Electronic meeting management system for mobile wireless devices

• US 8,495,753 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2010
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Ishizaki, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Yalew, Fikremariam A
• Application Number:
  US12/884,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A device management system includes a meeting support system that is configured to generate and transmit a plurality of electronic meeting invitations to a plurality of mobile wireless devices that correspond to a plurality of meeting participants and receive responses indicating whether the plurality of participants will attend the electronic meeting. The device management system receives identification data that identifies one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants. The meeting support system determines whether the plurality of participants is authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information. If any of the participants are not authorized to access any of the electronic documents or information, the meeting support system notifies the meeting organizer. The device management system may also include a meeting session management system that is configured to share information among the plurality of mobile wireless devices.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a meeting support system configured to;

receive, from a mobile wireless device that corresponds to a meeting organizer, a request for an electronic meeting that specifies a plurality of participants for the electronic meeting,

receive, from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer, identification data that identifies one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants via the plurality of mobile wireless devices in connection with the electronic meeting,

in response to receiving, from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer, the identification data that identifies one or more electronic documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants via the plurality of mobile wireless devices in connection with the electronic meeting, the meeting support system determining whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information, and

in response to determining that one or more participants from the plurality of participants is not authorized to access any of the one or more electronic documents or information, the meeting support system generating and transmitting to the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer a message that indicates that one or more participants from the plurality of participants is not authorized to access at least one of the one or more electronic documents or information.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the meeting support system determining whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information includes:

determining one or more access policies that apply to the one or more electronic documents or information, wherein the one or more access policies specify one or more requirements for accessing the one or more electronic documents or information,

determining access rights for the plurality of participants,

determining, based upon the one or more policies and the access rights, whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the meeting support system is configured to query the mobile wireless that corresponds to the meeting organizer device for the identification data that identifies the one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a meeting session management system configured to:

receive information pertaining to the electronic meeting entered via one or more of the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer and the plurality of mobile wireless devices, and

transmit the information to the other mobile wireless devices from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer and the plurality of mobile wireless devices.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

a location system configured to;

detect that a user has requested to leave a specified location,

detect that a particular mobile wireless device is in proximity to the user; and

a device management system configured to;

determine whether the user is authorized to remove the particular mobile wireless device from the specified location,

if the user is authorized to remove the particular mobile wireless device from the specified location, determine, based upon policy data that specifies attributes of information that should not be removed from the specified location on mobile wireless devices, information on the particular mobile wireless device that is to be rendered inaccessible, and

cause the information on the particular mobile wireless device to be rendered inaccessible.

6. A computer-implemented method for managing an electronic meeting, the computer-implemented method comprising:

a meeting support system;

receiving, from a mobile wireless device that corresponds to a meeting organizer, a request for an electronic meeting that specifies a plurality of participants for the electronic meeting,

receiving, from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer, identification data that identifies one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants via the plurality of mobile wireless devices in connection with the electronic meeting,

in response to receiving, from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer, the identification data that identifies one or more electronic documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants via the plurality of mobile wireless devices in connection with the electronic meeting, the meeting support system determining whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information, and

in response to determining that one or more participants from the plurality of participants is not authorized to access any of the one or more electronic documents or information, the meeting support system generating and transmitting to the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer a message that indicates that one or more participants from the plurality of participants is not authorized to access at least one of the one or more electronic documents or information.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the meeting support system determining whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information includes:

determining one or more access policies that apply to the one or more electronic documents or information, wherein the one or more access policies specify one or more requirements for accessing the one or more electronic documents or information,

determining access rights for the plurality of participants,

determining, based upon the one or more policies and the access rights, whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the meeting support system is configured to query the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer for the identification data that identifies the one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, further comprising a meeting session management system configured to:

receive information pertaining to the electronic meeting entered via one or more of the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer and the plurality of mobile wireless devices, and

transmit the information to the other mobile wireless devices from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer and the plurality of mobile wireless devices.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

a location system configured to;

detect that a user has requested to leave a specified location,

detect that a particular mobile wireless device is in proximity to the user; and

a device management system configured to;

determine whether the user is authorized to remove the particular mobile wireless device from the specified location,

if the user is authorized to remove the particular mobile wireless device from the specified location, determine, based upon policy data that specifies attributes of information that should not be removed from the specified location on mobile wireless devices, information on the particular mobile wireless device that is to be rendered inaccessible, and

cause the information on the particular mobile wireless device to be rendered inaccessible.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for managing an electronic meeting, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when process by one or more processors, causes:

a meeting support system;

receiving, from a mobile wireless device that corresponds to a meeting organizer, a request for an electronic meeting that specifies a plurality of participants for the electronic meeting,

receiving, from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer, identification data that identifies one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants via the plurality of mobile wireless devices in connection with the electronic meeting,

in response to receiving, from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer, the identification data that identifies one or more electronic documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants via the plurality of mobile wireless devices in connection with the electronic meeting, the meeting support system determining whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information, and

in response to determining that one or more participants from the plurality of participants is not authorized to access any of the one or more electronic documents or information, the meeting support system generating and transmitting to the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer a message that indicates that one or more participants from the plurality of participants is not authorized to access at least one of the one or more electronic documents or information.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the meeting support system determining whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information includes:

determining one or more access policies that apply to the one or more electronic documents or information, wherein the one or more access policies specify one or more requirements for accessing the one or more electronic documents or information,

determining access rights for the plurality of participants,

determining, based upon the one or more policies and the access rights, whether the plurality of participants are authorized to access the one or more electronic documents or information.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the meeting support system is configured to query the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer for the identification data that identifies the one or more documents or information that will be made available to the plurality of participants.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes:

receive information pertaining to the electronic meeting entered via one or more of the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer and the plurality of mobile wireless devices, and

transmit the information to the other mobile wireless devices from the mobile wireless device that corresponds to the meeting organizer and the plurality of mobile wireless devices.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes:

a location system configured to;

detect that a user has requested to leave a specified location,

detect that a particular mobile wireless device is in proximity to the user; and

a device management system configured to;

determine whether the user is authorized to remove the particular mobile wireless device from the specified location,

if the user is authorized to remove the particular mobile wireless device from the specified location, determine, based upon policy data that specifies attributes of information that should not be removed from the specified location on mobile wireless devices, information on the particular mobile wireless device that is to be rendered inaccessible, and

cause the information on the particular mobile wireless device to be rendered inaccessible.