Techniques for planning a conference using location data

• US 20060045030A1
• Filed: 11/09/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bieselin, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,233 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• 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: H04L 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02

Abstract

Techniques for scheduling a conference among multiple persons include receiving quorum data and location data. Quorum data indicates a quorum for a particular conference. Location data indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum. A proposed location for the particular conference is determined based on the location data and the quorum data. These techniques allow location data to include presence data that describes a current location of a person or a state of communication of that person; and therefore allow presence data to be used in determining where to conduct a conference and when. For example, an organizer of a meeting and meeting invitees are notified when the people constituting a quorum cross paths at the same location, or are situated at sites that support remote conferencing.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising the steps of:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving location data that indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum; and

determining a proposed location for the particular conference that satisfies the quorum based on the location data and the quorum data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving presence data that describes for a person among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum at least one of a current location and a current state of communication; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the presence data.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, said step of receiving presence data further comprising receiving data that indicates at least one of:

a current geographic position of a global positioning system device located with the person;

a geographic position of an antenna communicating directly with a wireless device located with the person;

a geographic position of a network switch located closest to a terminal on which the person is connected to a network;

a network address of a client process currently used by the person;

a planned location for the person at a current time;

a communication channel currently used by the person; and

a current state of availability of the person at a current location of the person.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, said step of receiving presence data further comprising receiving presence data that is not derived based on placing a plurality of telephone calls to the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

5. The method as recited in claim 1:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving planned location data that indicates a planned location for a person of the plurality of persons at a future time; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the planned location data.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving data indicating a particular set of at least one vicinity; and

said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprises determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within the particular set of at least one vicinity based on the planned location data.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, said step of receiving quorum data further comprising receiving quorum data that indicates that a quorum for a particular conference includes any one or more persons in a first group of persons and less than all persons in the first group, whereby the first group is a representative group.

10. The method as recited in claim 2, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprising determining a proposed location for the particular conference at a particular time near a current time, whereby the particular conference is an ad-hoc conference.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference at a particular time near the current time further comprising determining a proposed location for the particular conference within a current day.

12. The method as recited in claim 2, said step of determining the proposed location for the particular conference further comprising:

determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within a same vicinity based on the presence data; and

determining the proposed location to be within the same vicinity.

13. The method as recited in claim 2, said step of determining the proposed location for the particular conference further comprising:

receiving data indicating a particular set of at least one vicinity; and

determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within the particular set of at least one vicinity based on the presence data.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprising determining a plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, the method further comprising configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein:

the method further comprises receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing; and

said step of configuring the network node further comprises configuring the network node to support the type of remote conference.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating at least one of a data remote conference, an audio remote conference, a video remote conference, and a multi media remote conference.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating a remote conference using at least one of a circuit-switching network, a packet-switching network, and a cellular telephone network.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising sending, to the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum, invitation data that indicates the proposed location for the particular conference.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving presence data that describes for a person among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum at least one of a current location and a current state of communication; and

said step sending invitation data further comprising selecting a delivery system for sending the invitation data based on the presence data.

6. The method as recited in Chim 5, wherein:

the method further comprises receiving commitment data that indicates a planned commitment of time for a person of the plurality of persons for at least one of a present time and a future time; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the commitment data.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, the method further comprising storing the planned location data in association with the commitment data in a shared database.

21. A method for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising the steps of:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

determining a proposed plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein:

said step of determining the proposed plurality of locations that support remote conferencing further comprises,

receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing, and

determining the proposed plurality of locations based on the type of remote conferencing; and

said step of configuring the network node further comprises configuring the network node to support the type of remote conference.

23. The method as recited in claim 22, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating at least one of a data remote conference, an audio remote conference, a video remote conference, and a multi media remote conference.

24. The method as recited in claim 22, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating a remote conference using at least one of a circuit-switching network, a packet-switching network, and a cellular telephone network.

25. The method as recited in claim 21, said step of receiving availability data further comprising receiving data that indicates whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate remotely at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person.

26. A method for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising the steps of:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a new conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the new conference and whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate using a particular mode of communication at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person;

determining a time for the new conference with the particular person during the previous commitment; and

conducting the new conference using the particular mode of communication with the particular person.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the particular mode of communication is an in-person meeting.

28. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the particular mode of communication is remote communication.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, said step of conducting the new conference further comprising configuring a network node to support the remote communication with the particular person.

30. A method for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising the steps of:

storing in a shared database planned location data that indicates a planned location for a person for a future time, in association with commitment data that indicates a planned commitment of time for a person for at least one of a present time and the future time;

receiving quorum data that indicates that a quorum for a particular conference includes any one or more persons in a first group of persons and less than all persons in the first group, whereby the first group is a representative group;

receiving location data that indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum, further comprising,

receiving presence data presence data that describes for a person among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum at least one of a current location and a current state of communication, and

receiving planned location data for a person of the plurality of persons, receiving commitment data for a person of the plurality of persons;

determining a proposed location for the particular conference that satisfies the quorum based on the quorum data, the presence data, the planned location data and the commitment data, further comprising at least one of,

determining a proposed location for the particular conference at a particular time near a current time based at least in part on the presence data, whereby the particular conference is an ad-hoc conference,

determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within a same vicinity based on at least one of the presence data and the planned location data, and

determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are within the vicinity of a plurality of locations that support remote conferencing based on at least one of the presence data and the planned location data, and configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations and the proposed time to support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum; and

sending, to the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum, invitation data that indicates the proposed location and time for the particular conference.

31. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving location data that indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum; and

determining a proposed location for the particular conference that satisfies the quorum based on the location data and the quorum data.

