Detection of shared content viewed by attendees in online meetings

• US 9,531,768 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2013
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Yi, Ouyang, Hua, Yin, Huahua, Shi, Qi, Luo, Yunwei
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhatia, Ajay
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONG H
• Application Number:
  US13/943,922
• Publication Number:
  US 20150026595A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,259 Days
• Field of Search: 715/753, 715/730
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/025 LAN communication management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Techniques are presented herein for improving experiences in online meetings that include a plurality of attendee devices, where an attendee device is designated as a presenter. Shared content is provided from the presenter to at least one other attendee device engaged in the online meeting, and an indicator is automatically provided to at least one attendee device regarding whether a condition associated with the presenter providing the shared content has been satisfied.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in an online meeting including a plurality of attendee devices, wherein an attendee device is designated as a presenter, providing shared content from the presenter to at least one other attendee device engaged in the online meeting;

providing, at an attendee device, an option to select a plurality of conditions from a list of conditions that must be satisfied prior to commencing the online meeting, wherein commencing the online meeting includes facilitating viewing of the shared content from the presenter by other attendee devices engaged in the online meeting, and the list of conditions includes a minimum number of attendees or a minimum percentage of attendees that must be engaged in the online meeting before commencement of the meeting, a selection of one or more specific attendees that must be engaged in the online meeting before commencement of the meeting, and a specified time period that must elapse before commencement of the meeting;

automatically providing an indicator to at least one attendee device regarding whether one or more of the plurality of selected conditions has been satisfied;

via a computing device, automatically pausing the online meeting until at least one of the plurality of selected conditions has been satisfied, wherein the pausing includes automatically displaying a message to the at least one attendee device of the indicator; and

in response to the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions being satisfied, automatically un-pausing the online meeting, wherein the un-pausing includes removing the display of the indicator so as to facilitate commencing the meeting.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing display of the shared content for the at least one attendee device until the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions is satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the displayed message includes a listing of the selected conditions and a representation of criteria to occur for each condition to be satisfied.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the online meeting is automatically paused until the plurality of selected conditions have been satisfied, and, in response to the plurality of selected conditions being satisfied, the online meeting is automatically un-paused.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions including one or more applications that support online meetings with attendee devices over a network;

a display for displaying shared content during an online meeting;

a network interface unit configured to enable communications over a network; and

a processor configured to execute and control operations of the one or more applications so as to;

provide an option to select a plurality of conditions from a list of conditions that must be satisfied prior to commencing the online meeting, wherein commencing the online meeting includes facilitating viewing of the shared content by the apparatus engaged in the online meeting, and the list of conditions includes a minimum number of attendees or a minimum percentage of attendees that must be engaged in the online meeting before commencement of the meeting, a selection of one or more specific attendees that must be engaged in the online meeting before commencement of the meeting, and a specified time period that must elapse before commencement of the meeting;

in response to a presenter within the online meeting providing the shared content, providing an indicator to the apparatus regarding whether one or more of the plurality of selected conditions has been satisfied;

pausing the online meeting until the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions has been satisfied, wherein the pausing includes automatically displaying a message to the apparatus of the indicator; and

in response to the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions being satisfied, un-pausing the online meeting, wherein the un-pausing includes removing the display of the indicator so as to facilitate commencing the meeting.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to execute and control operations of the one or more applications so as to prevent display of the shared content for the apparatus until the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions is satisfied.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the displayed message includes a listing of each selected condition and a representation of criteria to occur for the condition to be satisfied.

8. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and when the software is executed operable to:

provide, at an attendee device, an option to select a plurality of conditions from a list of conditions that must be satisfied prior to commencing an online meeting between a plurality of attendee devices, wherein commencing the online meeting includes facilitating viewing of shared content by an attendee device engaged in the online meeting, and the list of conditions includes a minimum number of attendees or a minimum percentage of attendees that must be engaged in the online meeting before commencement of the meeting, a selection of one or more specific attendees that must be engaged in the online meeting before commencement of the meeting, and a specified time period that must elapse before commencement of the meeting;

in the online meeting, provide shared content from an attendee device designated as a presenter to at least one other attendee device engaged in the online meeting;

provide an indicator to at least one attendee device regarding whether one or more of the plurality of selected conditions has been satisfied;

pause the online meeting until the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions has been satisfied, wherein the pausing includes automatically displaying a message to the at least one attendee device of the indicator; and

in response to the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions being satisfied, un-pausing the online meeting, wherein the un-pausing includes removing the display of the indicator so as to facilitate commencing the meeting.

9. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further operable to:

prevent display of the shared content for the at least one attendee device until the at least one of the plurality of selected conditions is satisfied.

10. The one or more computer readable storage media of claim 8, wherein the displayed message includes a listing of each selected condition and a representation of criteria to occur for the condition to be satisfied.