Abstract:
In one embodiment, the methods and systems detect a meeting; detect a missing participant scheduled to attend the meeting; identify a device actively utilized by the missing participant; and transmit a reminder message to the device.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/739,227 filed Nov. 23, 2005, which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates generally to locating an invited participant and, more particularly, to locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     People frequently schedule meetings with others. Many times, people track their meeting schedules through either a paper calendar or an electronic calendar. The use of electronic calendars such as Outlook® is becoming more and more popular for ease of use and versatility. Electronic calendars provide additional reminder functionality over paper calendars that reminds the user via visual and/or audio messages through an electronic device.  
         [0004]     Even with advances in and increased use of electronic calendars, users may still forget to attend scheduled meetings. Further, these users may be be actively monitoring their electronic calendars to realize that they are currently missing a scheduled meeting.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     In one embodiment, the methods and systems detect a meeting; detect a missing participant scheduled to attend the meeting; identify a device actively utilized by the missing participant; and transmit a reminder message to the device. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate and explain one embodiment of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. In the drawings,  
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an environment within which the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting are implemented;  
         [0008]      FIG. 2  is a simplified block diagram illustrating one embodiment in which the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting are implemented;  
         [0009]      FIG. 3  is a simplified block diagram illustrating a system, consistent with one embodiment of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting;  
         [0010]      FIG. 4  is an exemplary record for use with the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting; and  
         [0011]      FIG. 5  is a flow diagram consistent with one embodiment of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0012]     The following detailed description of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting refers to the accompanying drawings. The detailed description is not intended to limit the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. Instead, the scope of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting is defined by the appended claims and equivalents. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many other implementations are possible, consistent with the present invention.  
         [0013]     References to a device include a device utilized by a user such as a desktop computer, a portable computer, a personal digital assistant, a video phone, a landline telephone, a cellular telephone, and a device capable of receiving/transmitting an electronic signal. Further, references to a device also include applications such as text messaging, instant messaging, and electronic mail (email).  
         [0014]     References to a meeting include any communications between multiple parties via telephone, face-to-face, and digital means.  
         [0015]     References to a collaboration session include a plurality of devices that are configured to view content submitted by one of the devices. For example, the collaboration session may include a data conference or a video conference through a network, a phone line, and/or the Internet. Further, the communications between participants may be through text messaging, audio conferencing, video conferencing, email, short messaging service, and the like.  
         [0016]     References to a participant include a user of a device that participates or is scheduled to participate in the collaboration session.  
         [0017]     References to a presenter include a participant that shares content shared with other participants.  
         [0018]     References to an attendee include a participant that receives content shared by another participant. The attendees are capable of viewing content that is offered by the presenter. In some instances, the attendee is capable of modifying the content shared by the presenter.  
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an environment within which the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting are implemented. The environment includes an electronic device  110  (e.g., a computing platform configured to act as a client device, such as a computer, a personal digital assistant, and the like), a user interface  115 , a network  120  (e.g., a local area network, a home network, the Internet), and a server  130  (e.g., a computing platform configured to act as a server).  
         [0020]     In one embodiment, one or more user interface  115  components are made integral with the electronic device  110  (e.g., keypad and video display screen input and output interfaces in the same housing such as a personal digital assistant. In other embodiments, one or more user interface  115  components (e.g., a keyboard, a pointing device such as a mouse, a trackball, etc.), a microphone, a speaker, a display, a camera are physically separate from, and are conventionally coupled to, electronic device  110 . In one embodiment, the user utilizes interface  115  to access and control content and applications stored in electronic device  110 , server  130 , or a remote storage device (not shown) coupled via network  120 .  
         [0021]     In accordance with the invention, embodiments of locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting below are executed by an electronic processor in electronic device  110 , in server  130 , or by processors in electronic device  110  and in server  130  acting together. Server  130  is illustrated in  FIG. 1  as being a single computing platform, but in other instances are two or more interconnected computing platforms that act as a server.  
         [0022]      FIG. 2  is a simplified diagram illustrating an exemplary architecture in which the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting are implemented. The exemplary architecture includes a plurality of electronic devices  202 , a server device  210 , and a network  201  connecting electronic devices  202  to server  210  and each electronic device  202  to each other. The plurality of electronic devices  202  are each configured to include a computer-readable medium  209 , such as random access memory, coupled to an electronic processor  208 . Processor  208  executes program instructions stored in the computer-readable medium  209 . In one embodiment, a unique user operates each electronic device  202  via an interface  115  as described with reference to  FIG. 1 .  
