INTELLIGENT SHARED DISPLAY INFRASTRUCTURE AND ASSOCIATED METHODS

• US 20150341570A1
• Filed: 05/21/2015
• Published: 11/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mersive Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mersive Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Jaynes, Christopher O.
• Granted Patent: US 10,965,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/10 Architectures or entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• 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: H04N 5/268 Signal distribution or switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A two-tier display infrastructure switching architecture and associated method interconnects a plurality of network-enabled display devices. A video streaming switch is capable of receiving a video stream from a first network-enabled display device and forwarding the video stream to a second network-enabled display device. An access control service is capable of controlling access rights of each of the first and second network-enabled display devices to transfer video streams stream through the video streaming switch.

Claims

1. A two-tier display infrastructure switching architecture for interconnecting a plurality of network-enabled display devices, comprising:

a video streaming switch capable of receiving a video stream from a first network-enabled display device and forwarding the video stream to a second network-enabled display device; and

an access control service capable of controlling transfer of the video stream through the video stream switch based upon access rights of each of the first and second network-enabled display devices to use the video streaming switch.

2. A network-enabled display device with display analytic capture, comprising:

a communication mechanism capable of transferring video metadata in parallel with a video stream;

a display analytic database for storing the metadata in relation to the video stream when transferred via the communication mechanism; and

a display analytic communication module for providing access to the display analytic database by a third party.

3. A method for display analytic capture on a network-enabled display device, comprising:

capturing, and storing within a display analytic database, a number of users connected to the network-enabled display device over time and then reporting that information on demand over a network;

measuring, and storing within the display analytic database, display activity over time based upon one or more of;

a number of different video streams transmitted to the display device over time, a number of control signals transmitted to a display to modify its appearance and layout, and a number of connections and disconnection;

reporting, on demand, certain information from the display analytic database over a network.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

determining, and storing within the display analytic database, information of a number and a reason for each failed connection; and

determining, and storing within the display analytic database, information of a number and a reason for failed new stream requests.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of:

capturing and storing, within the display analytic database, information about the geographical location of a user.

6. A method for visually associating grouped video streams on a network-enabled display device, comprising:

determining grouped video streams based upon logical arrangement, by one or more users of the network-enabled display device, of the video streams on the network-enabled display device;

displaying the grouped video streams as a visual element on the network-enabled display device; and

collectively manipulating each video stream within the group based upon manipulation of the visual element by the one or more users.

7. A method for scheduling availability of a network-enabled display device, comprising:

receiving, from a user, a period defining intended use of the network-enabled display device;

receiving, from the user, information related to one or more of display appearance, access rights, control rights, media types allowed, and arrangement control of media posts;

receiving, from the user, display specific visual resource description defining how the network-enabled display device presents media streams received during the period; and

storing the information and controlling an appearance and access rights of the network-enabled display device during the period based upon the information received from the user and the display specific visual resource description.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, on the network-enabled display device, a countdown timer that denotes the end of the period.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, on the network-enabled display device, a name of a scheduled meeting during the period.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising displaying, on the network-enabled display device, one of (a) a time to end of the period, and (b) a time since start of the period.

11. A method for indicating ownership of a video stream on a network-enabled display device, comprising:

determining ownership of each of a plurality of video streams displayed on the network-enabled display device based upon metadata of the video stream;

displaying, on the network-enabled display device, an icon representing each different owner of the video streams;

graphically indicating ownership of displayed video streams owned by one owner corresponding to a selected one of the icons.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising reducing illumination intensity of video streams owned by owners other than the one owner.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the steps of determining and indicating are activated automatically based upon one of (a) video stream connection, (b) modified arrangement of the displayed video streams, and (c) changes to the video stream source.

14. A method for controlling display of video streams on a network-enabled display device by a first user authenticated as a moderator, comprising:

receiving, within the network-enabled display device, a connection attempt from a second user of the network-enabled display;

receiving, within the network-enabled display device, metadata associated with the second user;

forwarding a connection request including the metadata to the first user;

receiving, in response to the connection request and display of the metadata to the first user, an accept/reject indication; and

transmitting an accept connection signal to the second user when the accept/reject indication indicates accept; and

transmitting a reject connection signal to the second user when the accept/reject indication indicates reject.

15. A method for arranging smart video streams on a network-enabled display device, comprising:

receiving video and metadata network streams within the network-enabled display device;

transmitting one or more of the video and metadata network streams to a video arrangement processor;

processing, using an algorithm implemented by the video arrangement processor to automatically arrange display of the one or more video streams by the network-enabled display device, the video and metadata network streams to determine a stream transform;

sending the stream transform from the video arrangement processor to the network-enabled display device; and

modifying, within the network-enabled display device, the position/scale/rotation and visual appearance of the video stream based on the stream transform.

16. A network-enabled display device with media file sharing capability, comprising:

a media sharing authentication module having machine readable instructions that when executed by a processor of the network-enabled display device are capable of performing the steps of;

receiving, within the network-enabled display device, a media sharing request including an identifier of a media stream and a target user;

determining whether the target user can receive a media file associated with the media stream; and

transferring the media file to the target user when the target user can receive the media file.

17. A network-enabled display device with a proximate audible discovery, comprising:

an audio protocol encoder for encoding a connection information packet into an audio sequence;

an audio processor for driving a speaker to output the audio sequence as sound; and

a connection control module for controlling when the audio processor outputs the audio sequence;

wherein the sound is received by a microphone of a client device that (a) decodes the audio signal to determine the connection information packet and (b) connects the client device to the network-enabled display device based upon the connection information packet.

18. A method for connecting a client device to a network-enabled display device, comprising:

receiving, within the client device, an audio signal from the network-enabled display device and via a microphone coupled with the client device;

decoding the audio signal into a connection information packet; and

configuring a network interface of the client device to (a) couple with a network identified within the connection information packet and (b) to connect with the network-enabled display device using network parameters defined within the connection information packet.