Automatically customizing a conferencing system based on proximity of a participant

• US 8,842,153 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2011
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Ranganath, Prithvi, Belur, Raghuram, Lakshmipathy, Sandeep, Goyal, Ashish, Shanmukhadas, Binu Kaiparambil
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US13/194,655
• Publication Number:
  US 20110279631A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,152 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1408
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/565 relating to time schedule aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• 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

Customizing a conferencing system based on proximity of a participant. A first participant may be detected as being proximate to a first conferencing system. For example, the first participant may provide user input to check in to the first conferencing system. Alternatively, the conferencing system may automatically detect the first participant (e.g., by automatically detecting a personal device of the first participant). In response to detecting the proximate participant, the first conferencing system may be automatically customized for the participant.

Claims

1. A non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium storing program instructions for customizing a conferencing system for a participant, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

detect a first participant is in proximity to a first conferencing system;

determine that the first participant has an upcoming conference scheduled, wherein the conference is associated with a second conferencing system;

automatically customize the first conferencing system based on detecting the first participant is in proximity to the first conferencing system, wherein said automatically customizing comprises automatically associating the upcoming conference with the first conferencing system, wherein after said automatically associating, the first conferencing system is configured to perform the upcoming conference.

2. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said detecting the first participant comprises receiving user input from the first participant to check in to the first conferencing system.

3. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said detecting the first participant is performed automatically.

4. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said detecting the first participant is performed automatically and comprises automatically detecting a personal device of the first participant is in proximity to the first conferencing system.

5. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said customizing the first conferencing system comprises:

automatically downloading content associated with the first participant to the first conferencing system from a server.

6. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said customizing the first conferencing system comprises:

the first conferencing system loading a contact list associated with the first participant.

7. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said customizing the first conferencing system comprises:

the first conferencing system loading a conference schedule associated with the first participant.

8. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 1, wherein said customizing the first conferencing system comprises:

the first conferencing system loading conference settings associated with the first participant.

9. The non-transitory, computer accessible memory medium of claim 8, wherein the conference settings comprise one or more of:

recording settings;

camera settings;

layout settings;

or

presentation settings.

10. A method for customizing a videoconferencing system for a participant, comprising:

detecting a first participant is in proximity to a first videoconferencing system;

determining that the first participant has an upcoming conference scheduled, wherein the conference is associated with a second conferencing system;

automatically customizing the first videoconferencing system based on detecting the first participant is in proximity to the first videoconferencing system, wherein said automatically customizing comprises automatically associating the upcoming conference with the first conferencing system, wherein after said automatically associating, the first conferencing system is configured to perform the upcoming conference.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said detecting the first participant comprises receiving user input from the first participant to check in to the first videoconferencing system.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said detecting the first participant is performed automatically.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said detecting the first participant is performed automatically and comprises automatically detecting a personal device of the first participant is in proximity to the first videoconferencing system.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said customizing the first videoconferencing system comprises:

automatically downloading content associated with the first participant from a server.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said customizing the first videoconferencing system comprises:

loading a contact list associated with the first participant.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein said customizing the first videoconferencing system comprises:

loading a videoconference schedule associated with the first participant.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein said customizing the first videoconferencing system comprises:

loading videoconference settings associated with the first participant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the videoconference settings comprise one or more of:

recording settings;

camera settings;

layout settings;

or

presentation settings.

19. A videoconferencing system, comprising:

a videoconferencing unit at a participant location;

at least one display coupled to the videoconferencing unit, wherein the at least one display is configured to provide video corresponding to other participant locations during a videoconference;

at least one audio output coupled to the videoconferencing unit, wherein the at least one audio output is configured to provide audio corresponding to the other participant locations during the videoconference;

at least one video input coupled to the videoconferencing unit, wherein the at least one video input is configured to capture video of the participant location for provision to the other participant locations;

at least one audio input coupled to the videoconferencing unit, wherein the at least one audio input is configured to capture audio of the participant location for provision to the other participant locations;

wherein the videoconference unit is configured to;

detect a first participant is in proximity to a videoconferencing system;

determine that the first participant has an upcoming conference scheduled, wherein the conference is associated with a second videoconferencing system;

automatically customize the videoconferencing system based on detecting the first participant is in proximity to the videoconferencing system, wherein automatically customizing comprises automatically associating the upcoming conference with the videoconferencing system, wherein after automatically associating, the videoconferencing system is configured to perform the upcoming conference.

20. The videoconferencing system of claim 19, wherein said detecting the first participant comprises receiving user input from the first participant to check in to the videoconferencing system.

21. The videoconferencing system of claim 19, wherein said detecting the first participant is performed automatically.

22. The videoconferencing system of claim 19, wherein said detecting the first participant is performed automatically and comprises automatically detecting a personal device of the first participant is in proximity to the videoconferencing system.

23. The videoconferencing system of claim 19, wherein said customizing the videoconferencing system comprises:

automatically downloading content associated with the first participant from a server.