Notification system and method for sending alerts to communication participants
A system and method for automatically alerting participants to or listeners of a communication when a predefined section of the communication is reached are disclosed. In accordance with an exemplary method, prior to a communication, a document corresponding to the communication is marked at predefined locations. During a communication, the document is reviewed for marks, and when a mark is detected, an alert or notification is sent to one or more participants. The participants may then join the communication a point corresponding to the pre-defined section(s).
1. A method for automatically alerting a participant of an electronic communication during a video conference or an audio conference, the method comprising the steps of:
before the video conference or audio conference, receiving, on a participant's device, a document corresponding to the communication;
before the video conference or audio conference, marking the document using an application on the participant's device to form a marked document, marking includes marking an active speaker, having one or more marks, each of the one or more marks including information that identifies the participant and a method to send an alert to the participant to notify the participant when the active speaker is identified, wherein the information is stored on a local database of the participant's device;
before the video conference or audio conference, storing information corresponding to the marked document;
before the video conference or audio conference, locally storing, on the participant's device, a trigger for the alert;
during the video conference or audio conference, a decoding application on the participant's device scanning the marked document for marks;
when the mark is detected and the active speaker is identified to be speaking, the participant's device automatically generating an alert to notify that the active speaker is speaking based on the locally saved trigger information; and
the participant's device sending said alert to a mobile device of the participant to facilitate the participant joining the video conference or audio conference when the active speaker is speaking.
2. The method for automatically alerting a participant of an electronic communication of claim 1 , further comprising the step of registering the marked document with a notification server.
3. The method for automatically alerting a participant of an electronic communication of claim 1 , wherein the step of sending an alert comprises sending one or more of an SMS message, an email, an instant message, a phone call, a recorded phone call, and a connection to the conference.
4. The method for automatically alerting a participant of an electronic communication of claim 1 , wherein the step of storing includes storing information corresponding to one or more of: topic, section, page number, paragraph number, or active speaker.
5. A system for automatically alerting a participant of an electronic communication during a video conference or an audio conference, the system comprising:
a participant's device configured to receive, before the video conference or audio conference, a document corresponding to the video conference or audio conference;
an application on the participant's device configured to mark, before the video conference or audio conference, the document to form a marked document, marking includes marking an active speaker, having one or more marks, each of the one or more marks including information that identifies the participant,
a database for storing, before the video conference or audio conference, information corresponding to the marked document and local storing, on the participant's device, a trigger for an alert;
a decoding application on the participant's device configured to:
scan the marked document for marks during the video conference or audio conference;
when the mark is detected and the active speaker is identified to be speaking, generate automatically an alert to notify the participant that the active speaker is speaking based on the locally saved trigger information; and
send said alert to a mobile device of the participant to facilitate the participant joining the video conference or audio conference when the active speaker is speaking.
6. The system for sending one or more participants alerts corresponding to a marked section of a communication of claim 5 , further comprising a notification server coupled to the participant's device, wherein the notification server reviews the marked document and sends a notification to a participant based upon information corresponding to a mark within the document.
7. The system for sending one or more participants alerts corresponding to a marked section of a communication of claim 5 , wherein the marking corresponds to one or more of a topic, a section, a page number, a paragraph number, or active speaker.