Computer application environment and communication system employing automatic identification of human conversational behavior

• US 20070055490A1
• Filed: 04/10/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Majandro LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Thornton, James, Woodruff, Allison, Szymanski, Margaret, Aoki, Paul, Ducheneaut, Nicolas, Moore, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/48 specially adapted for particular use

Abstract

The disclosed technology is a computer application that establishes communication between a conversation-finder module and a computer application environment. The conversation-finder module determines a conversational floor based on three or more floor determination inputs. The conversational floor associates at least two of the three or more floor determination inputs as being on the conversational floor. The conversation-finder module and the computer application environment can be responsive to each other and can adapt to each other. That is (either or both), the computer application environment can adapt to the conversational floor(s) determined by the conversation-finder module; and the conversation-finder module can determine the conversational floors responsive to a floor determination input and/or control input from the computer application environment.

Claims

1. A computer controlled method comprising:

establishing communication between a conversation-finder module and a computer application environment;

determining, by said conversation-finder module, a conversational floor based on three or more floor determination inputs, wherein said conversational floor associates at least two of said three or more floor determination inputs as being on said conversational floor; and

adapting at least one of said conversation-finder module and said computer application environment responsive to said computer application environment and said conversation-finder module respectively.

2. The computer controlled method of claim 1, wherein said computer application environment provides a collaborative environment.

3. The computer controlled method of claim 2, wherein said collaborative environment uses one or more components selected from the group consisting of:

an entertainment component,

a collaborative component,

a multiplayer game component

an augmented reality component,

a mixed reality component,

a group conference component,

a command and control component,

a group display component,

a virtual reality component,

an interactive media component, and

a media playback component.

4. The computer controlled method of claim 1, wherein adapting at least one of said conversation-finder module and said computer application environment further comprises one or more operations selected from the group consisting of:

detecting persistence of said conversational floor,

determining a floor duration parameter,

determining a floor stability parameter,

presenting information to at least one user associated with said at least two of said three or more floor determination inputs on said conversational floor,

storing a floor association,

retrieving said floor association,

providing a service to said floor association,

logging said conversational floor, and

altering said computer application environment responsive to a change in said conversational floor.

5. The computer controlled method of claim 1, wherein the computer application environment includes a network that connects a plurality of computerized devices.

6. The computer controlled method of claim 1, wherein each of three or more floor determination inputs is one or more of the group consisting of:

an audio input provided by said computer application environment,

non-audio information obtained from said computer application environment,

an audio input provided external to said computer application environment, and

non-audio input provided external to said computer application environment.

7. The computer controlled method of claim 1, further comprising creating a floor representation of said conversational floor.

8. The computer controlled method of claim 7, wherein creating said floor representation further comprises one or more operations selected from the group consisting of:

storing said floor representation,

displaying a visual representation responsive to said floor representation,

displaying an avatar representing one of said three or more floor determination inputs,

indicating which of said three or more floor determination inputs is associated with said conversational floor,

indicating that said avatar is associated with said conversational floor,

altering said visual representation of at least one of said three or more floor determination inputs responsive to a change in said floor representation,

displaying an alteration in said avatar responsive to a change in said conversational floor,

influencing said avatar responsive to said conversational floor, and

altering said visual representation by applying a conversational indicator to said visual representation wherein said conversational indicator is selected from one or more of the group consisting of an aura, a tint, a connection graphic, an overlay, and an invisibility mask.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a computer application environment;

a conversation-finder module having three or more floor determination inputs and configured to determine a conversational-floor that associates at least two of said three or more floor determination inputs as being on said conversational floor;

a communication logic configured to establish communication between the conversation-finder module and the computer application environment; and

adaptation logic configured to adapt at least one of the conversation-finder module and the computer application environment responsive to the computer application environment and the conversation-finder module respectively.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer application environment provides a collaborative environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said collaborative environment uses one or more components selected from the group consisting of:

an entertainment component logic,

a collaborative component logic,

a multiplayer game component logic,

an augmented reality component logic,

a mixed reality component logic,

a group conference component logic,

a command and control component logic,

a group display component logic,

a virtual reality component logic,

an interactive media component logic, and

a media playback component logic.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the adaptation logic further comprises one or more logics selected from the group consisting of:

