Managing drop-ins on focal points of activities

• US 9,923,938 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bellamy, Rachel K. E., Connell, II, Jonathan H., Farrell, Robert G., Gaucher, Brian P., Lenchner, Jonathan, Melville, David O. S., Salapura, Valentina
• Primary Examiner(s): Serrou, Abdelali
• Application Number:
  US14/797,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20170017640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/00 Speech recognition G10L17/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• 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: H04M 1/00 Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers subscriber services or facilities provided at exchanges H04M3/00; prepayment telephone coin boxes H04M17/00; current supply arrangements H04M19/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls

Abstract

A computer-implemented method manages drop-ins on conversations near a focal point of proximal activity in a gathering place. One or more processors receive a first set of sensor data from one or more sensors in a gathering place, and then identify a focal point of proximal activity based on the first set of received sensor data received from the one or more sensors. One or more processors characterize a conversation near the focal point based on a second set of received sensor data from the one or more sensors, and then present a characterization of the conversation to an electronic device. One or more processors enable the electronic device to allow a user to drop-in on the conversation.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing drop-ins on conversations near a focal point of proximal activity in a gathering place, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors, a first set of sensor data about persons from one or more sensors in a gathering place of the persons;

identifying, by one or more processors, a focal point of proximal activity based on the first set of received sensor data received from the one or more sensors, wherein the proximal activity is by a particular cluster of persons from multiple clusters of persons within a same physical location, and wherein the particular cluster of persons is identified as having persons who are each within a predetermined distance from one another;

characterizing, by one or more processors, a conversation near the focal point based on a second set of received sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein the second set of received sensor data is of a speech of the persons;

presenting, by one or more processors, a characterization of the conversation to an electronic device;

enabling, by one or more processors, the electronic device to allow a user to electronically and remotely drop-in on the conversation by establishing a communication link between a local communication device at the focal point and the electronic device at a remote location, wherein the electronic device is a remote communication device connected to the local communication device at the gathering place of the persons;

receiving, by one or more processors, a request from the user of the remote communication device to join the conversation; and

in response to receiving the request from the user of the remote communication device to join the conversation, selectively connecting, by one or more processors, the local communication device to the remote communication device based on a content of the conversation being held by members of the particular cluster of persons.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a microphone, wherein the second set of received sensor data provides a representation of spoken words from the conversation, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

identifying, by one or more processors, the spoken words to characterize the conversation near the focal point.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a microphone, wherein the second set of received sensor data provides a representation of spoken words from the conversation, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

evaluating, by one or more processors, a definition of one or more of the spoken words to characterize the conversation near the focal point.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a microphone, wherein the second set of received sensor data provides a representation of spoken words from the conversation, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

evaluating, by one or more processors, one or more of a timbre, pitch, and intensity of the spoken words to characterize the conversation near the focal point.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a camera, wherein the second set of received sensor data further describes an appearance of an entity engaged in the conversation, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

characterizing, by one or more processors, the conversation based on the appearance of the entity engaged in the conversation.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a motion detector, wherein the second set of received sensor data further describes movement of an entity engaged in the conversation, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

characterizing, by one or more processors, the conversation based on the movement of the entity engaged in the conversation.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the conversation is between a first entity and a second entity, wherein sensors from the one or more sensors are location detectors, wherein the first entity and the second entity are both within the particular cluster of persons, wherein the second set of received sensor data further describes a relative position between the first entity and the second entity, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

characterizing, by one or more processors, the conversation based on the relative position between the first entity and the second entity.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a biometric sensor, wherein the second set of received sensor data further describes a biometric state of an entity engaged in the conversation, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

characterizing, by one or more processors, the conversation based on the biometric state of the entity engaged in the conversation.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the local communication device is a local display at the focal point of proximal activity, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

displaying, by one or more processors, the characterization of the conversation on the local display.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the remote communication device, a chemical sensor reading from a chemical sensor at the focal point, wherein the chemical sensor reading identifies a chemical that is emanating from members of the particular cluster of persons;

