Conferencing (e.g., Loop) Patents (Class 348/14.08)
  • Patent number: 9697339
    Abstract: An online music networking system that utilizes the internet for coordinating the sharing and listening of music includes a computer having a processor connected to ta network such as the internet. The system includes a player database that includes player records associated with a plurality of “players” who wish to share music with others through the network. A music database includes music records associated with respective players in the player database. A listener database is includes listener records associated with a plurality of “listeners” who wish to listen to music that is associated with respective players. The player may select to listen to a selected one of his music files as a live stream through the internet. A listener may also listen to the same live stream by becoming a “follower” of the player or selected music file, but may not exercise any control over it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Inventors: Tremaine Witter, Hans Dolce
  • Patent number: 9699410
    Abstract: A method and system for dynamic layout generation in video conferencing system by a layout selection system is disclosed. The layout selection system set-up receives one or more feeds comprising top view of a location associated with video conference from a first camera in real-time, computes information associated with one or more participants of the video conference set-up in real-time based on the one or more feeds and one or more pre-determined parameters to map the one or more participants in the location, obtains live audio data from at least one directional microphone of a plurality of directional microphones placed in the location. The layout selection system receives live video feed from at least one second camera of a plurality of second cameras placed in the location and generate a dynamic layout for the video conference set-up based on the live video feed from the at least one second camera.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: Wipro Limited
    Inventor: Sudhakar Getamaneni Nagabushanam
  • Patent number: 9691412
    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 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventors: Jurgen Totzke, Karl Klug
  • Patent number: 9693018
    Abstract: A system and method for producing a publically viewable video-based group conversation for viewing over a network. The system is configured to generate a display at a first user computer which includes a plurality of sections in a single screen display, including at least a preview section configured for displaying an indicator for each of one or more viewers who are viewing the video-based conversation, and a media player section configured for displaying a video signal including at least some of the video feeds. The creator of the publically viewable video-based group conversation controls which users can participate in the publically viewable video-based group conversation by enabling video streams provided by those users to be displayed on the screen and viewable to other users who access the group conversation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: FLURRY LIVE, INC.
    Inventors: Jeff Fluhr, Robert Hunt
  • Patent number: 9692630
    Abstract: A receiver for receiving data in a broadcast system includes a broadcast receiver that receives via the broadcast system a receiver input data stream including plural channel symbols represented by constellation points in a constellation diagram, a demodulator that demodulates the channel symbols into codewords, and a decoder that decodes the codewords into output data words. A redundancy calculator determines a required amount of redundancy data required for correct demodulation and decoding by use of the originally received channel symbol and additional redundancy data. A broadband request unit requests, if demodulation of a channel symbol and/or decoding of a codeword is erroneous or likely to fail, a required amount of redundancy data via a broadband system, that is received by a broadband receiver via said broadband system. The demodulator and/or the decoder is configured to use the redundancy data for demodulation and decoding, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Junge Qi, Joerg Robert, Jan Zoellner, Lothar Stadelmeier, Nabil Loghin
  • Patent number: 9689959
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a method, apparatus and computer program product for determining the location of a plurality of speech sources in an area of interest, comprising performing an algorithm on a signal issued by either one of said plurality of speech sources in the area to for iteratively recover data characteristic to said signal, wherein the algorithm is an iterative model-based sparse recovery algorithm, and wherein for each of a plurality of points in said area, the iteratively recovered data is indicative of a presence of a plurality of speech sources contributing to the signal received at each of a plurality of points in the area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Foundation de l'Institut de Recherche Idiap
    Inventors: Afsaneh Asaei, Herve Bourlard, Volkan Cevher
  • Patent number: 9686509
    Abstract: A teleconferencing system includes a dominance calculator (24), and a view engine (26). The dominance calculator (24) is configured to compute a dominance score for at least one channel of a plurality of channels of communication based on received video and/or audio from each communication channel. The view engine (26) is configured to send a display overlay including a visual indicator of the computed dominance score to the at least one channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.
