Inferred activity based conference enhancement method and system

• US 9,479,730 B1
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Inventors: Noll, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/617,320
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.03, 348/14.09, 348/14.07, 348/14.08, 370/232, 370/264, 370/260, 381/98, 382/166, 704/9, 704/1, 725/37, 726/3, 345/2.3, 379/202.01, 379/406.07, 705/7.21
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90335 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0425 using a single imaging device like a video camera for tracking the absolute position of a single or a plurality of objects with respect to an imaged reference surface, e.g. video camera imaging a display or a projection screen, a table or a wall surface, on which a computer generated image is displayed or projected tracking a projected light spot to determine a position on a display surface G06F3/0386
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A method and system for optimizing conference session activities within a conference space, the system comprising at least a first sensor for sensing session characteristics and a processor receiving the sensed session characteristics and identifying a conference paradigm based on the sensed session characteristics, identifying an action sequence to perform as a function of the conference paradigm and performing the action sequence, wherein the action sequence results in automatic presentation of at least some information to at least a subset of conferees within the conference space.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing conference session activities within a conference space, the system comprising:

at least a first camera having a field of view and generating images of at least a portion of the conference space within the field of view;

a processor linked to the camera for receiving images, the processor programmed to identify conferees within the received images, identify relative juxtapositions of the conferees within the conference space and to identify a conference paradigm based at least in part on the sensed session characteristics;

wherein the step of identifying a conference paradigm includes identifying a paradigm from a set of paradigms including at least a presentation conference paradigm and a content generation conference paradigm.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying a conference paradigm includes identifying a paradigm from a set of paradigms also including at least an evaluation conference paradigm, a co-evaluation conference paradigm and a collaboration conference paradigm.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further programmed to identify an action sequence to perform as a function of the identified conference paradigm and wherein performing the action sequence results in automatic presentation of supplemental content to conferees within the conference space and wherein the supplemental content is different based on which conference paradigm is identified.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further programmed to identify an action sequence to perform as a function of the identified conference paradigm and wherein performing the action sequence results in automatic presentation of supplemental content to conferees within the conference space and wherein the presentation of supplemental content is different based on which conference paradigm is identified.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein at least one large common emissive surface is located within the conference space and wherein presentation of supplemental content includes presenting the supplemental content via the common emissive surface, and wherein the supplemental content is presented in a first manner when a first conference paradigm is identified and is presented in a second manner when a second conference paradigm is identified.

6. A system for optimizing conference session activities within a conference space, the system comprising:

at least a first camera having a field of view and generating images of at least a portion of the conference space within the field of view;

a processor linked to the camera for receiving images, the processor programmed to identify conferees within the received images, identify relative juxtapositions of the conferees within the conference space, to identify a conference paradigm based at least in part on the sensed session characteristics and to identify an action sequence to perform as a function of the identified conference paradigm, the action sequence resulting in automatic presentation of supplemental content to conferees within the conference space and wherein the supplemental content is different based on which conference paradigm is identified;

wherein the step of identifying a conference paradigm includes identifying a paradigm from a set of paradigms including at least a presentation conference paradigm and a content generation conference paradigm.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the action sequence includes formulating a query based at least in part of the identified conference paradigm and at least a subset of the content shared within the conference space by the conferees.