Method and apparatus for providing a collaborative workspace

• US 9,954,914 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2017
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Aaron, Jeffrey A., Woodring, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US15/495,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing collaborative workspace are disclosed. The method receives a request to establish a video conference for two or more participants, and obtains information from historical information on the two or more participants to be used with the collaborative workspace. The method determines preferences for each of the two or more participants as to a presentation of the collaborative workspace. The method receives one or more live images of the two or more participants and presents the collaborative workspace to each of the two or more participants in accordance with the preferences for each of the two or more participants.

Claims

1. A method for providing a collaborative workspace, the method comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a request to establish the collaborative workspace, wherein the collaborative workspace comprises a video conference for a plurality of participants;

determining, by the processor, a preference for at least a first of the plurality of participants as to;

a presentation in the collaborative workspace of profile information regarding the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

or

a presentation in the collaborative workspace of historical information regarding the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

receiving, by the processor, live images of the plurality of participants;

presenting, by the processor, the collaborative workspace to the plurality of participants in accordance with the preference for the at least one of the plurality of participants;

gathering, by the processor, dynamic information from the video conference, the dynamic information comprising a change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

identifying, by the processor, a conflict due to the change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

resolving, by the processor, the conflict, wherein the resolving the conflict comprises;

sending a notice of the conflict to the plurality of participants; and

receiving a request from at least a second of the plurality of participants to change a respective preference of the at least the second of the plurality of participants; and

updating, by the processor, the collaborative workspace to reflect the change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants in the collaborative workspace.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, a synthetic imagery for the collaborative workspace associated with one of the plurality of participants.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the synthetic imagery is used in conjunction with the live images of the plurality of participants.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the synthetic imagery is used in place of one of the live images of one of the plurality of participants.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

gathering, by the processor, additional dynamic information comprising a change of interest of the at least the first of the plurality of participants; and

updating, by the processor, the collaborative workspace to reflect a representation of the change of interest for the at least the first of the plurality of participants in the collaborative workspace.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a request to end the video conference; and

saving, by the processor, a copy of the video conference.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating, by the processor, a conference summary for the video conference.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the conference summary contains a clip taken from the video conference.

9. A device for providing a collaborative workspace, comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request to establish the collaborative workspace, wherein the collaborative workspace comprises a video conference for a plurality of participants;

determining a preference for at least a first of the plurality of participants as to;

a presentation in the collaborative workspace of profile information regarding the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

or

a presentation in the collaborative workspace of historical information regarding the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

receiving live images of the plurality of participants;

presenting the collaborative workspace to the plurality of participants in accordance with the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

gathering dynamic information from the video conference, the dynamic information comprising a change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

identifying a conflict due to the change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

resolving the conflict, wherein the resolving the conflict comprises;

sending a notice of the conflict to the plurality of participants; and

receiving a request from at least a second of the plurality of participants to change a respective preference of the at least the second of the plurality of participants; and

updating the collaborative workspace to reflect the change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants in the collaborative workspace.

10. The device of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

generating a synthetic imagery for the collaborative workspace associated with one of the plurality of participants.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the synthetic imagery is used in conjunction with the live images of the plurality of participants.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the synthetic imagery is used in place of one of the live images of one of the plurality of participants.

13. The device of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

gathering additional dynamic information comprising a change of interest of the at least the first of the plurality of participants; and

updating the collaborative workspace to reflect a representation of the change of interest for the at least the first of the plurality of participants in the collaborative workspace.

14. The device of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

receiving a request to end the video conference; and

saving a copy of the video conference.

15. The device of claim 9, the operations further comprising:

generating a conference summary for the video conference.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the conference summary contains a clip taken from the video conference.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for providing a collaborative workspace, the operations comprising:

receiving a request to establish the collaborative workspace, wherein the collaborative workspace comprises a video conference for a plurality of participants;

determining a preference for at least a first of the plurality of participants as to;

a presentation in the collaborative workspace of profile information regarding the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

or

a presentation in the collaborative workspace of historical information regarding the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

receiving live images of the plurality of participants;

presenting the collaborative workspace to the plurality of participants in accordance with the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

gathering dynamic information from the video conference, the dynamic information comprising a change in the preference for the at least one of the plurality of participants;

identifying a conflict due to the change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants;

resolving the conflict, wherein the resolving the conflict comprises;

sending a notice of the conflict to the plurality of participants; and

receiving a request from at least a second of the plurality of participants to change a respective preference of the at least the second of the plurality of participants; and

updating the collaborative workspace to reflect the change in the preference for the at least the first of the plurality of participants in the collaborative workspace.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

generating a synthetic imagery for the collaborative workspace associated with one of the plurality of participants.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the synthetic imagery is used in conjunction with one of the live images of one of the plurality of participants.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

gathering additional dynamic information comprising a change of interest of the at least the first of the plurality of participants; and

updating the collaborative workspace to reflect a representation of the change of interest for the at least the first of the plurality of participants in the collaborative workspace.