RICH CONFERENCE INVITATIONS WITH CONTEXT

• US 20090044132A1
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Maguire, Justin, Combel, Craig, Shtiegman, Eran
• Granted Patent: US 8,321,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

Systems and methods that enable conference attendee(s) to invite others to the conference and provide a rich set of contextual information about the conference upfront to the invitee(s). A communicator component enables document related to the conference to be automatically shared and can further supply the name of the document and the location of the document. Hence, an invitee can make an informed decision about joining the conference and evaluate relevance of the conference up front (e.g., prior to joining).

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

a conferencing system that supplies contextual information about a conference, upfront to an invitee(s) of the conference; and

a communicator component as part of the conferencing system, the communicator component automatically supplies documents related to the conference for a sharing thereof between invitees.

2. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the conferencing system further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) that enables a participant of the conference to view the contextual information.

3. The computer implemented system of claim 2, the contextual information related to importance of the conference for the invitee(s).

4. The computer implemented system of claim 3 further comprising a notification component that transmits an alert to the participant.

5. The computer implemented system of claim 1 further comprising an artificial intelligence component associated with the communicator component to infer documents related to the conference.

6. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the notification component sets various levels of importance to the conference.

7. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the conferencing system with a branch exchange component that acquires voice communications.

8. The computer implemented system of claim 1, the conferencing system with a conversion component that converts received communications to e-mails.

9. The computer implemented system of claim 7, the conferencing system implements Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

10. The computer implemented system of claim 2, the GUI with a field that indicates reasons for the conference.

11. A computer implemented method comprising the following computer executable acts:

supplying contextual information about a conference to invitees thereof, and

automatically sharing documents related to the conference between the invitees.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a decision of non-participation from the invitee.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising transmitting an alert to the invitees.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising setting an importance level for the conference.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising initiating the conference as a teleconference.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising dynamically updating the contextual information.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising inferring list of documents related to the conference.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising employing a Session Initiation Protocol.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 11 further comprising selecting additional invitees to participate in the conference.

20. A computer implemented system comprising the following computer executable components:

means for enabling users to make an informed decision regarding joining a conference, upfront; and

means for setting an importance of the conference.