Managing a virtual waiting room for online meetings

Abstract

A server or other computing device manages meetings in a virtual meeting room on behalf of a virtual meeting room owner. A request is received from an attendee to join a meeting in the virtual meeting room. A determination is made, based on configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner, whether to connect the attendee to a virtual waiting room. The attendee is connected to the virtual waiting room in accordance with the configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 at a server that manages meetings in a virtual meeting room on behalf of a virtual meeting room owner:
 receiving a request from an attendee to join a meeting in the virtual meeting room; 
 displaying a graphical user interface control with a first prompt to the virtual meeting room owner to open a virtual waiting room; 
 determining an identity of the attendee, wherein the identity of the attendee includes a hierarchical relationship level of the attendee within an organization; 
 determining, based on configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner, whether to connect the attendee to the virtual waiting room; 
 automatically connecting the attendee to the virtual waiting room in accordance with the configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner and in accordance with the identity of the attendee; and 
 displaying a second prompt to the virtual meeting room owner indicating that the attendee is in the virtual waiting room waiting for the start of the meeting, the second prompt further indicating the name and hierarchal relationship level of the attendee within the organization to enable the virtual meeting room owner to determine a length of time to keep the attendee waiting in the virtual waiting room. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising instantiating the virtual waiting room with a pool of resources. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the virtual meeting room owner is not available to join the meeting because the virtual meeting room owner has not connected to the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the virtual meeting room owner is not available to join the meeting because the virtual meeting room owner is in a meeting still in-progress in the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically opening the virtual waiting room a predetermined period of time prior to the start time of the meeting, and wherein connecting comprises automatically connecting the attendee to the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically opening the virtual waiting room at a predetermined time, and wherein connecting comprises automatically connecting the attendee to the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising displaying to one or more attendees in the virtual waiting room a message indicating that the virtual meeting room owner is not yet available. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising playing to the one or more attendees in the virtual waiting room a video program. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising displaying to one or more attendees a list of the attendees in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising enabling audio, video and content sharing interactions between multiple attendees in the virtual waiting which are comparable to interactions available in the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising displaying to the virtual meeting room owner a message indicating how many people are in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 4 , further comprising displaying only to the virtual meeting room owner a notification that the attendee for a next meeting is in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving from the virtual meeting room owner a command to open an audio or video connection to the attendee in the virtual waiting room to allow audio or video communication between the attendee and virtual meeting room owner. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving from the virtual meeting room owner a command to close the audio or video connection to the attendee in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving from the virtual meeting room owner a command to add the attendee who is in the virtual waiting room into the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       16. An apparatus comprising:
 a network interface unit configured for network communication with user devices of attendees of a virtual meeting in virtual meeting room that is managed on behalf of a virtual meeting room owner; 
 a processor coupled to the network interface unit, and configured to:
 receive a request from an attendee to join a meeting in the virtual meeting room; 
 display a graphical user interface control with a first prompt to the virtual meeting room owner to open a virtual waiting room; 
 determine an identity of the attendee, wherein the identity of the attendee includes a hierarchical relationship level of the attendee within an organization; 
 determine, based on configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner, whether to connect the attendee to the virtual waiting room; 
 automatically connect the attendee to the virtual waiting room in accordance with the configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner and in accordance with the identity of the attendee; and 
 display a second prompt to the virtual meeting room owner indicating that the attendee is in the virtual waiting room waiting for the start of the meeting, the second prompt further indicating the name and hierarchal relationship level of the attendee within the organization to enable the virtual meeting room owner to determine a length of time to keep the attendee waiting in the virtual waiting room. 
 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine that the virtual meeting room owner is in a meeting still-in progress in the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to automatically open the virtual waiting room a predetermined of time prior to the start time of the meeting, and to automatically connect the attendee to the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to receive from the virtual meeting room owner a command to open an audio or video connection to the attendee in the virtual meeting room to allow audio or video communication between the attendee and the virtual meeting room owner. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to receive from the virtual meeting room owner a command to add the attendee who is in the virtual waiting room into the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       21. A non-transitory computer readable storage media storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a request from an attendee to join a meeting in a virtual meeting room that is managed on behalf of a virtual meeting room owner; 
 display a graphical user interface control with a prompt to the virtual meeting room owner to open a virtual waiting room; 
 determine an identity of the attendee, wherein the identity of the attendee includes a hierarchical relationship level of the attendee within an organization; 
 determine, based on configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner, whether to connect the attendee to the virtual waiting room; 
 automatically connect the attendee to the virtual waiting room in accordance with the configurations set by the virtual meeting room owner and in accordance with the identity of the attendee; and 
 display a second prompt to the virtual meeting room owner indicating that the attendee is in the virtual waiting room waiting for the start of the meeting, the second prompt further indicating the name and hierarchal relationship level of the attendee within the organization to enable the virtual meeting room owner to determine a length of time to keep the attendee waiting in the virtual waiting room. 
 
