Patent ID: 7679518

Claim:
A device, comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises program instructions configured to implement a meeting facilitation tool, wherein the meeting facilitation tool is configured to: receive user input specifying information regarding a new meeting, wherein the information comprises one or more meeting invitees; programmatically determine available information for each of the meeting invitees; determine a time frame for the new meeting based on availability information for each of the meeting invitees; send a meeting invitation message to each of the meeting invitees; and store an indication of a current meeting state of the new meeting in a respective one of one or more shared meeting computer program objects configured to transition among a plurality of meeting states; wherein each of the one or more shared meeting computer program objects stores meeting state information for a single, distinct meeting, and is accessible by two or more meeting-aware applications or instances thereof to determine the current meeting state; and wherein each of the plurality of meeting states corresponds to a distinct phase of the new meeting during which one or more meeting related activities are to be performed for the new meeting, and wherein the plurality of meeting states comprises two or more of: a pre-meeting state, an in-meeting state, and a post-meeting state.