Conferencing Patents (Class 379/202.01)
  • Patent number: 11080009
    Abstract: Systems and methods for altering communications captured by an incident recording device are provided. An incident recording may be captured by a recording device. The incident recording may comprise audio data. A communication activation signal may be detected by the recording device. The communication activation signal may be followed by communication audio data and the communication audio data may be captured in the audio data. Based on detecting the communication activation signal, the recording device may alter the audio data of the incident recording to at least partially alter the communication audio data captured in the audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Inventor: Kevin Shah
  • Patent number: 11082384
    Abstract: A system for providing a notification for a plurality of messages is disclosed. The system may include a memory and at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured to receive the plurality of messages from one or more devices associated with one or more users; identify one or more subjects associated with the plurality of messages; and provide the notification including the plurality of messages to a device associated with a recipient, wherein the plurality of messages are arranged in the notification based on the identified one or more subjects, and wherein the one or more users and the recipient exchange the plurality of messages in a collaborative environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: RingCentral, Inc.
    Inventor: Martin Arastafar
  • Patent number: 11068129
    Abstract: A computer implemented method and device for augmenting a communal display device (CDD) are provided. The method includes, under control of one or more processors configured with specific executable program instructions, capturing CDD image data at a digital camera unit (DCU) of a client device. The CDD image data is indicative of an image presented on the CDD. The method displays the CDD image data on a display of the client device and processes the CDD image data to determine interactive regions associated with the image presented on the CDD. The method generates an instruction in response to a user-based selection on the client device of at least one of the interactive regions and transmits the instruction to one or more processors associated with the CDD.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: LENOVO (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Alden Dixon Rose, Aaron Michael Stewart, Hallie Elizabeth Clark MacEldowney
  • Patent number: 11070916
    Abstract: A separate virtual (e.g. aural) location for one or more interaction or telephony call participants may provide an indication or clue for at least one of the call participants of who is speaking at any one time, reducing errors and misunderstandings during the call. Auditory localization may be used so that participants are heard from separate virtual locations. An audible user interface (AUI) may be produced such that audio presented to the listening user is location-specific, the location being relevant to the user, just as information presented in a graphical user interface (GUI) might be relevant. For example, a plurality of audio streams which are part of an interaction between communicating parties may be accepted, and based on the audio streams, a plurality of audio outputs may be provided, each located at a different location in three-dimensional space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: INCONTACT, INC.
    Inventors: Adam Samuel Horrocks, Matthew Lawrence Page, Nathan Edwin Boden, Christopher Garn Seaman
  • Patent number: 11057233
    Abstract: Optimizing input component enablement for a plurality of communication devices that have input components associated with at least one of a group of meeting participants. At least one of the participants has an identification attribute in an electronic group meeting. A computer receives audio input from input components and analyzes qualitative attributes and content of the audio input to provide a set of quality metrics and a focus concept. The metrics are assessed to determine whether the audio input exceeds quality thresholds, and the focus concept is compared to participant identification attributes. A computer system makes determinations based on these assessments to selectively place input components that provide input with desired quality or which are associated with participants having identification attributes that correspond to the focus concept into an active speaking mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alfonso D'Aniello, Alessandro Ghezzi, Andrea Tortosa, Damiano Bassani
  • Patent number: 11044287
    Abstract: Systems are provided for managing and coordinating STT/TTS systems and the communications between these systems when they are connected in online meetings and for mitigating connectivity issues that may arise during the online meetings to provide a seamless and reliable meeting experience with either live captions and/or rendered audio. Initially, online meeting communications are transmitted over a lossy connectionless type protocol/channel. Then, in response to detected connectivity problems with one or more systems involved in the online meeting, which can cause jitter or packet loss, for example, an instruction is dynamically generated and processed for causing one or more of the connected systems to transmit and/or process the online meeting content with a more reliable connection/protocol, such as a connection-oriented protocol. Codecs at the systems are used, when needed to convert speech to text with related speech attribute information and to convert text to speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Akash Alok Mahajan, Yifan Gong
  • Patent number: 11039500