32. The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving presence data that describes for a person among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum at least one of a current location and a current state of communication; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the presence data.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, said step of receiving presence data further comprising receiving data that indicates at least one of:

a current geographic position of a global positioning system device located with the person;

a geographic position of an antenna communicating directly with a wireless device located with the person;

a geographic position of a network switch located closest to a terminal on which the person is connected to a network;

a network address of a client process currently used by the person;

a planned location for the person at a current time;

a communication channel currently used by the person; and

a current state of availability of the person at a current location of the person.

34. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, said step of receiving presence data further comprising receiving presence data that is not derived based on placing a plurality of telephone calls to the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving planned location data that indicates a planned location for a person of the plurality of persons at a future time; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the planned location data.

36. The apparatus as recited in claim 35, wherein:

execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of receiving commitment data that indicates a planned commitment of time for a person of the plurality of persons for at least one of a present time and a future time; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the commitment data.

37. The apparatus as recited in claim 36, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of storing the planned location data in association with the commitment data in a shared database.

38. The apparatus as recited in claim 35, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving data indicating a particular set of at least one vicinity; and

said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprises determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within the particular set of at least one vicinity based on the planned location data.

39. The apparatus as recited in claim 31, said step of receiving quorum data further comprising receiving quorum data that indicates that a quorum for a particular conference includes any one or more persons in a first group of persons and less than all persons in the first group, whereby the first group is a representative group.

40. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprising determining a proposed location for the particular conference at a particular time near a current time, whereby the particular conference is an ad-hoc conference.

41. The apparatus as recited in claim 40, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference at a particular time near the current time further comprising determining a proposed location for the particular conference within a current day.

42. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, said step of determining the proposed location for the particular conference further comprising:

determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within a same vicinity based on the presence data; and

determining the proposed location to be within the same vicinity.

43. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, said step of determining the proposed location for the particular conference further comprising:

receiving data indicating a particular set of at least one vicinity; and

determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within the particular set of at least one vicinity based on the presence data.

44. The apparatus as recited in claim 31, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprising determining a plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

45. The apparatus as recited in claim 44, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

46. The apparatus as recited in claim 45, wherein:

execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing; and

said step of configuring the network node further comprises configuring the network node to support the type of remote conference.

47. The apparatus as recited in claim 46, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating at least one of a data remote conference, an audio remote conference, a video remote conference, and a multi media remote conference.

48. The apparatus as recited in claim 46, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating a remote conference using at least one of a circuit-switching network, a packet-switching network, and a cellular telephone network.

49. The apparatus as recited in claim 31, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions further causes the one or more processors to perform the step of sending, to the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum, invitation data that indicates the proposed location for the particular conference.

50. The apparatus as recited in claim 49, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving presence data that describes for a person among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum at least one of a current location and a current state of communication; and

said step sending invitation data further comprising selecting a delivery system for sending the invitation data based on the presence data.

51. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

determining a proposed plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

52. The apparatus as recited in claim 51, wherein:

said step of determining the proposed plurality of locations that support remote conferencing further comprises,

receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing, and

determining the proposed plurality of locations based on the type of remote conferencing; and

said step of configuring the network node further comprises configuring the network node to support the type of remote conference.

53. The apparatus as recited in claim 52, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating at least one of a data remote conference, an audio remote conference, a video remote conference, and a multi-media remote conference.

54. The apparatus as recited in claim 52, said step of receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing further comprising receiving data indicating a remote conference using at least one of a circuit-switching network and a packet-switching network.

55. The apparatus as recited in claim 51, said step of receiving availability data further comprising receiving data that indicates whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate remotely at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person.

56. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of;

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a new conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the new conference and whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate using a particular mode of communication at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person;

determining a time for the new conference with the particular person during the previous commitment; and

conducting the new conference using remote communications with the particular person.

57. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein the particular mode of communication is an in-person meeting.

58. The method as recited in claim 56, wherein the particular mode of communication is remote communication.

59. The apparatus as recited in claim 58, said step of conducting the new conference further comprising configuring a network node to support the remote communications with the particular person.

60. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

means for receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

means for receiving location data that indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum; and

means for determining a proposed location for the particular conference that satisfies the quorum based on the location data and the quorum data.

61. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

means for receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

means for receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

means for determining a proposed plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

means for configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

62. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

means for receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a new conference;

means for receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the new conference and whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate using a particular mode of communication at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person;

means for determining a time for the new conference with the particular person during the previous commitment; and

means for conducting the new conference using the particular mode of communication with the particular person.

63. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving location data that indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum; and

determining a proposed location for the particular conference that satisfies the quorum based on the location data and the quorum data.

64. The computer-readable medium as recited in claim 63, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving presence data that describes for a person among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum at least one of a current location and a current state of communication; and

said step of determining the proposed location further comprises determining the proposed location based on the presence data.

65. The method as recited in claim 63, wherein:

said step of receiving location data further comprises receiving data indicating a particular set of at least one vicinity; and

said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprises determining a proposed time for the particular conference when all persons of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum are located within the particular set of at least one vicinity based on the planned location data.

66. The method as recited in claim 64, said step of determining a proposed location for the particular conference further comprising determining a proposed location for the particular conference at a particular time near a current time, whereby the particular conference is an ad-hoc conference.

67. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

determining a proposed plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

configuring a network node based on the plurality of locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

68. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a new conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the new conference and whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate using a particular mode of communication at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person;

determining a time for the new conference with the particular person during the previous commitment; and

conducting the new conference using the particular mode of communication with the particular person.