     
     
       22. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to determine that the virtual meeting room owner is in a meeting still-in progress in the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       23. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to automatically open the virtual waiting room a predetermined of time prior to the start time of the meeting, and to automatically connect the attendee to the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       24. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to receive from the virtual meeting room owner a command to open an audio or video connection to the attendee in the virtual meeting room to allow audio or video communication between the attendee and the virtual meeting room owner. 
     
     
       25. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 24 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to receive from the virtual meeting room owner a command to add the attendee who is in the virtual waiting room into the virtual meeting room. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 instantiate the virtual waiting room with a pool of resources. 
 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 display to one or more attendees in the virtual waiting room a message indicating that the virtual meeting room owner is not yet available. 
 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 play to the one or more attendees in the virtual waiting room a video program. 
 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 display to one or more attendees a list of the attendees in the virtual waiting room. 
 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 27 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 enable audio, video and content sharing interactions between multiple attendees in the virtual waiting which are comparable to interactions available in the virtual meeting room. 
 
     
     
       31. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:
 instantiate the virtual waiting room with a pool of resources. 
 
     
     
       32. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 21 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:
 display to one or more attendees in the virtual waiting room a message indicating that the virtual meeting room owner is not yet available. 
 
     
     
       33. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 32 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:
 display to one or more attendees a list of the attendees in the virtual waiting room. 
 
     
     
       34. The non-transitory computer readable storage media of  claim 32 , further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:
 enable audio, video and content sharing interactions between multiple attendees in the virtual waiting which are comparable to interactions available in the virtual meeting room. 
 
     
     
       35. An apparatus comprising:
 a network interface configured to enable communications, in a video conference, between a meeting host participants via user devices;   a memory configured to store instructions and data to support the video conference; and   one or more processors coupled to the network interface and the memory, and configured to:
 establish a virtual meeting room associated with the meeting host; 
 provide a virtual waiting room configuration option to place prospective participants in a virtual waiting room instead of the virtual meeting room; 
 receive a request from a prospective participant to join a video conference in the virtual meeting room; 
 display a graphical user interface control with a first prompt to the meeting host to open the virtual waiting room; 
 determine whether the meeting host and the prospective participant have a predetermined relationship by matching information about the prospective participant against stored information about one or more prospective participants, wherein the stored information includes an identifier of one or more prospective participants, an indication of an organization associated with one or more prospective participants, or both; 
 if the prospective participant has a predetermined relationship with the meeting host, admit the prospective participant to the virtual meeting room; 
 if the prospective participant does not have a predetermined relationship with the meeting host, admit the prospective participant to the virtual waiting room; 
 when the prospective participant is admitted to the virtual waiting room, display a second prompt to the meeting host indicating that the prospective participant is in the virtual waiting room, the second prompt further providing an identifier associated with the prospective participant and relationship level of the prospective participant to the organization of the meeting host to enable the meeting host to a length of time to keep the prospective participant waiting in the virtual waiting room before admitting the prospective participant to the virtual meeting room from the virtual waiting room as a meeting participant; and 
 if the meeting host chooses not to admit the prospective participant to the virtual meeting room, allow the meeting host to interact with the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room. 
   
     
     
       36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the virtual meeting room has been previously assigned to the meeting host for recurring use by the meeting host. 
     
     
       37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the stored information about one or more prospective participants comprises an indication that the prospective participant is a member of the same organization as the meeting host. 
     
     
       38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the stored information about one or more prospective participants comprises an indication that the prospective participant is a member of an organization allowed by the meeting host. 
     
     
       39. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the interaction with the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room comprises audio and video communication between the prospective participant and the meeting host. 
     
     
       40. The apparatus of claim 35, further wherein the one or more processors are further configured to receive from the meeting host a command to move the prospective participant from the virtual waiting room to the virtual meeting room as a meeting participant. 
     