    Inventors: Matthew Len Lee, Berthel Floyne Tate
  • Patent number: 9686510
    Abstract: Techniques are described herein that are capable of providing selectable interaction elements in a 360-degree video stream. A selectable interaction element is an element (e.g., user interface element) for which selection of the element initiates the providing of information pertaining to an object with which the element is associated. For instance, the selectable interaction element may be positioned proximate the object in the 360-degree video stream (e.g., a portion of the 360-degree video stream or an entirety of the 360-degree video stream). Examples of a user interface element include but are not limited to text, an icon, and a widget.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Raymond Walter Riley, Kae-Ling Gurr, Brett Delainey Christie, Joshua D. Maruska, Joshua Noble
  • Patent number: 9681094
    Abstract: Embodiments obtain a content item representing graphic content suitable for display as part of a shared media event, determine an activity metric for said content item, determine an activity metric for a participant of said shared media event, comparing the activity metric of the content item and the activity metric the participant, cause a display to render the graphic content associated with said content item, and render a representation of said participant. In at least some implementations, the relative displayed positions of said graphic content and said representation of the participant are based on the result of the comparison of the activity metric of the content item and the activity metric the participant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Ruchir Astavans, Michael Howard Hill, Ewin Davis Kannuthottiyil, Mark Robert Swift
  • Patent number: 9678567
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein provide methods, systems, and computer readable storage media for indicating eye tracking information during a real-time communication session. In a particular embodiment, a method provides receiving first eye tracking information captured by a first computing system operated by a first user during the communication session with a second computing system operated by a second user, wherein the first eye tracking information represents a first location on a display of the first computing system to where eyes of the first user are directed. The method further provides determining a second location on a display of the second computing system that corresponds to the first location and instructing the display of the second computing system to display a first indication of the second location in real-time with the communication session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Avaya Inc.
    Inventor: John F. Buford
  • Patent number: 9678349
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a transparent near-eye display device. The near-eye display device includes a main case providing a containing space to include an electronic component assemble; a see-through display unit mechanically connected with the main case and electrically connected with the electronic component assemble; and an attaching unit configured on the main case and attachable to a spectacle-based frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Inventor: Tsai-Hsien Yang
  • Patent number: 9680838
    Abstract: A system and method for with an inmate in a privileged communication are disclosed. a communication system includes a portal subsystem that determines whether a communication should be monitored, or not, based on received information, including access information, from a first communication device. Based on the determination, the communication system bypasses a monitoring subsystem and stores and/or transmits the communication to a second communication device by way of a non-monitoring subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Global Tel*Link Corporation
    Inventor: Stephen L. Hodge
  • Patent number: 9674550
    Abstract: A controller controls a camera that produces a sequence of images and that has output coupled to a video encoder. The camera has an operating condition including a field of view and lighting, and one or more imaging parameters. The video encoder encodes images from the camera into codewords. The controller receives one or more encoding properties from the video encoder, and causes adjusting one or more of the imaging parameters based on at least one of the received encoding properties, such that the camera produces additional images of the sequence of images for the video encoder using the adjusted one or more imaging parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Dihong Tian, Wing-Kuen Chung, Qing Chen
  • Patent number: 9672270
    Abstract: A non-transitory processor-readable medium storing code to cause a processor to receive, from a first electronic device via a first mode, a signal representing a first data set associated with a first communication at a first time. The code causes the processor to define a second data set associated with the communication in a second mode. The code causes the processor to send a signal representing the second data set to a second electronic device at a second time after the first time. The code causes the processor to receive, from the second electronic device via the second mode, a signal representing a third data set associated with a second communication, at a third time after the second time. The code causes the processor to send, to the second electronic device, a signal including an instruction to present, on a display, the second data set with the third data set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Zuess, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Christian White, William Thomas Code Cubit, Filip Perich, Layne Wesley David Verbeek
