Identifying topic experts among participants in a conference call

• US 9,661,474 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Levinson, David J., Bell, Denise A., DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Salem, Randa
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqui, Kashif
• Application Number:
  US14/338,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20160028895A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 455416, 455417, 455418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A computing device determines one or more skills associated with one or more participants in a conference call. The computing device identifies one or more topics associated with a first time period of the conference call. The computing device designates a first set of participants as experts for at least one of the one or more topics associated with the first time period.

Claims

1. A method for designating participants of a conference call as having one or more topic skills, comprising:

a computing device determining one or more skills associated with one or more participants in a conference call by communicating with an employer server that provides credentials of the one or more participants;

the computing device determining topics associated with a first time period of the conference call, wherein the step of determining topics is based on utilizing voice recognition of the conference call and identifying a first and a second topic associated with the first time period of the conference call by matching one or more phrases that are repeated above a threshold amount during the conference call to the first and the second topic;

the computing device visually designating a first set of participants as experts for the first topic based on matching at least one skill of the first set of participants to the first topic by cross-referencing a skills dictionary, wherein the skills dictionary comprises a group of skills associated with the first topic; and

the computing device visually designating a second set of participants as experts for the second topic based on matching at least one skill of the second set of participants to the second topic by cross-referencing the skills dictionary, wherein the skills dictionary comprises a group of skills associated with the second topic.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computing device determining topics associated with a second time period of the conference call;

and

the computing device designating a third set of participants as experts for at least one of the topics associated with the second time period.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the computing device displaying the first set of participants designated as experts for at least one of the topics associated with the first time period.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device identifying topics associated with a first time period of the conference call further comprises:

the computing device determining a first set of keywords by utilizing voice recognition; and

the computing device identifying topics associated with the first time period of the conference call based on the determined first set of keywords.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of claim 1 is performed by a service provider.

5. A computer program product for designating participants of a conference call as having one or more topic skills, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine one or more skills associated with one or more participants in a conference call by communicating with an employer server that provides credentials of the one or more participants;

program instructions to determine topics associated with a first time period of the conference call, wherein the step of determining topics is based on utilizing voice recognition of the conference call and identifying a first and a second topic associated with the first time period of the conference call by matching one or more phrases that are repeated above a threshold amount during the conference call to the first and the second topic;

program instructions to visually designate a first set of participants as experts for the first topic based on matching at least one skill of the first set of participants to the first topic by cross-referencing a skills dictionary, wherein the skills dictionary comprises a group of skills associated with the first topic; and

program instructions to visually designate a second set of participants as experts for the second topic based on matching at least one skill of the second set of participants to the second topic by cross-referencing the skills dictionary, wherein the skills dictionary comprises a group of skills associated with the second topic.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising:

program instructions to determine topics associated with a second time period of the conference call; and

program instructions to designate a third set of participants as experts for at least one of the topics associated with the second time period.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, further comprising program instructions to display the first set of participants designated as experts for at least one of the topics associated with the first time period.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the program instructions to identify topics associated with a first time period of the conference call further comprises:

program instructions to determine a first set of keywords by utilizing voice recognition; and

program instructions to identify topics associated with the first time period of the conference call based on the determined first set of keywords.

9. A computer system for designating participants of a conference call as having one or more topic skills, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine one or more skills associated with one or more participants in a conference call by communicating with an employer server that provides credentials of the one or more participants;

program instructions to determine topics associated with a first time period of the conference call, wherein the step of determining topics is based on utilizing voice recognition of the conference call and identifying a first and a second topic associated with the first time period of the conference call by matching one or more phrases that are repeated above a threshold amount during the conference call to the first and the second topic;

program instructions to visually designate a first set of participants as experts for the first topic based on matching at least one skill of the first set of participants to the first topic by cross-referencing a skills dictionary, wherein the skills dictionary comprises a group of skills associated with the first topic; and

program instructions to visually designate a second set of participants as experts for the second topic based on matching at least one skill of the second set of participants to the second topic by cross-referencing the skills dictionary, wherein the skills dictionary comprises a group of skills associated with the second topic.

10. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising:

program instructions to determine topics associated with a second time period of the conference call; and

program instructions to designate a third set of participants as experts for at least one of the topics associated with the second time period.

11. The computer system of claim 9, further comprising program instructions to display the first set of participants designated as experts for at least one of the topics associated with the first time period.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the program instructions to identify topics associated with a first time period of the conference call further comprises:

program instructions to determine a first set of keywords by utilizing voice recognition; and

program instructions to identify topics associated with the first time period of the conference call based on the determined first set of keywords.