System and method for providing communication channels that each comprise at least one property dynamically changeable during social interactions

• US 20050088981A1
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Published: 04/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Thornton, James D., Woodruff, Allison G., Szymanski, Margaret H., Aoki, Paul M., Wilson, Daniel H., Yu, Chen
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,226 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is a computer controlled method for use with a communication system. The method includes a step of receiving a plurality of communications, where each one of the plurality of communications is from one of a plurality of communication sources; includes a step of mixing (that is responsive to a plurality of floor controls) the plurality of communications for a plurality of outputs associated with plurality of communication sources; and includes a step of analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of communication sources, one or more conversational characteristics of two or more of the plurality of users. The method also includes a step of automatically adjusting the plurality of floor controls responsive to the step of analyzing. Other embodiments include systems and devices that use the method as well as program products that cause a computer to execute the method.

Claims

1. A method for providing a communication channel that comprises at least one property dynamically changeable during social interactions, comprising:

defining a communication channel comprising a set of properties that are dynamically changeable to determine structure for content delivery;

delivering content through the communication channel between at least two participants while monitoring at least one arbitrary data source;

modeling at least one desired qualitative property for the communication channel based on the monitoring of the at least one arbitrary data source; and

dynamically changing the set of properties for the communication channel based on the at least one desired qualitative property.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

altering the communication channel as a primary communication channel.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the content delivered over the primary communication channel substantially comprises elements of human language.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

altering the communication channel as a continuous communication channel.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring content delivered over a primary communication channel.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the content delivered over the primary communication channel substantially comprises elements of analyzed human language.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising:

performing speech recognition to the content delivered over the primary channel in determining the analyzed human language elements.

8. A method according to claim 5, wherein the content delivered over the primary communication channel substantially comprises elements of prosodic content.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the prosodic content elements comprise prosodic evidence of emotional state.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the prosodic content elements comprise prosodic evidence of conversational engagement.

11. A method according to claim 5, wherein the content delivered over the primary communication channel substantially comprises elements of audio content.

12. A method according to claim 5, wherein the content delivered over the primary communication channel substantially comprises elements of text.

13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring content delivered over a secondary communication channel.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the content delivered over the secondary communication channel substantially comprises elements of video content.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring content delivered over the communication channel comprising conversational characteristics.

16. A method according to claim 15, further comprising:

providing temporal alignment of features identified in the conversational characteristics.

17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring out-of-channel context.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the out-of-channel context originates from contact sensors.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the out-of-channel context originates from ambient environment sensors.

20. A method according to claim 17, wherein the out-of-channel context originates from an input device.

21. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on the modeling.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein the inference comprises assessing attributes of individuals.

23. A method according to claim 21, wherein the inference comprises assessing attributes of environment.

24. A method according to claim 21, wherein the inference comprises assessing attributes of groups.

25. A method according to claim 21, wherein the inference comprises modeling goals of individuals.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein the inference further comprises modeling the goals of the individuals as a group.

27. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on historical information.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the inference is based on a history of monitored data.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the inference is based on a history of modeled attributes.

30. A method according to claim 27, wherein the inference is based on a history of channel properties.

31. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on joint behaviors of the at least two participants.

32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the inference comprises drawing the inference on common actions.

33. A method according to claim 31, wherein the inference comprises drawing the inference on a temporal correlation of actions.

34. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional manual input; and

dynamically changing the set of properties for the communication channel further based on the additional manual input.

35. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

altering the at least one desired qualitative property comprising at least one of binary and categorical settings.

36. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

altering the at least one desired qualitative property comprising at least one additional parametric property.

37. A method for providing a communication channel that comprises at least one property dynamically changeable during social interactions, comprising:

defining a communication channel comprising a set of properties that are dynamically changeable to determine structure for content delivery and a user interface associated with the communication channel;

delivering content through the communication channel between at least two participants while monitoring the communication channel;

modeling at least one desired property for the communication channel; and

dynamically changing the user interface based on the at least one desired property.

38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising:

altering the communication channel as a primary communication channel.

39. A method according to claim 37, further comprising:

altering the communication channel as a continuous communication channel.

40. A method according to claim 37, wherein the communication channel comprises at least one arbitrary data source, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on the at least one arbitrary data source.

41. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

monitoring content delivered over a primary communication channel.

42. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

monitoring content delivered over a secondary communication channel.

43. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

monitoring content delivered over the communication channel comprising conversational characteristics.

44. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

monitoring out-of-channel context.

45. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on the modeling.

46. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on historical information.

47. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on joint behaviors of the at least two participants.

48. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

receiving additional manual input; and

dynamically changing the set of properties for the communication channel further based on the additional manual input.

49. A method according to claim 48, wherein the additional manual input comprises a main controlling input.

50. A method according to claim 48, wherein the additional manual input comprises at least one of an override and alternative controlling input.

51. A method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a qualitative property, further comprising:

altering the qualitative property.

52. A method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a parametric property, further comprising:

altering the parametric property.

53. A method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a temporal property, further comprising:

altering the temporal property.

54. A method according to claim 53, further comprising:

changing between at least two settings selected from the set comprising simplex, half duplex and duplex.

55. A method according to claim 40, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a user controls property, further comprising:

altering the user controls property.

56. A method according to claim 55, further comprising:

controlling content over the communication channel.

57. A method for providing a communication channel that comprises at least one property dynamically changeable during social interactions, comprising:

defining a communication channel comprising a set of properties that are dynamically changeable to determine structure for content delivery and a user interface associated with the communication channel;

delivering content through the communication channel between at least two participants while monitoring independent gestures perceived relative to the user interface associated with the communication channel;

modeling at least one desired property for the communication channel based on the gestures; and

dynamically changing the set of properties for the communication channel based on the at least one desired property.

58. A method according to claim 57, further comprising:

altering the communication channel as a primary communication channel.

59. A method according to claim 57, further comprising:

altering the communication channel as a continuous communication channel.

60. A method according to claim 57, wherein the communication channel comprises at least one arbitrary data source, further comprising:

drawing an inference based on the at least one arbitrary data source.

61. A method according to claim 57, further comprising:

receiving additional manual input; and

dynamically changing the set of properties for the communication channel further based on the additional manual input.

62. A method according to claim 57, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a qualitative property, further comprising:

altering the qualitative property.

63. A method according to claim 57, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a parametric property, further comprising:

altering the parametric property.

64. A method according to claim 57, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a temporal property, further comprising:

altering the temporal property.

65. A method according to claim 57, wherein the at least one desired property comprises a user controls property, further comprising:

altering the user controls property.

66. A system for providing a communication channel that comprises at least one dynamically changeable property, comprising:

a communication channel comprising at least one property that is dynamically changeable to determine structure for content delivery and to deliver content through the communication channel between at least two participants;

a modeling component to model at least one desired property for the communication channel; and

a switch to dynamically change the at least one property for the communication channel based on the at least one desired property.

67. A method for providing a communication channel that comprises at least one dynamically changeable property, comprising:

defining a communication channel comprising at least one property that is dynamically changeable to determine structure for content delivery;

delivering content through the communication channel between at least two participants;

modeling at least one desired property for the communication channel; and

dynamically changing the at least one property for the communication channel based on the at least one desired property.