         [0023]     The server device  130  includes a processor  211  coupled to a computer-readable medium  212 . In one embodiment, the server device  130  is coupled to one or more additional external or internal devices, such as, without limitation, a secondary data storage element, such as database  240 .  
         [0024]     In one instance, processors  208  and  211  are manufactured by Intel Corporation, of Santa Clara, Calif. In other instances, other microprocessors are used.  
         [0025]     In one embodiment, the plurality of client devices  202  and the server  210  include instructions for extending a dynamic social network system. In one embodiment, the plurality of computer-readable media  209  and  212  contain, in part, the customized application. Additionally, the plurality of client devices  202  and the server  210  are configured to receive and transmit electronic messages for use with the customized application. Similarly, the network  210  is configured to transmit electronic messages for use with the customized application.  
         [0026]     One or more user applications are stored in media  209 , in media  212 , or a single user application is stored in part in one media  209  and in part in media  212 . In one instance, a stored user application, regardless of storage location, is made customizable based on locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting as determined using embodiments described below.  
         [0027]     In one embodiment, the network system utilizes the collaboration sessions to share information and communicate among the participants. For example, collaboration sessions are configured to provide real-time communication between multiple participants. In one embodiment, the content that is shared among the participants of the collaboration session is content that is displayed on the desktop of one of the participants.  
         [0028]      FIG. 3  illustrates one embodiment of a system  300 . In one embodiment, the system  300  is embodied within the server  130 . In another embodiment, the system  300  is embodied within the electronic device  110 . In yet another embodiment, the system  300  is embodied within both the electronic device  110  and the server  130 .  
         [0029]     In one embodiment, the system  300  includes an interface module  310 , a storage module  320 , a session manager module  330 , a profile manager module  340 , a control module  350 , a session detection module  360 , a participant detection module  370 , and a participant locator module  380 .  
         [0030]     In one embodiment, the control module  350  communicates with the interface module  310 , the storage module  320 , the session manager module  330 , the profile manager module  340 , the session detection module  360 , the participant detection module  370 , and the participant locator module  380 . In one embodiment, the control module  350  coordinates tasks, requests, and communications between interface module  310 , the storage module  320 , the session manager module  330 , the profile manager module  340 , the session detection module  360 , the participant detection module  370 , and the participant locator module  380 .  
         [0031]     In one embodiment, the interface module  310  receives a signal from one of the electronic devices  110 . In one embodiment, the electronic devices  110  are participating in a collaboration session. For example, the system  300  monitors the collaboration session between the presenter device and the attendee device. In another embodiment, the interface module  310  delivers a signal to one of the electronic devices  110 .  
         [0032]     In one embodiment, the interface module  310  monitors input from various interface devices connected to devices that are participating in the collaboration session or planning a future collaboration session. These various interface devices include a keyboard, a pointing device, a microphone, a telephone, a video camera, and the like.  
         [0033]     In one embodiment, the storage module  320  stores a record including a list of attributes associated with the each device participating in a collaboration session. In one embodiment, each device corresponds with an invited participant within a collaboration session. An exemplary list of attributes is shown in a record  400  within  FIG. 4 .  
         [0034]     In another embodiment, the record  400  may be organized based on the participant. For example, each participant can be associated with multiple devices, and the record  400  can be associated with a particular participant. Within the record  400  associated with a particular participant, a listing of multiple devices associated with the particular participant is listed. Each device can have a profile or list of attributes associated with each respective device.  
         [0035]     In another embodiment, the storage module  320  stores the collaboration session. In one embodiment, the storage module  320  stores the content that is presented during the collaboration session. In another embodiment, the storage module  320  stores the annotations and comments produced by the participants of the collaboration session.  
         [0036]     In one embodiment, the session module  330  schedules a collaboration session. In one embodiment, the time and date of the collaboration session are scheduled. In another embodiment, the invited participants are notified of the upcoming collaboration session.  
