The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 15, 2010
Filed:
Jun. 27, 2008
Robert W. Serr, Kirkland, WA (US);
Scott Alan Huddleston, Redmond, WA (US);
Jason Hendrick Bubolz, Seattle, WA (US);
Mark D. Mcclelland, Seattle, WA (US);
Mark Madsen, Morton Grove, WA (US);
Robert W. Serr, Kirkland, WA (US);
Scott Alan Huddleston, Redmond, WA (US);
Jason Hendrick Bubolz, Seattle, WA (US);
Mark D. McClelland, Seattle, WA (US);
Mark Madsen, Morton Grove, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
In general, this disclosure describes techniques of controlling communications occurring in a unified communications system. As described herein, a directory is established at a server system that hosts the unified communications system. The directory includes a plurality of hierarchically-organized categories. Each category specifies a set of users. One or more conferences may be associated with each of the categories. All communications occurring in the unified communications system occur within the context of one of the conferences. A user can only communicate within a conference if the conference is associated with the category that specifies a set of users that includes the user. By appropriately structuring the categories in the directory and the sets of users specified by the categories, the techniques of this disclosure may serve to prevent a user from using the unified communications system to communicate with certain other individuals.