Synchronization between conference and calendar systems

• US 9,608,832 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2011
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ShoreTel Incorporated (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Shukla, Sachin, Do, Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Alriyashi, Abdulkader M
• Application Number:
  US13/172,764
• Time in Patent Office: 2,099 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/204, 709/208, 709/248, 709/222, 379/202.01, 370/261
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/178 Techniques for file synchronisation in file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/22 Synchronisation circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5054 Meet-me conference, i.e. participants dial-in
• 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: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects

Abstract

A method for scheduling a meeting using an email client that is part of an email system includes receiving a request at the email client to schedule the meeting. The request may include an indication of the resources that are to be provided by a conferencing system for the meeting. The method also includes communicating the request to a conference bridge that is part of the conferencing system and receiving from the conference bridge an access code associated with the meeting. The method also includes appending the access code to a meeting invitation associated with the meeting and providing the meeting invitation to an email server that is part of the email system. The method also includes sending the meeting invitation to users invited to participate in the meeting.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling a meeting, the method comprising:

receiving a meeting request at a conference bridge of a conferencing system, the meeting request received at the conference bridge directly from an email client of an email system, the meeting request received directly from the email client using a plug-in associated with the email client, the meeting request specifying resources that are to be used during the meeting by the conferencing system, wherein a computing platform of the email system is different from a computing platform of the conferencing system, the email system comprises one or more email servers, and the conferencing system comprises a plurality of conference bridges;

at the conference bridge, determining an access code associated with the meeting;

sending the access code from the conference bridge directly to the email system;

receiving a list of scheduled meetings from an email server of the email system, wherein one of the plurality of conference bridges receives the list of the scheduled meetings directly from the email server of the email system;

at the conference bridge, identifying scheduled meetings on the list that are associated with access codes, the scheduled meetings associated with access codes forming a second list that includes the meeting;

at the conference bridge, determining that a schedule of the meeting on the second list is different from a schedule of the meeting at the conference bridge;

at the conference bridge, updating the schedule of the meeting at the conference bridge based on the schedule of the meeting on the second list; and

communicating updates to the schedule of the meeting at the conference bridge to one or more of remaining conference bridges of the plurality of conference bridges.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the schedule of the meeting on the second list is different from the schedule of the meeting at the conference bridge as a result of a change to the schedule of the meeting on the second list using a mobile client.