         [0037]     In yet another embodiment, the responses from the invited participants are detected. For example, the responses regarding attending the upcoming collaboration session by the invited participants may include acceptance of the upcoming collaboration session, rejection of the upcoming collaboration session, or unsure of the upcoming collaboration session.  
         [0038]     In one embodiment, the profile manager module  340  organizes a plurality of profiles. In one embodiment, each profile corresponds to each individual user. In another embodiment, each individual user may have multiple profiles. In one embodiment, a profile describes attributes of the associated user.  
         [0039]     In one embodiment, the session detection module  360  tracks collaboration sessions. In one embodiment, future collaboration sessions and current collaboration sessions in progress are tracked.  
         [0040]     In one embodiment, the participant detection module  370  detects invited participants within a collaboration session. In one embodiment, the participants that have accepted or are unsure of accepting the invitation to the particular collaboration session are detected. For example, invited participants that have declined to attend the particular collaboration session are not detected in one embodiment.  
         [0041]     In one embodiment, the participant locator module  380  detects the presence of the invited participants. Further, the type of device that is utilized by the invited participants is also detected in one embodiment.  
         [0042]     The system  300  in  FIG. 3  is shown for exemplary purposes and is merely one embodiment of the methods and apparatuses for locating an expert during a collaboration session. Additional modules may be added to the system  300  without departing from the scope of the methods and apparatuses for extending a dynamic social network system. Similarly, modules may be combined or deleted without departing from the scope of the methods and apparatuses for locating an expert during a collaboration session.  
         [0043]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary record  400  for use with the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. In one embodiment, the record  400  illustrates an exemplary record associated with a profile corresponding to a user. In one embodiment, the profile associated with an invited participant of a meeting. Further, the profile associated with the user is updated and refined based on the devices associated with the user and the presence of the user with respect to each associated device.  
         [0044]     In one embodiment, there are multiple records such that each record  400  is associated with a particular profile corresponding to a particular user. In another embodiment, multiple profiles are associated with the same user and each profile is represented by a record  400 .  
         [0045]     In one embodiment, the record  400  includes an identity of the participant field  410 , a devices field  420 , and a presence field  430 .  
         [0046]     In one embodiment, the record  400  resides within the storage module  320 . In one embodiment, the record  400  describes an attributes detected through the system  300 .  
         [0047]     In one embodiment, the identity of participant field  410  includes information related to an individual participant corresponding to the record  400 . For example, the identity of the participant may include a user name with a password to authenticate the true identity of the participant.  
         [0048]     In another embodiment, the identity of the participant may be performed by recognizing the particular device that is listed within the field  420 . For example, each device can be uniquely identifiable by a serial number or a device number. Usage of a particular device listed within the field  420  can be correlated to a particular participant.  
         [0049]     In one embodiment, the device field  420  lists the devices corresponding to the participant identified within the field  410 . In one embodiment, the device field  420  includes a device type, a device model, and a unique device identifier. For example, the device types include electronic mail, instant messenger, a pager, a cellular phone, a land line, and the like.  
         [0050]     In one embodiment, the presence field  430  lists the presence of the participant on each of the devices listed within the field  420 . For example, the  
         [0051]     The flow diagram as depicted in  FIG. 5  is one embodiment of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. The blocks within the flow diagrams can be performed in a different sequence without departing from the spirit of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. Further, blocks can be deleted, added, or combined without departing from the spirit of the methods and apparatuses for locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting.  
         [0052]     The flow diagram in  FIG. 5  illustrates locating and contacting an invited participant of a meeting. The meeting illustrated within  FIG. 5  is a collaboration session. However, any type of meeting may be utilized without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0053]     In Block  505 , a collaboration session is scheduled. In one embodiment, the presenter schedules the collaboration session for a future time. In one instance, the collaboration session includes sharing a combination of voice and/or visual data. In one embodiment, the visual data includes textual information, graphical information, and the like. In one embodiment, the session manager module  330  helps in scheduling the collaboration session.  
         [0054]     In Block  510 , participants are invited to the collaboration session. In one embodiment, the invited participants respond with either an acceptance, a rejection, or an unsure status of attending the collaboration session. In one embodiment, the session manager module  330  coordinates the invitation of the invited participants and tracks the invitation responses from the invited participants.  
         [0055]     In Block  520 , the collaboration session is initiated. In one embodiment, the session detection module  360  detects the initiation of the collaboration session.  
