Techniques to remotely manage a multimedia conference event

• US 9,201,527 B2
• Filed: 04/04/2008
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kripalani, Amit, Tripathi, Ashutosh, Tanesheri, Namit Sethumathavan
• Primary Examiner(s): YI, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US12/062,536
• Publication Number:
  US 20090254839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,797 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 715/753
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0384 Wireless input, i.e. hardware and software details of wireless interface arrangements for pointing devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0231 Cordless keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0383 Signal control means within the pointing device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• 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: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Techniques to remotely manage a multimedia conference event are described. An apparatus may comprise a mobile remote control having a communications component operative to establish a wireless connection between a mobile remote control and a multimedia conference server hosting a multimedia conference event. The mobile remote control may include a mobile remote control component communicatively coupled to the communications component, the mobile remote control component operative to manage the multimedia conference event from the mobile remote control by communicating control information and media information with the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event over the wireless connection. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a wireless connection between a mobile remote control and a multimedia conference server hosting a multimedia conference event;

managing, from the mobile remote control, one or more media resources provided by the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event, by communicating control information and media information with the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event over the wireless connection using a pull model, where the control information or the media information is pulled from the multimedia conference server when the mobile remote control is ready to receive the control information or the media information;

generating grammar for context related voice commands; and

updating a context-sensitive toolbar of a graphical user interface (GUI) view on a display of the mobile remote control based on a current context for the multimedia conference event.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising generating control directives for the multimedia conference server from operator input commands received from a GUI module.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising managing the multimedia conference event from the mobile remote control using operator voice commands.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising generating control directives for the multimedia conference server from operator voice commands received from an audio interface module.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising mapping client control directives from the mobile remote control to server control directives for the multimedia conference server.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising parsing control directives for the mobile remote control received from the multimedia conference server.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising mapping server control directives from the multimedia conference server to client control directives for the mobile remote control.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising reproducing narrations for media content received from the multimedia conference server.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising generating grammar for context related voice commands at run time for media content currently being viewed by an operator.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising displaying media content received from the multimedia conference server in a preview pane of the GUI view.

11. An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory storage medium containing instructions that if executed enable a system to:

establish a wireless connection between a mobile remote control and a multimedia conference server hosting a multimedia conference event;

manage, from the mobile remote control, one or more media resources provided by the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event, by communicating control information and media information with the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event over the wireless connection using a pull model, where the control information or the media information is pulled from the multimedia conference server when the mobile remote control is ready to receive the control information or the media information;

generate grammar for context related voice commands;

update a voice commands shell of an audio interface with the grammar; and

update a context-sensitive toolbar of a graphical user interface (GUI) view on a display of the mobile remote control based on a current context for the multimedia conference event.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to map client control directives from the mobile remote control to server control directives for the multimedia conference server, and server control directives from the multimedia conference server to client control directives for the mobile remote control.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to manage the multimedia conference event from the mobile remote control using operator voice commands.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 11, further comprising instructions that if executed enable the system to generate control directives for the multimedia conference server from operator voice commands received from an audio interface module.

15. A mobile remote control, comprising:

a display;

a communications component operative to establish a wireless connection between a mobile remote control and a multimedia conference server hosting a multimedia conference event;

a mobile remote control component communicatively coupled to the communications component and the display, the mobile remote control component operative to manage, from the mobile remote control, one or more media resources provided by the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event, by communicating control information and media information with the multimedia conference server for the multimedia conference event over the wireless connection using a pull model, where the control information or the media information is pulled from the multimedia conference server when the mobile remote control is ready to receive the control information or the media information, the mobile remote control component comprising a dynamic toolbar customizer module operative to update a context-sensitive toolbar of a graphical user interface (GUI) view on the display based on a current context for the multimedia conference event, the mobile remote control component comprising a dynamic grammar generator module to generate a grammar for context related voice commands; and

a processor implementing one or both of the communications component or the mobile remote control component.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the mobile remote control component comprising a command generator module operative to generate control directives for the multimedia conference server from operator input commands or operator voice commands.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the mobile remote control component comprising a remote user interface module, the remote user interface module including a graphical user interface module operative to receive operator input commands and display media content from the multimedia conference server in the GUI view.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, the mobile remote control component comprising a remote user interface module, the remote user interface module including an audio interface module operative to receive operator voice commands, and reproduce narrations for media content received from the multimedia conference server.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, the mobile remote control component comprising a command parser module operative to parse control directives for the mobile remote control received from the multimedia conference server.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, the display comprising a touch screen display, the touch screen display operative to display media content received from the multimedia conference server in a preview pane of the GUI view.