RFID FOR AVAILABLE RESOURCES NOT CONNECTED TO THE NETWORK

• US 20140105377A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gits, Peter M., Seavey, Dale J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,366 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/78 Architectures of resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/80 Actions related to the user profile or the type of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• 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: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42357 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• 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 3/563 User guidance or feature selection

Abstract

Disclosed are apparatus and techniques for providing presence and location information from available media resources to participants in a media conference so that the participants can use then use such available resources in the conferencing interaction. When participating in such rich media conferences with presence and location capabilities, apparatus and techniques are provided for determining the device(s) being used and their capabilities and determining available resources presently connected to a network that is available to the participants and presenting such presence information to the conference participants. Additionally, apparatus and techniques are provided for obtaining presence and location knowledge of potential resources that are accessible but not connected to the network or shutdown and presenting such information to the participants. Thus, the participants can obtain presence and location information regarding accessible resources, including off-line or shutdown resources, and then use such information to enhance the conference in a number of ways.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

ascertaining a location of a particular participant of a conference between two or more participants or of a hotspot that is proximate to the particular participant, the two or more participants including the particular participant;

detecting resources that are available and proximate to the location; and

escalating the conference, during the conference, by upgrading a current resource of a plurality of current resources that is currently being used by the particular participant in the conference to one of the available resources.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting participant in the two or more participants;

wherein the one of the available resources is selected by the requesting participant for use by the particular participant during the conference.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

wherein escalating is performed in response to a selection of the one of the available resources.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein the selection is performed during the conference.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

during the conference, providing status and location information of the available resources that are detected and proximate to the location.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein providing status and location information is performed in response to a request.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the request is received from a requesting participant in the two or more participants.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the available resources comprise resources that are off-line or shutdown.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory, wherein at least one of the processors and/or memory are operable to;

ascertain a location of a particular participant of a conference between two or more participants or of a hotspot that is proximate to the particular participant, the two or more participants including the particular participant;

detect resources that are available and proximate to the location; and

escalate the conference, during the conference, by upgrading a current resource of a plurality of current resources that is currently being used by the particular participant in the conference to one of the available resources.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein at least one of the processors and/or memory are operable to perform further operations, comprising:

receive a request from a requesting participant in the two or more participants;

wherein the one of the available resources is selected for use by the particular participant during the conference.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein escalating is performed in response to a selection of the one of the available resources.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the selection is performed by a requesting participant in the two or more participants during the conference.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, at least one of the processors and/or memory are operable to perform further operations, comprising:

during the conference, providing status and location information of the available resources that are detected and proximate to the location.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein providing status and location information is performed in response to a request.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 14, wherein the request is received from a requesting participant in the two or more participants.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 9, wherein the available resources comprise resources that are off-line or shutdown.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon computer-readable instructions, comprising:

instructions for ascertaining a location of a particular participant of a conference between two or more participants or of a hotspot that is proximate to the particular participant, the two or more participants including the particular participant;

instructions for detecting resources that are available and proximate to the location; and

instructions for escalating the conference, during the conference, by upgrading a current resource of a plurality of current resources that is currently being used by the particular participant in the conference to one of the available resources.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein escalating is performed in response to a selection of the one of the available resources.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 18, wherein the selection is performed by a requesting participant in the two or more participants for use by the particular participant during the conference.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 17, further comprising:

instructions for providing information pertaining to the available resources in response to a request; and

instructions for obtaining a selection of one of the available resources.