Method and system for the automatic configuration of conference resources

• US 8,045,489 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, David Cheng-Wei, Lee, Eric H., Jabbour, Fadi
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): OTT, FREDERICK R
• Application Number:
  US11/693,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20080239995A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260
• US Class Current: 370/260
• 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

Abstract

A method for the automatic configuration of conference resources includes receiving a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference. The at least one conference resource is reserved for the conference. Operation of the conference resource is automatically initiated without user interaction.

Claims

1. A method for the automatic configuration of conference resources, comprising:

receiving a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference, the at least one conference resource comprising a plurality of communication ports;

reserving the at least one conference resource for the conference;

reserving at least two of the plurality of communication ports for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start;

without user interaction, automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start; and

without user interaction, automatically configuring the at least two of the plurality of communication ports within the predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start, and

wherein the user request is received from a conference participant invited to participate in the conference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one equipment resource for use at a physical location associated with the conference.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one equipment resource is selected from the group consisting of a projector, a video display, a telephone, a white board, a computer, an audio port, a video communication ports, and a television.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one telecommunications equipment resource.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one video equipment resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource comprises powering up the at least one conference resource.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to powering up the at least one conference resource, requesting authentication information from the conference participant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource comprises:

automatically powering up the at least one conference resource; and

requesting authentication of a conference participant before the conference resource may be utilized.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user request comprises a response to an invitation to join the conference, the user request accepting the invitation and identifying the at least one conference resource to be used by the user during the conference.

10. A method for the automatic configuration of conference resources, comprising:

receiving a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference, the at least one conference resource comprising a plurality of communication ports;

receiving a scheduling request from a conference scheduler setting up the conference;

reserving the at least one conference resource for the conference;

reserving at least two of the plurality of communication ports for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start;

without user interaction, automatically configuring the at least two of the plurality of communication ports within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start; and

without user interaction, automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource, and

wherein the user request is received from a conference participant invited to participate in the conference.

11. A method for the automatic configuration of conference resources, comprising:

receiving a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference, the at least one conference resource comprising a plurality of communication ports;

reserving the at least one conference resource for the conference;

reserving at least two of the plurality of communication ports for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start;

without user interaction, automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource;

without user interaction, automatically configuring the at least two of the plurality of communication ports within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start, and

wherein the user request is received from a conference participant invited to participate in the conference,

wherein reserving the at least one conference resource for the conference comprises placing the at least one conference resource on a calendar, the method further comprising;

using the calendar to determine that the conference is scheduled to start within a predetermined amount of time; and

in response to determining that the conference is scheduled to start within the predetermined amount of time, automatically powering up the at least one conference resource.

12. A system for the automatic configuration of conference resources, comprising:

an interface operable to receive a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference, the at least one conference resource comprising a plurality of communication ports; and

a processor coupled to the interface, the processor comprising;

a conference setup unit operable to reserve the at least one conference resource for the conference and to reserve at least two of the plurality of communication ports for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start; and

a conference resource management unit operable to;

without user interaction automatically initiate operation of the at least one conference resource within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start; and

without user interaction, automatically configure the at least two of the plurality of communication ports within the predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start, and

wherein the user request is received from a conference participant invited to participate in the conference.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the interface is further operable to receive a scheduling request from a conference scheduler setting up the conference.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one equipment resource for use at a physical location associated with the conference.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one equipment resource is selected from the group consisting of a projector, a video display, a telephone, a white board, a computer, an audio port, a video communication ports, and a television.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one telecommunications equipment resource.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one video equipment resource.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the conference resource management unit is operable to initiate operation of the at least one conference resource by powering up the at least one conference resource.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the conference set up unit is operable to reserve the at least one conference resource for the conference by placing the at least one conference resource on a calendar; and

the conference resource management unit is further operable to;

use the calendar to determine that the conference is scheduled to start within a predetermined amount of time; and

in response to determining that the conference is scheduled to start within the predetermined amount of time, automatically power up the at least one conference resource.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein when automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource, the conference resource management unit is further operable to:

automatically powering up the at least one conference resource; and

requesting authentication of a conference participant before the conference resource may be utilized.

21. A system for the automatic configuration of conference resources, comprising:

means for receiving a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference, the at least one conference resource comprising a plurality of communication ports;

means for reserving the at least one conference resource for the conference;

means for reserving at least two of the plurality of communication ports for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start;

means for automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start; and

means for automatically configuring, without user interaction, the at least two of the plurality of communication ports within the predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start, and

wherein the user request is received from a conference participant invited to participate in the conference.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the at least one equipment resource is selected from the group consisting of a projector, a video display, a telephone, a white board, a computer, an audio port, a video communication ports, and a television.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource comprises means for powering up the at least one conference resource.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for reserving the at least one conference resource for the conference comprises means for placing the at least one conference resource on a calendar, the system further comprising:

means for using the calendar to determine that the conference is scheduled to start within a predetermined amount of time; and

means for automatically powering up the at least one conference resource in response to determining that the conference is scheduled to start within the predetermined amount of time.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for automatically initiating operation of the at least one resource, comprises:

means for automatically powering up the at least one conference resource; and

means for requesting authentication of a conference participant before the conference resource may be utilized.

26. A computer readable medium being a non-transitory signal encoded with instructions capable of being executed by a computer, the computer readable medium operable when executed by the computer to:

receive a user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used in a conference, the at least one conference resource comprising a plurality of communication ports;

reserve the at least one conference resource for the conference;

reserve at least two of the plurality of communication ports for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start;

without user interaction, automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start; and

without user interaction, automatically configure the at least two of the plurality of communication ports within the predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start, and

wherein the user request is received from a conference participant invited to participate in the conference.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are operable, when executed by the computer, to receive a scheduling request from a conference scheduler setting up the conference.

28. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the at least one conference resource comprises at least one equipment resource for use at a physical location associated with the conference.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the at least one equipment resource is selected from the group consisting of a projector, a video display, a telephone, a white board, a computer, an audio port, a video communication ports, and a television.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are operable, when executed by the computer, to automatically initiate operation of the at least one conference resource by powering up the at least one conference resource.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are operable, when executed by the computer, to reserve the at least one conference resource for the conference by placing the at least one conference resource on a calendar, the logic further operable to:

use the calendar to determine that the conference is scheduled to start within a predetermined amount of time; and

in response to determining that the conference is scheduled to start within the predetermined amount of time, automatically power up the at least one conference resource.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 26, wherein when automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource, the instructions are further operable, when executed by the computer, to:

automatically power up the at least one conference resource; and

request authentication of a conference participant before the conference resource may be utilized.

33. A method for the automatic configuration of conference resources, comprising:

receiving a first user request from a conference scheduler, the first user request requesting the scheduling of a conference and identifying a plurality of conference participants, the first user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used at a location associated with the conference scheduler during the conference;

receiving a second user request from a conference participant, the second user request accepting an invitation to participate in the conference, the second user request identifying at least one conference resource to be used at a location associated with the conference participant during the conference, the at least one conference resource to be used at the location associated with the conference participant comprising a plurality of communication ports;

reserving the at least one conference resource at the location associated with the conference scheduler;

reserving the at least one conference resource at the location associated with the conference participant;

reserving at least two of the plurality of communication ports at the location associated with the conference participant for a time associated with when the conference is scheduled to start;

without user interaction, automatically initiating operation of the at least one conference resource at the location associated with the conference scheduler and the at least one conference resource at the location associated with the conference participant within a predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start; and

without user interaction, automatically configuring the at least two communication ports within the predetermined amount of time before the conference is scheduled to start.