Systems, Methods, and Computer Programs for Providing Simultaneous Online Conferences

• US 20130298040A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 11/07/2013
• 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: Jones, Boland T., Guthrie, David Michael, Sjurseth, Mark A., Keane, John P.
• Application Number:
  US13/802,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20130298040A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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 computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• 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 providing simultaneous online conferences via a conference user interface. One embodiment is a method comprising: a conferencing system establishing a first online conference with a first set of participants and a second online conference with a second set of participants, the first and second sets of participants having a common participant simultaneously participating in both; the conferencing system simultaneously presenting to a client device associated with the common participant a first conference user interface and a second conference user interface, the first conference user interface for providing the first online conference and the second conference user interface for providing the second online conference; and the conferencing system enabling the common participant to selectively designate one of the first and second conference user interfaces as a primary display and the other as a secondary display.

Claims

1. A method for providing simultaneous online conferences via a conference user interface, the method comprising:

a conferencing system establishing a first online conference with a first set of participants and a second online conference with a second set of participants, the first and second sets of participants having a common participant simultaneously participating in both;

the conferencing system simultaneously presenting to a client device associated with the common participant a first conference user interface and a second conference user interface, the first conference user interface for providing the first online conference and the second conference user interface for providing the second online conference; and

the conferencing system enabling the common participant to selectively designate one of the first and second conference user interfaces as a primary display and the other as a secondary display.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conference user interface displays a first set of participant objects identifying each of the first set of participants in the first online conference, and the second conference user interface displays a second set of participant objects identifying each of the second set of participants in the second online conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary display comprises a first frame and the secondary display comprises a second frame displayed within the first frame.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the conferencing system enabling the common participant to selectively designate the primary and secondary displays comprises:

the conferencing system switching the first and second frames.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first online conference comprises a first audio conference and the second online conference comprises a second audio conference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conferencing system presents a corresponding audio conference with the primary display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first conference user interface is designated as the primary display and the second conference user interface is designated as the secondary display, and further comprising:

the conferencing system providing notifications to the common participant, via the first conference user interface, of predetermined events occurring in the second online conference.

8. A computer system comprising:

a conferencing system for establishing a first online conference with a first set of participants and a second online conference with a second set of participants, the first and second sets of participants having a common participant simultaneously participating in both; and

a server configured to communicate with the conferencing system via a communication network, the server comprising one or more processors and a multi-conference display module, which is stored in a computer readable medium and executed by the processors for enabling the common participant to simultaneously participate in the first and second online conferences, the multi-conference display module comprising;

logic configured to simultaneously present to a client device associated with the common participant a first conference user interface and a second conference user interface, the first conference user interface for providing the first online conference and the second conference user interface for providing the second online conference; and

logic configured to enable the common participant to selectively designate one of the first and second conference user interfaces as a primary display and the other as a secondary display.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the first conference user interface displays a first set of participant objects identifying each of the first set of participants in the first online conference, and the second conference user interface displays a second set of participant objects identifying each of the second set of participants in the second online conference.

10. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the primary display comprises a first frame and the secondary display comprises a second frame displayed within the first frame.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein the multi-conference display module further comprises:

logic configured to enable the common participant to switch the first and second frames.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the first online conference comprises a first audio conference and the second online conference comprises a second audio conference.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the primary display is presented with a corresponding audio conference.

14. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the first conference user interface is designated as the primary display and the second conference user interface is designated as the secondary display, and the multi-conference display module further comprises:

logic configured to provide notifications to the common participant, via the first conference user interface, of predetermined events occurring in the second online conference.

15. A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium and executable by a processor for enabling simultaneous participation in at least two online conferences, the computer program comprising:

logic configured to establish a first online conference with a first set of participants and a second online conference with a second set of participants, the first and second sets of participants having a common participant simultaneously participating in both;

logic configured to simultaneously present to a client device associated with the common participant a first conference user interface and a second conference user interface, the first conference user interface for providing the first online conference and the second conference user interface for providing the second online conference; and

logic configured to enable the common participant to selectively designate one of the first and second conference user interfaces as a primary display and the other as a secondary display.

16. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the first conference user interface displays a first set of participant objects identifying each of the first set of participants in the first online conference, and the second conference user interface displays a second set of participant objects identifying each of the second set of participants in the second online conference.

17. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the primary display comprises a first frame and the secondary display comprises a second frame displayed within the first frame.

18. The computer program of claim 17, further comprising:

logic configured to enable the common participant to switch the first and second frames.

19. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the first online conference comprises a first audio conference and the second online conference comprises a second audio conference.

20. The computer program of claim 15, wherein the first conference user interface is designated as the primary display and the second conference user interface is designated as the secondary display, and further comprising:

logic configured to provide notifications to the common participant, via the first conference user interface, of predetermined events occurring in the second online conference.