    Abstract: There is provided mechanisms for resource allocation for group communication in a network. A method is performed by a server node of the group communication. The method comprises receiving a first request from a client node for the client node to affiliate with a group of client nodes in order for the client node to join a group communication session of the group communication system. The method comprises requesting, from a core network node and in response to the first request, a first allocation of network resources to be used by the client node for transmission control of the group communication session. The method comprises receiving a second request for a group call from the client node. The method comprises requesting, from the core network node and upon reception of the second request, a second allocation of network resources to be used by the client node for media transmission in the group call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
    Inventors: Magnus Tränk, Mikael Persson
  • Patent number: 11038703
    Abstract: A conference management application for a remote conferencing system stores information on a plurality of users and a plurality of client devices though which the plurality of users communicate with the remote conferencing system. The conference management application transmits information for a remote conference to a user, wherein the information that is transmitted is generated by a cognitive engine via learning mechanisms that iteratively incorporate information on previously completed remote conferences, information on the user, and information on the client device used by the user to communicate with the conference management application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Madan K. Chukka, Purna Chandra Rao Jasti, Manish Bhide, Phani Kumar V. U. Ayyagari
  • Patent number: 11037577
    Abstract: In a reliable multi-cast, a concealment scheme may be applied to recover or conceal lost or otherwise corrupted packets of audio information for one channel based on the audio information of other channels, in the reliable multi-cast. The concealment scheme may employ correction factors for channels derived from the channel relationships.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Zopf
  • Patent number: 11032335
    Abstract: Methods and systems disclosed herein describe automatically establishing two concurrent electronic communication sessions. Participants of a primary electronic communication session may request a private (secondary) electronic communication session in which only a subset of the participants of the primary electronic communication session can participate. Methods and systems described herein also describe automatically identifying participants of the second electronic communication session based on various factors including predetermined lists, commonality among different users or user identifiers, and geographic location of each participant of the primary and/or secondary electronic communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
    Inventors: Michal Knas, Jiby John
  • Patent number: 11032426
    Abstract: A method, computer-readable storage device and apparatus for enabling a mobile endpoint device to be a hub for a conference call are disclosed. For example, the method connects to the conference call, broadcasts a signal to at least one slave mobile endpoint devices to join the conference call over a personal area network, receives a pairing request from the at least one slave mobile endpoint device over the personal area network, accepts the pairing request and connects the at least one slave mobile endpoint device to the conference call via the master mobile endpoint device over the personal area network, wherein both the master mobile endpoint device and the at least one slave mobile endpoint device have two-way communications with the conference call and conference call controls.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: John M. Maski
  • Patent number: 10992624
    Abstract: Disclosed is a server capable of improving convenience for a user at the time of service registration. The server includes a service providing unit which provides a service to an unregistered user who is not registered in the service when the unregistered user accesses the service, and a storage device which stores a service history provided to the unregistered user by the service providing unit. When the unregistered user is registered in the service, the service providing unit allows the unregistered user to use the service while taking over a service history used when the unregistered user is not registered in the service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: LINE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Heechan Yang, Kenichi Sugimoto
  • Patent number: 10984187
    Abstract: A device for providing a messenger-based service may include a template message provider configured to provide a template message including a keyword slot; a keyword determiner configured to determine a keyword corresponding to the keyword slot by using an input message received correspondingly to the template message; and a result message provider configured to provide a result message including information corresponding to the keyword.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2021
    Assignee: Line Corporation
    Inventor: Il Gu Lee
  • Patent number: 10978073
    Abstract: System and method for processing and presenting a conversation. For example, a system includes a sensor configured to capture an audio-form conversation, and a processor configured to automatically transform the audio-form conversation into a transformed conversation. The transformed conversation includes a synchronized text, and the synchronized text is synchronized with the audio-form conversation. Additionally, the system includes a presenter configured to present the transformed conversation including the synchronized text and the audio-form conversation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Otter.ai, Inc.
