Conference participant visualization

• US 8,558,868 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2010
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Prentice, Steven Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US12/828,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20120002001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.03, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 370/352, 707/746, 707/812, 709/205, 709/219, 715/239, 715/743, 715/753, 715/781, 725/94, 235/377, 379/202.01, 455/446, 714/47.1, 718/104
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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

Abstract

In one implementation, a conference bridge or a multipoint conference unit (MCU) receives media streams from the endpoints in the conference. The media stream may contain at least one of audio, video, file sharing, or collaboration data. The MCU measures a characteristic in each of a plurality of media streams and calculates statistics based on the individual participation levels of the endpoints. A dynamic participation indicator displayed at the endpoints shows the relative participation levels of the endpoints. For example, the dynamic participation indicator may show the names of the users in a font that changes size and/or location as the participation level changes. In another example, the dynamic participation indicator may show respective videos of the endpoints in a format and/or size that changes as the participation level changes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

measuring, with a processor, a characteristic of an input media stream received from at least one conference participant of a plurality of conference participants;

calculating, with the processor, a statistic from the characteristic of the input media stream over a time period; and

outputting, with the processor, an integrated representation of the at least one conference participant and the statistic in combination with an output media stream for the plurality of conference participants.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic indicates whether the input media stream is active, and the statistic is a percentage of the time period that the input media stream was active.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated representation includes a alphanumeric symbol indicative of the conference participant that changes size, location, or size and location according to the statistic.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the integrated representation includes a video from the input media stream displayed in a video size, a resolution, or a refresh rate according to the statistic.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

measuring, with the processor, a second characteristic of a second input media stream from a second conference participant of the plurality of conference participants;

calculating, with the processor, a second statistic from the characteristic of the second input media stream over the time period; and

outputting, with the processor, a second integrated representation of the second statistic and the second conference participant in combination with the output media stream for the plurality of conference participants.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the integrated representation and the second integrated representation provide a comparison of talk time between the conference participant and the second conference participant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is whether the input media stream is active, and the statistic is selected from the group consisting of an indication of how much time the conference participant is active at the same time as another conference participant, a length of continuous activity by the conference participant, or an indication of how often the conference participant yields to another conference participant.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of an amount of time that the conference participant has shared a document, an amount of time that the conference participant has provided input to a white board, an amount of time that the conference participant has shared a video or presentation, or an amount of instant messages within the conference sent by the conference participant.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is selected from the group consisting of an amount of time that the conference participant has been muted, an amount of time the conference participant has been in an idle state due to inactivity, and an amount of instant messages outside of the conference sent by the conference participant.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a media stream from a source;

a controller configured to calculate at least one statistic from the media stream over a time period, wherein the statistic indicates a participation level of the source; and

an output interface configured to transmit a combined representation of the statistic and the source for display on the source.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the input interface and the output interface are integrated as a single communications interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the characteristic indicates whether the media stream is active, and the statistic is a percentage of the time period that the media stream was active.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the integrated representation includes an alphanumeric symbol indicative of the source that changes size and/or location according to the statistic.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the combined representation includes a video from the media stream displayed in a video size, a resolution, or a refresh rate according to the statistic.

15. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed is operable to:

measure a characteristic in each of a plurality of media streams from a plurality of endpoints;

calculate a statistic of the characteristic in each of the plurality of media streams over a time period;

represent the statistic for each of the plurality of media streams in combination with an alphanumeric representation of the source as a dynamic conference participation symbol; and

output the dynamic conference participation symbol to at least one of the plurality of endpoints.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the characteristic indicates whether the media stream is active, and the statistic is a percentage of the time period that the media stream was active.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the dynamic conference participation symbol includes a plurality of alphanumeric symbols that are indicative of the plurality of endpoints and change size and/or location according to the statistic.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the dynamic conference participation symbol includes a video from the media stream displayed in a video size, a resolution, or a refresh rate according to the statistic.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the characteristic is whether the media stream is active, and the statistic is selected from the group consisting of an indication of how much time an endpoint is active at the same time as another endpoint, a length of continuous activity by the endpoint, or an indication of how often the endpoint yields to another endpoint.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the statistic is selected from the group consisting of an amount of time that an endpoint has shared a document, an amount of time that the endpoint has provided input to a white board, an amount of time that the endpoint has shared a video or presentation, or an amount of instant messages within the conference sent by the endpoint.