Methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting

• US 8,224,896 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2006
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Knight, David, Montgomery, Elaine, Matt, Steffan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US11/549,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244969A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,104 Days
• Field of Search: 709203-209
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and systems detect a meeting; detect a missing participant scheduled to attend the meeting; identify a device actively utilized by the missing participant; and transmit a reminder message to the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting, by a processor, a start of a collaboration session;

detecting a predetermined time after the start of the collaboration session to remind invited participants of the collaboration session;

when it is the predetermined time to remind invited participants of the collaboration session,

detecting a missing invited participant who did not previously decline an invitation to attend the collaboration session, wherein the missing invited participant is associated with a plurality of devices,

identifying a presence of the missing invited participant on a particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant,

identifying a device type of the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, and

transmitting a reminder message that is customized based on a capability of the particular device to the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, the reminder message to inform the missing invited participant of the start of the collaboration session; and

when it is not the predetermined time to remind invited participants of the collaboration session, but a participant has initiated a reminder message, in response to the participant initiated reminder message,

detecting a missing invited participant who did not previously decline an invitation to attend the collaboration session, wherein the missing invited participant is associated with a plurality of devices,

identifying a presence of the missing invited participant on a particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant,

identifying a device type of the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, and

transmitting a participant initiated reminder message that is customized based on the capability of the particular device to the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, the participant initiated reminder message to inform the missing invited participant of the start of the collaboration session.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

detecting an answer to the reminder message, wherein the answer is transmitted by the particular device associated with the missing invited participant.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein transmitting a reminder message further comprises:

transmitting a reminder message that comprises a link configured to enable the missing invited participant to directly join the collaboration session by selecting the link within the reminder message.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the particular device a device is one of a cellular telephone, a land line telephone, a device including an instant messaging application, a device including an email application, a device including a text messaging application, or a paging device.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

detecting a missing invited participant that was scheduled to attend the collaboration session.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the capability is one of an audio capability, a video capability, an image display capability, a textual display capability, a graphical display capability, or a tactile feedback capability.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising locating the missing invited participant.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting the reminder message only to the particular device identified as having the presence of the missing invited participant.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein detecting a missing invited participant comprises:

subtracting participants participating in the collaboration session from invited participants.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein detecting a missing invited participant comprises:

subtracting participants participating in the collaboration session and participants who declined an invitation to join the collaboration session from invited participants.

11. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory configured to store a plurality of software modules executable by the processor, the software modules configured to;

detect a start of a collaboration session,

detect a predetermined time after the start of the collaboration session to remind invited participants of the collaboration session,

when it is the predetermined time to remind the invited participants of the collaboration session,

detect a missing invited participant who did not previously decline an invitation to attend the collaboration session, wherein the missing invited participant is associated with a plurality of devices,

identify a presence of the missing invited participant on a particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant,

identify a device type of the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, and

send a reminder message that is customized based on a capability of the particular device to the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, the reminder message to inform the missing invited participant of the start of the collaboration session that the missing invited participant was invited to; and

when it is not the predetermined time to remind invited participants of the collaboration session, but a participant has initiated a reminder message, in response to the participant initiated message,

detect a missing invited participant who did not previously decline an invitation to attend the collaboration session, wherein the missing invited participant is associated with a plurality of devices,

identify a presence of the missing invited participant on a particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant,

identify a device type of the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, and

send a participant initiated reminder message that is customized based on a capability of the particular device to the particular device of the plurality of devices associated with the missing invited participant, the reminder message to inform the missing invited participant of the start of the collaboration session that the missing invited participant was invited to.

12. The system according to claim 11 wherein the software modules are further configured to store profile information relating to each of the plurality of invited participants.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the capability is one of an audio capability, a video capability, an image display capability, a textual display capability, a graphical display capability, or a tactile feedback capability.

14. The system according to claim 11 wherein the particular device is one of a cellular telephone, a land line telephone, a device including an instant messaging application, a device including an email application, a device including a text messaging application, or a paging device.

15. The system according to claim 11 wherein the modules are further configured to send the reminder message only to the particular device identified as having the presence of the missing invited participant.

16. The system according to claim 11 wherein the missing invited participant is determined by subtracting participants participating in the collaboration session from invited participants.

17. The system according to claim 11 wherein the missing invited participant is determined by subtracting participants participating in the collaboration session and participants who declined an invitation to join the collaboration session from invited participants.