One Button Conference Initiation

• US 20090232291A1
• Filed: 03/14/2008
• Published: 09/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Prabhune, Satyavrat A., Shah, Krutarth M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• 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 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A method includes receiving at a local conference coordinator a first indication of a scheduled conference that includes a plurality of conference details. The method also includes transmitting at least one of the plurality of conference details to a remote conference coordinator and receiving at least one additional conference detail regarding the scheduled conference from the remote conference coordinator. The method additionally includes determining conference scheduling information comprising at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference based on the plurality of conference details and the at least one additional conference detail. The method also includes identifying a conference room supporting the at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference. The method further includes transmitting conference scheduling information to the conference room such that an interface in the conference room can initiate the scheduled conference based on a single indication received from a user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving at a local conference coordinator a first indication of a scheduled conference comprising a plurality of conference details;

transmitting at least one of the plurality of conference details to a remote conference coordinator;

receiving at least one additional conference detail regarding the scheduled conference from the remote conference coordinator;

determining conference scheduling information comprising at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference based on the plurality of conference details and the at least one additional conference detail;

identifying a conference room supporting the at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference; and

transmitting conference scheduling information to the conference room such that a user interface in the conference room can initiate the scheduled conference based on a single indication received from a user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of conference details comprises an email address for each participant in the conference; and

transmitting at least one of the plurality of conference details to a remote conference coordinator comprises, upon determining that at least one email address of at least one participant comprises a remote domain that does not match a local domain of a local conference coordinator, generating and transmitting an email comprising the at least one of the plurality of conference details and an address based on the remote domain address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is an internet protocol phone comprising a soft-button enabling one-button launch of the scheduled conference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a first indication of a conference comprising a plurality of conference details comprises receiving a list of participants and an email address associated with each participant from a calendar server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining conference scheduling information comprises determining at least one capability supported by a first participating device within the conference room and a second participating device within a remote conference room.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising registering with an exchange server to receive a notification upon the calendar server receiving a request to schedule a conference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising polling a calendar server to determine if the calendar server has received a request to schedule a conference.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an email from an exchange server, the email comprising the first indication of the scheduled conference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a conference detail comprises a detail selected from the group consisting of a phone number, a number of screens, a type of screen, a time zone, a location, a capability of an endpoint, a type of an endpoint, and a tCard.

10. A system comprising:

an interface operable to;

receive at a local conference coordinator a first indication of a scheduled conference comprising a plurality of conference details;

transmit at least one of the plurality of conference details to a remote conference coordinator; and

receive at least one additional conference detail regarding the scheduled conference from the remote conference coordinator; and

a processor coupled to the interface and operable to;

determine conference scheduling information comprising at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference based on the plurality of conference details and the at least one additional conference detail; and

identify a conference room supporting the at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference; and

wherein the interface is further operable to transmit conference scheduling information to the conference room such that a user interface in the conference room can initiate the scheduled conference based on a single indication received from a user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of conference details comprises an email address for each participant in the conference; and

the interface operable to transmit at least one of the plurality of conference details to a remote conference coordinator comprises an interface operable to, upon determining that at least one email address of at least one participant comprises a remote domain that does not match a local domain of a local conference coordinator, generate and transmit an email comprising the at least one of the plurality of conference details and an address based on the remote domain address.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the user interface is an internet protocol phone comprising a soft-button enabling one-button launch of the scheduled conference.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface operable to receive a first indication of a conference comprising a plurality of conference details comprises an interface operable to receive a list of participants and an email address associated with each participant from a calendar server.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor operable to determine conference scheduling information comprises a processor operable to determine at least one capability supported by a first participating device within the conference room and a second participating device within a remote conference room.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface is further operable to register with a calendar server to receive a notification upon the calendar server receiving a request to schedule a conference.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface is further operable to poll a calendar server to determine if the calendar server has received a request to schedule a conference.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the interface is further operable to receive an email from an exchange server, the email comprising the first indication of the scheduled conference.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein a conference detail comprises a detail selected from the group consisting of a phone number, a number of screens, a type of screen, a time zone, a location, a capability of an endpoint, a type of an endpoint, and a tCard.

19. A system comprising:

means for receiving at a local conference coordinator a first indication of a scheduled conference comprising a plurality of conference details;

means for transmitting at least one of the plurality of conference details to a remote conference coordinator;

means for receiving at least one additional conference detail regarding the scheduled conference from the remote conference coordinator;

means for determining conference scheduling information comprising at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference based on the plurality of conference details and the at least one additional conference detail;

means for identifying a conference room supporting the at least one resource to be used for the scheduled conference; and

means for transmitting conference scheduling information to the conference room such that a user interface in the conference room can initiate the scheduled conference based on a single indication received from a user.