         [0056]     In Block  525 , the participants attending the collaboration session are identified. In one embodiment, the participant detection module  370  detects the presence of the invited participants within the collaboration session.  
         [0057]     In Block  530 , the predetermined time to remind the invited participants is detected. In one embodiment, the predetermined time to remind the invited participants may be prior to the scheduled start time of the collaboration session. In another embodiment, the predetermined time to remind the invited participants may be after the scheduled start time of the collaboration session.  
         [0058]     For example, the predetermined time to remind may occur 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the collaboration session, at the scheduled start time of the collaboration session, or 10 minutes after the scheduled start time of the collaboration session. In yet another embodiment, the predetermined time to remind the invited participants may occur 10 minutes after the actual start time of the collaboration session which may be after or prior to the scheduled start time of the collaboration session.  
         [0059]     If it is not the predetermined time to remind the invited participants in the Block  530 , then a participant initiated reminder is detected in Block  535 .  
         [0060]     In one embodiment, either the presenter or the attendees are capable of initiating a reminder to the invited participants that are not currently attending the collaboration session.  
         [0061]     If there is no participant initiated reminder detected in the Block  535 , then participants that are attending the collaboration are detected and identified in the Block  525 .  
         [0062]     If either the predetermined time to remind is detected or a participant initiated reminder is detected, then the missing invited participants are detected in Block  540 . In one embodiment, the missing invited participants are determined based on the invited participants to the collaboration session in the Block  510  while subtracting the invited participant currently participating in the collaboration session as shown in the Block  525 .  
         [0063]     In another embodiment, the missing invited participants are determined based on the invited participants to the collaboration session in the Block  510  while subtracting the invited participant currently participating in the collaboration session as shown in the Block  525  and subtracting the invited participants that declined the invitation to the collaboration session. Recall that in one embodiment, the session manager module  330  tracks the invitation responses from the invited participants.  
         [0064]     In Block  545 , the presence and device type of the missing invited participants are detected. In one embodiment, a profile (as shown in record  400 ) of the missing invited participant is detected. From the profile information, the devices associated with each missing invited participant are detected. Further, the presence information for each of these devices is also determined.  
         [0065]     In Block  550 , the missing invited participants are contacted at their devices with a reminder message for the collaboration session. In one embodiment, the device(s) chose to send the reminder message is based on the presence of the missing invited participant on the corresponding device. For example, if the missing invited participant is active on their instant messaging account, then the reminder message is sent to their instant messaging account. However, if the presence of the missing invited participant is not found on any corresponding devices, then the reminder message may be sent to all the devices corresponding to the missing invited participant.  
         [0066]     In one embodiment, the reminder message is customized based on the device type. For example, if the device type is a cellular phone with text messaging capability, the reminder message may be specifically formatted as a text message. In another embodiment, if the device type supports voice, the reminder message may be formatted as an audio message.  
         [0067]     In one embodiment, the reminder message allows the missing invited participant to join the collaboration session, to indicate that the participant will join the collaboration session, and to indicate that the participant declines to join the collaboration session. For example, utilizing a textual reminder via email, the missing invited participant is capable of selecting a hyperlink that allows them to join the collaboration session or select a choice between joining the collaboration session at a later time and declining to join the collaboration session. In another example, utilizing an audio reminder via a telephone, a phone menu is utilized that allows the missing invited participant to use voice or keypad activation to join the collaboration session or select a choice between joining the collaboration session at a later time and declining to join the collaboration session.  
         [0068]     In Block  555 , an answer by the missing invited participant based on the response from the reminder message in the Block  550  is detected. If the answer results in joining the collaboration session, declining the collaboration session, or joining the collaboration session at a later time, then no further reminder messages are sent to the particular invited participant. However, if no answer is received, then the particular missing invited participant may be sent another reminder message at a later time for the same collaboration session.  
         [0069]     In one embodiment, the determination that no answer will be received occurs at a predetermined time after the reminder is sent in the Block  550 .  
         [0070]     After either the answer is received or the determination that no answer will be received, then participants that are attending the collaboration are detected and identified in the Block  525 .  
         [0071]     The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The invention may be applied to a variety of other applications.  
         [0072]     They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise embodiments disclosed, and naturally many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.