Multiparty communications systems and methods that utilize multiple modes of communication

• US 8,405,702 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US12/624,829
• Time in Patent Office: 1,218 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/14.11, 348/14.12
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• 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 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

Improved methods, systems, and devices for managing communications are provided. A user device may display all ongoing communications so that a user can visualize the communications network or some subset thereof (e.g., a subgroup or group of users). A system may maintain the user device in an instant ready-on mode of communication with the other user devices. A user may then initiate communications with a subgroup (e.g., a pair) or group without initiating a new connection. Accordingly, a user can simultaneously and fluidly communicate at the subgroup level, at the group level, or at the inter-group level. Moreover, users can function as independent actors that can freely form and leave subgroups as well as groups.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

maintaining a user in an instant ready-on mode of communication with a plurality of other users;

maintaining the user in an intermediate mode of communication with a first group that includes a first subset of the plurality of other users; and

maintaining the user in an active mode of communication with a subgroup that includes one or more of the users in the first group, wherein;

the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to initiate a communication with at least one of the plurality of other users via a pre-existing communication link between the user and the at least one of the plurality of other users;

the intermediate mode of communication enables the user to receive contextual communications from the users in the first group; and

the active mode of communication enables the user to receive live video communications from the one or more users in the subgroup.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is concurrently maintained in the instant ready-on mode of communication, the intermediate mode of communication and the active mode of communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining the user in the instant ready-on mode of communication with the plurality of other users comprises:

providing the use with only presence information from the plurality of other users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of other users includes users beyond those that are displayed to the user.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of other users includes users that are only transmitting presence information to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to initiate a communication with any user from the plurality of other users via a pre-existing communication link between the user and the user from the plurality of other users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to instantly initiate a communication with at least one of the plurality of other users.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group comprises:

providing the user with contextual communications from the users in the first group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group comprises:

providing the user with indicators representing communication activity of the users in the first group.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual communications include intermittent video communications with a substantially low refresh rate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substantially low refresh rate is determined based on available bandwidth.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual communications include low-resolution video communications.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual communications include grayscale video communications.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining the use in the active mode of communication with the subgroup comprises:

providing the user with live video communications from the one or more users in the subgroup.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the live video communications includes high-resolution, color video communications at a standard refresh rate.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with intermittent video communications from the users in the first group as part of maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group; and

providing the user with live video communications from the one or more users in the subgroup as part of maintaining the user in the active mode of communication with the subgroup, wherein;

the user is concurrently maintained in the intermediate mode of communication and the active mode of communication; and

the live video communications are provided concurrently with the intermittent video communications.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the use in at least an intermediate mode of communication with one or more of the plurality of other users that are not in the first group.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is an independent actor that can independently form groups and subgroups with any of the plurality of other users that are in the instant ready-on mode of communication with the user.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is an independent actor that can independently leave groups and subgroups.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group is defined by a first virtual room of a plurality of virtual rooms and further comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a scan operation;

in response to the user input, providing the user with images of users that are associated with two more of the plurality of virtual rooms.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a user input to join a second group that includes a second subset of the plurality of other users; and

in response to the user input, maintaining the user in an intermediate mode of communication with the users in the second subset.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first group is defined by a first virtual room of a plurality of virtual rooms and further comprising:

receiving a use input specifying a move operation;

in response to the user input, withdrawing the user from the intermediate mode of communication with the first group; and

in response to the user input, maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with a second group that includes a second subset of the plurality of other users, wherein the second subset is based on which users are associated with a second virtual room.

23. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

maintaining a user in an instant ready-on mode of communication with a plurality of other users;

maintaining the user in an intermediate mode of communication with a first group that includes a first subset of the plurality of other users;

maintaining the user in an active mode of communication with a subgroup that includes one or more of the users in the first group, wherein;

the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to initiate a communication with at least one of the plurality of other users via a pre-existing communication link between the user and the at least one of the plurality of other users;

the intermediate mode of communication enables the user to receive a periodically updated image of each user in the first group; and

the active mode of communication enables the user to receive a live video of each user in the subgroup.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the user is concurrently maintained in the instant ready-on mode of communication, the intermediate mode of communication and the active mode of communication.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of other users includes users beyond those that are displayed to the user.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to instantly initiate a communication with at least one of the plurality of other users.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group comprises:

providing the user with indicators representing communication activity of the users in the first group.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein each periodically updated image is updated at a frequency based on available bandwidth.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

providing the user with a periodically updated image of each user in the first group as part of maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group; and

providing the user with a live video of each user in the subgroup as part of maintaining the user in the active mode of communication with the subgroup, wherein;

the user is concurrently maintained in the intermediate mode of communication and the active mode of communication; and

the live videos are provided concurrently with the periodically updated images.

30. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a scan operation;

in response to the user input, providing the user with images of users beyond those that are in the first group.

31. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a user input specifying a shuffle operation;

in response to the use input, withdrawing the use from the intermediate mode of communication with the first group; and

in response to the user input, maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with a second group that includes a second subset of the plurality of other users.

32. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

maintaining a user in an instant ready-on mode of communication with a plurality of other users;

receiving a first user input;

upgrading to an active mode of communication between the user and a first other user of the plurality of other users based on the first user input;

receiving a second user input;

upgrading to an active mode of communication between the user and a second other user of the plurality of other users based on the second user input;

receiving a video communication from the user; and

transmitting the video communication to the first other user and the second other user.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the upgrading to the active mode of communication between the user and the first other user occurs instantly after the receiving the first user input.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the active mode of communication between the user and the first other user enables the user to transmit video communications to the first other user and receive video communications from the first other user.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving another video communication from the user; and

transmitting the another video communication to the first other user.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the user is an independent actor that can independently form groups and subgroups with any of the plurality of other users that are in the instant ready-on mode of communication with the user.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the user is an independent actor that can independently add himself to an existing subgroup to communicate with users belonging to the existing subgroup.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein the user is an independent actor that can independently add himself to an existing group to communicate with users belonging to the existing group.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the user is an independent actor that can independently leave groups and subgroups.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

upgrading to an intermediate mode of communication between the user and a group of the plurality of other users; and

providing the user with a periodically updated image of each user in the group.

41. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising

maintaining a user in an instant ready-on mode of communication with a plurality of other users, wherein the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to receive a communication from one of the plurality of other users via a pre-existing communication link between the user and the one of the plurality of other users;

maintaining the user in an intermediate mode of communication with a first group that includes a first subset of the plurality of other users;

maintaining the user in an active mode of communication with a subgroup that includes one or more of the users in the first group;

receiving a first communication using the intermediate mode of communication;

receiving a second communication using the active mode of communication;

determining if a conflict exists between the first communication and the second communication; and

in response to determining that a conflict exists, providing the first communication to the user in a less interruptive manner.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the user is concurrently maintained in the instant ready-on mode of communication, the intermediate mode of communication and the active mode of communication.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the plurality of other users includes users beyond those that are displayed to the user.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein the instant ready-on mode of communication enables the user to instantly receive a communication from at least one of the plurality of other users.

45. The method of claim 41, wherein the maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group comprises:

providing the user with indicators representing communication activity of the users in the first group.

46. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

providing the user with a periodically updated image of each user in the first group as part of maintaining the user in the intermediate mode of communication with the first group; and

providing the user with a live video of each user in the subgroup as part of maintaining the user in the active mode of communication with the subgroup, wherein;

the user is concurrently maintained in the intermediate mode of communication and the active mode of communication; and

the live videos are provided concurrently with the periodically updated images.

47. The method of claim 41, wherein the first communication is received in a video medium and the method further comprises:

in response to determining that a conflict exists, the first communications is provided to the user in an audio medium without video.

48. The method of claim 41, wherein the first communication is received in an audio medium and the method further comprises:

in response to determining that a conflict exists, the first communication is provided to the user in a text medium.

49. The method of claim 48, further comprising:

transcribing the first communication from the audio medium to the text medium.

50. The method of claim 41, further comprising:

in response to determining that a conflict exists, delaying the first communication until the second communication has been provided to the user.

51. A system for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the system comprising:

a plurality of user devices that comprises;

a first user device;

a group of user devices in an intermediate mode of communication with the first user device; and

a subgroup of user devices in an active mode of communication with the first user device, wherein;

the subgroup includes one or more of the users in the group; and

the first user device is in an instant ready-on mode of communication with the other user devices in the plurality.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the first user device comprises communications circuitry that communicates with the other user devices in the plurality; and

the communications circuitry receives presence information from each of the other user devices.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the communications circuitry maintains a communication link between the first user device and any other user devices in the plurality.

54. The system of claim 52, wherein the communications circuitry receives contextual communications from each user device in the group.

55. The system of claim 52, wherein the communications circuitry receives a periodically updated image from each user device in the group.

56. The system of claim 51, wherein the contextual communications have a degraded quality.

57. The system of claim 52, wherein the communications circuitry receives live video communications from each user device in the subgroup.

58. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the first user device comprises a display; and

the display provides an indication of at least some, but not all, of the plurality of user devices.

59. The system of claim 58, wherein the display provides intermittent video communications from each user device in the group.

60. The system of claim 58, wherein the display provides live video communications from each user in the subgroup.

61. The system of claim 51, wherein:

the first user device comprises a camera that captures video;

the first user device comprises communications circuitry that transmits live video to each user device in the subgroup.

62. The system of claim 51, further comprising:

a server in communication with the plurality of user devices.

63. A system for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the system comprising:

a plurality of user devices that comprises;

a first user device;

a group of user devices in an intermediate mode of communication with the first user device; and

a subgroup of user devices in an active mode of communication with the first user device, wherein;

the subgroup includes one or more of the users in the group;

the first user device is in an instant ready-on mode of communication with the other user devices in the plurality; and

the first user device comprises;

communications circuitry that receives both a first communication using the intermediate mode and a second communication using the active mode; and

a processor, electrically coupled to the communications circuitry, that determines if a conflict exists between the first communication and the second communication.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the first user device further comprises:

an output interface, electrically coupled to the processor, that provides the first communication to the user in a less interruptive manner in response to determining that a conflict exists.

65. The system of claim 63, wherein the first user device further comprises:

a display, electrically coupled to the processor, that concurrently provides both periodically updated images received from the user devices in the group and live video received from the user devices in the subgroup.

66. The system of claim 63, wherein the processor converts the first communication to a different medium in response to determining that a conflict exists.