Systems and methods for novel interactions with participants in videoconference meetings

• US 20110279638A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 11/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Blue Jeans Network, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Raghavan, Anand, Ramakrishnan, Krish, Grupenhoff, Michael, Kalluri, Ravi Kiran, Weber, Emmanuel, Periyannan, Alagu, Anand, Raghavan
• Granted Patent: US 8,885,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support the operation of a Virtual Media Room or Virtual Meeting Room (VMR), wherein each VMR can accept from a plurality of participants at different geographic locations a variety of video conferencing feeds of audio and video streams from video conference endpoints. The approach provides various ways for the participants to the video conference to access, control, and interact with each other during the conference for a customized personal experience. A globally distributed infrastructure supports the sharing of the event among the participants at geographically distributed locations through a plurality of MCUs (Multipoint Control Unit), each configured to process the plurality of audio and video streams from the plurality of video conference endpoints in real time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

enables the video conference in real time among the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, provides the participants with device-independent control over the video conference via interfaces so that the control of the video conference is independent of the video conference endpoints.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the interfaces that are independent of the video conference endpoints include one or more of desktop PC, laptop PC, mobile phone and mobile tablet.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the user experience provides the participants with device-independent control over the video conference that is independent of the remote controls of the video conference endpoints.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the device-independent control includes one or more of muting one or more of the participants, and changing layout on the screens of the video conference endpoints.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the user experience engine minimizes the operations that need to carry out using the endpoints native interface.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the user experience engine allows the participant to receive audio and video streams via a video conference room system.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the user experience engine allows the participant to perform one or more of;

sending or receiving presentation materials, chat messages on a laptop or tablet.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein:

the user experience engine allows actions by the participants on one video conference endpoint to be reflected on another video conference endpoint when both video conference endpoints are connect to the same VMR hosting the same video conference.

6. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

enables the video conference in real time among the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, allows one of the participants to participate in and/or control the video conference experience of multiple video conference endpoints simultaneously.

10. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

enables the video conference in real time among the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, allows each of the plurality of participants to join the video conference from a video conference endpoint by entering a personal VMR number the user subscribes to.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the user experience engine allows the participant to enter the number from a web application used for the call or through voice or visual commands that are recognized and processed by software in the internet cloud that are then translated into actionable events by associating any videoconferencing endpoint with any device that can access the cloud.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the association is established using a web or mobile application through unique pairing codes, audio signatures or music clips played by either the videoconferencing endpoint or the device used to control the meeting, and detected and matched to the other in the cloud

13. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the user experience engine provides the participants with rich media content as their welcome screen when the participants join the video conference.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the user experience engine does not turn on audio or video streams by default before the video conference starts.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the user experience engine allows for monetizable services to be provided while participants wait for the video conference to start.

16. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

enables the video conference in real time among the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, allows each of the plurality of participants to customize or personalize his/her conference experience on a per call basis.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the user experience engine extracts or reads in these customizable options specified by the participants and place them in the customized VMR during the video conference such as different colored backgrounds, welcome music, welcome banner and other status and chat messages and tickers during the call

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the user experience engine offers the such personalized conference service over the Internet where the moderator can use a custom-URL unique to them

19. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the user experience engine presents a 3D layout during a two-person conversation where the input videos from both participants are set to make it look like that they are looking at each other so that other participants at the video conference see the conversation happen naturally.

20. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

enables the video conference in real time among the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, allows a first participant to share screen of a first video conference endpoint with a second video conference point associated with a second participant.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the user experience engine allows a first participant to share only a portion of the screen of the first video conference endpoint with the second video conference point associated with the second participant.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the user experience engine offers a screen sharing URL as a persistent access link to share the screen of the first video conference endpoint.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein:

the user experience engine allows the screen sharing to be customizable.

24. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, enable intelligent one-click video conference calls to the participants on a contact list from recognized protocols of the video conference endpoints.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the user experience engine enable the one-click video conference calls via web browser and/or desktop plug-ins.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the plug-ins display the contact lists from recognized in a browser or via a desktop application.

28. A system of claim 26 wherein:

the participant has a personal incentive to register, signup and frequently use videoconferencing to avail of the incentive programs built around usage such as the infrequent flyer miles program.

27. A system, comprising:

a virtual meeting room (VMR) engine, which in operation,

accepts from a plurality of participants to a video conference a plurality of audio and video streams from a plurality of video conference endpoints each associated with one of the plurality of participants;

enables a multi-party video conferencing session in real time among the plurality of participants;

a user experience engine, which in operation, provides live information about performance of the video conference, including metrics such as carbon credits, travel related cost savings, miles of air-travel saved, infrequent flyer status, call quality, endpoint type.