Systems and methods for facilitating communications amongst multiple users

• US 9,401,937 B1
• Filed: 06/24/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bycer, Eric J
• Application Number:
  US13/925,059
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/41 Higher-level, semantic clustering, classification or understanding of video scenes, e.g. detection, labelling or Markovian modelling of sport events or news items segmenting video sequences G06V20/49
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• 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 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• 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 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

A system can be provided that allows a user of a device to easily navigate through other users connected on a network. More particularly, the system can present or otherwise display indicators representing other users, and can allow a user of the device to manipulate (e.g., via scrolling, panning, gesturing, and the like) the display to traverse through the various indicators. In at least one embodiment, a level or a mode of communication between on the device and the devices represented by the indicators can be modified (e.g., upgraded or downgraded) depending on whether those indicators are currently being displayed in a display area of the device. This can simplify and maintain stability in the management of a large scale system of users.

Claims

1. A method for dynamically displaying a plurality of indicators, the plurality of indicators each representing a respective user, the method comprising:

displaying a first group of indicators on a display of a device, wherein;

the device is in communication with a first group of users in a first mode;

the device is in communication with a second group of users in a second mode;

the first group of users is represented by the first group of indicators;

the second group of users is represented by a second group of indicators; and

each indicator of the first group of indicators includes video communications when in the first mode;

determining that a swipe has been performed on the display of the device;

adjusting, in response to the swipe, the display such that;

the second group of indicators is displayed on the display; and

at least one indicator from the first group of indicators is removed from being displayed on the display;

changing a communication mode between the device and the second group of users from the second mode to the first mode in response to the swipe being performed, wherein each indicator of the second group of indicators includes video communications when changed to be in the first mode; and

changing a communication mode between the device and at least one user, the at least one user corresponding to the at least one indicator from the first group of indicators that was removed from being displayed, from the first mode to the second mode in response to the swipe being performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, during displaying the first group of indicators, the second group of indicators is not displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mode comprises an active mode of communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second mode comprises an instant ready-on mode of communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first group of indicators comprises:

displaying the first group of indicators in a foreground plane of the display; and

displaying the second group of indicators in a background plane of the display, wherein the foreground and background planes are visually distinguishable from each other.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the video communications of each indicator are from that indicator'"'"'s corresponding user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein video communications comprise a video feed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting further comprises:

adjusting such that at least one indicator from the first group of indicators is also displayed with the second group of indicators in response to the swipe being performed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

changing the communication mode between the device and the second group of users from the second mode to the first mode comprises upgrading the second group of users; and

changing the communication mode between the device and the at least one user corresponding to the at least one indicator from the first group of indicators from the first mode to the second mode comprises downgrading the first group of users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing identification information corresponding to a respective user of each displayed indicator.

11. A system for dynamically displaying a plurality of indicators using a device, the plurality of indicators each representing a respective user, the system comprising:

an input component configured to receive user instructions;

a display configured to display indicators;

a communication component configured to communicate with external devices; and

a processor configured to;

instruct the display to display a first group of indicators, wherein each indicator of the first group of indicators includes video communications when in a first mode;

determine that a swipe has been performed on the display;

direct the communication component to;

communicate with a first group of users represented by the first group of indicators in the first mode; and

communicate with a second group of users represented by a second group of indicators in a second mode;

instruct the display to display the second group of indicators in response to the swipe being performed;

instruct the display to remove at least one indicator from the first group of indicators from being displayed on the display; and

direct the communication component to;

communicate with the second group of users in the first mode in response to the swipe being performed, wherein each indicator of the second group of indicators includes video communications when directed to communicate in the first mode; and

communicate with at least one user, the at least one user corresponding to the at least one indicator from the first group of indicators that was removed from being displayed, to the second mode in response to the swipe being performed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, while the display is displaying the first group of indicators, the display is not displaying the second group of indicators.