Methods, apparatus, and products for automatically managing conversational floors in computer-mediated communications
First Claim
1. A computer controlled method for an audio communication system, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of audio streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of audio sources;
mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said audio streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said audio sources;
establishing a conversational floor between two or more users, comprising;
analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with said audio sources, conversational characteristics comprising audio content of said audio streams of said users for different combinations of said users in possible conversation floors;
identifying one or more conversational characteristics audio content shared between the two or more users in the possible conversational floors; and
assigning the two or more users to the conversational floor based on the shared conversational characteristics audio content; and
maintaining the conversational floor by automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the conversational characteristics audio content.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One embodiment of the invention is a computer controlled method for use with a communication system. The method includes a step of receiving a plurality of communications, where each one of the plurality of communications is from one of a plurality of communication sources; includes a step of mixing (that is responsive to a plurality of floor controls) the plurality of communications for a plurality of outputs associated with plurality of communication sources; and includes a step of analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with the plurality of communication sources, one or more conversational characteristics of two or more of the plurality of users. The method also includes a step of automatically adjusting the plurality of floor controls responsive to the step of analyzing. Other embodiments include systems and devices that use the method as well as program products that cause a computer to execute the method.
50 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A computer controlled method for an audio communication system, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of audio streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of audio sources; mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said audio streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said audio sources; establishing a conversational floor between two or more users, comprising; analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with said audio sources, conversational characteristics comprising audio content of said audio streams of said users for different combinations of said users in possible conversation floors; identifying one or more conversational characteristics audio content shared between the two or more users in the possible conversational floors; and assigning the two or more users to the conversational floor based on the shared conversational characteristics audio content; and maintaining the conversational floor by automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the conversational characteristics audio content. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 30)
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16. A computer controlled method for computer mediated communication, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of communication streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of communication sources; mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said communication streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said communication sources; determining a plurality of users associated with the communication streams; identifying an action comprising a vocalization by a first such user, wherein the first such user is associated with a first of said communication sources; identifying a different action comprising a different vocalization by a second such user, wherein the second such user is associated with a second of said communication sources; analyzing one or more conversational characteristics comprising audio content simultaneously shared by the first and second of such users for an indication in the shared audio content based on a probabilistic inference that said vocalization is in response to said different vocalization; and automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the indication, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising backchannel/continuers, common content, prosody, and temporal vocalization adjacency.
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17. A computer controlled method for computer mediated communication, comprising:
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receiving a plurality of communication streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of communication sources; mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said communication streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said communication sources; determining a plurality of users associated with the communication streams; identifying an action comprising a vocalization by a first such user; analyzing one or more conversational characteristics comprising audio content simultaneously shared by the first and a second of such users for an indication in the shared audio content based on a probabilistic inference that said vocalization refers to the second of such users; and automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the indication, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising backchannel/continuers, common content, prosody, and temporal vocalization adjacency. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. An apparatus for an audio communication system, comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive a plurality of audio streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of audio sources; a mixer configured to mix, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said audio streams received from the receiver into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said audio sources; a floor control mechanism configured to establish a conversational floor between two or more users, comprising; an analysis mechanism configured to analyze, for a plurality of users associated with said audio sources, one or more conversational characteristics comprising content of said audio streams of said users for different combinations of said users in possible conversation floors; an identification mechanism configured to identify one or more conversational characteristics audio content shared between the two or more users in the possible conversational floors; and a floor assignment mechanism configured to assign the two or more users to the conversational floor based on the shared conversational characteristics audio content, wherein the floor control mechanism is further configured to maintain the conversational floor by automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the conversational characteristics audio content. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 31)
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24. An apparatus for computer mediated communication, comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive a plurality of communication streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of communication sources; a mixer configured to mix, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said communication streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said communication sources; a user determination module to determine a plurality of users associated with the communication streams; a first user action module to identify an action comprising a vocalization by a first such user, wherein the first such user is associated with a first of said communication sources; a second user action module to identify a different action comprising a different vocalization by a second such user, wherein the second such user is associated with a second of said communication sources; an analysis mechanism configured to analyze one or more conversational characteristics comprising audio content simultaneously shared by the first and second of such users for an indication in the shared audio content based on a probabilistic inference that said vocalization is in response to said different vocalization; and a floor control mechanism configured to automatically adjust said floor controls based upon the indication, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising backchannel/continuers, common content, prosody, and temporal vocalization adjacency.
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25. An apparatus for computer mediated communication, comprising:
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a receiver configured to receive a plurality of communication streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of communication sources; a mixer configured to mix, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said communication streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said communication sources; a user determination module to determine a plurality of users associated with the communication streams; an action module to identify an action comprising a vocalization by a first such user; an analysis mechanism configured to analyze one or more conversational characteristics comprising audio content simultaneously shared by the first and a second of such users for an indication in the shared audio content based on a probabilistic inference that said vocalization refers to the second of such users; and a floor control mechanism configured to automatically adjust said floor controls based upon the indication, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising backchannel/continuers, common content, prosody, and temporal vocalization adjacency. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform:
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receiving a plurality of audio streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of audio sources; mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said audio streams received from the receiver into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said audio sources; establishing a conversational floor between two or more users, comprising; analyzing, for a plurality of users associated with said audio sources, conversational characteristics comprising content of said audio streams of said users for different combinations of said users in possible conversation floors; identifying one or more conversational characteristics audio content shared between the two or more users in the possible conversational floors; and assigning the two or more users to the conversational floor based on the shared conversational characteristics audio content; and maintaining the conversational floor by automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the conversational characteristics audio content.
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28. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform:
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receiving a plurality of communication streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of communication sources; mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said communication streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said communication sources; determining a plurality of users associated with the communication streams; identifying an action comprising a vocalization by a first such user, wherein the first such user is associated with a first of said communication sources; identifying a different action comprising a different vocalization by a second such user, wherein the second such user is associated with a second of said communication sources; analyzing one or more conversational characteristics comprising audio content simultaneously shared by the first and second of such users for an indication in the shared audio content based on a probabilistic inference that said vocalization is in response to said different vocalization; and automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the indication, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising backchannel/continuers, common content, prosody, and temporal vocalization adjacency.
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29. A computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code that when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform:
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receiving a plurality of communication streams, which each originates from one of a plurality of communication sources; mixing, as controlled by a plurality of floor controls, said communication streams into a plurality of outputs that are each associated with said communication sources; determining a plurality of users associated with the communication streams; identifying an action comprising a vocalization by a first such user; analyzing one or more conversational characteristics comprising audio content simultaneously shared by the first and a second of such users for an indication in the shared audio content based on a probabilistic inference that said vocalization refers to the second of such users; and automatically adjusting said floor controls based upon the indication, wherein the action is selected from the group comprising backchannel/continuers, common content, prosody, and temporal vocalization adjacency.
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Specification