APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CREATING SITUATION AWARENESS WHEN SCHEDULING CONFERENCE CALLS

• US 20130002805A1
• Filed: 06/28/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: ANDRESEN, Simen, Kristiansen, Ivan, Nyberg, Cato Rotevatn, Sagen, Hallgrim
• Granted Patent: US 8,878,893 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method for creating situation awareness when scheduling video conferences includes providing a user with access to a set of names stored in a directory service database, and allowing the user to select one or more of the names. In response to selection of one or more names, geographical location values associated with the names in the directory service database are retrieved, and a map is provided. The map and one or more geographical objects showing the geographical location of the users associated with the selected names is then displayed on a display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing, at a video conferencing device, access to a set of names stored in a directory service database;

designating one or more names in the directory service database as selected;

retrieving geographical location values associated with said one or more names in the directory service database designated as selected;

providing a visual representation of at least a part of the Earth'"'"'s surface;

mapping said geographical location values to corresponding locations on said visual representation; and

displaying, on a display, said visual representation and one or more graphical objects, wherein said graphical objects visually indicate the corresponding locations on said visual representation.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said designating includes selecting one or more names from the directory service and issuing a command.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining current local times associated with each of the one or more names designated as selected based on said geographical location values,

wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the local times in association with respective graphical objects.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting said visual representation as a visual representation of a geographical entity which encompasses all said geographical locations.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said visual representation represents a smallest geographical entity which encompasses all said geographical locations.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein said geographical entity includes a world, a continent, a region, a country, a state, a province, a district, a municipality, a county, a city, and a building.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video conferencing device is a video conferencing terminal.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said step of retrieving geographical location values includes requesting a geographical location value associated with said video conferencing terminal in said directory service database.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the video conferencing device is a processing device in a video conference management server.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer readable instructions thereon, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

providing access to a set of names stored in a directory service database;

designating one or more names in the directory service database as selected;

retrieving geographical location values associated with said one or more names in the directory service database designated as selected;

providing a visual representation of at least a part of the Earth'"'"'s surface;

mapping said geographical location values to corresponding locations on said visual representation; and

displaying, on a display, said visual representation and one or more graphical objects, wherein said graphical objects visually indicate the corresponding locations on said visual representation.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, wherein said designating includes selecting one or more names from the directory service and issuing a command.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further comprising:

determining current local times associated with each of the one or more names based on said geographical location values,

wherein the step of displaying further comprises displaying the local times in association with their respective graphical objects.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 10, further comprising:

selecting said visual representation as a visual representation of a geographical entity which encompasses all said geographical locations.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein said visual representation represents a smallest geographical entity which encompasses all said geographical locations.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein said geographical entity includes a world, a continent, a region, a country, a state, a province, a district, a municipality, a county, a city, and a building.

16. A device comprising:

a processing unit configured to

provide access to a set of names stored in a directory service database,

designating one or more names in the directory service database as selected,

retrieve geographical location values associated with said one or more names in the directory service database designated as selected,

provide a visual representation of at least a part of the Earth'"'"'s surface,

map said geographical location values to corresponding locations on said visual representation; and

a display configured to display said visual representation and one or more graphical objects, wherein said graphical objects visually indicate the corresponding locations on said visual representation.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the processing unit determines current local times associated with each of the one or more names based on said geographical location values, and the display displays the local times in association with respective graphical objects.

18. The device according to claim 16, wherein the processing unit selects said visual representation as a visual representation of a geographical entity which encompasses all said geographical locations.