SECURE RESERVATIONLESS CONFERENCING

• US 20090216837A1
• Filed: 02/25/2008
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sekaran, Dhigha, Rao, Deepak, Eydelman, Vadim
• Application Number:
  US12/037,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20090216837A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed providing secure reservationless conferencing, allowing an organizer to arrange a meeting while off-line from a conferencing server, with the conferencing server still enforcing security for the meeting.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a processor;

a conferencing module configured to provide resources for an on-line conference;

a receiving module configured to receive conference options from an invitee, the invitee not being an organizer of the conference;

a verification module configured to verify the received conference options originated with the organizer of the conference;

a joining module configured to permit an invitee to join the conference if the received conference options originated with the conference organizer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the verification module uses a signature verification key to verify the received conference options originated with an organizer of the conference.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the resources comprise audio conferencing support.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the resources comprise video conferencing support.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving module receives conference options from a local area network.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the receiving module receives conference options from a wide area network.

7. A method comprising:

receiving at a conference server conference options for a meeting from an invitee to the meeting;

verifying that the conference options originated by an authorized meeting originator who is not currently on-line with a conference server; and

providing resources for the meeting.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the verifying step is done using a signature verification key.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the conference options are received via a local area network.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the conference options are received via a wide area network.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the resources comprise audio conferencing support.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the resources comprise video conferencing support.

13. The method of claim 7 wherein the resources comprise file sharing support.

14. Computer readable storage media, with instructions stored thereon that, when executed, perform the following method:

receiving at a conference server conference options for a meeting from an invitee to the meeting;

verifying that the conference options originated by an authorized meeting originator who is not currently on-line with a conference server; and

providing resources for the meeting.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the verifying step is done using a signature verification key.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the conference options are received via a local area network.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the conference options are received via a wide area network.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the resources comprise audio conferencing support.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the resources comprise video conferencing support.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the resources comprise file sharing support.