Methods and systems for visually deemphasizing a displayed persona

• US 9,671,931 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Personify Incorporated (Wilson Human Capital Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Personify Incorporated (Wilson Human Capital Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lin, Dennis J., Kowshik, Sumant, Francisco, Glenn B., Timmons, John Nicholas, Goncalves, Fernando Rossi, Kosmach, James J.
• Primary Examiner(s): NABI, REZA U
• Application Number:
  US14/588,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20160196675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 884 Days
• Field of Search: 715731
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• 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 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour

Abstract

Described herein are methods and systems for visually deemphasizing a displayed persona. At least one embodiment takes the form of a method carried out by a user-interface (UI)-management device. The UI-management device identifies a persona region of a displayed persona and identifies a user-interface-focus location. The UI-management device then makes a persona-deemphasize determination based on the identified persona region and the identified user-interface-focus location. In response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, the UI-management device visually deemphasizes the displayed persona.

Claims

1. A method carried out by a user-interface-management device, the method comprising:

identifying, on a user interface, a persona-region location of a persona region of a displayed persona, wherein the displayed persona is representative of a presenter in an online data communication;

identifying, on the user interface, a user-interface-focus location;

making a persona-deemphasize determination based on a display distance between the identified persona-region location and the identified user-interface-focus location; and

in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, visually deemphasizing the displayed persona.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination is further based on a determination that the display distance is less than a proximity threshold.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified persona-region location is a location within the persona region that is closest to the identified user-interface-focus location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of the persona region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the persona region.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a determination that the identified user-interface-focus location is within a deemphasize region of the persona region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a mouse-pointer location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a stylus location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location of a user-interface region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the user-interface region is a focus-window region of a focus window.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the focus window is a selected window.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected window is a moved window.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location within the user-interface region that is closest to the identified persona-region location.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of the user-interface region.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the user-interface region.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a partial-overlap determination that the user-interface region at least partially overlaps the persona region.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a total-overlap determination that the user-interface region totally overlaps the persona region.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing an opacity of the displayed persona.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing a display size of the displayed persona.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a user-interface-adjustment menu in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, wherein the user-interface-adjustment menu (i) at least partially overlaps the persona region and (ii) comprises a set of one or more user-interface-adjustment-menu options that are associated with respective user-interface-adjustment functions.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises muting an audio presentation associated with the displayed persona.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises hiding the displayed persona.

23. A user-interface-management device comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

data storage containing instructions executable by the processor for causing the user-interface-management device to carry out a set of functions, the set of functions including;

identifying, on a user interface, a persona-region location of a persona region of a displayed persona, wherein the displayed persona is representative of a presenter in an online data communication;

identifying, on the user interface, a user-interface-focus location;

making a persona-deemphasize determination based on a display distance between the identified persona-region location and the identified user-interface-focus location; and

in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, visually deemphasizing the displayed persona.

24. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination is further based on a determination that the display distance is less than a proximity threshold.

25. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the identified persona-region location is a location within the persona region that is closest to the identified user-interface-focus location.

26. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of the persona region.

27. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the persona region.

28. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination is based on comprises a determination that the identified user-interface-focus location is within a deemphasize region of the persona region.

29. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a mouse-pointer location.

30. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a stylus location.

31. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location of a user-interface region.

32. The user-interface-management device of claim 31, wherein the user-interface region is a focus-window region of a focus window.

33. The user-interface-management device of claim 32, wherein the focus window is a selected window.

34. The user-interface-management device of claim 33, wherein the selected window is a moved window.

35. The user-interface-management device of claim 31, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location within the user-interface region that is closest to the identified persona-region location.

36. The user-interface-management device of claim 31, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of the user-interface region.

37. The user-interface-management device of claim 31, wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the user-interface region.

38. The user-interface-management device of claim 31, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a partial-overlap determination that the user-interface region at least partially overlaps the persona region.

39. The user-interface-management device of claim 31, wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a total-overlap determination that the user-interface region totally overlaps the persona region.

40. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing an opacity of the displayed persona.

41. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing a display size of the displayed persona.

42. The user-interface-management device of claim 23, wherein the set of functions further includes presenting a user-interface-adjustment menu in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, wherein the user-interface-adjustment menu (i) at least partially overlaps the persona region and (ii) comprises a set of one or more user-interface-adjustment-menu options that are associated with respective user-interface-adjustment functions.

43. The user-interface-management device of claim 42, wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises muting an audio presentation associated with the displayed persona.

44. The user-interface-management device of claim 42, wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises hiding the displayed persona.