Method and system for planning a meeting in a cloud computing environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9195971-B2
Application number	US-201213345013-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 6, 2012
Priority date	Jul 12, 2011
Publication date	Nov 24, 2015
Grant date	Nov 24, 2015

Abstract

A method for planning a meeting in a cloud computing environment is disclosed. The method embodiment includes receiving by a server a meeting configuration file including information identifying a meeting, a plurality of meeting collaborators, and/or a plurality of meeting participants. When the meeting configuration file is received, the server is configured to generate a virtual planning space associated with the meeting and located in a cloud computing environment, to transmit a message to the plurality of meeting collaborators that includes an invitation to collaborate in the meeting via the virtual planning space, and to receive an indication to load planning content that includes at least one data object. In response to receiving the indication, the server associates the planning content with the virtual planning space so that the planning content is accessible by the meeting collaborators via the virtual planning space in the cloud computing environment.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for planning a meeting in a cloud computing environment, the method comprising:
receiving by a server a meeting configuration file including information identifying at least one of a meeting, a plurality of meeting collaborators and a plurality of meeting participants;
in response to receiving the meeting configuration file, generating by the server a virtual planning space associated with the meeting and located in a cloud computing environment;
transmitting by the server a message to the plurality of meeting collaborators, the message including an invitation to collaborate in the meeting via the virtual planning space;
receiving by the server an indication to load planning content, the indication including at least one data object; and
in response to receiving the indication, associating the planning content with the virtual planning space associated with the meeting, wherein the planning content is accessible by the plurality of meeting collaborators who are involved in planning the meeting during a planning phase of the meeting, via the virtual planning space in the cloud computing environment, wherein the planning content differs from meeting content accessible by the plurality of meeting participants during a presentation phase of the meeting, and wherein the plurality of meeting collaborators differs from the plurality of meeting participants and wherein at least one of the plurality of meeting collaborators is automatically assigned by the server at least one of a plurality of tasks based on at least one of a role and skill of the at least one meeting collaborator.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual planning space is a webpage and is accessed by the plurality of meeting collaborators via a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the virtual planning space.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one data object includes a text document, an image file, an audio file, a link to a webpage, and a video file.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving by the server a request to access the virtual planning space from a meeting collaborator of the plurality of meeting collaborators;
authenticating by the server the meeting collaborator; and
providing by the server access to the virtual planning space by the meeting collaborator.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating by the server a list comprising the plurality of tasks, and associating the list with the virtual planning space, wherein the list is accessible by the plurality of meeting collaborators via the virtual planning space.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein a data storage block is associated with the meeting and located in a multi-tenant on-demand database system.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising storing the at least one data object included in the indication in the data storage block associated with the meeting.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving by the server real-time comments from the plurality of meeting collaborators, posting the comments in the virtual planning space, and storing the comments in the data storage block associated with the meeting.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for planning a meeting in a cloud computing environment, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
receiving a meeting configuration file including information identifying at least one of a meeting, a plurality of meeting collaborators, and a plurality of meeting participants;
in response to receiving the meeting configuration file, generating a virtual planning space associated with the meeting and located in a cloud computing environment;
transmitting a message to the plurality of meeting collaborators, the message including an invitation to collaborate in the meeting via the virtual planning space;
receiving an indication to load planning content, the indication including at least one data object; and
in response to receiving the indication, associating the planning content with the virtual planning space associated with the meeting, wherein the planning content is accessible by the plurality of meeting collaborators who are involved in planning the meeting during a planning phase of the meeting, via the virtual planning space in the cloud computing environment, wherein the planning content differs from meeting content accessible by the plurality of meeting participants during a presentation phase of the meeting, and wherein the plurality of meeting collaborators differs from the plurality of meeting participants and wherein at least one of the plurality of meeting collaborators is automatically assigned at least one of a plurality of tasks based on at least one of a role and skill of the at least one meeting collaborator.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the virtual planning space is a webpage and is accessed by the plurality of meeting collaborators via a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the virtual planning space.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sequences of instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
receiving by the server a request to access the virtual planning space from a meeting collaborator of the plurality of meeting collaborators;
authenticating by the server the meeting collaborator; and
providing by the server access to the virtual planning space by the meeting collaborator.

12. An apparatus for planning a meeting in a cloud computing environment, the apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
one or more stored sequences of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to carry out the steps of:
receiving a meeting configuration file including information identifying at least one of a meeting, a plurality of meeting collaborators, and a plurality of meeting participants;
in response to receiving the meeting configuration file, generating a virtual planning space associated with the meeting and located in a cloud computing environment;
transmitting a message to the plurality of meeting collaborators, the message including an invitation to collaborate in the meeting via the virtual planning space;
receiving an indication to load planning content, the indication including at least one data object; and
in response to receiving the indication, associating the planning content with the virtual planning space associated with the meeting, wherein the planning content is accessible by the plurality of meeting collaborators who are involved in planning the meeting during a planning phase of the meeting, via the virtual planning space in the cloud computing environment, wherein the planning content differs from meeting content accessible by the plurality of meeting participants during a presentation phase of the meeting, and wherein the plurality of meeting collaborators differs from the plurality of meeting participants and wherein at least one of the plurality of meeting collaborators is automatically assigned at least one of a plurality of tasks based on at least one of a role and skill of the at least one meeting collaborator.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the virtual planning space is a webpage and is accessed by the plurality of meeting collaborators via a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the virtual planning space.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the at least one data object inclu

Assignees

• Mcconnell Jager
• Peter Ciara
• Salesforce Com Inc

Inventors

• Mcconnell Jager
• Peter Ciara

Classifications

• G06Q10/109

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

• G06Q10/101

  Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services · CPC title

• G06Q10/10

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06Q10/1093 Primary

  Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups · CPC title