Interactive wireless device communication system for meetings and conferences

• US 7,984,099 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mobile-Plan-It LLC
• Original Assignee: Jens U. Horstmann
• Inventors: Zarea, Saeed, Wiesner, Miroslav Charles, Horstmann, Jens, Katajamaki, Matti, Potter, Susan
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino; Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEOD, MARSHALL M
• Application Number:
  US11/818,082
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/213
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1095 Meeting or appointment
• 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 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• 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: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

A conference organizer uses conference software to define a conference and to store conference information on the organizer'"'"'s computer system. The stored conference information includes a list of attendees, and a personal proxy mailbox for each attendee. Each attendee has a wireless device, such as a personal digital assistant (PDA). The organizer'"'"'s computer system includes a wireless communication station that can communicate in wireless fashion with the wireless devices of the attendees at the conference. During the conference, an attendee uses his/her wireless device to access the conference information, select another attendee from the list of attendees, and send the selected attendee a message such that the message is stored in the personal proxy mailbox of the selected attendee. The use of personal proxy mailboxes allows attendees to send messages to one another and to receive messages from one another without divulging their primary email addresses.

Claims

1. A method for defining and controlling a conference, occurring at a physical conference location, using conference software executing on a computer system, the method comprising:

storing conference information associated with the conference, the conference information including a database listing the physical conference location and attendees of the conference, the attendees registered to attend the conference at the physical conference location;

associating, in the database, first and second ones of the attendees with respective first and second real identities;

assigning, in the database, first and second personal proxies to the respective first and second ones of the attendees;

communicating, during the conference, with a first wireless device of the first attendee and a second wireless device of the second attendee to convey updated conference information, the updated conference information including a list of attendees from the database in the computer system;

receiving from the first attendee, a message directed to the second attendee using the second personal proxy; and

directing the message to the second attendee using the second real identity.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating, in the database, the first attendee with first sharing information to be shared during the conference and associating, in the database, the second attendee with second sharing information to be shared during the conference, wherein the first sharing information describes products or services offered by the first attendee and the second sharing information describes products or services offered by the second attendee.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the conference is at least one of a convention or a trade show, and wherein the first attendee is a first exhibitor to present a first exhibit at a first place within the conference location and the second attendee is a second exhibitor to present a second exhibit at a second place within the conference location.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising moving at least some of the first sharing information into the second personal proxy.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second wireless devices are taken from the group consisting of a WAP phone or a PDA.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising communicating with the first and second wireless devices using a wireless communication station at the conference location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a conference organizer is an attendee on the list of attendees, the conference organizer attending the conference at the conference location with the first and second attendees, and wherein the conference organizer has a registered wireless device to communicate with the first and second wireless devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a conference organizer defines the conference by entering the list of attendees using the conference software and by entering an address, a start date, and an end date using the conference software.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second personal proxies each include first storage space of the computer system where the respective first and second attendees can store conference information, and wherein the first and second real identities each include second storage space identified by an email address, the attendees using the second storage space to store more than information associated with the conference.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first personal proxy includes a first mailbox, and the first real identity includes a second mailbox, the method further comprising associating the first and second personal proxies with the conference and deleting the first and second personal proxies after the conference.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving links from the first attendee to selected information stored on a computer other than the computer system and updating the conference information to include the links.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the conference information responsive to the first wireless device of the first attendee by storing the first attendee sharing information from the first attendee'"'"'s real identity in the computer system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first attendee sharing information specifies an exhibit or session location within the conference location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein some of the attendees are speakers at sessions held at session locations within the conference location, and wherein the conference information includes a schedule of the sessions and links to topics to be presented by the speakers at the sessions.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a group of the attendees with a session, wherein a session is a presentation to the group;

receiving a message from a third of the attendees associated with the session; and

sending the message to others of the attendees associated with the session without sending the message to all the attendees.

16. A computer system for communicating information about a conference, held within a physical conference location, with a plurality of wireless devices, the computer system comprising:

server-side storage storing an address specifying the physical conference location, a list of conference attendees to attend the conference at the physical conference location, and information about a first exhibit of a first conference exhibitor and a second exhibit of a second conference exhibitor, the information including physical exhibit locations of the first and second exhibits within the physical conference location, the server-side storage maintaining first and second personal proxy mailboxes for respective first and second attendees on the list of conference attendees, each of the first and second attendees having another mailbox that is not maintained by the server; and

an interface that allows the first conference exhibitor to modify the information about the first exhibit of the first conference exhibitor but does not allow the first conference exhibitor to modify the information about the second exhibit of the second conference exhibitor, and allows the second conference exhibitor to modify the information about the second exhibit of the second conference exhibitor but does not allow the second conference exhibitor to modify the information about the first exhibit of the first conference exhibitor;

wherein the server communicates the information about the first and second exhibits to a plurality of wireless devices, including first and second wireless devices respectively associated with first and second attendees on the list of attendees; and

wherein the server receives a message from the first wireless device and directed to the second attendee and directs the message to the second proxy mailbox.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the server associates the first proxy mailbox with a first proxy address of the first attendee and associates the second proxy mailbox with a second proxy address of the second attendee, and wherein the server communicates the first proxy address to the second attendee and the second proxy address to the first attendee.

18. The computer system of claim 17, wherein the server receives a message from the first attendee directed to the second proxy address and forwards the message to the second attendee.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the computer system communicates a conference agenda to the attendees, the agenda including links to attendee-specific information to be shared during the conference.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein some of the attendees are speakers at sessions held at session locations within the conference location, and wherein the conference information includes a schedule of the sessions and links to topics to be presented by the speakers at the sessions.

22. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the computer system associates a group of the attendees with a session, wherein a session is a presentation to the group;

receiving a message from a third of the attendees associated with the session; and

sending the message to others of the attendees associated with the session.

21. A computer system for communicating information about a conference, held within a physical conference location, with a plurality of wireless devices, the computer system comprising:

server-side storage storing an address specifying the conference location, a list of conference attendees to attend the conference at the conference location, and information about a first exhibit of a first conference exhibitor and a second exhibit of a second conference exhibitor, the information including exhibit locations of the first and second exhibits within the conference location, the server-side storage maintaining first and second personal proxy mailboxes for respective first and second attendees on the list of conference attendees, each of the first and second attendees having another mailbox that is not maintained by the server; and

an interface that allows the first conference exhibitor to modify the information about the first exhibit of the first conference exhibitor but does not allow the first conference exhibitor to modify the information about the second exhibit of the second conference exhibitor, and allows the second conference exhibitor to modify the information about the second exhibit of the second conference exhibitor but does not allow the second conference exhibitor to modify the information about the first exhibit of the first conference exhibitor;

wherein the server communicates the information about the first and second exhibits to a plurality of wireless devices, including first and second wireless devices respectively associated with first and second attendees on the list of attendees;

wherein the server receives a message from the first wireless device and directed to the second attendee and directs the message to the second proxy mailbox; and

wherein the computer system stores a map of the conference location, the wireless device being usable to retrieve from the computer system and to display the map on the wireless device.