Patent ID: 8537997
Filing Date: 2013-09-17
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
1. A method of facilitating a conference between a plurality of participants, comprising: tracking a location of a particular participant of the conference; when the particular participant comes within proximity of a particular hot spot selected from a plurality of different hot spots corresponding to different environments, detecting resources that are available and proximate to the particular hot spot and thereby the particular participant; when a request for information regarding resources that are available for use by the particular participant of the conference is received during the conference from a requesting participant of the conference, during the conference providing status and location information of the available resources that are detected and proximate to the particular participant regardless of whether the available resources are off-line or shutdown so as to allow enhancement of the conference during the conference, wherein the particular participant and the requesting participant are conferencing with each other via a plurality of current resources, including communication devices, and wherein the available resources are communication devices that can each be used by the particular participant to communicate with the requesting participant; and escalating the conference by upgrading a current resource of the plurality of current resources that is currently being used by the particular participant in the conference to a selected one of the available resources based on the provided status and location information.