System and method for affinity based switching

• US 9,338,396 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kanniappan, Senthil K., Lian, TiongHu, Aggarwal, Tanu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohammed, Assad
• Application Number:
  US13/229,451
• Publication Number:
  US 20130063544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,705 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.08
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An example method may include displaying first image data associated with a first participant on a first screen; comparing a first affinity associated with the first participant to a second affinity associated with a second participant; and displaying second image data associated with the second participant on a second screen if the second affinity matches the first affinity. In certain implementations, the first data is displayed as a result of the first participant being an active speaker in a videoconference. The method may also include determining the first affinity and the second affinity based on corresponding uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the first affinity and the second affinity.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

coordinating image data that is generated on a plurality of screens based on an affinity of an active speaker in a videoconference, wherein the plurality of screens includes at least a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen, and wherein the videoconference includes a plurality of participants;

generating first image data associated with a first participant to display on the first screen, wherein the first participant is the active speaker;

when it is detected that a second participant replaces the first participant as the active speaker;

comparing a second affinity associated with the second participant to each of a plurality of affinities associated with corresponding ones of the plurality of participants to identify which participants of the plurality of participants have the affinity of the active speaker, wherein the second affinity and each of the plurality of affinities comprises a department in a company in which each of the associated participants is employed;

comparing a number of screens in the plurality of screens to a number of endpoints associated with participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

when it is determined that the number of screens is greater than the number of endpoints associated with the participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

maintaining the first image data associated with the first participant on the first screen based on the first participant having most recently been the active speaker, and

generating additional image data associated with at least one of the participants having the affinity of the active speaker to display on each of the second screen and the third screen; and

when it is determined that the number of screens is less than or equal to than the number of endpoints associated with participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

generating the additional image data associated with the at least one of the participants having the affinity of the active speaker to display on each of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen, wherein the first image data associated with the first participant is replaced by the additional image data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first affinity and the second affinity based on corresponding uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the first affinity and the second affinity.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a first URI from the first participant and a second URI from the second participant;

accessing a URI table that includes associations between affinities and corresponding URIs; and

determining, from the URI table, the first affinity corresponding to the first URI and the second affinity corresponding to the second URI.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the first affinity of the first participant and the second affinity of the second participant from respective profiles of the first participant and the second participant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein user preferences are accessed in order to generate additional image data associated with other participants of a videoconference.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first participant and the second participant are identified using a face recognition protocol.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein predefined associations between the first participant and the second participant are stored in a database and used as a basis for generating particular image data.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining an affinity of each of the plurality of participants based on a location from which they join the videoconference and a phone number from which they join the videoconference.

8. Logic encoded in non-transitory media that includes instructions for execution and when executed by a processor operable to perform operations comprising:

coordinating image data that is generated on a plurality of screens based on an affinity of an active speaker in a videoconference, wherein the plurality of screens includes at least a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen, and wherein the videoconference includes a plurality of participants;

generating first image data associated with a first participant to display on the first screen, wherein the first participant is the active speaker;

when it is detected that a second participant replaces the first participant as the active speaker;

comparing a second affinity associated with the second participant to each of a plurality of affinities associated with corresponding ones of the plurality of participants to identify which participants of the plurality of participants have the affinity of the active speaker, wherein the second affinity and each of the plurality of affinities comprises a department in a company in which each of the associated participants is employed;

comparing a number of screens in the plurality of screens to a number of endpoints associated with participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

when it is determined that the number of screens is greater than the number of endpoints associated with the participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

maintaining the first image data associated with the first participant on the first screen based on the first participant having most recently been the active speaker, and

generating additional image data associated with at least one of the participants having the affinity of the active speaker to display on each of the second screen and the third screen; and

when it is determined that the number of screens is less than or equal to than the number of endpoints associated with participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

generating the additional image data associated with the at least one of the participants having the affinity of the active speaker to display on each of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen, wherein the first image data associated with the first participant is replaced by the additional image data.

9. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining the first affinity and the second affinity based on corresponding uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the first affinity and the second affinity.

10. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

receiving a first URI from the first participant and a second URI from the second participant;

accessing a URI table that includes associations between affinities and corresponding URIs; and

determining, from the URI table, the first affinity corresponding to the first URI and the second affinity corresponding to the second URI.

11. The logic of claim 8, wherein the first participant and the second participant are identified using a face recognition protocol.

12. The logic of claim 8, wherein predefined associations between the first participant and the second participant are stored in a database and used as a basis for generating particular image data.

19. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

determining an affinity of each of the plurality of participants based on a location from which they join the videoconference and a phone number from which they join the videoconference.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor and operable to execute instructions such that the apparatus is configured for;

coordinating image data that is generated on a plurality of screens based on an affinity of an active speaker in a videoconference, wherein the plurality of screens includes at least a first screen, a second screen, and a third screen, and wherein the videoconference includes a plurality of participants;

generating first image data associated with a first participant to display on the first screen, wherein the first participant is the active speaker;

when it is detected that a second participant replaces the first participant as the active speaker;

comparing a second affinity associated with the second participant to each of a plurality of affinities associated with corresponding ones of the plurality of participants to identify which participants of the plurality of participants have the affinity of the active speaker, wherein the second affinity and each of the plurality of affinities comprises a department in a company in which each of the associated participants is employed;

comparing a number of screens in the plurality of screens to a number of endpoints associated with participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

when it is determined that the number of screens is greater than the number of endpoints associated with the participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

maintaining the first image data associated with the first participant on the first screen based on the first participant having most recently been the active speaker, and

generating additional image data associated with at least one of the participants having the affinity of the active speaker to display on each of the second screen and the third screen; and

when it is determined that the number of screens is less than or equal to than the number of endpoints associated with participants having the affinity of the active speaker;

generating the additional image data associated with the at least one of the participants having the affinity of the active speaker to display on each of the first screen, the second screen, and the third screen, wherein the first image data associated with the first participant is replaced by the additional image data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

determining the first affinity and the second affinity based on corresponding uniform resource indicators (URIs) associated with the first affinity and the second affinity.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

receiving a first URI from the first participant and a second URI from the second participant;

accessing a URI table that includes associations between affinities and corresponding URIs; and

determining, from the URI table, the first affinity corresponding to the first URI and the second affinity corresponding to the second URI.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first participant and the second participant are identified using a face recognition protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein predefined associations between the first participant and the second participant are stored in a database and used as a basis for generating particular image data.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the apparatus is further configured for:

determining an affinity of each of the plurality of participants based on a location from which they join the videoconference and a phone number from which they join the videoconference.