Systems and methods for facilitating communications amongst multiple users

• US 10,542,237 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bycer, Eric J.
• Application Number:
  US15/191,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,307 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/41 Higher-level, semantic clustering, classification or understanding of video scenes, e.g. detection, labelling or Markovian modelling of sport events or news items segmenting video sequences G06V20/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A system can be provided that allows a user of a device to easily navigate through other users connected on a network. More particularly, the system can present or otherwise display indicators representing other users, and can allow a user of the device to manipulate (e.g., via scrolling, panning, gesturing, and the like) the display to traverse through the various indicators. In at least one embodiment, a level or a mode of communication between on the device and the devices represented by the indicators can be modified (e.g., upgraded or downgraded) depending on whether those indicators are currently being displayed in a display area of the device. This can simplify and maintain stability in the management of a large scale system of users.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically categorizing a plurality of users in a multi-user event who are each utilizing one of a plurality of user devices, the method comprising:

Receiving, at each user device, a plurality of media streams, each of the plurality of media streams corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of users;

Assessing, at each user device, the plurality of media streams;

Categorizing, at each user device, the plurality of users into a plurality of groups based on the assessment;

reporting, from each user device, categorized information to a server or a presenter of the multi-user event; and

facilitating, at each user device, communications between the presenter and at least one of the plurality of groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of media streams comprises at least one of an audio stream and a video stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing comprises:

performing an audio analysis on the plurality of media streams.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing comprises:

performing a video analysis on the plurality of media streams.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein assessing comprises:

performing at least one of a facial recognition and a gesture recognition analysis on the plurality of media streams.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each group of the plurality of groups corresponds to at least one predefined behavior.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one predefined behavior comprises:

at least one of;

raising of hands, being inattentive, having stepped away, and engaging in a chat.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a first group of the categorized groups; and

initiating communications between the presenter and at least one user categorized in the first group.

9. A system for dynamically categorizing a plurality of users in a multi-user event, who are each utilizing one of a plurality of user devices, the system comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a plurality of media streams, each of the plurality of media streams corresponding to a respective one of the plurality of users; and

a processor configured to;

assess, at each user device, the plurality of media streams;

categorize, at each user device, the plurality of users into a plurality of groups based on the assessment;

report, from each user device, categorized information to a server or a presenter of the multi-user event; and

facilitate, at each user device, communications between the presenter and each of the plurality of groups.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of media streams comprises at least one of an audio stream and a video stream.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to assess the plurality of media streams by performing an audio analysis on the plurality of media streams.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to assess the plurality of media streams by performing a video analysis on the plurality of media streams.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to assess the plurality of media streams by performing at least one of a facial recognition and a gesture recognition analysis on the plurality of media streams.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein each group of the plurality of groups corresponds to at least one predefined behavior.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one predefined behavior comprises at least one of:

raising of hands, being inattentive, having stepped away, and engaging in a chat.

16. The system of claim 9 further comprising a communications component configured to communicate with external devices, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a user selection of a first group of the categorized groups; and

direct the communications component to initiate communications between the presenter and at least one user categorized in the first group.