     
       41. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate data for displaying a message to the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       42. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to generate data for displaying to the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room a list of all prospective participants in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       43. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the one or more processors are configured to enable audio, video and content sharing interactions between multiple prospective participants in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       44. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate data for displaying to the meeting host a list of the prospective participants in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       45. A method for providing virtual rooms for audio and video-enabled online meetings comprising:
 establishing a first virtual room, the first virtual room associated with a meeting host, the first virtual room having been previously assigned to a meeting host for recurring use by the meeting host;   establishing a second virtual room, the second virtual room associated with the meeting host;   receiving, during an online meeting in the first virtual room, a request from a prospective participant to join an online meeting with the meeting host;   displaying a graphical user interface control with a first prompt to the meeting host to open a virtual waiting room;   determining a relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host based on an indication of the relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host;   determining, based on configurations set by the meeting host, whether to connect the prospective participant to the first virtual room or the second virtual room;   connecting the prospective participant to the second virtual room in accordance with the determination based on the configurations set by the meeting host and the relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host; and   displaying a second prompt to the meeting host indicating that the prospective participant is in the second virtual room, the second prompt further indicating an identifier associated with the prospective participant and relationship level of the prospective participant to the organization of the meeting host to enable the meeting host to determine a length of time to keep the prospective participant waiting in the virtual waiting room before admitting the prospective participant to the online meeting in the first virtual room from the second virtual room as a meeting participant;   wherein the first virtual room is a virtual meeting room and the second virtual room is a virtual waiting room.   
     
     
       46. The method of claim 45, wherein the relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host comprises an indication that the prospective participant is a member of the same organization as the meeting host. 
     
     
       47. The method of claim 45, wherein the relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host comprises an indication that the prospective participant is a member of an organization allowed by the meeting host. 
     
     
       48. The method of claim 45, further comprising opening a connection to the prospective participant in the second virtual room to allow audio and video communication between the prospective participant in the second virtual room and the meeting host. 
     
     
       49. The method of claim 45, further comprising receiving from the meeting host a command to move the prospective participant from the second virtual room to the first virtual room as a meeting participant. 
     
     
       50. The method of claim 45, further comprising displaying to the prospective participant in the second virtual room a message from the meeting host. 
     
     
       51. The method of claim 45, further comprising displaying to the prospective participant in the second virtual room a list of all prospective participants in the second virtual room. 
     
     
       52. The method of claim 45, further comprising enabling audio, video and content sharing interactions between the prospective participants in the second virtual room. 
     
     
       53. The method of claim 45, wherein the relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host comprises a previously registered participant identity. 
     
     
       54. A method for conducting a video conference comprising:
 providing resources to support a video conference whereby a meeting host can communicate with meeting participants via video and audio;   establishing a virtual meeting room associated with the meeting host;   providing a virtual waiting room configuration option to place prospective participants in a virtual waiting room instead of the virtual meeting room;   receiving a request from a prospective participant to join a video conference in the virtual meeting room;   displaying a graphical user interface control with a first prompt to the meeting host to open the virtual waiting room;   determining whether the meeting host and the prospective participant have a predetermined relationship by matching information about the prospective participant against stored information about one or more prospective participants, wherein the stored information includes an identifier of one or more prospective participants, an indication of an organization associated with one or more prospective participants, or both;   admitting the prospective participant to the virtual waiting room based upon the determination that there is not a predetermined relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host;   after the prospective participant is admitted to the virtual waiting room, displaying a second prompt to the meeting host indicating that the prospective participant is in the virtual waiting room, the second prompt further providing an identifier associated with the prospective participant and relationship level of the prospective participant to the organization of the meeting host to enable the meeting host to determine a length of time to keep the prospective participant waiting in the virtual waiting room before admitting the prospective participant to the virtual meeting room from the virtual waiting room as a meeting participant, allowing the meeting host to interact with the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room.   
     
     
       55. The method of claim 54, wherein the virtual meeting room has been previously assigned to the meeting host for recurring use by the meeting host. 
     
     
       56. The method of claim 54, wherein the stored information about one or more prospective participants comprises an indication that the prospective participant is a member of the same organization as the meeting host. 
     
     
       57. The method of claim 54, wherein the stored information about one or more prospective participants comprises an indication that the prospective participant is a member of an organization allowed by the meeting host. 
     
     
       58. The method of claim 54, wherein the interaction with the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room comprises audio and video communication between the prospective participant and the meeting host. 
     
     
       59. The method of claim 54, further comprising receiving from the meeting host a command to move the prospective participant from the virtual waiting room to the virtual meeting room as a meeting participant. 
     
     
       60. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of displaying a message to the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       61. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of displaying to the prospective participant in the virtual waiting room a list of all prospective participants in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       62. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of enabling audio, video and content sharing interactions between multiple prospective participants in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       63. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of displaying to the meeting host a list of the prospective participants in the virtual waiting room. 
     
     
       64. The method of claim 54, wherein the relationship between the prospective participant and the meeting host comprises a previously registered participant identity.