METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONFERENCE CALL SCHEDULING VIA E-MAIL

• US 20100220847A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ascendent Telecommunications Incorporated (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Yap, Shen-Yuan Michael, Gisby, Douglas
• Granted Patent: US 8,204,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• 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: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

A method and system for conference call scheduling using e-mail. The method and system can receive and parse an e-mail received from a conference moderator, containing scheduling and participant information and schedule a conference call with minimal further user intervention. In essence, the method and system can operate as a virtual administrative assistant to identify and collect telephone contact information for each of the proposed conference call participants, using a customizable hierarchy of internal and external sources of contact information. In this manner, the conference moderator does not need know telephone contact information for each conference call participant

Claims

1. A method of scheduling a conference call, the method comprising:

receiving and parsing a conference call request communication on a conference call server, the communication comprising schedule information and identity information of at least one participant;

determining telephone contact information for each participant by querying a customizable hierarchy of sources of contact information; and

scheduling the conference call on the conference call server according to the schedule information in the communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference call request communication is an e-mail.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conference call request communication further specifies identity information of a moderator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein after scheduling the conference call, the conference call server sends a confirmation communication to the moderator.

5. The method of claim 3, further including a step of sending a confirmation communication to the moderator when a source of telephone contact information of a participant is identified as untrusted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a sender of the conference call request communication is automatically assigned as a moderator of the conference call.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of determining availability of conference resources associated with the conference call server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy comprises an ordered list of sources selected from the group of:

contact information contained in the conference call request communication, an address book client, a corporate directory, a customer relationship management system, a global address list, an externally-hosted contact management system, or a customized Internet search protocol.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the hierarchy prioritizes contact information sources located on an enterprise network associated with the conference call server.

10. A conference call scheduling system, the system comprising:

a conference call server configured to receive and parse a conference call request communication comprising schedule information and identity information of at least one participant to a conference call, the conference call server being adapted to determine telephone contact information for each participant by querying a customizable hierarchy of sources of contact information; and

a conference bridge configured to connect the participants to the conference call according to the telephone contact information determined by the conference call server and the scheduling information of the communication.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the conference call server manages resources of the conference bridge.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the schedule information of the conference call request communication comprises at least a requested date and time.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein when scheduling information is parsed by the conference call server, the conference call server is configured to determine if the resources of the conference bridge are available at the requested date and time.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchy comprises an ordered list of sources selected from the group of:

contact information contained in the conference call request communication, an address book client, a corporate directory, a customer relationship management system, a global address list, an externally-hosted contact management system, or a customized Internet search protocol.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the identity information provided in the conference call request communication comprises telephone contact information for at least one participant.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the conference call scheduling system is further configured to determine if the telephone contact information provided for each participant is a participant'"'"'s preferred telephone contact information.

17. A conference call server, the server comprising:

means for receiving and parsing a conference call request communication on a conference call server,the communication comprising schedule information and identity information of at least one participant;

means for determining telephone contact information for each participant by querying a customizable hierarchy of sources of contact information; and

means for scheduling the conference call on the conference call server according to the schedule information in the communication.

18. The server of claim 17, wherein the conference call request communication is an e-mail.

19. The server of claim 17, wherein the conference call request communication further specifies identity information of a moderator.

20. The server of claim 17, wherein on successful scheduling of the conference call, the conference call server sends a confirmation communication to the moderator.