Sharing participant information in a videoconference

• US 8,125,508 B2
• Filed: 01/19/2007
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Kenoyer, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/624,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20070188596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709204-205, 370260-261, 715/753, 715/755, 715/751
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A method for displaying information in a videoconference is disclosed. Video information from a first endpoint of the videoconference may be received. The video information may include an image of a participant at the first endpoint. Participant information for the participant (e.g., name, phone number, job title, etc.) may also be received. The video information and the participant information for the participant may be displayed together on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information in a videoconference, comprising:

receiving video information, at a second endpoint, from a first endpoint of the videoconference, wherein the video information represents a scene at the first endpoint including images of at least two participants at the first endpoint;

receiving first participant information for a first participant at the first endpoint, wherein the first participant information comprises distinguishing information associated with the first participant;

analyzing the images in the scene at the first endpoint to determine which of the at least two participants is the first participant;

displaying the video information on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference; and

displaying the first participant information for the first participant on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference proximally to the image of the first participant such that the first participant information is visually associated with the image of the first participant and distinguishes the first participant from one or more other participants at the first endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first participant information for the first participant comprises one or more of:

a name of the first participant;

a phone number of the first participant;

an email address of the first participant;

a mailing address of the first participant;

a job title of the first participant; and

an employer of the first participant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying the first participant information comprises moving the displayed first participant information relative to the displayed first participant to visually associate the first participant information with the displayed first participant when the first participant moves relative to a camera capturing the video information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second participant information for a second participant at the first endpoint;

analyzing the images in the video information to determine which of the at least two participants is the second participant; and

displaying the second participant information for the second participant on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference proximally to the image of the second participant such that the second participant information is visually associated with the image of the second participant.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the first participant information for the first participant to one or more participants at the second endpoint of the videoconference.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said transmitting the first participant information to the one or more participants at the second endpoint of the videoconference comprises one or more of:

wirelessly transmitting the first participant information to a personal wireless device of a participant at the second endpoint of the videoconference; and

sending an email comprising the first participant information to an email address of a participant at the second endpoint.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying the video information and said displaying the first participant information comprises:

a videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference creating a composite video output signal configured for display of the first participant information with the video information; and

the videoconferencing device at the second endpoint displaying the composite video output signal on the display screen at the second endpoint.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the video information and said receiving the first participant information comprises a videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference receiving the video information and the first participant information from a videoconferencing device at the first endpoint of the videoconference.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving the video information comprises a videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference receiving the video information from a videoconferencing device at the first endpoint of the videoconference;

and

wherein said receiving the first participant information comprises the videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference receiving the first participant information from a database.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of an extent of the first participant information to display on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference; and

wherein said displaying the first participant information comprises displaying the participant information to the indicated extent.

11. A videoconferencing device, comprising:

one or more input ports operable to receive;

video information from a first endpoint of a videoconference, wherein the video information represents a scene at the first endpoint including images of at least two participants at the first endpoint; and

participant first information for a first participant at the first endpoint, wherein the first participant information comprises distinguishing information associated with the first participant;

one or more computational elements operable to;

analyze the images in the scene at the first endpoint to determine which of the at least two participants is the first participant;

create a composite video output signal configured for display of the first participant information with the video information, wherein the first participant information is located proximally to the image of the first participant such that the first participant information is visually associated with the image of the first participant and distinguishes the first participant from one or more other participants at the first endpoint; and

an output port operable to provide the composite video output signal for display on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference.

12. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein the first participant information for the first participant comprises one or more of:

a name of the first participant;

a phone number of the first participant;

an email address of the first participant;

a mailing address of the first participant;

a job title of the first participant; and

an employer of the first participant.

13. The videoconferencing device of claim 11,

wherein the one or more input ports are further operable to receive second participant information for a second participant at the first endpoint;

wherein the one or more computational elements are further operable to analyze the images in the video information to determine which of the at least two participants is the second participant;

wherein the composite video output signal is further operable to be used to display the second participant information proximally to the image of the second participant such that the second participant information is visually associated with the image of the second participant.

14. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, further comprising a transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit the first participant information to a wireless device.

15. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein said one or more computational elements are further operable to:

receive an indication of an extent of the first participant information to display on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference; and

wherein creating the composite video output signal comprises creating the composite video output signal to be configured for display of the first participant information to the indicated extent.

16. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to:

receive video information, at a second endpoint, from a first endpoint of a videoconference, wherein the video information represents a scene at the first endpoint including images of at least two participants at the first endpoint;

receive first participant information for a first participant at the first endpoint, wherein the first participant information comprises distinguishing information associated with the first participant;

analyze the images in the scene at the first endpoint to determine which of the at least two participants is the first participant; and

display the video information on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference; and

display the first participant information for the first participant on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference proximally to the image of the first participant such that the first participant information is visually associated with the image of the first participant and distinguishes the first participant from one or more other participants at the first endpoint.