    Inventors: Yun Fu, Simon Lau, Fuchun Peng, Kaisuke Nakajima, Julius Cheng, Gelei Chen, Sam Song Liang
  • Patent number: 10972301
    Abstract: The techniques disclosed herein provide a notification to a user that has been invited to participate in a communication session (e.g., a virtual meeting such as a video conference). The notification informs the user of contextual information associated with a meeting and provides a mechanism for the user to efficiently join the meeting. The notification can be provided based on different types of join events signaling that the meeting may be able to start. One type of join event can occur when the first person joins the meeting. Other types of join events can occur when an organizer of the meeting joins the meeting, when a required attendee is the first required attendee to join the meeting, when an external user is the first external user to join the meeting, or when a representative from each of a plurality of different stakeholder groups has joined the meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Dominic Roedel, Ewin Davis Kannuthottiyil, Philipp Steinacher, Eric R. Sexauer
  • Patent number: 10965634
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for enhancing a plurality of electronic communication systems for a plurality of users include, for example, providing data regarding at least one project, and linking the data regarding the at least one project with the plurality of electronic communication systems regarding the plurality of electronic communications for the plurality of users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Liang Liang Dai, Li Gu, Jing Bo Jiang, Li Jiang, Yang Liu, Xue Ying Zhang
  • Patent number: 10958457
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed related to determining device settings for a meeting based in part by parsing text from a meeting invitation or calendar entry, and controlling one or more remotely controllable devices during the meeting according to the determined settings. Based on contextual information determined from a parsed meeting invitation and/or related sources, controllable devices such as remote-controllable window shades, lighting equipment, camera equipment, display screens and/or other in-room equipment may be automatically assigned to determined settings before or during an in-person meeting, conference call or videoconference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Collin Charles Davis, Aakarsh Nair, Milo Oostergo, Kevin Crews, Gary Zhong, Jonathan Alan Leblang, Yu-Hsiang Cheng, Richard Christopher Green
  • Patent number: 10951983
    Abstract: A conference microphone having a housing which encloses plural microphones is disclosed. Within the housing are a directional boundary microphone which includes three cardioid condenser capsules and an omnidirectional microphone. The housing has a rear edge wall and the directional boundary microphone includes an input end facing away from the rear edge wall of the housing. A lavaliere microphone is selectively connected to the housing via an auxiliary microphone input. A microprocessor is linked to a control panel for actuation by a user to control which of the directional boundary microphone, the omnidirectional microphone and the lavaliere microphone are active.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: MARSHALL ELECTRONICS, INC.
    Inventors: Leonard Marshall Shultz, Alex Sukharev
  • Patent number: 10936279
    Abstract: A radio communication device is a radio communication device that performs radio communication by a press-to-talk communication system, and includes an operating unit that receives an operation of a user, an output unit that outputs a received voice signal as a voice, and a volume adjusting unit that adjusts a volume of the voice output by the output unit. The volume adjusting unit acquires source information that indicates a source of the voice signal when a predetermined operation by a user is made with respect to the operating unit, and adjusts the volume of the voice by using an adjustment coefficient that is a degree of adjustment of the volume of the voice, based on the acquired source information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: JVCKENWOOD Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshiteru Ono
  • Patent number: 10938870
    Abstract: A system and method provides for content management for a networked communication platform, including receiving a communication connection with a user, such as via a networked connection. The method and system includes a communication platform having executable operations for facilitating a multi-party conference with a conference engine that receives both an audio/video stream from the user, as well as data relating to the user interface operations. Concurrently, the data stream and the audio/video stream are transmitted to a data engine. The facilitates an online conference with two more users, the data engine processes the feeds external from the conference itself, allowing for recordation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: 8EO, Inc.
    Inventors: David Michael Weber, Lawrence T. Levine
  • Patent number: 10930262
    Abstract: A device for communicating with a remote device is disclosed, which includes a processor and a memory in communication with the processor. The memory includes executable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to control the device to perform functions of establishing, via a communication network, a communication session with the remote device; capturing a speech spoken by a user and generating audio data representing the captured speech by the user; encoding the audio data for transmission to the remote device via the communication network; converting the audio data to text data representing the captured speech; and transmitting, during the communication session, the encoded audio data and the text data to the remote device via the communication network. The device thus can provide the text data representing the captured speech when a quality of the encoded audio signal received by the remote device is below a predetermined level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC.
