Automatic equipment configuration for meetings

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016373490-A1
Application number	US-201514746821-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 22, 2015
Priority date	Jun 22, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The act of setting up a user's device to participate in a meeting may be performed automatically, using location information and calendar information. With appropriate permission obtained from the user, the user's calendar and the location of the user's device are monitored. When the user's calendar indicates that the user is scheduled to be in a meeting and the user is in or approaching a conference room (or other type of room) associated with that meeting, the user's desktop, application, and meeting documents may be shared. The user's computer may be automatically connected to devices in the meeting room, and any audio/visual settings appropriate for the user's role in the meeting may be configured automatically. Alternatively, if the user is to participate in the meeting online, the online meeting may be joined automatically.

First claim

1 . A computer-implemented method of configuring equipment for a meeting, the method comprising:
surveying devices that are within wireless communication range of a first computer; creating a list of said devices that are within said wireless communication range of said first computer and respective signal strengths of said devices; using a model to determine said computer's physical proximity to a room in which said meeting is scheduled to take place, said model comprising data that represents a relationship between identities of devices that are within communication range of a given computer, signal strengths of those devices, and physical proximity of said given computer to said room; determining, based on use of said model, that said first computer is within a first distance of said room, said first computer being a user's device; and based on said first computer being within said first distance of said room, taking an action to have said user join said prior to said first computer being in said room.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that said user is a leader of said meeting; and based on said user being said leader of said meeting, unmuting a microphone of said first computer, sharing said first computer's webcam, and setting said user's presence to indicate that said user is not to be disturbed.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that said user is not a leader of said meeting; and based on said user not being said leader of said meeting, muting said first computer's microphone.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
increasing a frequency at which said surveying of said devices occurs based on a finding that said first computer is within a second distance of said room, said second distance being greater than said first distance.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , said acts further comprising:
using a calendar of said user to determine that said user is scheduled to be in said meeting, said calendar indicating a location of said meeting.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , said user having a plurality of devices, said first computer being one of said plurality of devices, there being a plurality of functions to be performed during said meeting, the method further comprising:
determining that said first computer is to be used to perform a first one of said functions; determining that said plurality of devices other than said first computer are to be used to perform said plurality of functions other than said first function; configuring said plurality of device to perform respective functions that said plurality of devices have been chosen to perform.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , said action comprising connecting said first computer to projection or display equipment in said room, sharing said first computer's desktop with participants in said meeting, and sharing documents to be used in said meeting.

8 . A computer-readable medium comprising executable instructions to configure equipment for a meeting, the executable instructions, when executed by a first computer, causing the first computer to perform acts comprising:
surveying devices that are within wireless communication range of said first computer; creating a list of said devices that are within said wireless communication range of said first computer and respective signal strengths of said devices; using a model to determine said computer's physical proximity to a room in which said meeting is scheduled to take place, said model comprising data that represents a relationship between identities of devices that are within communication range of a given computer, signal strengths of those devices, and physical proximity of said given computer to said room; determining, based on use of said model, that said first computer is within a first distance of said room; and based on said first computer being within said first distance of said room, starting a conference application on said first computer, sharing an application or desktop of said first computer, sharing documents, connecting said first computer to equipment in said room, or configuring audio or visual settings of said first computer.

9 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , said first computer being a user's device, said acts further comprising:
determining that said user is a leader of said meeting; and based on said user being said leader of said meeting, unmuting a microphone of said first computer, sharing said first computer's webcam, and setting said user's presence to indicate that said user is not to be disturbed.

10 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , said first computer being a user's device, said acts further comprising:
determining that said user is not a leader of said meeting; and based on said user not being said leader of said meeting, muting said first computer's microphone.

11 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , said acts further comprising:
increasing a frequency at which said surveying of said devices occurs based on a finding that said first computer is within a second distance of said room, said second distance being greater than said first distance.

12 . The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , said first computer being a user's device, said acts further comprising:
using a calendar of said user to determine that said user is scheduled to be in said meeting, said calendar indicating a location of said meeting.

13 . The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , said calendar identifying a leader of said meeting and said documents that are to be used for said meeting.

14 . The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , there being a user who participates in said meeting, said user having a plurality of devices, said first computer being one of said user's devices, said acts further comprising:
assigning different ones of said plurality of devices to perform different tasks for said user during said meeting.

15 . A system for configuring equipment for a meeting, the system comprising:
a memory; a processor; and a component that is stored in said memory, that executes on said processor, and that is configured to retrieve a calendar of a user, said component being further configured to determine that said user is scheduled to be in a meeting, said component being further configured to start an conference application, said component being further configured to automatically share a desktop of a first computer with participants in said meeting, or to automatically share an application with participants in said meeting, or to automatically share documents identified in said calendar with participants in said meeting.

16 . The system of claim 15 , said component being further configured to survey devices that are within wireless communication range of said first computer, said component being further configured to create a list of said devices that are within said wireless communication range of said first computer and respective signal strengths of said devices, said component being configured to use a model to determine said computer's physical proximity to a room in which said meeting is scheduled to take place, said model comprising data that represents a relationship between identities of devices that are within communication range of a given computer, signal strengths of those devices, and physical proximity of said given computer to said room, said component being configured to determine, based on use of said model, that s

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Sedar Christopher
• Borza Paul Valentin
• Dan Ovidiu
• Parikh Vaibhav
• Srinivasamurthy Kumar

Classifications

• G06Q10/1093

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title

• G06Q10/109 Primary

  Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting · CPC title

• H04L65/1069 Primary

  Session establishment or de-establishment · CPC title

• H04L65/4007

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/18

  Electricity · mapped topic