Identifying meeting attendees using information from devices

• US 8,892,123 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Krantz, Anton W., Tandon, Ankit, Tuck, Jason R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Jinsong
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang, Jean
• Application Number:
  US13/413,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20130237240A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 370/338, 370/328, 370/260, 382/115, 705/7.19, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5063 Centrally initiated conference, i.e. Conference server dials participants computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6045 Identity confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Physical presence of a mobile device in proximity to a physical meeting place can be recognized. Identifying information can be retrieved from the device, and it can be determined whether the identifying information correlates to identifying information for a profile in an invitee list for a current meeting at the meeting place. If the retrieved identifying information correlates to identifying information for the profile in the invitee list for the meeting at the meeting place, then the profile can be included as an attendee at the meeting (e.g., by including identifying information for the profile in an attendee list). The identifying information such as the attendee list may also be used to perform one or more additional acts, such as sending notifications, personalizing settings, etc.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

a computer system automatically recognizing physical presence of a first mobile device in proximity to a physical meeting place;

the computer system automatically retrieving a first set of identifying information from the first device;

the computer system automatically determining that the first set of identifying information from the first device correlates to identifying information for a first profile in an invitee list for a current meeting at the meeting place;

in response to determining that the retrieved first set of identifying information correlates to identifying information for the first profile in the invitee list for the meeting at the meeting place, automatically including the first profile as an attendee at the meeting;

the computer system automatically recognizing physical presence of a second mobile device in proximity to the physical meeting place;

the computer system automatically retrieving a second set of identifying information from the second device;

the computer system automatically determining that the second set of identifying information does not correlate to identifying information for a profile in the invitee list for the current meeting at the meeting place; and

in response to determining that the second set of identifying information does not correlate to identifying information for a profile in the invitee list, automatically displaying a prompt that is configured to receive user input approving inclusion of a second profile corresponding to the second set of identifying information as a profile at the meeting, the prompt also being configured to alternatively receive user input denying inclusion of the second profile corresponding to the second set of identifying information as a profile at the meeting.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically including the first profile as an attendee at the meeting comprises automatically including the first profile in a list of meeting attendees for the meeting.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising displaying the list of meeting attendees on a computer display.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a notification to one or more user profiles that are not included as attendees at the meeting, the notification indicating that the first profile is included as an attendee at the meeting, wherein the sending of the notification indicating that the first profile is included as an attendee at the meeting is done prior to an ending time of the meeting.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the notification indicates a location of the physical meeting place.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying one or more profiles that are on the invitee list but are not included as attendees at the meeting after the meeting has begun.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending one or more notifications of the meeting to the one or more profiles that are on the invitee list but are not included as attendees at the meeting, the sending of the one or more notifications of the meeting being done while the meeting is ongoing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically recognizing physical presence of the device in proximity to the physical meeting place comprises receiving a near field signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically recognizing physical presence of the device in proximity to the physical meeting place comprises sending a near field signal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically recognizing physical presence of the device in proximity to the physical meeting place comprises receiving from the device a signal comprising an indicator that indicates the device is in proximity to the physical meeting place.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically recognizing physical presence of the device in proximity to the physical meeting place comprises comparing location information from the device with location information for the physical meeting place.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically personalizing one or more settings at the meeting place for the first profile.

13. A computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory comprising instructions stored thereon that when executed by at least one processor cause at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

automatically recognizing physical presence of mobile devices in proximity to a physical meeting place;

automatically retrieving a unit of identifying information from each of the mobile devices;

automatically determining whether each unit of identifying information correlates to identifying information for a profile in an invitee list for a current meeting at the meeting place;

for each unit of identifying information that correlates to identifying information for an included profile in the invitee list for the meeting, automatically including the included profile in an attendee list for the meeting;

for each unit of identifying information that does not correlate to identifying information for a profile in the invitee list for the meeting, automatically displaying a prompt that is configured to receive user input approving inclusion of a corresponding omitted profile as a profile at the meeting, the prompt also being configured to alternatively receive user input denying inclusion of the corresponding omitted profile as a profile at the meeting; and

automatically identifying a profile in the invitee list that is not included in the attendee list; and

automatically sending a meeting notification for the identified profile in the invitee list, the sending of the meeting notification being done while the meeting is ongoing.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise automatically sending a notification of participation in the meeting for a profile of the profiles included in the attendee list for the meeting, the sending of the notification of participation comprising sending the notification of participation to one or more user profiles other than the profile that is included in the attendee list for the meeting.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise automatically personalizing the meeting place for one or more of the profiles included in the attendee list for the meeting.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the mobile devices comprise a plurality of different types of mobile devices.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause at least one processor to perform acts comprising:

a meeting place computer system automatically recognizing physical presence of mobile devices in proximity to a physical meeting place;

the meeting place computer system automatically retrieving a unit of identifying information from each of the mobile devices;

the meeting place computer system automatically determining whether each unit of identifying information correlates to identifying information for a profile in an invitee list for a current meeting at the meeting place;

for each unit of identifying information that correlates to identifying information for a profile in the invitee list for the meeting, the meeting place computer system automatically including the profile in an attendee list for the meeting;

for each unit of identifying information that does not correlate to identifying information for a profile in the invitee list for the meeting, automatically displaying a prompt that is configured to receive user input approving inclusion of a corresponding omitted profile as a profile at the meeting, the prompt also being configured to alternatively receive user input denying inclusion of the corresponding omitted profile as a profile at the meeting;

displaying the attendee list on a computer display; and

the meeting place computer system performing an additional act using the attendee list, the additional act being an act selected from a group consisting of automatically identifying a profile in the invitee list that is not included in the attendee list and automatically sending a meeting notification for the profile while the meeting is ongoing, and automatically sending one or more notifications of participation in the meeting for one or more of the profiles included in the attendee list for the meeting, the one or more notifications of participation being sent to one or more other user profiles that are not included in the attendee list for the meeting.

18. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the additional act is automatically identifying a profile in the invitee list that is not included in the attendee list and automatically sending a meeting notification for the profile prior to a scheduled ending time for the meeting.

19. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the acts further comprise automatically sending one or more notifications of participation in the meeting for one or more of the profiles included in the attendee list for the meeting, the one or more notifications of participation being sent to one or more other user profiles that are not included in the attendee list for the meeting.

20. The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 18, wherein the meeting notification indicates a location for the physical meeting place, and the meeting notification indicates one or more profiles currently listed in the attendee list for the meeting.