CONFERENCING ALERTS

• US 20110268263A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: American Teleconferencing Services Limited (Premiere Global Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Teleconferencing Services Limited (Premiere Global Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Leigh, Randolph, Jones, Boland T., Stewart, Peter, Guthrie, David Michael
• Application Number:
  US12/771,979
• Publication Number:
  US 20110268263A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. conference server dials participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42136 Administration or customisation of services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0024 Services and arrangements where telephone services are combined with data services arrangements which combine a telephonic equipment and a computer H04M7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0033 Notification or handling of incoming calls by a computer

Abstract

Various embodiments of systems, methods, and computer programs are disclosed for interfacing with a conference. One embodiment is a method for interfacing with an audio conference via a communication network. One such method comprises: a conferencing system establishing an audio conference, via a communication network, with a first participant; a client device requesting to be notified of a predetermined event associated with the audio conference; the conferencing system determining that the predetermined event occurs; the conferencing system providing an alert to the client device indicating the occurrence of the predetermined event; and the client device presenting the alert.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing with an audio conference via a communication network, the method comprising:

a conferencing system establishing an audio conference, via a communication network, with a first participant;

a client device requesting to be notified of a predetermined event associated with the audio conference;

the conferencing system determining that the predetermined event occurs;

the conferencing system providing an alert to the client device indicating the occurrence of the predetermined event; and

the client device presenting the alert.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined event comprises a second participant joining the audio conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conferencing system determining that the predetermined event occurs comprises:

the conferencing system determining a current number of participants in the audio conference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device requesting to be notified of the predetermined event comprises:

the client device polling the conferencing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device presenting the alert comprises:

the client device prompting a host to join the audio conference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is presented with a prompt to join the audio conference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the client device requesting a selection to join the audio conference;

the conferencing system receiving the selection; and

the client device joining the audio conference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selection is received from within the alert.

9. The method of claim 1, the client device joining the audio conference comprises:

the client device presenting a conference user interface associated with the audio conference.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the conference user interface comprises a virtual conference location based on a simulated location view.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the presenting the conference user interface comprises:

displaying an object identifying the participant in a computer-simulated location.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer-simulated location is selected by the participant.

13. A method for joining an online conference, the method comprising:

a client device sending a first request to a conferencing platform via a communication network;

in response to the first request, the conferencing platform sending a response to the client device, the response identifying at least one online conference;

the client device presenting a user interface control displaying an object associated with the online conference and requesting a selection to join the online conference;

the client device receiving the selection to join the online conference;

the client device sending a second request to the conferencing platform; and

in response to the second request, the conferencing platform presenting the online conference to the client device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the client device requesting the selection to join the online conference comprises:

requesting a further selection to watch an audio conference without joining the audio conference.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving the further selection to watch the audio conference.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

the conferencing platform determining an occurrence of a predetermined event associated with the audio conference;

the conferencing platform alerting the client device of the occurrence of the predetermined event.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the predetermined event comprises a participant joining the audio conference.

18. A computer system for providing an audio conference, the computer system comprising:

a conference platform for providing an audio conference and an associated online conference to a plurality of participants via a communication network; and

a client device operated by a host of the audio conference, the client device comprising;

a processor and a memory; and

a conferencing notification application embodied in the memory and executed by the processor, the conferencing notification application comprising;

logic configured to send a request to the conference platform to be notified of a predetermined event associated with the audio conference without joining the audio conference;

logic configured to receive an alert from the conference platform when the predetermine event occurs; and

logic configured to present the alert via graphical user interface.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the alert is presented with a prompt to join the audio conference.