a detection logic configured to detect persistence of said conversational floor,

a duration logic configured to determine a floor duration parameter,

a stability logic configured to determine a floor stability parameter,

a presentation logic configured to present information to at least one user associated with said at least two of said three or more floor determination inputs on said conversational floor,

a floor association storage logic configured to store a floor association,

a floor association storage retrieval logic configured to retrieve said floor association,

a service logic configured to provide a service to said floor association,

a recordation logic configured to log said conversational floor, and

an alteration logic configured to alter the computer application environment responsive to a change in said conversational floor.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the computer application environment includes a network that connects a plurality of computerized devices.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein each of three or more floor determination inputs includes one or more of the group consisting of:

an audio input provided by said computer application environment,

non-audio information obtained from said computer application environment,

an audio input provided external to said computer application environment, and

non-audio input provided external to said computer application environment.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a presentation logic configured to present a floor representation of said conversational floor.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the presentation logic further comprises one or more logics selected from the group consisting of:

a storage logic configured to store said floor representation,

a floor display logic configured to display a visual representation responsive to said floor representation,

an avatar display logic configured to display an avatar representing one of said three or more floor determination inputs,

a connection logic configured to indicate which of said three or more floor determination inputs is associated with said conversational floor,

an association logic configured to indicate that said avatar is associated with said conversational floor,

an alteration logic configured to alter said visual representation of at least one of said three or more floor determination inputs responsive to a change in said floor representation,

an avatar modification display logic configured to display an alteration in said avatar responsive to a change in said conversational floor,

an avatar modification logic configured to influence said avatar responsive to said conversational floor, and

a conversation indicator display logic configured to alter said visual representation by applying a conversational indicator to said visual representation wherein said conversational indicator is selected from one or more of the group consisting of an aura, a tint, a connection graphic, an overlay, and an invisibility mask.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer-usable data carrier providing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause said computer to perform a method comprising;

establishing communication between a conversation-finder module and a computer application environment;

determining, by said conversation-finder module, a conversational floor based on three or more floor determination inputs, wherein said conversational floor associates at least two of said three or more floor determination inputs as being on said conversational floor; and

adapting at least one of said conversation-finder module and said computer application environment responsive to said computer application environment and said conversation-finder module respectively.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said computer application environment provides a collaborative environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said collaborative environment uses one or more components selected from the group consisting of:

an entertainment component,

a collaborative component,

a multiplayer game component

an augmented reality component,

a mixed reality component,

a group conference component,

a command and control component,

a group display component,

a virtual reality component,

an interactive media component, and

a media playback component.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein adapting at least one of said conversation-finder module and said computer application environment further comprises one or more operations selected from the group consisting of:

detecting persistence of said conversational floor,

determining a floor duration parameter,

determining a floor stability parameter,

presenting information to at least one user associated with said at least two of said three or more floor determination inputs on said conversational floor,

storing a floor association,

retrieving said floor association,

providing a service to said floor association,

logging said conversational floor, and

altering said computer application environment responsive to a change in said conversational floor.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer application environment includes a network that connects a plurality of computerized devices.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein each of three or more floor determination inputs is one or more of the group consisting of:

an audio input provided by said computer application environment,

non-audio information obtained from said computer application environment,

an audio input provided external to said computer application environment, and

non-audio input provided external to said computer application environment.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising presenting a floor representation of said conversational floor.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the step of presenting further comprises one or more operations selected from the group consisting of:

storing said floor representation,

displaying a visual representation responsive to said floor representation,

displaying an avatar representing one of said three or more floor determination inputs,

indicating which of said three or more floor determination inputs is associated with said conversational floor,

indicating that said avatar is associated with said conversational floor,

altering said visual representation of at least one of said three or more floor determination inputs responsive to a change in said floor representation,

displaying an alteration in said avatar responsive to a change in said conversational floor,

influencing said avatar responsive to said conversational floor, and

altering said visual representation by applying a conversational indicator to said visual representation wherein said conversational indicator is selected from one or more of the group consisting of an aura, a tint, a connection graphic, an overlay, and an invisibility mask.