Method and system for managing a virtual meeting

• US 8,972,869 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2010
• Issued: 03/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saba Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Saba Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Parmar, Sanjay, Willis, Ben, Maxwell, Dan, Beecher, Thomas, Hegg, Tom, Natraj, Sunil, Chang, Shu-Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US12/895,709
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 715/752, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/438 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/972 Access to data in other repository systems, e.g. legacy data or dynamic Web page generation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, computer-readable medium and system for managing a virtual meeting are disclosed. Invitees for a virtual meeting may be automatically determined based upon a selection of one or more groups made using a graphical user interface. Each invitee may be notified of the virtual meeting. Users may conveniently attend the virtual meeting. A recording of the virtual meeting may then be made accessible to members of one or more groups selected using the graphical user interface. In this manner, the setup of a virtual meeting and the distribution of a recording of the virtual meeting can be improved.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing a virtual meeting, said method comprising:

determining a first plurality of users associated with a first group,

wherein said first group is associated with a business entity;

notifying said first plurality of users of said virtual meeting;

facilitating said virtual meeting;

recording said facilitated virtual meeting;

providing an access to content associated with said recorded virtual meeting;

providing said access to said recorded virtual meeting to a second plurality of users associated with a second group,

wherein said second group is associated with said business entity and with said first group;

configuring an association between stored content and at least one of said first group or said second group, based at least in part, on content data that tracks at least one of said first group or said second group;

upon a query from a user of said first group or said second group wherein said query comprises at least one search parameter related to accessing stored content associated by said configuring with said first group or said second group, performing a search based on said query, wherein said performing said search comprises;

determining said content associated with said first group or said second group for a search based on said query;

based on said determining, searching within said content associated with said first group or within said content associated with said second group;

determining if said at least one search parameter comprises an access request for one or more of certified content or flagged content;

upon said at least one search parameter comprising an access request for said one or more of certified content or flagged content;

filtering one or more search results, wherein one or more of un-certified content or un-flagged content is removed therefrom; and

generating a search result based on said filtering; and

upon said at least one search parameter comprising an access request for certified content and flagged content,

providing un-filtered search results; and

controlling said access to said content based on said configuring said association, wherein said controlling said access to said content comprises said performing said search.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said notifying further comprises displaying a notification associated with said virtual meeting in a computer-implemented graphical user interface, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to enable a user to attend said virtual meeting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said notifying further comprises sending a plurality of electronic mail messages to said first plurality of users, wherein said plurality of electronic mail messages comprise a plurality of links enabling said first plurality of users to attend said virtual meeting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first group and said second group are selected using a computer-implemented graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

facilitating said virtual meeting using at least one graphical user interface displayed on at least one computer system; and

based on one or more of said configuring the association or said controlling said access, providing said access to said stored content, wherein said stored content comprises content that is associated with said virtual meeting, via said at least one graphical user interface, and

wherein said facilitating and said providing are performed contemporaneously.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of users comprises a subset of said second plurality of users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first plurality of users is different from said second plurality of users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said recording comprises data selected from a group consisting of audio data and video data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining and said notifying are performed by a web browser plug-in.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining and said notifying are performed by an application separate from a web browser.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said configuring the association between said stored content and said at least one of said first group or said second group is based, at least in part, on user data that relates to which of said first group or said second group that each user of said first plurality of users and said second plurality of users belongs, and wherein said user data is stored with said content.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the stored content comprises one or more of:

an electronic document that comprises, at least in part, text;

a link;

a blog entry;

an image;

a video;

an instance of audio data;

or

a list, which relates to one or more of bookmarked content or bookmarked users.

12. A system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein said memory comprises non-transitory encoded instructions tangibly stored therewith that when executed by said system implement a method of managing a virtual meeting, said method comprising:

determining a first plurality of users associated with a first group, wherein said first group is associated with a business entity;

notifying said first plurality of users of said virtual meeting;

facilitating said virtual meeting;

recording said facilitated virtual meeting;

providing an access to content associated with said recorded virtual meeting;

providing said access to said recorded virtual meeting to a second plurality of users associated with a second group, wherein said second group is associated with said business entity and with said first group;

configuring an association between stored content and at least one of said first group or said second group, based at least in part, on content data that tracks at least one of said first group or said second group;

upon a query from a user of said first group or said second group wherein said query comprises at least one search parameter related to accessing stored content associated by said configuring with said first group or said second group, performing a search based on said query, wherein said performing said search comprises;

