Multiparty communications systems and methods that employ composite communications

• US 8,902,272 B1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shindig, Inc.
• Inventors: Gottlieb, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/624,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,834 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• 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 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management

Abstract

Improved methods, systems, and devices for managing communications are provided. A user device may display all ongoing communications so that a user can visualize the communications network or some subset thereof (e.g., a subgroup or group of users). A system may maintain the user device in an instant ready-on mode of communication with the other user devices. A user may then initiate communications with a subgroup (e.g., a pair) or group without initiating a new connection. Accordingly, a user can simultaneously and fluidly communicate at the subgroup level, at the group level, or at the inter-group level. Moreover, users can function as independent actors that can freely form and leave subgroups as well as groups.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

determining a number of live video communications being received, wherein the live video communications being received comprises at least a first live video communication and a second live video communication;

receiving the first live video communication sent by a first transmitting device and directed to a receiving device;

receiving the second live video communication sent by a second transmitting device and directed to the receiving device;

assigning a first arbitrary spatial location within a display of the receiving device to the first received live video communication;

assigning a second arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device to the second received live video communication;

creating a combined audio signal which indicates to a user at the receiving device that the first received live video communication is occurring at the first arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device and the second received live video communication is occurring at the second arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device;

generating a composite video communication based at least on the first received live video communication, the second received live video communication, and the combined audio signal; and

transmitting the composite video communication to the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the size of the composite video communication is less than the aggregate size of the first received live video communication and the second received live video communication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the combined audio signal assists the user in distinguishing the first received live video communication from the second received live video communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first arbitrary spatial location corresponds to a left side of the display of the receiving device; and

audio from the first received communication is predominately on a left channel of the combined audio signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the composite video communication to the user at the receiving device, wherein the composite video communication is provided so that video from the first received live video communication is displayed at a location within the display of the receiving device corresponding to the first arbitrary spatial location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third live video communication, the third received live video communication being sent by a third transmitting device and directed to the receiving device; and

assigning a third arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device to the third received live video communication, wherein;

creating further comprises creating the combined audio signal to indicate to the user that the third received live video communication is occurring at the third arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device; and

generating further comprises generating the composite video communication based at least on the third received live video communication.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite video communication is provided to the user at the receiving device such that:

the first received live video communication is displayed at the first arbitrary spatial location within the generated composite video; and

the second received live video communication is displayed at the second arbitrary spatial location within the generated composite video.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein one of:

the first transmitting device and the receiving device are the same; and

the second transmitting device and the first receiving device are the same.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting further comprises:

transmitting the composite video communication based on at least one of an active mode of communication and an intermediate mode of communication.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein generating further comprises:

generating the composite video communication based on an applicable communication mode.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the applicable mode of communication comprises one of an active mode of communication and an intermediate mode of communication; and

if the applicable mode of communication is;

the active mode of communication, the composite video communication comprises robust versions of the first received live video communication and the second received live video communication; and

the intermediate mode of communication, the composite video communication comprises contextual communications of the first received live video communication and the second received live video communication.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first transmitting device and the second transmitting device are within at least one of a group and a subgroup with the receiving device.

23. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the second arbitrary spatial location corresponds to a right side of the display of the receiving device; and

audio from the second received communication is predominately on a right channel of the combined audio signal.

7. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

determining a number of live video communications being received, wherein the live video communications being received comprises at least a first live video communication and a second live video communication; and

identifying arbitrary spatial locations to assign to the received live communications based on the number of received live video communications such that each of the arbitrary spatial locations corresponds to one of the received live video communications;

creating a combined audio signal which indicates to a user at a receiving device that the first received live video communication is occurring at a first arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within a display of the receiving device and the second received live video communication is occurring at a second arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within the display of the receiving device; and

generating a composite video communication based at least on the first received live video communication and the second received live video communication.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the size of the composite video communication is less than the aggregate size of the first received live video communication and the second received live video communication.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the combined audio signal assists the user in distinguishing the first received live video communication from the second received live video communication.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the first arbitrary spatial location corresponds to a right side of the display of the receiving device; and

audio from the first received communication is predominately on a right channel of the combined audio signal.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the determined number of received live video communications comprises the first received live video communication and the second received live video communication, the method further comprises:

receiving a first video feed that corresponds to the first received live video communication, the first video feed being sent by a first transmitting device and directed to the receiving device;

receiving a second video feed that corresponds to the second received live video communication, the second video feed being sent by a second transmitting device and directed to the receiving device.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

assigning the first arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within the display of the receiving device to the first received live video communication;

assigning the second arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within the display of the receiving device to the second received live video communication.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting the composite video communication and the combined audio signal to the receiving device.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing the composite video communication and the combined audio signal to the user at the receiving device, wherein the composite video communication is provided so that video from the first received live video communication is displayed at a location within the display screen of the receiving device corresponding to the first arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the live video communications being received further comprises a third live video communication;

creating further comprises creating the combined audio signal to indicate to the user that the third received live video communication is occurring at a third arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within the display screen of the receiving device; and

generating further comprises generating the composite video communication based at least on the third received live video communication.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving the third live video communication, the third received communication being sent by a third transmitting device and directed to the receiving device; and

assigning the third arbitrary spatial location to the third received communication.

24. A method for facilitating dynamic communications amongst multiple users, the method comprising:

receiving a first live video communication sent by a first transmitting device and directed to a receiving device;

receiving a second live video communication sent by a second transmitting device and directed to the receiving device;

determining a number of live video communications received, the live video communications received comprising at least the received first live video communication and the received second live video communication;

identifying arbitrary spatial locations to assign to the received live video communications based on the number of received live video communications such that each of the arbitrary spatial locations corresponds to one of the received live video communications;

assigning a first arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within a display of the receiving device to the first received live video communication;

assigning a second arbitrary spatial location of the identified arbitrary spatial locations within the display of the receiving device to the second received live video communication;

creating a combined audio signal which indicates to a user at the receiving device that the first received live video communication is occurring at the first arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device and the second received live video communication is occurring at the second arbitrary spatial location within the display of the receiving device;

generating a composite video communication based at least on the first received live video communication, the second received live video communication, and the combined audio signal; and

transmitting the composite video communication to the receiving device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein assigning the first and second arbitrary spatial locations is based on the identified arbitrary spatial locations.