Location-aware conferencing with calendar functions

A method for providing a virtual conference, the method comprising:

• a conferencing system establishing a virtual conference between a plurality of participants and presenting a conference user interface comprising a plurality of interactive participant objects uniquely identifying the plurality of participants;
• the conferencing system receiving, during the virtual conference and via the conference user interface, a request to schedule a future meeting involving two or more of the participants in the virtual conference and at least one non-participant, the request initiated by a first of the two or more participants selecting a calendar button displayed in their own interactive participant object;
• and
• during the virtual conference between the plurality of participants, the conferencing system scheduling via the conference user interface the future meeting by:
• in response to the first participant selecting the calendar button in their own interactive participant object, the conferencing system display a future meeting schedule window in the conference user interface, the future meeting schedule window comprising a participant selection window and a non-participant selection window;
• the conferencing system receiving a first user selection of the other of the two or more participants and the non-participant for the future meeting via the participant selection window and the non-participant selection;
• in response to the first user selection of the other of the two or more participants and the non-participant, the conferencing system receiving a request to retrieve calendar data associated with the selected non-participant and one or more conference participant identifiers corresponding to the other of the two or more selected participants in the virtual conference;
• the conferencing system receiving the calendar data through one or more communication channels associated with the two or more conference participant identifiers and the non-participant;
• merging the received calendar data and displaying the merged calendar data as a joint calendar in the conference user interface presented to the participants during the virtual conference, the joint calendar graphically displaying respective timelines associated with the one or more conference participant identifiers in an interactive display including an element for selectively navigating between suggested shared available windows represented in registration with the respective timelines;
• and
• receiving a second user selection of a confirmed meeting time for the future meeting via the joint calendar from the two or more participants in the virtual conference.

A conferencing system for providing a virtual conference, the system comprising:

• a processor, wherein the processor is operable to:
• establish a virtual conference between a plurality of participants and present a conference user interface to the plurality of participants during the virtual conference, the conference user interface comprising a plurality of interactive participant objects uniquely identifying the plurality of participants;
• receive, during the virtual conference and via the conference user interface, a request to schedule, during the virtual conference, a future meeting involving two or more of the participants and at least one non-participant, the request initiated by a first of the two or more participants selecting a calendar button displayed in their own interactive participant object;
• in response to the first participant selecting the calendar button in their own interactive participant object, displaying a future meeting schedule window in the conference user interface, the future meeting schedule window comprising a participant selection window and a non-participant selection window;
• receive a first user selection of the other of the two or more participants and the non-participant for the future meeting via one of the participant selection window and the nonparticipant selection window;
• in response to the first user selection, request calendar data associated with the non-participant and one or more conference participant identifiers corresponding to the other of the two or more of the participants in the virtual conference;
• receive calendar data through one or more communication channels associated with the non-participant and the one or more conference participant identifiers;
• merge the calendar data associated with the non-participant and the one or more conference participant identifiers with the first selecting participant's calendar;
• display the merged calendar data as a joint calendar in the conference user interface presented to the participants during the virtual conference, the joint calendar graphically displaying a plurality of shared availability windows in registration with symbolically represented timelines associated with the one or more conference participant identifiers in an interactive display for selectively navigating the merged calendar data to display times of day that may contain a next availability window;
• receiving a second user selection of a confirmed meeting time for the future meeting via the joint calendar from the two or more participants in the virtual conference;
• and
• schedule the future meeting during the virtual conference based on the merged calendar data and the second user selections of the confirmed meeting time.