Apparatus, system and method for a web-based interactive video platform

• US 9,165,073 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2010
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxology Integrations Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Shoutpoint Incorporated
• Inventors: Kiraz, Robert, Dekeratry, Edward, Serlin, Ian, O'Daniel, Cory
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xiao, Di
• Application Number:
  US12/858,091
• Publication Number:
  US 20110093784A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,890 Days
• Field of Search: 715/715, 715/753, 715/719
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

An apparatus, a system, a method and a computer program product are provided. The system includes a controller configured to broadcast a web-based meeting between a first user and a second user. The system further includes a graphical user interface configured to display the broadcasted web-based meeting. The controller is configured to receive a request from the first user through the graphical user interface. The request includes one of a text question, a recorded video question and a request from the first user to present a live video question to the second user. The controller is further configured to broadcast the request through the graphical user interface. When the received request includes the request from the first user to present the live video question, the controller is further configured to broadcast the request as a real time video feed of the first user, so that the first user can ask the question in real time and the second user can respond to the first user'"'"'s question in real time.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a controller comprising a processor and a memory, the controller configured to broadcast a web-based meeting between a plurality of audience members and a second user, the plurality of audience members comprising a first user; and

a graphical user interface configured to display the broadcasted web-based meeting,

wherein the controller is configured to;

receive, from the first user through the graphical user interface, a request from the first user to present a live video question to the second user,

broadcast, through the graphical user interface, a real time video feed of the first user, so that the first user can ask the question in real time and the second user can respond to the first user'"'"'s question in real time,

receive, through the graphical user interface, a role assignment command that assigns a third user the role of a screener in the web based meeting,

initiate a private discussion between the first user and the third user so that the third user can screen the first user and the question before the controller broadcasts the real time video feed of the first user, and

provide an annotation to the second user, the annotation being about the first user or the question.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a web-based application that can be embedded on a third-party site or blog using embedded code, wherein the web-based application can be accessed without leaving the page that it is embedded on.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to broadcast, through the graphical user interface, an individual video feed of the first user, the second user and a fourth user that joins the web-based meeting, or multiple video feeds of any combination of users in real time.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first user comprises an attendee of the web-based meeting, and wherein the second user or the fourth user comprises one of a host, a producer, a co-host, a screener, or an editor and an attendee of the web-based meeting.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to broadcast, through the graphical user interface, a list of requests from the first user or any other user that joins the web-based meeting.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to broadcast the received request, when the third user approves the first user and the video question.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the private discussion comprises a video interaction between the first user and the third user.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the private discussion comprises an off-line meeting.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein, prior to the third user being assigned the role of screener, the third user does not have a screener role in the web-based meeting.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the third user is one of the plurality of audience members.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the role assignment command is received from the second user.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the role assignment command is received from a fourth user serving as a producer or co-host on the web-based meeting.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising receiving, through the graphical user interface, a second role assignment command that assigns a fourth user a role during the web-based meeting.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the role assignment command is received during the web-based meeting.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to:

display, before the controller broadcasts the real time video feed of the first user, a thumbnail video of the first user to the second user through the graphical user interface, and

receive, through the graphical user interface, a command to broadcast the real time video feed of the first user to the plurality of audience members on the web-based meeting.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the thumbnail video is visible only to administrators of the web based meeting, the administrators comprising the second user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the thumbnail video is not broadcast to the audience members.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the thumbnail video is displayed after the third user has reviewed the first user and the question.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the command to broadcast the real time video feed of the first user is provided by the second user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the command to broadcast the real time video feed of the first user is provided by selecting the thumbnail.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to broadcast, through the graphical user interface, a list of requests from the first user or any other user that joins the web-based meeting.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to broadcast the received request, when the third user approves the first user and the video question.

23. An apparatus comprising the system of claim 1.

24. A method comprising:

broadcasting, with a controller comprising a processor and a memory, a web based meeting between a plurality of audience members and a second user, the plurality of audience members comprising a first user;

displaying, with a graphical user interface, the broadcasted web-based meeting;

receiving, from the first user through the graphical user interface, a request from the first user to present a live video question to the second user;

broadcasting, through the graphical user interface, a real time video feed of the first user, so that the first user can ask the question in real time and the second user can respond to the first user'"'"'s question in real time;

receiving, through the graphical user interface, a role assignment command that assigns a third user the role of a screener in the web based meeting;

initiating a private discussion between the first user and the third user so that the third user can screen the first user and the question before the controller broadcasts the real time video feed of the first user; and

providing an annotation to the second user, the annotation being about the first user or the question.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving an indication of whether the first user must pay a fee to access the web based meeting.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, in response to the indication being that the first user does not need to pay a fee to access the web based meeting, the controller provides a visual advertisement to the first user through the graphical user interface.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the indication is received from the second user or third user through the graphical interface.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising broadcasting, to the plurality of audience members, a visual advertisement.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the visual advertisement interrupts the web based meeting.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the visual advertisement comprises a video commercial break in the web-based meeting.

31. The method of claim 24, further comprising broadcasting, through the graphical user interface, an individual video feed of the first user, the second user, and a fourth user that joins the web-based meeting, or multiple video feeds of any combination of users in real time.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the first user comprises an attendee of the web-based meeting, and wherein the second user or the fourth user comprises one of a host, a producer, a co-host, or an editor and an attendee of the web-based meeting.

33. The method of claim 31, further comprising broadcasting, through the graphical user interface, a list of requests from the first user or any other user that joins the web based meeting.

34. The method of claim 24, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a web-based application that can be embedded on a third-party site or blog using embedded code, and the web-based application can be accessed without leaving the page that it is embedded on.

35. The method of claim 24, further comprising displaying, before the controller broadcasts the real time video feed of the first user, a thumbnail video of the first user to the second user through the graphical user interface.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising receiving, through the graphical user interface, a command to broadcast the real time video feed of the first user to the plurality of audience members on the web-based meeting.

37. The method of claim 24, further comprising receiving, through the graphical user interface, information related to a plurality of web-based meeting events, the information comprising the time, date and topic for each of the plurality of web-based meeting events.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising creating a webpage for each of the plurality of web-based meeting events based on the information, the webpage displaying the time, date, and topic of the respective web based meeting event.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

creating a profile webpage for one or more of the users;

displaying a lineup on the profile webpage, the lineup comprising the plurality of web-based meeting events; and

broadcasting, at the time and date of each respective web based meeting event, a web-based meeting between the host user and a plurality of attendee users through the graphical user interface.