    Inventors: Ross G. Cutler, Sriram Srinivasan, Ramin Mehran, Karlton David Sequeira, Jayant Ajit Gupchup, Senthil K. Velayutham
  • Patent number: 10924613
    Abstract: Various example implementations are directed to methods and apparatuses for facilitating conferenced communications. In one of various examples involving audio signals received from a plurality of participants of a digital audio conference, a logic circuit is to process the audio signals via respective audio input circuits respectively associated with each of the endpoint devices, and, in response to a subset of the different audio signals deemed or qualified as having a loudest audio input as compared to other ones of the different audio signals, each of the other ones of the different audio signals are assigned to an encoder pool based on a codec associated with the digital audio conference. Digital audio packets for the digital audio conference associated with the subset of the different audio signals deemed or qualified as having a loudest audio input are then encoded for broadcast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: 8x8, Inc.
    Inventors: Garth Judge, James Kleck
  • Patent number: 10904732
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for PTT over IoT is described herein. During operation each IoT device will be assigned to a talkgroup. Some talkgroups may have a single IoT device assigned, and other talkgroups may have multiple IoT devices assigned. During operation, an action command to control an IoT device is received over a first talkgroup. Users that are geographically near the IoT device are determined and polled as to whether or not they agree with the action command. If users near the IoT device agree to the action command, then a command is issued to a first IoT device assigned to that talkgroup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS, INC.
    Inventors: Yen Hsiang Chew, Chin Chuan Yap, Syed Mohamed Mooulana Jamaluddin, Lee Sun Ooi
  • Patent number: 10893149
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present invention provides for a computer-implemented method, including: causing, by a specifically programmed computer call management communication system, to transform, over a computer network, computing devices of users, into corresponding specialized call management devices, by having each computing device to execute a specialized call management client software application being in electronic communication with the specifically programmed computer call management communication system over the computer network by utilizing SIP; where the specialized call management client software application generates specialized graphical user interfaces configured to allow each user to concurrently initiate and maintain, over the computer network, a plurality of voice communications of distinct types with other users, by, for example, allowing each user to independently and dynamically divert, in real-time, any voice communication of any type to any audio device associated with a corresponding
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: GREEN KEY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Anthony Tassone, Eric Detterman
  • Patent number: 10887467
    Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for processing audio signals associated with conferencing devices communicatively connected in a daisy-chain configuration using local connection ports included on each device are provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Shure Acquisition Holdings, Inc.
    Inventors: Ali Enteshari, Martin K. Reiling, Ryan Jerold Perkofski, Matthew Curtis Morrow, Michael Ryan Lester
  • Patent number: 10872611
    Abstract: A method for multi-channel audio or speech signal processing includes receiving a reference channel and a target channel, determining a variation between a first mismatch value and a second mismatch value, and comparing the variation with a first threshold that may have a pre-determined value or may be adjusted based on a frame type or a smoothing factor. The method also includes adjusting a set of target samples of the target channel based on the variation and based on the comparison to generate an adjusted set of target samples. Adjusting the set of target samples includes selecting one among a first interpolation and a second interpolation based on the variation. The method further includes generating at least one encoded channel based on a set of reference samples and the adjusted set of target samples. The method also includes transmitting the at least one encoded channel to a second device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Venkata Subrahmanyam Chandra Sekhar Chebiyyam, Venkatraman Atti
  • Patent number: 10863137
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and apparatus for controlling an audio-video conference, a device and a storage medium. The method may include: establishing, according to a conference preparation request of an inviting party, a communication connection between a target basic audio-video device of an associated conference room and the inviting party, and enabling the inviting party to select at least one invited party; constructing a conference join request according to an invited party included in a conference initiation request of the inviting party, and sending the conference join request to the invited party; and establishing, based on a confirmation response fed back for the conference join request by the invited party, a communication connection between the invited party and the target basic audio-video device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: BEIJING BAIDU NETCOM SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jiamei Kang, Xingbiao Li, Wanqi Tang, Hanyao Shao, Yijing Zhou
  • Patent number: 10841661
    Abstract: The present disclosure discloses an interactive method and apparatus in a live room. The method includes: receiving, from a live backstage, a live video stream sent by a first client; displaying a live interface on a display screen according to the live video stream; receiving, from the live backstage, an interactive video sent by a second client, the second client and the first client belong to a same live room, and the interactive video being a video whose video duration is less than a preset threshold; and playing, in picture-in-picture mode (PIP), the interactive video on a PIP area of the live interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Shanshan Wang, Zhu Liang, Hao Zhang, Shi Wang, Guowei Tang
  • Patent number: 10838572
    Abstract: Apparatus transmits an identifier for association with a virtual area by an administering network service, generates output data from human perceptible stimulus in a physical space, transmits the output data in connection with the virtual area, receives input data associated with the virtual area, and generates human perceptible stimulus in the physical space from the input data. A persistent association is created between the apparatus and a virtual area. A respective presence is established in the virtual area for a communicant operating a client network node connected to the virtual area. A respective connection between each active pair of complementary sources and sinks of the client network node and the apparatus are administered in association with the virtual area. A client network node displays a graphical user interface, establishes the administered connections, and presents interaction controls associated with the object for interacting with communicants in the physical space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2020
    Assignee: Sococo, Inc.