  • Patent number: 9674453
    Abstract: At a video conference endpoint including a microphone array and a camera, different camera framings are established to frame different views of a talker based on different sets of pan, tilt, and focal length settings of the camera. Different video frames of the different views are captured using the different camera framings, respectively. A sound source direction of the talker relative to the microphone array in a fixed three-dimensional (3D) global coordinate system is determined for the different views based on sound from the talker detected by the microphone array. The sound source direction relative to the microphone array is converted to different sound source positions in planar coordinates relative to the different video frames based on the different sets of pan, tilt, and focal length settings, respectively. The different video frames, the sound, and the different sound source positions in planar coordinates are transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristian Tangeland, Glenn R. G. Aarrestad, Johan Ludvig Nielsen, Øivind Stuan
  • Patent number: 9661269
    Abstract: In one general embodiment, a system for enabling communications and conferencing between dissimilar computing devices including mobile computing devices. In another embodiment a method for enabling communications and conferencing between dissimilar computing devices including mobile computing devices. In a further embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause one or more processors to enable communications and conferencing between dissimilar computing devices including mobile computing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnaud Le Devehat, Puneet Singh, Vaibhav Pande
  • Patent number: 9661271
    Abstract: Multiple display planes for participant collaboration are provided. An end of a first physical display is arranged adjacent to an end of a second physical display to define an angle. An example method includes detecting the angle, establishing, based on detecting the angle, a first physical display plane on the first physical display, a second physical display plane on the second physical display, and a plurality of virtual display planes on the first physical display and the second physical display, and presenting a different video feed of several video feeds in each of the first physical display plane, second physical display plane, and one or more virtual display planes of the plurality of virtual display planes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 9661268
    Abstract: A system is disclose including but not limited to a processor in data communication with a non-transitory computer readable medium; a computer program stored in the computer readable medium, the computer program including but not limited to instructions to send from a first client device to a server, data indicating a first list designating a first group of video conference participants' end user devices' addresses; and instructions to send from the client device to the server, a first video conference data, the first video conference data to be sent from the server over a single video conference channel in the video system to first group of video conference participants' end user devices addresses, wherein each of a plurality of groups of end user devices receives a different one of a plurality of video conferences data over a single video conference channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Edward A Walter
  • Patent number: 9661041
    Abstract: A method of using mobile devices of participants of a meeting to facilitate a meeting is disclosed. It is identified that a group of two or more people are conducting the meeting. Information about the group of the two or more people is collected based on a relevance of the information to a context of the meeting. At least a portion of the information is transmitted for presentation in a user interface of a mobile device of each member of the group to facilitate the meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: LinkedIn Corporation
    Inventor: Tomer Cohen
  • Patent number: 9659570
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to audiovisual stream processing in videoconferences. For each audiovisual stream in a videoconference, a sound level of the audiovisual stream is detected. If the sound level exceeds a predefined threshold level, the audiovisual stream is processed with a first configuration. If the sound level is below the predefined threshold level, the audiovisual stream is processed with a second configuration. The second configuration is more resource-effective than the first configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yang Pan, Wei Su, Yi Zhang, Yi Jian Zhang
  • Patent number: 9661267
    Abstract: System and method for discovering videoconferencing systems. A first videoconferencing system may contact a known second videoconferencing system. The first videoconferencing system may receive contact information of one or more other videoconferencing systems from the second videoconferencing system. The first videoconferencing system may send a request signal to a third videoconferencing system of the one or more other videoconferencing systems. The request signal may use the contact, wherein the first videoconferencing system sending the request signal uses the contact information of the third videoconferencing system. The first videoconferencing system may receive a response from the third videoconferencing system, and the response may include information regarding the third videoconferencing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Lifesize, Inc.
