Systems and methods to duplicate audio and visual views in a conferencing system

• US 9,094,572 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Bentley, Jon Louis, Krishnan, Parameshwaran, Tarle, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US13/786,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A conferencing system includes an authentication module for establishing a communication session. The communication session includes a communication interface to a plurality of participants. The conferencing system further includes a selection module for letting a participant select a leader among the plurality of participants. The conferencing system further includes a duplication module configured to provide audio and visual views of the communication session to the participant based upon audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader. The conferencing system further includes a recording module for storing a history of actions made by the leader in the conferencing system and letting the participant view the history of actions made by the leader and reach a present state of audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader.

Claims

1. A conferencing system, comprising:

an authentication module configured to establish a communication session, the communication session having a plurality of participants;

a selection module configured to let a participant select a leader among the plurality of participants; and

a duplication module configured to provide audio and visual views of the communication session to the participant based upon audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader and at least one other participant of the plurality of the participants simultaneously.

2. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the authentication module is configured to check authenticity of the plurality of the participants based upon login information provided by the plurality of participants.

3. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the leader is a presenter of the communication session.

4. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the selection module is configured to let the plurality of participants to select their leader during the communication session.

5. The conferencing system of claim 4, wherein the duplication module is configured to provide audio and visual views of the communication session to the participant based upon audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the changed leader.

6. The conferencing system of claim 1, wherein the duplication module is configured to synchronize the audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the participant with the audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the chosen leader.

7. The conferencing system of claim 1, further comprising a recording module configured to continuously store a history of selections made by the leader in the conferencing system.

8. The conferencing system of claim 1, further comprising a recording module configured to continuously store a history of user actions performed by the leader in the conferencing system.

9. The conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the recording module is configured to let the participant view the history of selections made by the leader.

10. The conferencing system of claim 8, wherein the recording module is configured to let the participant view the history of user actions performed by the leader in the conferencing system.

11. The conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the recording module is configured to let the participant reach a present state of audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader.

12. A computer-implemented method for sharing audio and visual views in a communication session, comprising:

establishing a communication session, the communication session having a plurality of participants;

enabling a participant to select a leader among the plurality of participants; and

providing audio and visual views of the communication session to the participant based upon audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader and at least one other participant of the plurality of the participants simultaneously.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the establishing comprises checking authenticity of the plurality of participants based upon login information provided by the plurality of participants.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising enabling the plurality of participants to change their leader during the communication session.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, further comprising providing audio and visual views of the communication session to the participant based upon audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the changed leader.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the providing comprises synchronizing the audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the participant with the audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the chosen leader.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising continuously storing a history of selections made by the leader.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising enabling the participant to view the history of selections made by the leader.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, further comprising enabling the participant to reach a present state of audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer readable instructions when executed by a processor perform a method comprising:

establishing a communication session, the communication session having a plurality of participants;

enabling a participant to select a leader among the plurality of participants; and

providing audio and visual views of the communication session to the participant based upon audio and visual views of the communication session associated with the leader and at least one other participant of the plurality of the participants simultaneously.