Patent ID: 7739333
Filing Date: 2010-06-15
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving a registration request from a first client device, the registration request specifying an identification credential of a first user; determining whether the identification credential of the first user is valid; registering the first user as a user of the first client device when the identification credential of the first user is valid; after the first user is registered as the user of the first client device, receiving a request from the first client device for a list of unified communications conferences that the first user is allowed to join; in response to receiving the request for the list of unified communications conferences that the first user is allowed to join, identifying applicable categories in a directory, the directory comprising a plurality of categories organized as a hierarchy, each category in the directory specifying a set of users, identifying unified communications conferences that are included in the applicable categories and that have user lists that include the first user, including the identified unified communications conferences in the list of unified communications conferences that the first user is allowed to join; sending, to the first client device, the list of the unified communications conferences that the first user is allowed to join; receiving, from the first client device, a request to join a selected unified communications conference in a first category, the first category being one of the categories in the directory; in response to the request to join the selected unified communications conference, determining, at a server system, whether the first user is in the set of users specified by the first category and whether the first user is in the user list of the selected unified communications conference; sending conference information to the first client device when the first user is in the set of users specified by the first category and the first user is in the user list of the selected unified communications conference, thereby enabling the first user to communicate in the selected unified communications conference; sending to the first client device a list of users that are in the set of users specified by the first category, the list of users including a second user; receiving, from the first client device, a request to invite the second user to join the selected unified communications conference; identifying a second client device as a client device used by the second user; sending to the second client device an invitation to join the selected unified communications conference; receiving, from the second client device, an invitation response; determining whether the invitation response indicates that the second user has accepted the invitation; and sending the conference information to the second client device, thereby enabling the second user to communicate in the selected unified communications conference.