    Inventor: Matthew K. Brandt
  • Patent number: 9654730
    Abstract: A communication terminal receives display data for displaying certain data on a screen of a display device and image data of an optical-to-electrical-converted image from another communication terminal via a communication network, includes a storage part storing reception information indicating whether the display data has been received by the communication terminal and arrangement information indicating at least one of a size and a position of the image based on the image data, in a manner of associating with one another; a reception part receiving the display data and the image data; an extraction part extracting, based on the reception information, the corresponding arrangement information from the storage part; and a display control part displaying the image using the image data based on the arrangement information extracted by the extraction part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshinaga Kato, Kenji Tanaka, Shizu Kanauchi, Masaki Nakagawa, Alain Volmat, Takahiro Asai
  • Patent number: 9648275
    Abstract: A communication management system includes a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal and the second terminal are each configured to transmit and receive content data including at least video and audio data captured at a location of each of the first terminal and the second terminal. The first terminal is designated as a content delivery source and content data captured at the location of the first terminal is transmitted to the second terminal. The second terminal is restricted from transmitting content data captured at the location of the second terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hideki Tamura, Shuhei Tsubone
  • Patent number: 9648278
    Abstract: A communication apparatus includes: an area dividing unit that divides, of an output image which is an image that the communication apparatus has output and includes at least a shot image obtained by shooting the surroundings of another communication apparatus which communicates with the communication apparatus, a display area indicating an area where the shot image is displayed into as many unit areas as the number of people captured in the shot image; a transmission control unit that controls transmitting coordinate information which indicates, of the output image, a unit area corresponding to a position pointed by a user to the other communication apparatus; and an output control unit that, when the communication apparatus has received output information including a voice subjected to directivity control according to, of the shot image, an area corresponding to the coordinate information from the other communication apparatus, controls outputting the received output information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Masato Takahashi, Koji Kuwata, Kiyoto Igarashi, Tomoyuki Goto, Kazuki Kitazawa, Nobumasa Gingawa, Miku Hakamatani
  • Patent number: 9641688
    Abstract: This disclosure describes a conferencing apparatus with an automatically adapting beamforming microphone array for teleconferencing applications. The conferencing apparatus includes a processor coupled to memory, storage, and a housing. The apparatus further includes a communication element, a plurality of microphones arranged in the housing and configured as a beamforming microphone array, and an orientation sensor. Additionally, the apparatus includes executing a series of steps including: (a) adapting a signal-processing characteristic of the beamforming microphone array responsive to the orientation signal, (b) beamforming to combine the plurality of microphone signals to a plurality of combined signals, (c) performing an acoustic echo cancellation operation on the plurality of combined signals to generate a plurality of combined echo-canceled signals, and (d) selecting one or more of the plurality of combined echo-canceled signals for transmission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: ClearOne Inc.
    Inventors: Ashutosh Pandey, Darrin T. Thurston, David K. Lambert, Tracy A. Bathurst
  • Patent number: 9641568
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, a user equipment, and a server for sharing information, and an apparatus. The method for implementing information sharing includes: receiving shared information of another user equipment and location information corresponding to the shared information, where the location information indicates a location for the shared information to be displayed on a desktop of another user equipment; and displaying the shared information according to the location information. In the embodiments of the present invention, information or a desktop can be shared in real time between two or more user equipments, so that a user of a user equipment is capable of tracing the status of a user of another user equipment and acquiring information on the shared desktop in real time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Junjie Deng
  • Patent number: 9635235
    Abstract: A communication apparatus having a first image capturing unit and a second image capturing unit that is different from the first image capturing unit, comprises a communication unit which communicates with an external image capturing apparatus and a switching unit which switches an image capturing mode. When communication with the external image capturing apparatus is not established, the switching unit switches between a first mode in which an image is captured by controlling the first image capturing unit and a second mode in which an image is captured by controlling the second image capturing unit, and when communication with the external image capturing apparatus is established, the switching unit switches between the first mode and a third mode in which an image is captured by remotely controlling the external image capturing apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiko Kimura
  • Patent number: 9633478
    Abstract: A display apparatus is provided. The display apparatus includes: a transparent display; a scanner configured to scan an object seen through the transparent display, a position of the scanner being adjustable with respect to the transparent display; and a controller configured to provide information corresponding to the scanned object on the transparent display, in response to occurrence of a predetermined event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Dae-sik Kim, Dong-yeob Lee
