Apparatus and Method for Creating Situation Awareness when Scheduling Conference Calls

• US 20150015662A1
• Filed: 10/01/2014
• Published: 01/15/2015
• 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 9,307,202 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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:

receiving data indicative of a selection for scheduling a video conference from a first user, wherein the selection includes a designation of a second user;

identifying a first geographic location associated with the first user;

receiving presence data for the second user from a presence server;

determining a second geographic location of the second user based on the presence data; and

providing a map including the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence server is operable to measure activities of the second user at multiple devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the presence server is operable to measure activities of the second user at multiple geographic locations.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first local time associated with the first geographic location; and

determining a second local time associated with the second geographic location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

displaying the first local time and the second local time on the map including the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

comparing the second local time to a time interval for normal business hours; and

marking the second geographical location on the map dependent on whether the second local time is in the time interval.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a command to remove the second user when the second local time is outside of the time interval.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a smallest size for the map that encompasses the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is displayed during the video conference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the map is displayed on a video conference endpoint for scheduling the video conference.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

highlighting the second geographic location on the map with a marker or a visual adjustment of an area including the second geographic location.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a smallest geographical entity which encompasses the first geographic location and the second geographic location, wherein the map is based on the smallest geographical entity.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor operable to;

identify a first geographic location for a first user associated with a selection for scheduling a conference;

determining a second geographic location from presence data for a second user from a presence server, wherein the second user is associated with the conference; and

determining a map including the first geographic location and the second geographic location; and

a display operable to display the map including the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the presence server measures activities of the second user at multiple devices.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, the processor further operable to:

determine a first local time associated with the first geographic location; and

determine a second local time associated with the second geographic location.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

comparing the second local time to a time interval for normal business hours; and

marking the second geographical location on the map dependent on whether the second local time is in the time interval.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

calculating a smallest size for the map that encompasses the first geographic location and the second geographic location.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the map is displayed for scheduling the conference.

19. 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 for scheduling video conferences comprising:

receiving data for scheduling a video conference from a first user, wherein the data includes a designation of a second user;

identifying a first geographic location and a first local time associated with the first user;

receiving presence data for the second user from a presence server;

determining a second geographic location and a second local time of the second user based on the presence data; and

providing a map including the first geographic location and the second geographic location, wherein the map indicates the first local time and the second local time.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein a size of the map is selected as a function of the first geographic location and the second geographic location.