Patent ID: 8539028
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A network-based quick-connect meeting service apparatus, comprising: a network-accessible hardware and software infrastructure operating at a service provider domain, the network-accessible infrastructure comprising a web server tier including at least one web server executing on a hardware processor to provide a meeting service web page displaying a first button, and a second button, the second button associated with a display field, the web page comprising markup language code and embedded code instructions that are automatically executed upon loading of the web page in a browsing engine, the network-accessible infrastructure enabling participating end users to collaborate with one another, where a participating end user operates a machine that can access the infrastructure and that includes the browsing engine; a service application tier including at least one service application instance executing on a hardware processor in the network-accessible infrastructure; the web server tier providing, to a browsing engine associated with a first end user, a first instance of the meeting service web page; the web server tier further providing, to a browsing engine associated with a second end user, a second instance of the meeting service web page, the embedded code instructions being automatically executed by the browsing engine associated with the second end user upon loading of the meeting service web page and without action by the second end user to register to the service application tier or to interactively download other code; the service application tier providing the first end user a control element in response to receipt at the network-accessible infrastructure of first data, the first data indicating a selection of the first button in the first instance of the meeting service web page by the first end user, and wherein the control element has a meeting code associated therewith; the service application tier being further responsive to receipt at the network-accessible infrastructure of second data, the second data indicating one of: selection of the control element by the second end user, and entry of the meeting code in the display field and selection of the second button in the second instance of the meeting service web page by the second end user; and the network-accessible infrastructure responsive to receipt of the second data to connect at least the first and second end users to one another without action by the second end user to register to the service application tier or to interactively download other code.