  • Patent number: 9628518
    Abstract: An independent collaboration session is established through an existing media session. A computing device identifies a request for a collaboration session from a first user location. The collaboration session associated with the first user location and a second user location. The computing device identifies a media session between the first user location and the second user location. A collaboration address is extracted from the request for the collaboration session and encoded according to a codec of the media session. The encoded collaboration address is sent from the first user location to the second user location through the video session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristian Sandvik, Magne Zachrisen
  • Patent number: 9626003
    Abstract: A system of enhancing communication in a multi-participant video conference by tracking eye contact between participants, implemented by a computing processor, detects that a first participant is looking at a second participant on a first screen viewed by the first participant, where both are engaged in the multi-participant video conference. The system adjusts a first video representation of the first participant such that the first participant appears to look directly at the second participant on a second screen viewed by the second participant. The system adjusts the second video representation to look directly at the first participant to enhance communication between the first participant and the second participant by allowing the first participant and the second participant to look directly into each other's eyes during the multi-participant video conference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Ilse M. Breedvelt-Schouten, Jana H. Jenkins, Jeffrey A. Kusnitz
  • Patent number: 9628538
    Abstract: A method and computing system for receiving, using one or more computing devices, a discrete video stream from each of a plurality of users of a social network, resulting in a plurality of discrete video streams. A synchronous communication session is provided for the plurality of users based, at least in part, upon the plurality of discrete video streams. The plurality of discrete video streams are broadcast to one or more broadcast recipients.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Leske, Loren Groves
  • Patent number: 9620106
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices are for identifying a user profile for speech recognition. The user profile is selected from one of several user profiles which are all associated with a speaker, and can be selected based on the identity of the speaker, the location of the speaker, the device the speaker is using, or other relevant parameters. Such parameters can be hierarchical, having multiple layers, and can also be dependent or independent from one another. Using the parameters identified, the user profile is selected and used to recognize speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.
    Inventor: Rathinavelu Chengalvarayan
  • Patent number: 9621854
    Abstract: A videoconference may be initiated between a plurality of endpoints. At least one of the endpoints may be coupled to a recording server, which may be configured to record the videoconference. A configuration may be selected (e.g., automatically or manually) for performing the recording. The endpoint (e.g., acting as an MCU) may transmit information to endpoints and may transmit recording information to the recording server. The recording information may be different from the videoconference information. For example, it may be in a “streaming friendly” format, at a different bit rate, encoded differently, have different inputs, etc. The manner in which the videoconference is stored and/or recorded may be based on the selected configuration. Clients may be configured to receive and display the videoconference from the recording server and may be configured to change the provided layout to different layouts, e.g., based on user input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Lifesize, Inc.
    Inventors: Ashish Goyal, Binu Kaiparambil Shanmukhadas, Vivek Wamorkar, Keith C. King, Stefan F. Slivinski, Raphael Anuar, Boby S. Pullamkottu, Sunil George
  • Patent number: 9621847
    Abstract: A communication terminal for communicating with a counterpart communication terminal includes a receiver that receives image data including an eye image of a user operating the counterpart communication terminal from the counterpart communication terminal, the eye image of the user being captured at the counterpart communication terminal while the user is viewing a predetermined position on a counterpart display and circuitry that specifies a sightline position indicating a sightline position of the user operating the counterpart communication terminal based on the received image data every time the image data is received by the receiver, determines a frequency of changes in the specified sightline position for a predetermined time period, and displays information indicating the frequency of changes in the specified sightline position on a display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Takuya Mizuhara
  • Patent number: 9621795
    Abstract: Various examples related to determining a location of an active speaker are provided. In one example, image data of a room from an image capture device is received and a three dimensional model is generated. First audio data from a first microphone array at the image capture device is received. Second audio data from a second microphone array laterally spaced from the image capture device is received. Using the three dimensional model, a location of the second microphone array with respect to the image capture device is determined. Using the audio data and the location and angular orientation of the second microphone array, an estimated location of the active speaker is determined. Using the estimated location, a setting for the image capture device is determined and outputted to highlight the active speaker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Oliver Arthur Whyte, Ross Cutler, Avronil Bhattacharjee, Adarsh Prakash Murthy Kowdle, Adam Kirk, Stanley T. Birchfield, Cha Zhang
