Managing unified communications conferences via categories

Abstract

A conference management system is described for administering large numbers of conferences in an organization. The conference management system receives a hierarchical set of categories from a system administrator and configuration settings for each category. When a user requests to create a new conference, the conference management system creates the conference and assigns the new conference to a category. The conference takes on the settings of the category to which it belongs, which eliminates individual configuration of each conference. Administrators can also delegate authority to manage conferences to others in the organization.

1 . A method performed on a computing device that includes at least one processor and memory, the method comprising: assigning a conference to a category, where the assigned conference inherits conference attributes from the category, and where at least one of the inherited conference attributes enables management of an aspect of the assigned conference. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  where the inherited conference attributes include a member list. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  where the inherited conference attributes includes a manager list. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  where the category inherits configuration settings from another category. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising organizing conferences into categories. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising delegating authority to manage conferences in a particular category. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  where the conference attributes are managed at the category. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising a computing device and at least one program module that are together configured for performing actions, the computing device including at least one processor and memory, the actions comprising: assigning a conference to a category, where the assigned conference inherits conference attributes from the category, and where at least one of the inherited conference attributes enables management of an aspect of the assigned conference. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  where the inherited conference attributes include a member list. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  where the inherited conference attributes includes a manager list. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  where the category inherits configuration settings from another category. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , the actions further comprising organizing conferences into categories. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , the actions further comprising delegating authority to manage conferences in a particular category. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8  where the conference attributes are managed at the category. 
     
     
         15 . At least one computer-readable memory device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device that includes memory, cause the computing device to perform actions comprising: assigning a conference to a category, where the assigned conference inherits conference attributes from the category, and where at least one of the inherited conference attributes enables management of an aspect of the assigned conference. 
     
     
         16 . The at least one computer-readable memory device of  claim 15  where the inherited conference attributes include a member list. 
     
     
         17 . The at least one computer-readable memory device of  claim 15  where the inherited conference attributes includes a manager list. 
     
     
         18 . The at least one computer-readable memory device of  claim 15  where the category inherits configuration settings from another category. 
     
     
         19 . The at least one computer-readable memory device of  claim 15 , the actions further comprising:
 organizing conferences into categories; or   delegating authority to manage conferences in a particular category.   
     
     
         20 . The at least one computer-readable memory device of  claim 15  where the conference attributes are managed at the category.