    Inventor: David Van Wie
  • Patent number: 10826952
    Abstract: Provided are a conference access method and a terminal for performing the same. A terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes: an interface configured to receive a plurality of different access addresses for access to a conference from a conference server; an access attempter configured to attempt to simultaneously access the conference via each of the plurality of access addresses; and a priority allocator configured to collect an access result for each of the plurality of access addresses, and to allocate an access priority to each of the plurality of access addresses based on the access result, wherein the access attempter attempts to access the conference via an access address having a highest access priority among the plurality of access addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG SDS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ho-Sung Ahn, Hee-Tae Yoon, Jun-Ho Kang, Hong-Hyeon Lee, Ji-Won Jung
  • Patent number: 10825459
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for converting a speech-to-text in a multiparty call. Receiving speech-to-text requests sent by at least two terminals, where the speech-to-text requests include a first identifier and a second identifier; allocating a session to the at least two terminals, so that in the speech-to-text requests sent by the at least two terminals, terminals that have a same first identifier or a same second identifier have a same session; receiving, by using a packet-switched domain, a voice stream whose sampling rate is greater than 8 KHz and that is sent by at least one terminal in one multiparty call, where the multiparty call corresponds to one session; converting the voice stream into a text; and sending the text to a terminal in the multiparty call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiyong Wang, Hongrui Jiang, Weijun Zheng
  • Patent number: 10819953
    Abstract: The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) receiving, at a first device, a first stream that includes first media data from a first media object, (2) receiving, at the first device, a second stream that includes second media data from a second media object, (3) mixing, at the first device, the first media data and the second media data into a third stream, (4) compiling, while mixing the third stream, a metadata stream that includes information enabling separation of the first media data and the second media data from the third stream, (5) transmitting, from the first device to a second device, the third stream, and (6) transmitting, from the first device to the second device, the metadata stream to enable the second device to separate the first media data and the second media data from the third stream. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Andrew Lovitt, Antonio John Miller, Philip Robinson, Scott Selfon
  • Patent number: 10819740
    Abstract: A method for managing local ports in a packet-oriented data network is proposed, wherein packets are assigned to a selected local port, and assignment of a local port is controlled based on observation of transmission on the network. The invention also relates to a local port managing device, a packet-oriented data network, a digital storage media, and a computer program product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Tomas Malecek, Pavel Novotny, Martin Plsek
  • Patent number: 10805365
    Abstract: A virtual conferencing system is described which tracks events during a virtual conference, provides a user interface for reviewing the events, and allows a moderator and/or other participant to provide feedback related to the events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: MINERVA PROJECT, INC.
