System and method for establishing a parallel conversation thread during a remote collaboration

• US 20050078613A1
• Filed: 10/09/2003
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Harville, Michael, Baker, Henry Harlyn, Bhatti, Nina, Malzbender, Thomas, Covell, Michele, Culbertson, W. Bruce, Wee, Susie
• Granted Patent: US 7,480,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

Methods and systems for utilizing a parallel conversational thread during a remote collaboration are described. In one embodiment, a managing entity is utilized to establish a first communications path for a remote collaboration of at least two parties. Then, a request for a parallel conversation is received from at least one of the at least two parties during the remote collaboration. The managing entity then establishes a second communications path for the parallel conversation between the at least two parties. Wherein, the enabling of the parallel conversation on the second communications path is performed without inhibiting the first communications path, such that a portion of a first party can have a parallel conversation with a portion of a second party on the second communications path while the first communications path for the remote collaboration remains active.

Claims

1. A method for supporting parallel conversational threads during a remote collaboration, said method comprising:

utilizing a managing entity to establish a first communications path for a remote collaboration between a first party having at least two members and a second party having at least one member;

receiving a request for a parallel conversation during said remote collaboration;

utilizing said managing entity to establish a second communications path for said parallel conversation; and

enabling said parallel conversation on said second communications path without inhibiting said first communications path, such that both said parallel conversation on said second communications path and said first communications path for said remote collaboration remain active.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communications path is an audio, video, or text communications path.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein a portion of an audio, video, or text communication on the first communications path is recorded.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the volume of an audio communications on the first communications path to a member having a parallel conversation is reduced such that the audio communications on the second communications path is unhampered.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is selected from the group consisting of:

an explicit request to a graphic user interface (GUI), an audio request, an audio analysis of the remote collaboration, a video request, a video analysis of the remote collaboration, a gesture, an aside initiation key, or a visual menu.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the termination of said parallel conversation is selected from the group consisting of:

an explicit request to a graphic user interface (GUI), an audio request, an audio analysis of the parallel conversation, a video request, a video analysis of the parallel conversation, a gesture, an aside initiation key, or a visual menu.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is received to said managing entity from at least one member of said first party or said second party.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is a private request including an explicit list of which members of said first party or said second party are allowed access to said parallel conversation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is a public request thereby allowing access to said parallel conversation for any of said members of said first party or said second party.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communications path is an audio or video communications path.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein a portion of an audio or video communication on the second communications path is recorded.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the volume of an audio communications on the second communications path to a member having a parallel conversation is reduced such that the audio communications on the first communications path is unhampered.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communications path utilizes a communications device registered with said managing entity for explicit use during said remote collaboration.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said parallel conversation may be a voiced-to-whisper, or a whispered-to-voice conversion.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the parallel conversation is established between at least two members of the first party.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the parallel conversation is established between at least one member of the first party and at least one member of the second party.

17. A managing entity for establishing a parallel conversational thread during a remote collaboration comprising:

a first conversation thread establisher for establishing a remote collaboration between a first party having at least two members and a second party having at least one member; and

a parallel conversation thread establisher, wherein said parallel conversation thread establisher establishes a parallel conversation thread during said remote collaboration such that both said first conversation thread and said parallel conversation thread may be utilized simultaneously.

18. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein said first conversation thread establisher establishes an audio, video, or text communications path.

19. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein said parallel conversation thread is established after an action selected from the group consisting of:

an explicit request to a graphic user interface (GUI), an audio request, an audio analysis of the remote collaboration, a video request, a video analysis of the remote collaboration, a gesture, an aside initiation key, or a visual menu.

20. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the termination of said parallel conversation is performed after an action selected from the group consisting of:

an explicit request to a graphic user interface (GUI), an audio request, an audio analysis of the parallel conversation, a video request, a video analysis of the parallel conversation, a gesture, an aside initiation key, or a visual menu.

21. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel conversation thread establisher establishes said parallel conversation thread after receiving a request from at least one member of said first party or said second party.

22. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel conversation thread establisher establishes said parallel conversation thread as a private parallel conversation thread including an explicit list of which members of said first party or said second party are allowed access to said private parallel conversation thread.

23. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel conversation thread establisher establishes said parallel conversation thread as a public parallel conversation thread thereby allowing access to said private parallel conversation thread to any members of said first party or said second party.

24. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel communications thread establisher establishes an audio or video communications thread.

25. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel communications thread establisher utilizes a communications device registered with said managing entity for explicit use during said remote collaboration.

26. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein said parallel conversation thread may be a voiced-to-whisper, or a whispered-to-voice conversion.

27. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel conversation is established between at least two members of the first party.

28. The managing entity of claim 17 wherein the parallel conversation is established between at least one member of the first party and at least one member of the second party.

29. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a managing entity to perform a method of utilizing a parallel conversation thread during a remote conference, said method comprising:

establishing, via a managing entity, a first communications path for a remote conference of a first party having at least two members and a second party having at least one member;

receiving a request for a parallel conversation during said remote conference;

utilizing said managing entity to establish a second communications path for said parallel conversation; and

implementing said parallel communications path on said second communications path without inhibiting said first communications path, such that both said parallel conversation on said second communications path and said first communications path for said remote collaboration remain active.

30. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the first communications path is an audio, video, or text communications path.

31. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is selected from the group consisting of:

an explicit request to a graphic user interface (GUI), an audio request, an audio analysis of the remote collaboration, a video request, a video analysis of the remote collaboration, a gesture, an aside initiation key, or a visual menu.

32. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the termination of said parallel conversation is selected from the group consisting of:

an explicit request to a graphic user interface (GUI), an audio request, an audio analysis of the parallel conversation, a video request, a video analysis of the parallel conversation, a gesture, an aside initiation key, or a visual menu.

33. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is received to said managing entity from at least one member of said first party or said second party.

34. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is a private request including an explicit list of which members of said first party or said second party are allowed access to said aside.

35. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the request for said parallel conversation is a public request thereby allowing access to said aside for any of said members of said first party or said second party.

36. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the second communications path is an audio or video communications path.

37. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the second communications path utilizes a communications device registered with said managing entity for explicit use during said remote collaboration.

38. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein said parallel conversation may be a voiced-to-whisper, or a whispered-to-voice conversion.

39. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the parallel conversation is established between at least two members of the first party.

40. The computer-usable medium of claim 29 wherein the parallel conversation is established between at least one member of the first party and at least one member of the second party.