  • Patent number: 9615059
    Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a storage unit to store information about one or more persons, the information about each of the persons including a direction in which the person exists, and permission for imaging the person by an imaging unit, and the information about each of the persons being associated with identification information to uniquely identify the person; a detection unit to detect a direction in which a person who speaks exists; a determination unit to determine whether the person in the detected direction is permitted for imaging, based on the information about the person stored in the storage unit; and a control unit to control an imaging direction of the imaging unit to turn towards the detected direction of the person, in a case where the determination unit has determined that the person in the detected direction is permitted for imaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kiyoto Igarashi, Hiroaki Uchiyama, Koji Kuwata, Masato Takahashi, Tomoyuki Goto, Kazuki Kitazawa, Nobumasa Gingawa
  • Patent number: 9613512
    Abstract: Messages from wireless devices are intercepted by a controller, such as an access point for a wireless network, a security system controller, a home automation controller, an industrial or business automation controller, or a combination thereof. The controller logs device-identifying information about the devices that sent the messages that that were intercepted. Examples of the device-identifying information include a MAC address, a device name, a brand of the device, an SSID of an AP connected to the device, or a class of device. The intercepted message is used to trigger one or more events, either based solely on intercepting the message or in combination with other parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Greenway Systems PTE LTD
    Inventor: Nathan Williams
  • Patent number: 9615058
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention allow a collection of users (referred to herein as a “forum”) to communicate and exchange content items as part of an interactive communication system (referred to herein as the “Reel service”). Each user has a mobile device (e.g., a mobile phone) running an application (referred to herein as the “Reel application”). The Reel application running in each mobile device is in communication with a server infrastructure. The Reel application implements client-side functions of the Reel service while the server infrastructure implements server-side functions of the Reel service. Users of a reel can create and share content items while simultaneously being able to monitor content being captured by other users through a single user interface, even on a mobile device where screen real estate is limited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Reel, Inc.
    Inventor: William W. Mattson
  • Patent number: 9613286
    Abstract: A method and mobile terminal for correcting a gaze of a user in an image are provided. The method includes detecting first eye outer points that define a first eye region of the user in an original image; setting second eye outer points different from the first eye outer points; and transforming the first eye region inside of the first eye outer points to a second eye region inside of the second eye outer points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, Postech Academy-Industry Foundation
    Inventors: Byung-Jun Son, Dai-Jin Kim, Jong-Ju Shin, In-Ho Choi, Tae-Hwa Hong
  • Patent number: 9613448
    Abstract: Implementations relate to augmented display of information in a device view of a display screen. In some implementations, a method includes detecting a physical display screen appearing in a field of view of an augmenting device, and detecting an information pattern in output associated with the physical display screen. The method extracts displayable information and screen position information from the information pattern, where the screen position information is associated with the displayable information and indicates a screen position on the physical display screen. The method causes a display of the displayable information overlaid in the field of view of the augmenting device, where the display of the displayable information is based on the screen position information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventor: Benjamin Margolin
  • Patent number: 9607615
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for classifying spoken content in a teleconference for a follower of the teleconference is disclosed. The method comprises: detecting a topic to which the spoken content belongs; determining a (overall) correlation degree between the follower and the spoken content at least according to a correlation degree between the follower and the topic; and classifying the spoken content according to the (overall) correlation degree between the follower and the spoken content. With the method and the apparatus, the correlation degree between the spoken content in the teleconference and the follower of the teleconference can be determined automatically, and the spoken content can be classified according to the correlation degree, so that the follower can selectively pay attention to some spoken contents during the teleconference, which reduces a burden of the follower and improves conference efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Yan Feng Han, Peng Jiang, Wen Hao Wang
  • Patent number: 9608904
    Abstract: A method and system for analyzing devices on a network are provided. The method includes: receiving at least one packet from a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE); determining identity metadata associated with the at least one packet; and analyzing the at least one packet to determine a device associated with the at least one packet. The system for analyzing devices on a network includes: a packet processor configured to receive at least one packet from a CPE; a subscriber/session identity module configured to determine identity metadata with the at least one packet; and a device tracker module configured to analyze the at least one packet to determine a device associated with the at least one packet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: SANDVINE INCORPORATED ULC