    Inventors: Ari Bader-Natal, Brandon Tilley, Stephen Michael Kosslyn, Jonathan Scott Katzman, Matthew Michael Regan, Ben Nelson
  • Patent number: 10805664
    Abstract: An audio distribution system includes a first playback device with a first clock time, and a second playback device with a second clock time. A wireless access point is wirelessly coupled to the first and second playback devices. The second playback device sends a time request to the first playback device via the wireless access point. The first playback device responds to the time request by sending a time response to the second playback device via the wireless access point. The second playback device calculates an update to the second clock time based on the time response, a first physical transmission rate between the second playback device and the wireless access point, and a second physical transmission rate between the first playback device and the wireless access point. The second playback device uses the update to the second clock time to playback audio in synchrony with the first playback device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: Bose Corporation
    Inventor: Michael William Elliot
  • Patent number: 10798135
    Abstract: An example method includes providing third party access to listen to a call and the ability to inject audio into an isolated audio portion of the call by using a switch controller within a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) platform. The switch controller can to separate a call into multiple audio portions. The example method can further include collecting and warehousing call metadata and providing access to isolated audio portions via an external database, web object, API, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2020
    Assignee: Tevnos LLC
    Inventor: Stuart Alexander Jacobson
  • Patent number: 10785368
    Abstract: The present invention, with respect to an electronic device, discloses an electronic device including: a communication unit that transmits a signal requesting a call to another electronic device and receives screen display information from the another electronic device; and a processor that controls so as to display a user interface based on the screen display information on a call connection screen. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, however, and other embodiments are possible.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2020
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hoonsoub Jung, Kyungkeun Lee, Yeunwook Lim
  • Patent number: 10757366
    Abstract: Aspects of the present invention generate a vector value representing a state of a host device hosting a videoconference that is attended by a plurality of participant videoconference devices, wherein the host device controls audio and video distributed for the videoconference to others of the participant videoconference devices, evaluate the vector value to determine a change in the vector value during the videoconference, identify a plurality of second host devices of the plurality of participant videoconference devices that are each enabled to control the audio and video distributed for the videoconference to others of the participant videoconference devices, and in response to determining that the change in the vector value exceeds a threshold, switch control of the videoconference from the host device to one of the second host devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Shikhar Kwatra, Michael Bender, Craig M. Trim, Jeremy R. Fox
  • Patent number: 10741172
    Abstract: A conference system includes an utterance indication processing unit configured to display text information representing utterance content of each speaker on a display unit of each of one or more terminals, and a notification unit configured to notify a speaker of a request to slow down a speech rate of the speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: HONDA MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Kawachi, Kazuhiro Nakadai, Tomoyuki Sahata, Syota Mori, Yuki Uezono, Kyosuke Hineno, Kazuya Maura
  • Patent number: 10742432
    Abstract: Embodiments generally relate to assisting a user in joining a conference call. In some embodiments, a method includes determining that a user who has a first conference call and a second conference call that are scheduled back-to-back, where the determining of the first conference call and the second conference call being scheduled back-to-back triggers an instruction to notify the user when to join the second conference call. The method further includes determining a threshold event associated with the second call, where the threshold event is based at least in part on one or more predetermined triggering criteria. The method further includes detecting that the first conference call is still in progress and the second conference call has begun. The method further includes detecting the threshold event. The method further includes notifying the user to join the second conference call in response to detection of an occurrence of the threshold event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Lisa Seacat Deluca, Dana L. Price, Jenny Li
  • Patent number: 10732924
    Abstract: An example operation may include one or more of generating a local audio file comprising audio captured of a user participating in a teleconference, receiving one or more other local audio files of the teleconference captured by one or more other audio devices that participated in the teleconference, determining a synchronized playback order for audio portions of the generated local audio file and audio portions of the one or more received local audio files based on timing information included in the generated local audio file and the received timing information, and outputting a playback of the audio portions of the generated local audio file and the detected audio portions of the one or more received local audio files synchronized together based on the determined synchronized playback order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Fabio De Angelis, Luca Balestrazzi, Andrea Napoleoni, Stefano Sidoti
  • Patent number: 10728394
    Abstract: A cloud-based video/audio conferencing system and method performs locale based aggregation of a full duplex media stream to organize multiple connections to a conference call that originate from the same physical location or a shared locale. The cloud-based video/audio conferencing system performs synchronization of the microphone and speaker audio signals of the same-locale connections. In this manner, a conference call may be held with multiple user devices making connections from the same physical location. User experience is enhanced by allowing each user in the same location to use his/her own individual devices to connect to the same conference call.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher LaFata, Michael Klingbeil, Adam Marks, Carlin Wiegner
  • Patent number: 10728050
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a method, a device and a system for balancing a load of a terminal-based conference. Herein, the method includes: a scheduler receives a call resource and a media resource reported by a server; the scheduler receives a call resource request of the server, and the scheduler allocates an idle call resource access node in the call resource to a terminal managed by the server according to the call resource request; the scheduler receives a media resource request of a call node corresponding to the call resource access node, and the scheduler allocates an idle media resource access node in the media resource to the terminal according to the media resource request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: ZTE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yunwu Zhou
  • Patent number: 10720175
    Abstract: A communication system and a method can be configured to facilitate the performance of a conference. The system can include a conference organizer terminal and at least two participants' terminals each assigned to respective conference participants who each log in to start a conference on the communication system. The communication system can be configured to calculate a decision situation at a particular point in time of the ongoing conference by analyzing the views expressed by the conference participants during the conference and send data relating to the decision situation for that point in time to the conference organizer's terminal and/or other conference participant terminals for use in facilitating the conference. IN some embodiments, such data can be used to assist the conference participants' in recognizing when there is a consensus made on at least one decision to be made during the conference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: RINGCENTRAL, INC.
