Patent ID: 8478819
Filing Date: 2013-07-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, at least one processor, an event from an event source; in response to the receiving, determining two or more participants for a conference; determining from the two or more participants, one or more decision makers; creating a conference of the two or more participants; in the conference, the at least one processor informing only the decision makers of a decision tree comprising a hierarchy of possible outcomes corresponding to a plurality of tree nodes, wherein the possible outcomes at tree nodes that are higher in the hierarchy, predetermine possible outcomes at tree nodes that are lower in the hierarchy; in the conference, the at least one processor determining at least some of the participants' selections of the choices; from the determined selections, the at least one processor determining an outcome, wherein the outcome is determined from the possible outcomes; in response to determining the outcome, the at least one processor automatically causing a function of the outcome to be performed by an outcome sink; wherein the event source and the outcome sink are each a separate and distinct entity from the at least one processor, the participants, and user terminals of the participants; wherein determining by the at least one processor at least some of the participants' selections comprises determining by the at least one processor only the decision-makers' selections of the choices; and wherein determining only the decision-makers' selections of the choices comprises sending a message specifying the requester, a selection of one of the choices, and one of the decision-makers who made the one choice.