Techniques for initiating real-time communication sessions

• US 9,578,282 B1
• Filed: 09/23/2014
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Berlin, Daniel, Sills, Maxwell Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US14/494,063
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.08, 348/14.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/147 Signalling methods or messages providing extensions to protocols defined by standardisation
• 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: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A technique for initiating a communication session can include receiving a signal that a first and second user desire to participate in a communication session during a particular time period. The technique can include monitoring activity of the first and second users during the particular time period to determine whether the users are prepared to participate in the communication session. When it is determined that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session, the technique can include outputting, to the second user computing device, an indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session. When it is determined that both of the first and second users are prepared to participate in the communication session, the technique can include initiating the communication session.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a server computing device having one or more processors, a signal that a first user and a second user desire to participate in a video communication session during a particular time period via a first user computing device and a second user computing device, respectively, the particular time period beginning at a start time and ending at an end time;

monitoring, at the server computing device, activity of the first user at the first user computing device during the particular time period to determine whether the first user is prepared to participate in the video communication session;

monitoring, at the server computing device, activity of the second user at the second user computing device during the particular time period to determine whether the second user is prepared to participate in the video communication session;

when the server computing device determines that the first user is prepared to participate in the video communication session, outputting, from the server computing device and to the second user computing device, an indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the video communication session;

when the server computing device determines that the second user is prepared to participate in the video communication session, outputting, from the server computing device and to the first user computing device, an indication that the second user is prepared to participate in the video communication session;

when the server computing device determines that both of the first and second users are prepared to participate in the video communication session, outputting, from the server computing device, a prompt to the first and second user computing devices recommending that the video communication session begin;

receiving, at the server computing device, a first acceptance signal from the first user computing device that indicates that the first user desires to begin the video communication session;

receiving, at the server computing device, a second acceptance signal from the second user computing device that indicates that the second user desires to begin the video communication session; and

when the server computing device receives the first and second acceptance signals, initiating, at the server computing device, the video communication session, wherein the server computing device determines that each particular user of the first and second users is prepared to participate in the video communication session when;

(i) the particular user is present at an associated particular user computing device, (ii) the particular user is not actively engaged with an application other than a video communication application with which the particular user will interact during the video communication session, and (iii) behavior of the particular user indicates an activity level of the particular user below a threshold indicative of the particular user being actively engaged with an entity other than the associated particular user computing device.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, at a server computing device having one or more processors, a signal that a first user and a second user desire to participate in a communication session during a particular time period via a first user computing device and a second user computing device, respectively, the particular time period beginning at a beginning time and ending at an end time;

monitoring, at the server computing device, activity of the first user at the first user computing device during the particular time period to determine whether the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session;

monitoring, at the server computing device, activity of the second user at the second user computing device during the particular time period to determine whether the second user is prepared to participate in the communication session;

when the server computing device determines that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session, outputting, from the server computing device and to the second user computing device, an indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session; and

when the server computing device determines that both of the first and second users are prepared to participate in the communication session, initiating, at the server computing device, the communication session.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the server computing device determines that each particular user is prepared to participate in the communication session when:

(i) the particular user is present at an associated particular user computing device, and (ii) behavior of the particular user indicates an activity level of the particular user below a threshold indicative of the particular user being actively engaged with an entity other than a communication application with which the particular user will interact during the communication session.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein monitoring activity of each particular user of the first and second users comprises receiving, at the server computing device, image data from a particular user computing device associated with the particular user, the image data being obtained at the particular user computing device from a video camera.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein monitoring activity of each particular user of the first and second users comprises receiving, at the server computing device, audio data from a particular user computing device associated with the particular user, the audio data being obtained at the particular user computing device from a microphone.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein monitoring activity of each particular user of the first and second users comprises receiving, at the server computing device, an activity signal from a particular user computing device associated with the particular user, the activity signal indicating whether the particular user is prepared to participate in the communication session.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the server computing device determines that each particular user of the first and second users is prepared to participate in the communication session when:

(i) the particular user is present at an associated particular user computing device, (ii) the particular user is not actively engaged with an application other than a communication application with which the particular user will interact during the communication session, and (iii) behavior of the particular user indicates an activity level of the particular user below a threshold indicative of the particular user being actively engaged with an entity other than the associated particular user computing device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session comprises an audio indication.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising outputting, from the server computing device, a start indication to the first and second user computing devices when the server computing device initiates the communication session.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the communication session is a video communication session.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session comprises a visual indication.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein monitoring activity of each particular user of the first and second users comprises receiving audio data from a particular user computing device associated with the particular user, the audio data being obtained at the particular user computing device from a microphone.

12. A server computing device, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a non-transitory, computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising;

receiving a signal that a first user and a second user desire to participate in a communication session during a particular time period via a first user computing device and a second user computing device, respectively, the particular time period beginning at a beginning time and ending at an end time;

monitoring activity of the first user at the first user computing device during the particular time period to determine whether the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session;

monitoring activity of the second user at the second user computing device during the particular time period to determine whether the second user is prepared to participate in the communication session;

when the server computing device determines that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session, outputting, to the second user computing device, an indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session; and

when the server computing device determines that both of the first and second users are prepared to participate in the communication session, initiating the communication session.

13. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein the server computing device determines that each particular user is prepared to participate in the communication session when:

(i) the particular user is present at an associated particular user computing device, and (ii) behavior of the particular user indicates an activity level of the particular user below a threshold indicative of the particular user being actively engaged with an entity other than a communication application with which the particular user will interact during the communication session.

14. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein monitoring activity of each particular user of the first and second users comprises receiving image data from a particular user computing device associated with the particular user, the image data being obtained at the particular user computing device from a video camera.

16. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein monitoring activity of each particular user of the first and second users comprises receiving an activity signal from a particular user computing device associated with the particular user, the activity signal indicating whether the particular user is prepared to participate in the communication session.

17. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein the server computing device determines that each particular user of the first and second users is prepared to participate in the communication session when:

(i) the particular user is present at an associated particular user computing device, (ii) the particular user is not actively engaged with an application other than a communication application with which the particular user will interact during the communication session, and (iii) behavior of the particular user indicates an activity level of the particular user below a threshold indicative of the particular user being actively engaged with an entity other than the associated particular user computing device.

18. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein the indication that the first user is prepared to participate in the communication session comprises an audio indication.

19. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein the operations further comprise outputting a start indication to the first and second user computing devices when the server computing device initiates the communication session.

20. The server computing device of claim 12, wherein the communication session is a video communication session.