    Inventors: Jurgen Totzke, Karl Klug
  • Patent number: 10708180
    Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure involve systems, methods, computer program products, and the like, for collaboration conferencing with multiple participants over a communications network, and more specifically for a conferencing routing service for managing and routing collaboration participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Gregory Thomas Ellison, Andrew James Broadworth
  • Patent number: 10701119
    Abstract: A network device (e.g., an evolved Node B (eNB), server, or other network entity) or a client device (e.g., a user equipment (UE)) can operate over various interfaces according to a dynamic adaptive streaming over hypertext transfer protocol (DASH) assisting network element (DANE). A media path interface can deliver streaming media content to the client device from the media origin server based on a set of parameters provided via a DANE server interface. A client-to-DANE interface can receive a set of metric and status messages from the client device concurrent with a delivery of the streaming media content. A content adaptation component can generate a modification of a media presentation or related parameters based on the set of metric and status messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventor: Ozgur Oyman
  • Patent number: 10694301
    Abstract: There is provided an audio transmission system, comprising a plurality of audio transmission units including at least a first audio transmission unit and a second audio transmission unit and at least one audio receiver unit, wherein the first audio transmission unit and the at least one audio receiver unit are configured to establish a first wireless link for transmitting audio data from the first audio transmission unit to the audio receiver unit, the first audio transmission unit and the second audio transmission unit are configured to establish a second wireless link for transmitting a link parameter set from the first audio transmission unit to the second audio transmission unit, the link parameter set allowing the second audio transmission unit to impersonate the first audio transmission unit for transmitting audio data from the second audio transmission unit via the first wireless link to the audio receiver device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: Sonova AG
    Inventor: Amre El-Hoiydi
  • Patent number: 10678501
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method includes identifying a first set of utterances from a plurality of utterances. The plurality of utterances is associated with a conversation and transmitted via a plurality of audio signals. The computer-implemented method further includes mining the first set of utterances for a first context. The computer-implemented method further includes determining that the first context associated with the first set of utterances is not relevant to a second context associated with the conversation. The computer-implemented method further includes dynamically muting, for at least a first period of time, a first audio signal in the plurality of audio signals corresponding to the first set of utterances. A corresponding computer system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tamer E. Abuelsaad, Gregory J. Boss, John E. Moore, Jr., Randy A. Rendahl
  • Patent number: 10673913
    Abstract: A system and method provides for content management for a networked communication platform, including receiving a communication connection with a user, such as via a networked connection. The method and system includes a communication platform having executable operations for facilitating a multi-party conference with a conference engine that receives both an audio/video stream from the user, as well as data relating to the user interface operations. Concurrently, the data stream and the audio/video stream are transmitted to a data engine. The facilitates an online conference with two more users, the data engine processes the feeds external from the conference itself, allowing for recordation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: 8EO, INC.
    Inventors: David Michael Weber, Lawrence T. Levine
  • Patent number: 10666524
    Abstract: A method includes, within a Graphical User Interface (GUI), displaying a contact list and a conversation container to a user, the contact list including a plurality of contact objects, the conversation container being an active object used to represent an ongoing conversation, receiving input from a user through the GUI, the input instructing the client computing system to move a first contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container and drop the first contact object into the conversation container, in response to dropping the first contact object into the conversation container, instructing a server to open a first communication session between the client system and a first device associated with the one of the contact objects, the first communication session being of a first media type, and engaging in communication through the first communication session with the first device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: GENBAND US LLC
    Inventors: Arjun Cholkar, Anthony Jones, Ibrahim Dogru, Don Gilchrist