in response to receiving, by the remote communication device, the chemical sensor reading from the chemical sensor at the focal point, determining, by one or more processors, that members of the particular cluster of persons work in a specific location in which the chemical is produced; and

in response to determining that the particular cluster of persons work in the specific location in which the chemical is produced, further enabling, by one or more processors, the remote communication device to allow the user to electronically and remotely drop-in on the conversation by establishing the communication link between the local communication device at the focal point and the remote communication device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors are biometric sensors that detect flushed skin, rapid breathing, and dilated pupils on one or more members of the particular cluster of persons, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

determining, by one or more processors and based on biometric sensor readings from the biometric sensors, that a group dynamic of the particular cluster of persons is of high intensity; and

in response to determining, based on biometric sensor readings from the biometric sensors, that the group dynamic of the particular cluster of persons is of high intensity, enabling, by one or more processors, the remote communication device to allow the user to electronically and remotely drop-in on the conversation by establishing the communication link between the local communication device at the focal point and the remote communication device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the remote communication device to a mobile robotic device at the focal point, instructions that cause the mobile robotic device to adjust a position of the mobile robotic device within the particular cluster of persons and that cause a content on a screen mounted on the mobile robotic device to be modified.

13. A system for managing drop-ins on conversations near a focal point of proximal activity in a gathering place, the system comprising:

one or more sensors in a gathering place, wherein the one or more sensors generate a first set of sensor data and a second set of sensor data about persons, wherein the first set of sensor data identifies a focal point of proximal activity in the gathering place, wherein the proximal activity is by a particular cluster of persons from multiple clusters of persons within a same physical location, wherein the particular cluster of persons is identified as having persons who are each within a predetermined distance from one another, and wherein the second set of sensor data characterizes speech by the persons during a conversation near the focal point; and

a connection to an electronic device, wherein the connection transmits a characterization of the conversation to the electronic device, and wherein the connection enables the electronic device to allow a user to electronically and remotely drop-in on the conversation by establishing a communication link between a local communication device at the focal point and the electronic device at a remote location, wherein the electronic device is a remote communication device, and wherein the communication link is established by;

receiving, by one or more processors, a request from the user of the remote communication device to join the conversation; and

in response to receiving the request from the user of the remote communication device to join the conversation, selectively connecting the local communication device to the remote communication device based on a content of the conversation being held by members of the particular cluster of persons.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a microphone, wherein the second set of sensor data provides a representation of spoken words from the conversation, and wherein the spoken words characterize the conversation near the focal point.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein a sensor from the one or more sensors is a camera, wherein the second set of sensor data further describes an appearance of an entity engaged in the conversation, and wherein the entity engaged in the conversation characterizes the conversation.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the conversation is between a first entity and a second entity, wherein sensors from the one or more sensors are location detectors, wherein the second set of sensor data further describes a relative position between the first entity and the second entity, and wherein the relative position between the first entity and the second entity characterizes the conversation.

17. A computer program product for managing drop-ins on conversations near a focal point of proximal activity in a gathering place, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having program code embodied therewith, the program code being readable and executable by a processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a first set of sensor data about persons from one or more sensors in a gathering place of the persons;

identifying a focal point of proximal activity based on the first set of received sensor data received from the one or more sensors, wherein the proximal activity is by a particular cluster of persons from multiple clusters of persons within a same physical location, and wherein the particular cluster of persons is identified as having persons who are each within a predetermined distance from one another;

characterizing a conversation near the focal point based on a second set of received sensor data from the one or more sensors, wherein the second set of received sensor data is of a speech of the persons;

presenting a characterization of the conversation to an electronic device;

enabling the electronic device to allow a user to electronically and remotely drop-in on the conversation by establishing a communication link between a local communication device at the focal point and the electronic device at a remote location, wherein the electronic device is a remote communication device connected to the local communication device at the gathering place of the persons;

receiving, by one or more processors, a request from the user of the remote communication device to join the conversation; and

in response to receiving the request from the user of the remote communication device to join the conversation, selectively connecting, by one or more processors, the local communication device to the remote communication device based on a content of the conversation being held by members of the particular cluster of persons.