Managing nodes of a synchronous communication conference

• US 8,754,926 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2011
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gossweiler, Rich, Gargi, Ullas
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US13/306,771
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/14.01, 370/260
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system and methods for managing nodes of a synchronous communication conference are disclosed. In some embodiments, the system includes one or more processors that receive a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node. The one or more processors generate a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node and transmit the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node.

Claims

1. A method for managing nodes of a synchronous communication conference executing on one or more computing devices, said method comprising:

receiving a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node;

generating a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node;

transmitting the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node;

muting the first synchronous communication data stream designated for the first conferencing node based at least in part on the mute request and a mute authorization response;

receiving an un-mute request to un-mute the first synchronous communication data stream;

transmitting the un-mute request to one or more of the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node;

receiving an un-mute authorization response from one or more of the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node; and

un-muting the first synchronous communication data stream based at least in part on the un-mute request and the un-mute authorization response.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the mute authorization response from the third conferencing node; and

transmitting the first synchronous communication data stream to the first conferencing node for presentation by the first conferencing node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first synchronous communication data stream includes synchronous communication data received from the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein muting the first synchronous communication data stream comprises muting an audio component, a video component, or an audio component and a video component of the synchronous communication data received from the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node.

5. The method of claim 2, comprising:

muting a second synchronous communication data stream designated for the second conferencing node and a third synchronous communication data stream designated for the third conferencing node based at least in part on the mute request and the mute authorization response, the second synchronous communication data stream including synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node and the third conferencing node, and the third synchronous communication data stream including synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node and the second conferencing node; and

transmitting the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream for presentation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein muting the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream comprises muting an audio component, a video component, or an audio component and a video component of the synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the mute request includes a request to mute the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream, and the mute authorization response authorizes the mute request.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein users respectively associated with the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node belong to an interconnected group of two or more users in a social network, and the un-mute request is a request for a user associated with the first conferencing node to be connected to the interconnected group of two or more users.

8. A method for managing nodes of a synchronous communication conference executing on one or more computing devices, said method comprising:

receiving a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node;

determining mute parameters for the mute request based at least in part on location-related data included in the mute request, the mute request being an implicit request;

generating a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node;

transmitting the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node;

receiving the mute authorization response from the third conferencing node;

muting the first synchronous communication data stream designated for the first conferencing node based at least in part on the mute parameters, the mute request, and the mute authorization response; and

transmitting the first synchronous communication data stream to the first conferencing node for presentation by the first conferencing node.

10. A non-transient computer-readable medium including computer instructions, which, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node;

generate a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node;

transmit the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node;

mute the first synchronous communication data stream designated for the first conferencing node based at least in part on the mute request and a mute authorization response;

receive an un-mute request to un-mute the first synchronous communication data stream;

transmit the un-mute request to one or more of the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node;

receive an un-mute authorization response from one or more of the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node; and

un-mute the first synchronous communication data stream based at least in part on the un-mute request and the un-mute authorization response.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, comprising computer instructions, which, when executed on the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive the mute authorization response from the third conferencing node;

transmit the first synchronous communication data stream to the first conferencing node for presentation by the first conferencing node.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the first synchronous communication data stream includes synchronous communication data received from the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein to mute the first synchronous communication data stream comprises muting an audio component, a video component, or an audio component and a video component of the synchronous communication data received from the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 11, comprising computer instructions, which, when executed on the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

mute a second synchronous communication data stream designated for the second conferencing node and a third synchronous communication data stream designated for the third conferencing node based at least in part on the mute request and the mute authorization response, the second synchronous communication data stream including synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node and the third conferencing node, and the third synchronous communication data stream including synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node and the second conferencing node; and

transmit the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream for presentation.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein to mute the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream comprises muting an audio component, a video component, or an audio component and a video component of the synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the mute request includes a request to mute the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream, and the mute authorization response authorizes the mute request.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein users respectively associated with the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node belong to an interconnected group of two or more users in a social network, and the un-mute request is a request for a user associated with the first conferencing node to be connected to the interconnected group of two or more users.

17. A non-transient computer-readable medium including computer instructions, which, when executed on one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node;

determine mute parameters for the mute request based at least in part on location-related data included in the mute request, the mute request being an implicit request;

generate a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node;

transmit the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node;

receive the mute authorization response from the third conferencing node;

mute the first synchronous communication data stream designated for the first conferencing node based at least in part on the mute parameters, the mute request, and a mute authorization response; and

transmit the first synchronous communication data stream to the first conferencing node for presentation by the first conferencing node.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors, said processors being configured to;

receive a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node;

generate a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node;

transmit the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node;

mute the first synchronous communication data stream designated for the first conferencing node based at least in part on the mute request and a mute authorization response;

receive an un-mute request to un-mute the first synchronous communication data stream;

transmit the un-mute request to one or more of the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node;

receive an un-mute authorization response from one or more of the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node; and

un-mute the first synchronous communication data stream based at least in part on the un-mute request and the un-mute authorization response.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

receive the mute authorization response from the third conferencing node; and

transmit the first synchronous communication data stream to the first conferencing node for presentation by the first conferencing node.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the first synchronous communication data stream includes synchronous communication data received from the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein to mute the first synchronous communication data stream comprises muting an audio component, a video component, or an audio component and a video component of the synchronous communication data received from the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:

mute a second synchronous communication data stream designated for the second conferencing node and a third synchronous communication data stream designated for the third conferencing node based at least in part on the mute request and the mute authorization response, the second synchronous communication data stream including synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node and the third conferencing node, and the third synchronous communication data stream including synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node and the second conferencing node; and

transmit the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream for presentation.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein to mute the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream comprises muting an audio component, a video component, or an audio component and a video component of the synchronous communication data received from the first conferencing node.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the mute request includes a request to mute the second synchronous communication data stream and the third synchronous communication data stream, and the mute authorization response authorizes the mute request.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein users respectively associated with the second conferencing node and the third conferencing node belong to an interconnected group of two or more users in a social network, and the un-mute request is a request for a user associated with the first conferencing node to be connected to the interconnected group of two or more users.

26. A system comprising:

one or more processors, said processors being configured to;

receive a mute request from a second conferencing node to mute a first synchronous communication data stream designated for transmission to a first conferencing node;

determine mute parameters for the mute request based at least in part on location-related data included in the mute request, the mute request being an implicit request;

generate a mute authorization request for requesting authorization for the mute request from a third conferencing node;

transmit the mute authorization request to the third conferencing node for display by the third conferencing node;

receive the mute authorization response from the third conferencing node;

mute the first synchronous communication data stream designated for the first conferencing node based at least in part on the mute parameters, the mute request, and the mute authorization response; and

transmit the first synchronous communication data stream to the first conferencing node for presentation by the first conferencing node.