    Inventor: Scot Loach
  • Patent number: 9600474
    Abstract: A language translation application on a user device includes a user interface that provides relevant textual and graphical feedback mechanisms associated with various states of voice input and translated speech.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Alexander J. Cuthbert, Sunny Goyal, Matthew Gaba, Joshua J. Estelle, Masakazu Seno
  • Patent number: 9600703
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for acquiring and decoding a plurality of images. First images are acquired and then processed to attempt to decode a symbol. Contributions of the first images to the decoding attempt are identified. An updated acquisition-settings order is determined based at least partly upon the contributions of the first images to the decoding attempt. Second images are acquired or processed based at least partly upon the updated acquisition-settings order.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2017
    Assignee: Cognex Corporation
    Inventors: Xianju Wang, Xiangyun Ye, James A. Negro, David Vekony, Robb Robles, Jozsef Borovszki, Steven G. Webster
  • Patent number: 9596230
    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 controller in the network configured to control certain aspects of establishing a collaboration conference. In one particular embodiment, the user of the network may access the control system application to provide one or more conferencing parameters or settings the user wishes to be present during a collaboration conference session. The parameters may then be established by the control system and associated with the conferencing session involving the user. In one embodiment, such information may be associated with the identification token. In yet a further embodiment, a user to the collaboration control system may subscribe to receive a notification when another user of the system accesses a portion of a collaboration of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: Level 3 Communications, LLC
    Inventors: Adam C. Uzelac, Gregory T. Ellison, Andrew J. Broadworth
  • Patent number: 9591264
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and products generate telepresence visualizations for a remote participant to a videoconferences. A central server superimposes the remote participant onto images or video of the teleconferencing environment. The central server thus generates an illusion that the remote participant is in the same conferencing environment as other conferees.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I, L.P.
    Inventor: John Robert Oetting
  • Patent number: 9588325
    Abstract: The present invention provides an optical imaging processing system. The system includes a screen, an incident light source, and at least one optical transmission medium, where the optical transmission medium is disposed in an optical imaging path in which the incident light source is emergent and is projected to the screen; an light incident face of the optical transmission medium faces the incident light source, and an light exiting face of the optical transmission medium faces the screen, where at least one cavity is included between the light incident face and the light exiting face of the optical transmission medium, and a cross-section shape of the cavity is an isosceles trapezoid; and the cavity includes a light transmission area and a light blanking area used for object accommodation, and the optical imaging path bypasses the light blanking area and penetrates through the optical transmission medium through the light transmission area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignees: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Cambridge Enterprise Limited
    Inventors: Brian Robertson, Kun Ll, Daping Chu, Jun Yao
  • Patent number: 9591037
    Abstract: A scalable media conferencing system minimizes delay while maintaining a consistent session across all of the distributed media servers handling the conference session. Each of the media servers sends a list of the local top streams and their importance. A global list of top streams is created and disseminated to all of the media servers. Each of the media servers then forwards any local stream that is on the list of global top streams to all of the other media servers. Once a media server receives all of the streams on the list of global top streams, it locally mixes the streams together and outputs the mixed stream to the endpoints that are locally connected to that media server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Duanpei Wu, Yanghua Liu
  • Patent number: 9584763
    Abstract: A video conference endpoint includes one or more cameras to capture video of different views and a microphone array to sense audio. One or more preset views are defined. The endpoint detects faces in the captured video and active audio sources from the sensed audio. The endpoint detects any active talker detected faces that coincide positionally with detected active audio sources, and also detects whether any active talker is in one of the preset views. Based on whether an active talker is detected in any of the preset views, the endpoint switches between capturing video of one of the preset views, and capturing video of a dynamic view.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kristian Tangeland, Rune Oistein Aas, Erik Hellerud
  • Patent number: 9584762
    Abstract: A videoconference equipment monitoring system that continuously monitors and diagnoses the health of the system's network and devices using vendor-agnostic diagnostic hardware/software. The system comprises a monitoring server and one or more executable probes, wherein each executable probe is operable to collect data from devices in the network, communicate with other executable probes to collect internal network data, and communicate with the monitoring server to send information relating to the status of networks and devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: GBH COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
    Inventor: Jose De La Paz