System and method for suggesting additional participants for a collaboration session

• US 8,539,027 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Weidong, Zhu, Lei, Zhu, Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAO, MICHAEL W
• Application Number:
  US11/171,843
• Time in Patent Office: 3,002 Days
• Field of Search: 715751-752, 709/204
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect a collaboration session with a plurality of current participants; detect a subject matter of the collaboration session; and search for an additional participant based on the subject matter.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an ongoing collaboration session with a plurality of current participants;

detecting, by an electronic device, a subject matter of the collaboration session, wherein the subject matter is detected by analyzing at least content exchanged between the plurality of current participants while the collaboration session is ongoing, wherein analysis of content exchanged between the plurality of current participants by the electronic device comprises identification of keywords used by the current participants during the ongoing collaboration session;

searching, by the electronic device and without any prompt from any of the current participants, for an additional participant, based on the subject matter, to add to the plurality of current participants;

suggesting, by the electronic device, to one of the plurality of current participants of the collaboration session that the additional participant be added to the collaboration session;

adding the additional participant to the collaboration session based on one of the plurality of current participants deciding that the additional participant should be added; and

updating an area of expertise field in a profile of the additional participant with the subject matter of the collaboration session in response to the additional participant participating in the collaboration session with the plurality of participants.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein searching further comprises identifying a profile that has a subject matter field similar to the subject matter of the collaboration session.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein searching further comprises identifying a profile based on a colleagues field within a profile of at least one of the plurality of current participants of the collaboration session.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein searching further comprises identifying a profile based on a hierarchy field within a profile of at least one of the plurality of current participants of the collaboration session.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising ranking the additional participant based on a profile of the additional participant and the subject matter of the collaboration session.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the collaboration session exchanges audio content among the plurality of current participants of the collaboration session.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the collaboration session exchanges graphical content among the plurality of current participants of the collaboration session.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the collaboration session exchanges textual content among the plurality of current participants of the collaboration session.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the collaboration session is a data conference or a video conference.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the detecting a subject matter of the collaboration session is performed by also analyzing a title of the collaboration session, and the searching further comprises searching profiles of a plurality of potential participants based on the title of the collaboration session to identify the additional participant.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein the searching profiles of a plurality of potential participants comprises searching an area of expertise indicated in each profile for similarity to the title of the collaboration session.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the subject matter is detected by also analyzing information assigned to the collaboration session when scheduling the collaboration session and the information assigned to the collaboration session when scheduling the collaboration session comprises extracting keywords from the information.

18. The method according to claim 1 wherein the subject matter is detected by also analyzing information assigned to the collaboration session when scheduling the collaboration session and the information assigned to the collaboration session when scheduling the collaboration session includes a title given to the collaboration session, or an agenda of the collaboration session, or a description of the collaboration session.

19. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identification of a keyword used by the current participants during the ongoing collaboration session comprises determining a frequency of the keyword used during the ongoing collaboration session.

20. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identification of a keyword used by the current participants during the ongoing collaboration session comprises identifying a context of related words to which the keyword belongs.

21. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

detecting, by the electronic device, which of the current participants are participants that were initially invited to attend the collaboration session; and

identifying, by the electronic device, whether any participants initially invited to attend the collaboration session are not current participants.

9. A system comprising:

a processor; and

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

a content detection module configured to detect a subject matter corresponding to an ongoing collaboration session, wherein the content detection module detects subject matter by analysis of at least content exchanged between a plurality of participants while the collaboration session is ongoing, and analysis of content exchanged between the plurality of current participants by the content detection module comprises identification of keywords used by the current participants during the ongoing collaboration session,

a rating manager module configured to determine a similarity score between the subject matter and an area of expertise indicated in a profile of a potential participant without any prompt from any of the current participants,

a controller module configured to selectively allow the potential participant to join the collaboration session based on the similarity score, and

a storage module configured to update the area of expertise indicated in the profile associated with the potential participant, in response to the potential participant joining the collaboration session with the plurality of participants.

10. The system according to claim 9 further comprising a participant recognition module configured to detect a current participant of the collaboration session.

11. The system according to claim 9 wherein the content detection module is further configured to detect content utilized during the collaboration session.

12. The system according to claim 9 wherein the content detection module detects the subject matter also by analysis of information assigned to the collaboration session, and the information is a title describing the collaboration session.

16. The system according to claim 9 wherein the collaboration session is a data conference or a video conference.