Themes indicative of participants in persistent communication

• US 9,246,960 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2013
• Issued: 01/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr., Levien, Royce A., Allen, Paul G., Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US14/010,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20140189007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88, 379/12, 379/88.12, 455/412.2, 455/466, 709204-207, 715/752, 715/753, 370/260
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• 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 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

An auditory theme represents at least one participant in a networked group interaction, and reflects an attribute of that participant. Systems for presenting auditory themes may perform one or more operations. Such operations may include, but are not limited to: determining at least one participant in a networked group interaction; and presenting an auditory theme representing the at least one participant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in a networked group interaction;

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant; and

presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to an interaction status of the at least one participant.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to at least one of the participant'"'"'s status in the networked group interaction, status in an organization, an interaction context of the at least one participant, or at least one attribute of the at least one participant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to at least one of an age, affiliation, gender, or location of the at least one participant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to at least one of a joined status, foreground mode status, background mode status, dropped status, or unable to accept communications status of the at least one participant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to membership in at least one of a group or an organization of the at least one participant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to at least one of;

a level of aggression of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction, a virtual interaction proximity of the participant in the networked group interaction to other participants of the in the networked group interaction, or a role of the participant in the networked group interaction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in a networked group interaction includes:

associating at least one of;

one or more tones, one or more songs, one or more tunes, one or more spoken words, one or more sound clips, or one or more jingles with at least one participant in a networked group interaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying at least one of a gain, tempo, tone, key, orchestration, orientation or distribution of sound, echo, or reverb effect of an auditory signal responsive to a status of the at least one participant.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant includes:

presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant in an ongoing fashion during the participant'"'"'s participation in the networked group interaction.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant includes:

presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant in a transitory fashion responsive to an interaction event.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying a gain of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a foreground mode status or a background mode status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

attenuating the auditory theme responsive to a background status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

terminating presenting a theme associated with at least one participant responsive to a dropped status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

mixing the auditory theme with a second auditory signal responsive to an unable to accept communications status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the mixing the auditory theme with a second auditory signal responsive to an unable to accept communications status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction includes:

mixing the auditory theme with a busy signal responsive to an unable to accept communications status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to status of the at least one participant in an organization as determined from an organization chart.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying a gain of the auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant in an organization.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the modifying a gain of the auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant in an organization includes:

modifying a gain of the auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant in an organization as determined from an organization chart.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to an attention status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to an attention status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a level of participation by the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to an attention status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction includes:

modifying a volume of the at least one auditory theme responsive to an attention status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant includes:

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to an available status of the at least one participant in the networked group interaction.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein the presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant in a transitory fashion responsive to an interaction event includes:

presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant in a transitory fashion responsive to at least one of a control for the networked group interaction or an object of the networked group interaction.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in a networked group interaction includes:

receiving at least one request to join a networked group interaction from at least one participant; and

retrieving, from at least one database, an auditory theme associated with the at least one participant.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in a networked group interaction includes:

associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in at least one of;

a chat room, a virtual environment, a conference call, an online game, or an online collaboration tool.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant includes:

transmitting, from the at least one networked device to at least one second networked device, the modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant via at least one communications network.

27. A system comprising:

at least one computing device programmed for;

associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in a networked group interaction;

modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant; and

presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant.

28. A system comprising:

circuitry for associating at least one auditory theme with at least one participant in a networked group interaction;

circuitry for modifying, via at least one network device, one or more audio signal characteristics of the at least one auditory theme responsive to a status of the at least one participant; and

circuitry for presenting a modified auditory theme associated with the at least one participant.