BACKGROUND REPLACEMENT FOR VIDEOCONFERENCING

• US 20120050323A1
• Filed: 08/25/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Jones, Andrew R., Massimi, Michael L., McConnell, Kevin C., Baron, Rudolph C. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,823,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/632
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827

Abstract

A solution for managing a videoconference is provided. Multiple virtual backgrounds can be stored, and a virtual background can be selected to be used for a first participant when he/she is conducting a videoconference with a second participant. The virtual background can be selected based on one or more attributes of the first and/or second participant, one or more attributes of the videoconference, and/or the like. The virtual backgrounds can be utilized, for example, to provide a desired perception, message, and/or the like, of a business entity to individuals outside of the business entity that are interacting with its personnel via videoconferencing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing a videoconference, the method comprising:

configuring display of a first videoconference participant to a second videoconference participant of the videoconference using a computer system, the configuring including;

selecting a first virtual background for the first videoconference participant from a plurality of virtual backgrounds based on at least one of;

a first videoconference participant identification or a second videoconference participant identification by applying a set of virtual background selection rules to the at least one of;

the first videoconference participant identification or the second videoconference participant identification using the computer system; and

providing the first virtual background from the computer system for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from an actual background of the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first videoconference participant works for a business entity and the second videoconference participant does not work for the business entity, and wherein the set of virtual background selection rules correspond to a desired perception for the business entity associated with the second videoconference participant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a second display of the first videoconference participant to a third videoconference participant of the videoconference using the computer system, the configuring the second display including:

automatically selecting a second virtual background for the first videoconference participant from the plurality of virtual backgrounds based on a third videoconference participant identification and a second set of virtual background selection rules corresponding to the third videoconference participant using the computer system; and

providing the second virtual background from the computer system for display to the third videoconference participant in conjunction with the video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from the actual background from the computer system for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with the first virtual background during the videoconference.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the providing the first virtual background and the providing the isolated video data are performed during the videoconference, the method further comprising combining the first virtual background and the isolated video data on the computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual background is provided to a computing device corresponding to the second videoconference participant prior to the videoconference, the method further comprising providing the isolated video data for display to the second videoconference participant during the videoconference.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first virtual background is provided to a computing device corresponding to the first videoconference participant prior to the videoconference, the method further comprising providing the combined isolated video data and the virtual background for display to the second videoconference participant during the videoconference.

8. A computer system comprising:

a set of computing devices configured to manage a video conference by performing a method comprising configuring display of a first videoconference participant to a second videoconference participant of the videoconference, the configuring including;

selecting a first virtual background for the first videoconference participant from a plurality of virtual backgrounds based on at least one of;

a first videoconference participant identification or a second videoconference participant identification by applying a set of virtual background selection rules to the at least one of;

the first videoconference participant identification or the second videoconference participant identification; and

providing the first virtual background for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from an actual background of the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.

9. The system of claim 8, the method further comprising configuring a second display of the first videoconference participant to a third videoconference participant of the videoconference, the configuring the second display including:

automatically selecting a second virtual background for the first videoconference participant from the plurality of virtual backgrounds based on a third videoconference participant identification and a second set of virtual background selection rules corresponding to the third videoconference participant using the computer system; and

providing the second virtual background from the computer system for display to the third videoconference participant in conjunction with the video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.

10. The system of claim 8, the method further comprising providing the isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from the actual background for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with the first virtual background during the videoconference.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the providing the first virtual background and the providing the isolated video data are performed during the videoconference, the method further comprising combining the first virtual background and the isolated video data.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the first virtual background is provided to a computing device corresponding to the second videoconference participant prior to the videoconference, the method further comprising providing the isolated video data for display to the second videoconference participant during the videoconference.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first virtual background is provided to a computing device corresponding to the first videoconference participant prior to the videoconference, the method further comprising providing the combined isolated video data and the virtual background for display to the second videoconference participant during the videoconference.

14. A computer program comprising program code embodied in at least one computer-readable medium, which when executed, enables a computer system to implement a method of managing a videoconference, the method comprising:

configuring display of a first videoconference participant to a second videoconference participant of the videoconference by performing a method comprising;

selecting a first virtual background for the first videoconference participant from a plurality of virtual backgrounds based on at least one of;

a first videoconference participant identification or a second videoconference participant identification by applying a set of virtual background selection rules to the at least one of;

the first videoconference participant identification or the second videoconference participant identification; and

providing the first virtual background for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from an actual background of the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.

15. The computer program of claim 14, the method further comprising configuring a second display of the first videoconference participant to a third videoconference participant of the videoconference, the configuring the second display including:

automatically selecting a second virtual background for the first videoconference participant from the plurality of virtual backgrounds based on a third videoconference participant identification and a second set of virtual background selection rules corresponding to the third videoconference participant using the computer system; and

providing the second virtual background from the computer system for display to the third videoconference participant in conjunction with the video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.

16. The computer program of claim 14, the method further comprising providing the isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from the actual background for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with the first virtual background during the videoconference.

17. The computer program of claim 16, wherein the providing the first virtual background and the providing the isolated video data are performed during the videoconference, the method further comprising combining the first virtual background and the isolated video data.

18. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the first virtual background is provided to a computing device corresponding to the second videoconference participant prior to the videoconference, the method further comprising providing the isolated video data for display to the second videoconference participant during the videoconference.

19. The computer program of claim 14, wherein the first virtual background is provided to a computing device corresponding to the first videoconference participant prior to the videoconference, the method further comprising providing the combined isolated video data and the virtual background for display to the second videoconference participant during the videoconference.

20. A method of generating a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a computer system configured to manage a videoconference by performing a method comprising configuring display of a first videoconference participant to a second videoconference participant of the videoconference, the configuring including;

selecting a first virtual background for the first videoconference participant from a plurality of virtual backgrounds based on at least one of;

a first videoconference participant identification or a second videoconference participant identification by applying a set of virtual background selection rules to the at least one of;

the first videoconference participant identification or the second videoconference participant identification; and

providing the first virtual background for display to the second videoconference participant in conjunction with isolated video data corresponding to the first videoconference participant isolated from an actual background of the first videoconference participant during the videoconference.