Web-Enabled Conferencing and Meeting Implementations with Flexible User Calling Features

Abstract

Meeting and conferencing systems and methods are implemented in a variety of manners. Consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure, a meeting system is implemented that includes a computer server arrangement with at least one processor. The computer server arrangement is configured to provide a web-accessible virtual meeting interface. The arrangement can receive meeting scheduling data from the virtual meeting interface, the meeting scheduling data including participant identifying information and meeting time information. The arrangement initiates a telephone call, in response to the meeting time information and the participant identifying information, with the at least one participant identified by the identifying information. In response to the at least one participant answering the telephone call, audio from the telephone call is merged with audio from other participants. The merged audio is provided to the at least one participant and the other participants.

1 . A meeting system comprising:
 a computer server arrangement including at least one processor, the computer server arrangement configured to:
 provide a web-accessible virtual meeting interface; 
 receive meeting scheduling data from the virtual meeting interface, the meeting scheduling data including participant identifying information and meeting time information; 
 initiate a telephone call, in response to the meeting time information and the participant identifying information, with the at least one participant identified by the identifying information; 
 merge, in response to the at least one participant answering the telephone call, audio from the telephone call with audio from other participants; and 
 provide the merged audio to the at least one participant and the other participants. 
   
     
     
         2 . The meeting system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to access participant profile information that includes a plurality of telephone numbers for the at least one participant identified by the identifying information and to initiate a telephone call with each of the plurality of telephone numbers in succession. 
     
     
         3 . The meeting system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured
 to call a plurality of additional participants identified by the identifying information,   to merge audio from the plurality of additional participants and the at least one participant, and   to provide the merged audio to the at least one participant and the additional participants.   
     
     
         4 . The meeting system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to respond to input from a host of the meeting by calling one or more of the additional participants. 
     
     
         5 . The meeting system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to respond to input from a host of the meeting by, after a meeting has been started, adding meeting participants and calling the added meeting participants. 
     
     
         6 . The meeting system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide the web-accessible virtual meeting interface using an application that runs native to a web browser. 
     
     
         7 . The meeting system of  claim 1 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide streaming video between the participants. 
     
     
         8 . A meeting system comprising:
 a computer server arrangement including at least one processor, the computer server arrangement configured to:
 provide a web-accessible virtual meeting interface that runs native to a web browser; 
 receive meeting scheduling data from the virtual meeting interface, the meeting scheduling data including participant identifying information and meeting time information; 
 establish, in response to the meeting time information and the participant identifying information, audio connections for participants of the meeting; 
 merge audio from the established audio connections; 
 provide the merged audio to the participants over the established audio connections; and 
 provide control over the established audio connections through the web-accessible virtual meeting interface. 
   
     
     
         9 . The meeting system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide a web-accessible virtual meeting interface without a plug-in application being installed for the web browser. 
     
     
         10 . The meeting system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide a web-accessible virtual meeting within a JAVA environment. 
     
     
         11 . The meeting system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide streaming video between the participants. 
     
     
         12 . The meeting system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide, for one or more participants, a contact list that is synchronized to an email server. 
     
     
         13 . The meeting system of  claim 8 , wherein the computer server arrangement is further configured to provide a single icon for starting a meeting. 
     
     
         14 . A method implemented by a computer processing arrangement and for providing conferencing services between participants, the method comprising:
 providing a web-accessible virtual meeting interface;   receiving meeting scheduling data from the virtual meeting interface, the meeting scheduling data including participant identifying information and meeting time information;   initiating a telephone call, in response to the meeting time information and the participant identifying information, with the at least one participant identified by the identifying information;   merging, in response to the at least one participant answering the telephone call, audio from the telephone call with audio from other participants; and   providing the merged audio to the at least one participant and the other participants.