Techniques for planning a conference using location data

• US 8,594,291 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bieselin, David, Ethier, Randall
• Primary Examiner(s): KING, SIMON
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, Simon
• Application Number:
  US12/972,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 370/260, 708/112, 379/202.01, 379/265.09, 705/8, 705/7.13, 705/7.18
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• 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 12/1845 broadcast or multicast in a specific location, e.g. geocast protocols for adapting network applications to user terminal location H04L67/52; services specially adapted for wireless communication networks making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02

Abstract

Techniques for scheduling a conference among multiple persons include receiving quorum data and location data. Quorum data indicates a quorum for a particular conference. Location data indicates locations of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum. A proposed location for the particular conference is determined based on the location data and the quorum data. These techniques allow location data to include presence data that describes a current location of a person or a state of communication of that person; and therefore allow presence data to be used in determining where to conduct a conference and when. For example, an organizer of a meeting and meeting invitees are notified when the people constituting a quorum cross paths at the same location, or are situated at sites that support remote conferencing.

Claims

1. A method for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

determining a plurality of proposed locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

configuring a network node based on the plurality of proposed locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing, and

determining the plurality of proposed locations based on the type of remote conferencing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicating at least one of a data remote conference, an audio remote conference, a video remote conference, and a multi-media remote conference.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving data indicating a remote conference using at least one of a circuit-switching network, a packet-switching network, and a cellular telephone network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability data indicates whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate remotely at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability data indicates whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate using a particular mode of communication at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a time for the particular conference with the particular person during the previous commitment; and

conducting the particular conference using the particular mode of communication with the particular person.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the particular mode of communication is an in-person meeting.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the particular mode of communication is remote communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the availability data includes presence data based on the current location of at least one of the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

11. An apparatus for scheduling a conference among multiple persons, comprising:

a network interface that is coupled to a network for communicating one or more packet flows therewith;

a processor; and

one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform;

receiving quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receiving availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

determining a plurality of proposed locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

configuring a network node based on the plurality of proposed locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions cause the processor to perform:

receiving data indicating a type of remote conferencing, and

determining the plurality of proposed locations based on the type of remote conferencing.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions cause the processor to perform:

receiving data indicating at least one of a data remote conference, an audio remote conference, a video remote conference, and a multi-media remote conference.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the one or more stored sequences of instructions cause the processor to perform:

receiving data indicating a remote conference using at least one of a circuit-switching network and a packet-switching network.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the availability data includes receiving data that indicates whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate remotely at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference and whether a particular person of the plurality of persons can communicate using a particular mode of communication at a time within a duration of a previous commitment for the particular person.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a time for the particular conference with the particular person during the previous commitment; and

conducting the particular conference using remote communications with the particular person.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the particular mode of communication is an in-person meeting.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the particular mode of communication is remote communication.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions operable to:

receive quorum data that indicates a quorum for a particular conference;

receive availability data that indicates availability of a plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for attending the particular conference;

determine a plurality of proposed locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons for the particular conference based on the availability data and the quorum data; and

configure a network node based on the plurality of proposed locations that support remote conferencing among the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein a proposed location is a location in a vicinity where the plurality of persons who satisfy the quorum for the particular conference are located.