Methods and apparatus for collaboration

• US 8,665,311 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2011
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vbrick Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Vbrick Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Herz, Erik, Uhl, Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US13/029,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20120212570A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 370/260, 370/230, 375/240.01, 379/88.11, 379/88.13, 380/28, 455/466, 600/300, 600/545, 704/208, 705/14.49, 707/770, 709/203, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207, 709/231, 713/323, 715/753, 715/759, 715/751, 725/32, 725/87, 725/88, 725/114, 726/24
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Improved methods and apparatus for sharing and collaborating around a video source by maintaining and providing to users a list of a plurality of contacts containing both video source device contacts and interactive message source contacts. This allows for collaboration among users by permitting them to communicate with each other around an automatically-shared video source, to interact with automatically shared video sources, and to make decisions based on these shared video sources.

Claims

1. A method for messaging collaboration, comprising:

providing a program enabling collaboration among a plurality of users;

maintaining a plurality of contacts for a first user in connection with the program, wherein at least one of the contacts is a non-collaborating device sourcing automatically-shared video and at least one of the contacts is an interactive source of messages; and

providing to the first user a list of said plurality of contacts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one video source device contact and said at least one interactive message source contact are provided without identifying which contact is a video source device and which contact is an interactive message source.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request by the first user to communicate with a video source device contact;

connecting the first user to a shared communication environment associated with said video source device contact, said environment accessible to a plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

displaying within the environment a video feed from the video source device contact.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said displaying of said video feed is synchronized among a plurality of connected users.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an action from the first user interacting with said video feed; and

displaying a response to said action synchronized among a plurality of connected users in active communication with said video source device contact.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing to the first user presence information for at least one of said plurality of contacts.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of contacts are in contact with said first user using a plurality of messaging services.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring at least one of said video source device contacts for a change in metadata associated with said video source device contact;

detecting at least one change in metadata associated with said video source device contact; and

responding to said detected event.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said detected event is an alert event.

10. The method of claim 8, said step of responding comprising:

connecting a plurality of users to a shared communication environment associated with said detected event, said plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

displaying within the environment a video feed from said video source device contact.

11. A device for messaging collaboration, comprising:

a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor wherein the memory comprises program instructions configured to;

maintain a plurality of contacts for a first user in memory, wherein at least one of the contacts is a non-collaborating device sourcing automatically-shared video and at least one of the contacts is an interactive source of messages; and

provide to the first user a list of said plurality of contacts.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein said at least one video source device contact and said at least one interactive message source contact are provided without identifying which contact is a video source device and which contact is an interactive message source.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

programmatically receive a request by the first user to communicate with a video source device contact;

connect the first user to a shared communication environment associated with said video source device contact, said environment accessible to a plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

display within the environment a video feed from the video source device contact.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein said displaying of said video feed is synchronized among a plurality of connected users.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

receive an action from the first user interacting with said video feed; and

display a response to said action synchronized among a plurality of connected users in active communication with video source device contact.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further configured to provide to the first user presence information for at least one of said plurality of contacts.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said plurality of contacts are in contact with said first user using a plurality of messaging services.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

monitor at least one of said video source device contacts for change in metadata associated with said video source device contact;

detect at least one change in metadata associated with said video source device contact; and

respond to said detected event.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said detected event is an alert event.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the program instructions are further configured to:

connect a plurality of users to a shared communication environment associated with said detected event, said plurality of users in active communication with said video source device contact; and

display within the environment a video feed from said video source device contact.

21. A device for messaging collaboration, comprising:

a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor wherein the memory comprises program instructions configured to;

provide an interface between a device sourcing video and a program enabling collaboration among a plurality of users, so that a user receives a list of a plurality of contacts, wherein at least one of the contacts is a non-collaborating device sourcing automatically-shared video and at least one of the contacts is an interactive source of messages.