said conference reminders, to a quorum of said conference participants committing to said conference and said invitation period not having expired by setting up said conference call.

20. A system in accordance with claim 11 wherein said conference scheduler is further adapted to allow additional conference participants to join said conference after said conference call has been set up.

21. A conferencing system providing enhanced instant group conferencing using an automated rendezvous mechanism, comprising:

a web server with associated servlets, said web server being adapted to receive a conference call request from a conference originator and conference participation information from conference participants;

a push server with associated protocol-specific communication adaptors, said push server being adapted to send conference invitations to one or more of said conference participants; and

a conference scheduler adapted to test responses to said conference invitations over the course of a predetermined invitation period and to initiate set up of a conference call upon obtaining a quorum of conference commitments from said conference participants;

a subscription preference manager adapted to store preferences of conferencing system subscribers;

said conference scheduler being further adapted to allow conference participants who commit to said conference to toggle between committed and un-committed response states during said invitation period;

said conference invitations including conference context information that includes one or more of an identification of other conference participants, an identification of invitation response states for other conference participants, and status of said conference;

said conference scheduler being further adapted to prompt said conference originator to set up said conference call in response to a quorum-defeating number of said conference participants declining said conference regardless of the absence of a quorum of committed participants;

said conference scheduler being further adapted to initiate notification of all of said conference participants that said conference is being terminated upon said conference originator responding to said prompting by requesting that said conference call not proceed;

said conference scheduler being further adapted initiate the sending of conference reminders to said conference participants during said invitation period if there is no quorum of said conference participants committed to said conference;

said conference reminders including information as to the status of said conference and how long said conference will remain pending;

said conference scheduler being further adapted to respond, following sending of said conference reminders, to a quorum-defeating number of said conference participants declining said conference or expiration of said invitation period by prompting said conference originator to set up said conference call in response regardless of the absence of a quorum of committed participants;

said conference scheduler being further adapted to respond, following sending of said conference reminders, to a quorum of said conference participants committing to said conference and said invitation period not having expired by setting up said conference call; and

said conference scheduler being further adapted to allow additional conference participants to join said conference after said conference call has been set up.