System and method for controlling audio in a multi-user meeting

• US 8,917,846 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Lachapelle, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): ISLAM, MOHAMMAD K
• Application Number:
  US13/361,279
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.11, 340/825.49, 340/995.1, 340/309.16, 340/10.1, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

A system and method for controlling audio in a multi-user meeting is provided. The method may include determining, using the one or more processing devices, that a group video conferencing device is associated with a multi-user video conference. The method may further include determining, using the one or more computing devices, whether a user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in a geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device. The method may also include, when the user is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, automatically activating, using the one or more computing devices, a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the user located in the geographical location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, executing on one or more computing devices, said method comprising:

determining, using the one or more processing devices, that a group video conferencing device is associated with a multi-user video conference;

determining, using the one or more computing devices, whether a user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in a geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device; and

when the user is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, automatically activating, using the one or more computing devices, a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the user located in the geographical location.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether one or more additional users associated with the multi-user video conference are located in the geographical location; and

when the one or more additional users is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, automatically activating, using the one or more computing devices, a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the one or more additional users located in the geographical location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device comprises, at least in part, determining that a calendar entry for the user indicates that the user is scheduled to be located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device comprises, at least in part, determining that the computing device associated with the user is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein determining that the computing device associated with the user is located in the geographical location comprises, at least in part, global positioning systems, near-field communication, bar code scan in, radio frequency identification, Bluetooth, ultra-wide band, and Wi-Fi.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the multi-user video conference includes a plurality of users'"'"' computing devices located in one geographical location.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the multi-user video conference is enabled, based upon, at least in part, a group video conferencing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling at least one of the microphone and the speaker associated with the user'"'"'s computer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, using the one of more computing devices, the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

10. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that a group video conferencing device is associated with a multi-user video conference;

determining whether a user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in a geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device; and

when the user is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, automatically activating a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the user located in the geographical location.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein operations further comprise:

determining whether one or more additional users associated with the multi-user video conference are located in the geographical location; and

when the one or more additional users is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, automatically activating, using the one or more computing devices, a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the one or more additional users located in the geographical location.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein determining whether the user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device comprises, at least in part, determining that a calendar entry for the user indicates that the user is scheduled to be located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein determining whether the user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device comprises, at least in part, determining that the computing device associated with the user is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein determining that the computing device associated with the user is located in the geographical location comprises, at least in part, global positioning systems, near-field communication, bar code scan in, radio frequency identification, Bluetooth, ultra-wide band, and Wi-Fi.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the multi-user video conference includes a plurality of users'"'"' computing devices located in one geographical location.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the multi-user video conference is enabled, based upon, at least in part, a group video conferencing device.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein operations further comprise:

disabling at least one of the microphone and the speaker associated with the user'"'"'s computer.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein operations further comprise:

determining, using the one of more computing devices, the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

19. A computing system comprising:

one or more processors configured to determine that a group video conferencing device is associated with a multi-user video conference, the one or more processors being further configured to determine whether a user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in a geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device, when the user is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, the one or more processors being further configured to automatically activate a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the user located in the geographical location.

20. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine whether one or more additional users associated with the multi-user video conference are located in the geographical location, when the one or more additional users is located in the geographic location of the group video conferencing device, the one or more processors being further configured to automatically activate a no-audio mode for a computing device associated with the one or more additional users located in the geographical location.

21. The computing system of claim 19, wherein determining whether the user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device comprises, at least in part, one or more processors configured to determine that a calendar entry for the user indicates that the user is scheduled to be located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

22. The computing system of claim 19, wherein determining whether the user associated with the multi-user video conference is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device comprises, at least in part, one or more processors configured to determine that the computing device associated with the user is located in the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.

23. The computing system of claim 22, wherein determining that the computing device associated with the user is located in the geographical location comprises, at least in part, global positioning systems, near-field communication, bar code scan in, radio frequency identification, Bluetooth, ultra-wide band, and Wi-Fi.

24. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the multi-user video conference includes a plurality of users'"'"' computing devices located in one geographical location.

25. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the multi-user video conference is enabled, based upon, at least in part, a group video conferencing device.

26. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to disable at least one of the microphone and the speaker associated with the user'"'"'s computer.

27. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the geographical location associated with the group video conferencing device.