System and method for concurrent electronic conferences

Abstract

Method for scheduling and implementing an electronic meeting conducted among remotely-located users communicating with an agenda server, including: accepting a meeting agenda that includes a plurality of topics, a quorum, an identification of resources used by each topic, an identification of data used by each topic, and an identification of data produced by each topic; partitioning the meeting agenda into at least a first and second group of topics; searching for data dependencies between the first and second groups of topics; searching for resource dependencies between the first and second groups of topics; if data dependencies or resource dependencies are found between the first and second groups of topics, then repartitioning the meeting agenda until the data dependencies and resource dependencies between the first and second groups of topics are reduced below a predetermined dependency threshold; and concurrently scheduling and executing the first and second groups of topics.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for implementing an electronic meeting, wherein the electronic meeting is conducted among remotely-located users via one or more communication links with an agenda server, the method comprising:
 accepting, by the agenda server, a meeting agenda comprising:
 a plurality of topics; 
 an identification of resources used by each topic; 
 an identification of data used by each topic; 
 an identification of a quorum for each topic; and 
 an identification of data produced by each topic; 
   assigning, by a processor of the agenda server, topics to at least a first group of topics and a second group of topics, such that data dependencies and resource dependencies between the first group of topics and the second group of topics are reduced below a predetermined dependency threshold; and   concurrently scheduling, by the processor of the agenda server, the first group of topics and the second group of topics.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assigning topics comprises:
 assigning a first topic to the first group of topics; and   performing, for each subsequent topic:
 sorting all groups of topics by agenda length; and 
 assigning the subsequent topic to the group of topics having the shortest agenda length and for which there are no resource dependencies or data dependencies at that time. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein assigning topics comprises:
 partitioning, by the agenda server, the meeting agenda into at least a first group of topics and a second group of topics;   searching, by the agenda server, for data dependencies between the first group of topics and the second group of topics;   searching, by the agenda server, for resource dependencies between the first group of topics and the second group of topics; and   repartitioning the meeting agenda by the agenda server until data dependencies and resource dependencies between the first group of topics and the second group of topics are reduced below the predetermined dependency threshold if data dependencies or resource dependencies are found between the first group of topics and the second group of topics.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising establishing that a duration of the first group of topics is within a predetermined length of time of a duration of the second group of topics. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising inviting a person to participate electronically in a topic as a resource. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein inviting a person comprises:
 providing an invitation to the person that includes an indication of a requiredness of the person.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising monitoring, by the agenda server, a level of participation by the person in the electronic meeting. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising monitoring, by the agenda server, a dynamic compliance with the quorum of the electronic meeting. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein data dependencies comprise a datum resulting from the first group of topics, the method further comprising:
 using the datum by the second group of topics.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein data dependencies comprise a decision resulting from the first group of topics, the method further comprising:
 needing the decision concurrently by the second group of topics.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising determining the predetermined dependency threshold based upon an aggressiveness factor. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 assigning, by the agenda server, topics to at least a third group of topics, such that data dependencies and resource dependencies between the first group of topics, the second group of topics and the third group of topics are reduced below a predetermined dependency threshold; and 
 scheduling concurrently, by the agenda server, the first group of topics, the second group of topics and the third group of topics. 
 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 assigning, by the agenda server, topics to at least a first group of topics and a second group of topics, such that a total duration of the first group of topics and the second group of topics is reduced below a predetermined duration threshold. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 assigning, by the agenda server, topics to at least a first group of topics and a second group of topics, such that a sum of topic durations of the first group of topics and the second group of topics, when weighted by an importance value of the participants, is reduced below a predetermined concurrency threshold. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 monitoring, by the agenda server, a progress of the electronic meeting in addressing a topic; and 
 presenting, by the agenda server, an indicator of the progress to remotely-located users via the one or more communication links with the agenda server. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method for monitoring an electronic meeting, wherein the electronic meeting is conducted among remotely-located users via one or more communication links with an agenda server, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a peeking request from a remotely-located user;   verifying, by a processor of the agenda server, a peeking privilege of the remotely-located user; and   providing, by a processor of the agenda server, a status of the electronic meeting based upon the peeking privilege.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing a status of the electronic meeting comprises:
 providing the status so as to include a list of covered topics and a respective duration of the covered topics.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing a status of the electronic meeting comprises:
 providing the status so as to include a list of topics not covered and a respective estimated duration of the topics not covered.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing a status of the electronic meeting comprises:
 providing the status so as to include a list of topics to be covered if the remotely-located user joins the electronic meeting.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein providing a status of the electronic meeting comprises:
 providing the status so as to include an attendance list.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising identifying for the peeking privilege, a controllable limit on the number of peeks that the remotely-located user may use. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising identifying for the peeking privilege, an indication whether to inform other conference members of the remotely-located user peeking in the electronic meeting. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising identifying for the peeking privilege, an access level of the remotely-located user. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising identifying for the peeking privilege, a permission level to access an attendance list.