determining said content associated with said first group or said second group for a search based on said query;

based on said determining, searching within said content associated with said first group or within said content associated with said second group;

determining if said at least one search parameter comprises an access request for one or more of certified content or flagged content;

upon said at least one search parameter comprising an access request for said one or more of certified content or flagged content;

filtering one or more search results, wherein one or more of un-certified content or un-flagged content is removed therefrom; and

generating a search result based on said filtering; and

upon said at least one search parameter comprising an access request for certified content and flagged content;

providing un-filtered search results; and

controlling said access to said content based on said configuring said association, wherein said controlling said access to said content comprises said performing said search.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said notifying further comprises displaying a notification associated with said virtual meeting in a computer-implemented graphical user interface, wherein said graphical user interface is operable to enable a user to attend said virtual meeting.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein said notifying further comprises sending a plurality of electronic mail messages to said first plurality of users, wherein said plurality of electronic mail messages comprise a plurality of links enabling said first plurality of users to attend said virtual meeting.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said first group and said second group are selected using a computer-implemented graphical user interface.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said method further comprises:

facilitating said virtual meeting using at least one graphical user interface displayed on at least one computer system; and

based on one or more of said configuring the association or said controlling said access, providing said access to said content, wherein said content comprises content that is associated with said virtual meeting, via said at least one graphical user interface, and

wherein said facilitating and said providing are performed contemporaneously.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein said first plurality of users comprises a subset of said second plurality of users.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein said first plurality of users is different from said second plurality of users.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein said recording comprises data selected from a group consisting of audio data and video data.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein said determining and said notifying are performed by a web browser plug-in.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein said determining and said notifying are performed by an application separate from a web browser.

22. A graphical user interface that is disposed over one or more computer systems, which each comprise a processor and a non-transitory storage medium with instructions tangibly stored therewith that program, configure, control or cause the processor to render an interactive display, the interactive display comprising:

a first region for inviting a first plurality of users to attend a virtual meeting, wherein said first region is operable to enable a selection of a first group associated with said first plurality of users, and wherein said first group is associated with a business entity, wherein said virtual meeting is recorded;

a second region for controlling access of a second plurality of users to a recording of said virtual meeting, wherein said second region is operable to enable a selection of a second group associated with said second plurality of users, and wherein said second group is associated with said business entity and with said first group; and

a region for configuring, with an operation executing with one or more of said processors, an association between stored content and at least one of said first group or said second group, and for controlling access to said content based on the configuring of the association, wherein said content comprises said recording and wherein said controlling access to said content comprises performing a search, said performing a search comprising;

upon a query from a user of said first group or said second group wherein said query comprises at least one search parameter related to accessing stored content associated by said configuring with said first group or said second group, performing a search based on said query, wherein said performing a search comprises;

determining said content associated with said first group or said second group for a search based on said query, based at least in part, on content data that tracks at least one of said first group or said second group;

based on said determining, searching within said content associated with said first group or within said content associated with said second group;

determining if said at least one search parameter comprises an access request for one or more of certified content or flagged content;

upon said at least one search parameter comprising an access request for said one or more of certified content or flagged content;

filtering one or more search results, wherein one or more of un-certified content or un-flagged content is removed therefrom; and

generating a search result based on said filtering; and

upon said at least one search parameter comprising an access request for certified content and flagged content; and

generating a search result that comprises an un-filtered search result.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 22 further comprising:

a third region for notifying said first plurality of users of said virtual meeting, wherein said third region is further operable to display a notification associated with said virtual meeting, and wherein said third region is further operable to enable a user to attend said virtual meeting.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 22 wherein said region for configuring an association between stored content and at least one of said first group or said second group, and for controlling access to said content based on the configuring of the association comprises a fourth region for facilitating said virtual meeting, wherein said fourth region is operable to provide access to said content and wherein said content comprises content that is associated with said virtual meeting.

25. The graphical user interface of claim 22, wherein said first plurality of users comprises a subset of said second plurality of users.

26. The graphical user interface of claim 22, wherein said first plurality of users is different from said second plurality of users.

27. The graphical user interface of claim 22, wherein said recording comprises data selected from a group consisting of audio data and video data.

28. The graphical user interface of claim 22, wherein said first region and said second region are implemented by a web browser plug-in.

29. The graphical user interface of claim 22, wherein said first region and said second region are implemented by an application separate from a web browser.