Method and system for delivering produced content to passive participants of a videoconference
First Claim
1. A conferencing system supporting active participants and passive participants during a conference session in which the active participant has assigned control to select and to configure media for the active participant and the passive participant has no control over media exchange, the conferencing system selects and provides the media to the passive participant, the conferencing system comprising:
- a client having a memory storing program instructions configured to identify whether a corresponding participant is one of the active participants or one of the passive participants; and
a server having a connection to each of the active participants and to each of the passive participants, wherein the server communicates with the active participants over both a conference channel and a back channel, the server configured to execute videoconferencing software that definesa connection manager for managing the connection between the each of the active participants and the each of the passive participants and the server;
a media mixer for receiving conference media and for distributing the conference media to the active participants and the passive participants; and
a virtual producer for selecting the conference media to be distributed to the passive participants, wherein a layout of the conference media provided to the passive participant is dynamically determined based upon input selections sent from a set of the active participants via the back channel that are analyzed by the virtual producer during the conference session;
wherein the virtual producer includes a media ranking module that provides a raw media ranking of all of the conference media based on a list of the all of the conference media of a particular conference, an active participant ranking of the conference media, interest markers associated with the conference media, and indications of triggering events associated with the conference media; and
wherein the virtual producer provides the conference media and the layout of the conference media to the passive participants based on the raw media ranking of the all of the conference media.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A conferencing system supporting active and passive participants is disclosed. The conferencing system includes a client component defining active and passive participants, and a server component having a connection to each active and passive participant defined in the client component. The server component includes a connection manager for managing the connection between each active and passive participant and the server component, a media mixer for receiving conference media and for distributing conference media to active and passive participants, and a virtual producer for selecting conference media to be distributed to passive participants. The conference media provided to the passive participants is dynamically determined based upon activities and selections of a set of active participants.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A conferencing system supporting active participants and passive participants during a conference session in which the active participant has assigned control to select and to configure media for the active participant and the passive participant has no control over media exchange, the conferencing system selects and provides the media to the passive participant, the conferencing system comprising:
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a client having a memory storing program instructions configured to identify whether a corresponding participant is one of the active participants or one of the passive participants; and a server having a connection to each of the active participants and to each of the passive participants, wherein the server communicates with the active participants over both a conference channel and a back channel, the server configured to execute videoconferencing software that defines a connection manager for managing the connection between the each of the active participants and the each of the passive participants and the server; a media mixer for receiving conference media and for distributing the conference media to the active participants and the passive participants; and a virtual producer for selecting the conference media to be distributed to the passive participants, wherein a layout of the conference media provided to the passive participant is dynamically determined based upon input selections sent from a set of the active participants via the back channel that are analyzed by the virtual producer during the conference session; wherein the virtual producer includes a media ranking module that provides a raw media ranking of all of the conference media based on a list of the all of the conference media of a particular conference, an active participant ranking of the conference media, interest markers associated with the conference media, and indications of triggering events associated with the conference media; and wherein the virtual producer provides the conference media and the layout of the conference media to the passive participants based on the raw media ranking of the all of the conference media. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A video conferencing system supporting active participants and passive participants during a video conference session in which the active participant has assigned control to select and to configure media for the active participant and the passive participant has no control over media exchange, the conferencing system selects and provides the media to the passive participant, the conferencing system comprising:
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a plurality of clients wherein a portion of the plurality of clients are identified as the active participants and a remainder of the plurality of clients are identified as the passive participants, each of the plurality of clients having a memory storing program instructions configured to identify the plurality of clients as one of the active participants or one of the passive participants; and a server in communication with the each of the plurality of clients during the video conference session, the server communicating with the active participants over both a conference channel and a back channel, the server communicating with the passive participants over the conference channel, the server configured to capture input selections of the active participants to organize a layout of conference media for presentation to the passive participants during the video conference session, the sewer further configured to monitor the input selections sent from the active participants via the back channel to adjust the layout of the conference media during the video conference session;
wherein the sever is configured to execute videoconferencing software that definesa virtual producer for selecting the conference media to be distributed to the passive participants; wherein the virtual producer includes a media ranking module that provides a raw media ranking of all of the conference media based on a list of the all of the conference media of a particular conference, an active participant ranking of the conference media, interest markers associated with the conference media, and indications of triggering events associated with the conference media; and wherein the virtual producer provides the conference media and the layout of the conference media to the passive participants based on the raw media ranking of the all of the conference media. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification