Methods and systems for visually chronicling a conference session

• US 8,887,068 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2009
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberts, Brian F., Relyea, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WENG, PEI YONG
• Application Number:
  US12/533,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20110029893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,929 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753, 715/759, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An exemplary method includes displaying an interactive collaboration plane along a time axis within a graphical user interface, automatically detecting a plurality of participation events each performed by one of a plurality of participants during a conference session between the plurality of participants, recording a time of occurrence of each of the participation events, and displaying graphical depictions of the participation events within the interactive collaboration plane. The graphical depictions are positioned along the time axis in accordance with the recorded times of occurrence of the participation events. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, by at least one computing device, an interactive collaboration plane along a time axis within a graphical user interface;

automatically detecting, by the least one computing device, a plurality of participation events performed by a plurality of participants during a real-time conference session between the plurality of participants, the real-time conference session including real-time voice communications between the plurality of participants, wherein the automatically detecting of the plurality of participation events comprises automatically detecting a plurality of verbal communications spoken by the plurality of participants during the real time conference session;

associating, by the least one computing device, the plurality of verbal communications with the plurality of participants;

recording, by the least one computing device, a time of occurrence of each of the participation events; and

displaying, by the least one computing device, graphical depictions of the participation events within the interactive collaboration plane by including, within the interactive collaboration pane, pictures of the participants associated with the verbal communications and a plurality of arrows each having a length representative of a duration of one of the verbal communications;

wherein the graphical depictions are positioned along the time axis in accordance with the recorded times of occurrence of the participation events.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical depictions are configured to visually chronicle the real-time conference session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the automatically detecting comprises

detecting a first verbal communication spoken by a first participant within the plurality of participants; and

detecting a second verbal communication spoken by a second participant within the plurality of participants; and

the displaying comprises

displaying, within the interactive collaboration pane at a first location corresponding to a recorded time of the first verbal communication, a first picture of the first participant and a first arrow having a length representative of a duration of the first verbal communication, and

displaying, within the interactive collaboration pane at a second location corresponding to a recorded time of the second verbal communication, a second picture of the second participant and a second arrow having a length representative of a duration of the second verbal communication.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising transcribing at least one word included within the plurality of verbal communications, and displaying a depiction of the at least one word within the interactive collaboration pane.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of participation events comprises a providing of an electronic file by one of the plurality of participants for access by one or more of the plurality of participants.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the displaying of the graphical depictions comprises displaying a graphical object representative of the electronic file within the interactive collaboration plane.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of participation events comprises a behavioral action performed by one of the plurality of participants.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of participation events comprises an inputting of a text note by one of the plurality of participants, and wherein the displaying of the graphical depictions comprises displaying a graphical object representative of the text note within the interactive collaboration plane.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the graphical depictions comprises one or more selectable graphical objects, wherein each of the selectable graphical objects is configured to provide access to additional information associated with one or more of the participation events when selected.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the interactive collaboration plane comprises displaying the interactive collaboration plane in a three-dimensional view, and wherein the method further comprises transitioning the interactive collaboration plane from the three-dimensional view into a two-dimensional view in response to a viewer input command.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the graphical depictions within the collaboration plane in real-time as the participation events occur during the real-time conference session.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording one or more of the participation events for playback in response to a viewer selection of one or more of the graphical depictions.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising concurrently displaying the interactive collaboration plane on a plurality of real-time conference session access devices each accessible by at least one of the plurality of participants.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical depictions each comprise at least one graphical object representative of one of the participation events.

15. A system comprising:

at least one computing device including a processor and comprising;

a detection facility that directs the processor to

automatically detect a plurality of participation events each performed by one of a plurality of participants during a real-time conference session between the plurality of participants, the real-time conference session including real-time voice communications between the plurality of participants, wherein the detection facility is configured to automatically detect the plurality of participation events by automatically detecting a plurality of verbal communications spoken by the plurality of participants during the real-time conference session;

associate the plurality of verbal communications with the plurality of participants, and

record a time of occurrence of each of the participation events; and

a display facility selectively and communicatively coupled to the detection facility and that directs the processor to

display an interactive collaboration plane along a time axis within a graphical user interface,

display graphical depictions of the participation events within the interactive collaboration plane by including, within the interactive collaboration pane, pictures of the participants associated with the verbal communications and a plurality of arrows each having a length representative of a duration of one of the verbal communications, and

position the graphical depictions along the time axis in accordance with the recorded times of occurrence of the participation events.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the plurality of participation events comprises a behavioral action performed by one of the plurality of participants.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the detection facility directs the processor to automatically detect the plurality of participation events by

detecting a first verbal communication spoken by a first participant within the plurality of participants, and

detecting a second verbal communication spoken by a second participant within the plurality of participants; and

the display facility directs the processor to display the graphical depictions by

displaying, within the interactive collaboration pane at a first location corresponding to a recorded time of the first verbal communication, a first picture of the first participant and a first arrow having a length representative of a duration of the first verbal communication, and

displaying, within the interactive collaboration pane at a second location corresponding to a recorded time of the second verbal communication, a second picture of the second participant and a second arrow having a length representative of a duration of the second verbal communication.