Framework to notify and invite users to join a collaborative session

Abstract

A notification framework and method that quickly sends invitations one device to another device to join devices to collaboration session. Devices may be provided with an application that enables a user to register with a registry service. The registry service is provided as a mechanism to enable delivery of a collaboration invitation and joining of participants in the collaborative session. Notification invitations containing a collaboration URL may then be forwarded via a push service to the invited registrants. Each invited registrant is then provided an option to accept invitation and automatically join the session with the user. In another example, the host user may “pass” or “share” a session to an invited registrant rather than having an invited registrant join a session.

1 . A notification framework, comprising:
 a registry service that receives user registration information and an invitation request from a host to join at least one registered user to a session; and   a database that stores the user registration information and the invitation request,   wherein the registry service communicates the invitation request to a push service that provides a push notification of the invitation request to a user device associated with the at least one registered user, and   wherein the framework is adapted to initiate sessions between the host and the at least one registered user on-the-fly.   
     
     
         2 . The notification framework of  claim 1 , wherein the registry service exposes availability information of the at least one registered user to the host. 
     
     
         3 . The notification framework of  claim 1 , wherein the invitation request sent by the registry service to join the session includes information to join the user device associated with the at least one registered user to the session. 
     
     
         4 . The notification framework of  claim 3 , wherein the information to join the user device associated with the at least one registered user to the session comprises a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the session. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The notification framework of  claim 1 , further comprising a notification application that is executed on the user device, wherein the notification application listens for the invitation request, and wherein the notification application joins the user device to the session. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The notification framework of  claim 1 , wherein the registry service provides for categories of registered users based on an organization structure. 
     
     
         13 . The notification framework of  claim 1 , wherein the session is one of a collaboration session or application sharing session. 
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . The notification framework of  claim 1 , wherein the registry service provides for a prioritization of registered users to which invitation requests are forwarded. 
     
     
         16 . A method of initiating a session between a host and at least one registered user using a notification framework, comprising:
 receiving an indication from the host to begin a session;   populating a user interface with the at least one registered user to join the session, the at least one registered user being retrieved by a registration service from a database of registered users;   inviting the at least one registered user to join the session through a notification process that pushes an invitation request to a computing device associated with the at least one registered user; and   joining the at least one registered user to the session in response to an acceptance of the invitation from the at least one registered user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising determining an availability status of the at least one registered user. 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising populating the user interface with a group of the registered users, wherein the group predefined in accordance with an attribute of the registered users. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising including a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the session in the invitation request. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising receiving an acknowledgement from the at least one registered user at a user device associated with the host that the invitation request was received by the at least one registered user. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising providing:
 a notification application that is executed on a user device associated with the at least one registered user, wherein the notification application listens for the invitation request; and   joining the user device to the session using the notification application.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the session is one of a collaboration session or application sharing session. 
     
     
         25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the registry service provides for a prioritization of registered users to which invitation requests are forwarded. 
     
     
         27 . A method of administering a workflow in a notification framework, comprising:
 registering users with a registration service of the notification framework, each of the users having a user account;   associating at least one user device with each user account;   applying rules in response to a notification request from a host to invite a second user to join a session;   in response to the rules, forwarding the notification to the second user; and   joining the second user to the session upon receipt of an acknowledgement of the notification from the second user.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 indicating an order of precedence if there are two or more user devices associated with a user account; and   forwarding notifications to the two or more user devices based on the order of precedence.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the rules including determining whether to forward the notification request in accordance with at least one of a current date or time, a geographical location of the second user, a pre-determined schedule for the second user, and the second user manually specifying a status. 
     
     
         30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising forwarding the notification to a group of users in accordance with the rules. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled)