APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING FEEDBACK ON NONVERBAL CUES OF VIDEO CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS

• US 20120327180A1
• Filed: 06/27/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Thorson, Dean E., Alberth, William P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,976,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An electronic device is communicatively coupled to at least one video camera during a video conference, and also includes a touchscreen display having video conference participant representations displayed on the touchscreen display. A haptics feedback system is integrated into the touchscreen display and is responsive to a user touching the video conference participant representations displayed on the touchscreen display. A speech-to-text controller converts video conference participant'"'"'s speech into text and creates an identification tag for each video conference participant. In addition, an ongoing commentary controller provides feedback on non-verbal cues about the video conference participants.

Claims

1. An electronic device communicatively coupled to at least one video camera during a video conference, comprising:

a touchscreen display comprising video conference participant representations displayed on the touchscreen display;

a haptics feedback system integrated into the touchscreen display and responsive to a user'"'"'s touching the video conference participant representations displayed on the touchscreen display; and

a speech-to-text controller for converting video conference participants speech into text and creating an identification tag for each video conference participant;

an ongoing commentary controller that provides feedback on non-verbal cues about the video conference participants.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising a means for prioritizing the non-verbal cues feedback.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 further comprising partitioned regions on the touchscreen to include at least a first region displaying local video conference participants, a second region displaying non-local video conference participants, a third region displaying a speaking video conference participant, and a fourth region displaying feedback and commentary on the non-verbal cues about feedback, wherein the non-verbal cues include audio or Braille tags.

4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the fourth region displays commentary on non-verbal cues corresponding to speaking video conference participants and non-speaking video conference participants.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the third region is split into two display windows when two video conference participants are speaking to one another.

6. A method for describing video conference participants on a touchscreen display, comprising the steps of:

monitoring and recording video conference participants as they join a video conference;

identifying and categorizing video conference participants;

displaying the identified and categorized video conference participants within a first partitioned display window;

displaying video conference participant'"'"'s conversation within a second partitioned display window; and

displaying, via audio or Braille tags, feedback and commentary on non-verbal cues of the video conference participant.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of prioritizing the feedback and commentary on the non-verbal cues of the video conference participant.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the second partitioned display window is divided when at least two participants are speaking to one another.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of displaying commentary on non-verbal cues corresponding to speaking video conference participants and non-speaking video conference participants.

10. A non-transitory machine readable storage device, having stored thereon a computer program that includes a plurality of code sections comprising:

code for monitoring and recording video conference participants as they join a video conference;

code for identifying and categorizing video conference participants;

code for displaying the identified and categorized video conference participants within a first partitioned display window;

code for displaying video conference participant'"'"'s conversation within a second partitioned display window; and

code for displaying, via audio or Braille tags, feedback and commentary on non-verbal cues of the video conference participant.

11. The non-transitory machine readable storage device claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

code for prioritizing the feedback and commentary on the non-verbal cues of the video conference participant.

12. The non-transitory machine readable storage device claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

code for displaying commentary on non-verbal cues corresponding to speaking video conference participants and non-speaking video conference participants.