Methods of establishing a communications link using perceptual sensing of a user's presence

• US 7,242,421 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Perceptive Network Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Perceptive Network Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Wren, Christopher R., Basu, Sumit, Gusyatin, Evgeniy, Center, Jr., Julian L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/012,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20020163572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 141, 348/14.3, 348/169, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 709/204, 345/473, 345/753, 345/758, 382/291, 700/17, 713200-202, 340540-542, 340/539.22, 340/539.23, 715/700, 715/753, 715/758
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A method of establishing a communications link uses automatic sensing of a computer user'"'"'s presence and activity state to record user attributes in a form accessible to other computers in a communications network. Such automatic sensing may include keyboard/mouse monitors, cameras with associated image processing algorithms, speech detectors, RF radiation detectors, and infrared sensors. Preferably, the attribute recording is done in a server process which can be accessed by other computer programs. A first application of this method is to inform persons at remote locations whether the party to be called is available to receive a call. A second application of the method is to use a Connection Agent to determine whether all desired participants for a conference, or at least a quorum of them, are present and available, so that the conference can be started. A third application of the method is to allow a called party to adjust the kind of notification, if any, he or she receives of an incoming call, depending upon what activity is currently engaging the called party.

Claims

1. A method of determining when to establish a communications link among multiple individuals by automatically determining each individual'"'"'s availability, comprising the steps of:

determining a priority level of a requested communications link;

determining whether each individual is present near a communications device;

determining whether each individual is available, namely in an activity state which permits interruption because that activity state has a priority level no greater than the priority level of said requested communications link; and

if each individual is both present and available, initiating said communications link among said individuals.

2. A method of determining when to establish a communications link among multiple individuals by automatically determining each individual'"'"'s availability, comprising the steps of:

determining a priority level of a requested communications link;

determining whether each individual is present near a communications device;

determining whether each individual is available, namely in an activity state which permits interruption because that activity state has a priority level no greater than the priority level of said requested communications link; and

if a predetermined quorum of desired participants are present and available, generating an indication that a communications link can begin.