Method and apparatus for controlling actions based on triggers in a conference

• US 7,886,001 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2005
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Asthana, Aseem, Vadlakonda, Sravan, Chotai, Ashish, Sarkar, Shantanu, Baird, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): Dharia; Rupal D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Van Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/318,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20070150583A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,873 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Disclosed are conferencing systems, devices, architectures, and methods for implementing a trigger-based conferencing system to facilitate increased productivity meeting participation. An exemplary method, in accordance with embodiments, of managing a workflow application in a conference, where the conference includes a plurality of events, can include: (i) creating a trigger by defining a predicate and action for the trigger; (ii) registering the trigger to at least one of a plurality of detection points; (iii) evaluating the trigger'"'"'s predicate each time any of the detection points against which it is registered are encountered; and (iv) executing actions associated with the trigger if the predicate evaluation is positive, where execution of the actions can result in a state change in the conference.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a detection point, wherein the detection point is a pre-configured event that occurs during a conference, wherein the event is associated with at least one of an agenda item and a location in a document when displayed in the conference, and wherein the detection point includes at least one of reaching a resource capacity percentage, a floor control event occurring, and starting or stopping a video;

registering one or more triggers to the detection point;

during the conference, receiving the one or more triggers each time the detection point is reached, wherein each trigger has a predicate and an associated action, wherein the predicate is a conditional expression that is evaluated each time the detection point is reached, and wherein the action includes at least one of executing a security function, changing a policy of the conference, and executing a floor operation;

evaluating the predicate of each of the one or more triggers when the detection point is reached; and

executing one or more actions in response to a positive evaluation of one or more predicates, wherein executing the one or more actions result in a state change in the conference, wherein the above steps are performed by a processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple triggers are set by tagging the detection point in a section of the document associated with the conference.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection point is based on a state of the conference.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection point is based on a state transition in the conference, wherein the state transition involves a change within contents of the conference.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection point includes at least one of the following:

displaying content;

a participant joining or leaving the conference; and

starting or stopping a recording of the conference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection point includes at least one of the following:

time elapsing;

starting or stopping the conference; and

releasing a resource.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes at least one of the following:

executing a script having a sequence of actions;

dialing out to a prospective participant; and

ejecting a participant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the action includes at least one of the following:

sending a message via text messaging;

sending a message via e-mail;

locking or unlocking the conference; and

controlling an enablement of an encryption.

9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is stored a sequence of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the processors to perform the method of:

managing a workflow application in a conference, the conference having a plurality of events, the method comprising;

determining a detection point, wherein the detection point is a pre-configured event that occurs during a conference, wherein the event is associated with at least one of an agenda item and a location in a document when displayed in the conference, and wherein the detection point includes at least one of reaching a resource capacity percentage, a floor control event occurring, and starting or stopping a video;

registering one or more triggers to the detection point;

during the conference, creating a-the one or more triggers each time the detection point is reached, wherein each trigger has a predicate and an associated action, wherein the predicate is a conditional expression that is evaluated each time a-the detection point is reached, and wherein the action includes at least one of executing a security function, changing a policy of the conference, and executing a floor operation;

evaluating the predicate of each of the one or more triggers when the detection point reached, and

executing one or more actions in response to the evaluating of one or more predicates, wherein executing the one or more actions result in a state change in the conference.

10. A computer-implemented rich media conferencing device configured to:

register a trigger against a detection point, wherein;

the trigger includes a predicate and an associated action, wherein the predicate is a conditional expression that is evaluated each time the detection point is reached, wherein a detection point is a pre-configured event in a conferencing system, wherein the event is associated with at least one of an agenda item and a location in a document when displayed in a conference, and wherein the trigger is registered by a conference participant;

the detection point is associated with at least one of a plurality of events, wherein the detection point evaluates multiple predicates of multiple triggers, wherein the detection point includes at least one of reaching a resource capacity percentage, a floor control event occurring, and starting or stopping a video, and wherein the action includes at least one of executing a security function, changing a policy of the conference, and executing a floor operation; and

one or more actions are configured to be executed in response to an encountering of the detection point during the conference and a positive evaluation of-one or more predicates, wherein an execution of the one or more actions result in a state change in the conference;

during the conference, receive one or more triggers each time the detection point is reached, wherein each of the triggers has a predicate and an associated action, wherein the predicate is a conditional expression that is evaluated each time the detection point is reached;

evaluate the predicate of each of the one or more triggers when the detection point reached; and

execute one or more actions in response to a positive evaluation of one or more predicates, wherein executing the one or more actions result in a state change in the conference, and wherein the computer-implemented reach media conferencing device is a hardware device.

11. The rich media conferencing device of claim 10, further comprising a controlling server.

12. The rich media conferencing device of claim 10, further comprising a user interface.

13. The rich media conferencing device of claim 10, wherein the detection point includes at least one of the following:

a display of content;

a recording start or stop; and

a participant joining or leaving the conference.

14. The rich media conferencing device of claim 13, wherein the content includes presentation materials.

15. The rich media conferencing device of claim 10, wherein the detection point includes at least one of the following:

an elapsed time;

a start or stop of the conference; and

a resource release.

16. The rich media conferencing device of claim 10, wherein the action includes at least one of the following:

execution of a script having a sequence of actions;

a dial-out to a prospective participant; and

ejection of a participant or a security function.

17. The rich media conferencing device of claim 10, wherein the action includes at least one of the following:

sending a message via e-mail;

locking or unlocking the conference; and

control of an enablement of an encryption.

18. A system comprising:

a processor;

a means for creating a trigger having a predicate and an associated action during a conference, wherein the predicate is a conditional expression that is evaluated each time a detection point is reached, wherein the detection point is an-a pre-configured event in a conferencing system, wherein the event is associated with at least one of an agenda item and a location in a document when displayed in the conference, and wherein the detection point includes at least one of reaching a resource capacity percentage, a floor control event occurring, and starting or stopping a video;

a means for registering the trigger to the detection point, wherein the trigger is registered by a conference participant;

a means for receiving one or more triggers each time the detection point is reached during the conference, wherein each of the triggers has a predicate and an associated action, wherein the predicate is a conditional expression that is evaluated each time the detection point is reached, and wherein the action includes at least one of executing a security function, changing a policy of the conference, and executing a floor operation;

a means for evaluating one or more predicates when the detection point reached, and

a means for executing one or more actions in response to the evaluating of one or more predicates, wherein executing the one or more actions result in a state change in the conference.