Computer Conferencing Patents (Class 715/753)
  • Patent number: 9348673
    Abstract: An information processing device of this disclosure has: a data sharing unit capable of sharing, the sharing being a process of causing an application, selected as data output destination from a plurality of applications, to process data output from a data output source application; a display unit; an operation unit; and a processor that, when executing instructions, performs: acquiring image data; displaying identification images for identifying the plurality of applications on the display unit; and receiving an input designating N identification images of the plurality of identification images displayed on the display unit from the operation unit, N being natural number greater than 1; and causing the data sharing unit to perform sharing the acquired image data to each of N data output destination application, each of N data output destination application respectively corresponding to each of the N identification images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norihiko Asai
  • Patent number: 9344389
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to messaging and provide a method, system and computer program product for business object integration with messaging. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for messaging integration of a business object can be provided. The method can include embedding a business object in message text in a chat session provided by a messenger, and applying an action to the business object from within the messaging session of the instant messenger. The method further can include generating a message transcript for the messaging session with a split view of the message text and the business object and applied action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: John R. Hind, Naveenkumar V. Muguda
  • Patent number: 9342210
    Abstract: A video mixing computer apparatus includes a computing device, a touch interface having multiple selectable tiles, at least some of the tiles each having an associated media viewer capable of playing a visual source in response to selection of the tile. The compositing engine, tiles, media viewers, and compositing engine interoperate such that, when a user selects a first tile, a part of a first visual source will be played by a first media player, and when the user then selects a second tile, a part of a second visual source will be played by a second media player, and concurrent with the playing, information relating to the parts will be captured for use by the compositing engine to create a media file as a sequential mix of the first and second visual sources corresponding to the user's selections' timings and durations. A video mixing method is also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: PUBLIC PICTURE LLC
    Inventors: Alexander Kane, Benjamin S Jenkins
  • Patent number: 9331970
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing device receives input from a user participating in a message session. The computing device detects an emoticon in the received input and identifies an image corresponding to the emoticon. The computing device accesses the image corresponding to the emoticon and replaces the emoticon with the image in the message session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jenny Yuen, Luke St. Clair
  • Patent number: 9324373
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention disclose a computer implemented method, computer program product, and system for updating a video tutorial. In accordance with an embodiment, the method includes the steps of determining a number of users of a video tutorial that have performed a set of actions that are different than a set of actions displayed in the video tutorial, determining that the number of users of the video tutorial that have performed the set of actions that are different meets a threshold condition, and identifying a segment of the video tutorial to remove, wherein the identified segment includes the set of actions displayed in the video tutorial that are different. The method may further include creating an updated video tutorial by replacing the identified segment of the video tutorial with a video of the set of actions that are different than the set of displayed actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Al Chakra, Liam Harpur, Vaishnavi Nori, John Rice, Nithinkrishna Shenoy
  • Patent number: 9324086
    Abstract: In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for sharing multi-media content among a plurality of users in a computer network comprises creating a plurality of user accounts, each of said user accounts corresponding to one of the plurality of users, and having a plurality of interactive features including a first feature that permits the user to upload the multi-media content to the computer network; forming a user network including one or more of the plurality of user accounts in communication with one or more other user accounts and to the uploaded multi-media content via the computer network; categorizing the uploaded multi-media content in accordance with the subject matter of the uploaded multi-media content; organizing the uploaded multimedia content in a competitive format; and establishing a hierarchy for the uploaded multi-media content within the competitive format as a function of a competitive measurement system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: MINDTRIG.COM Limited Liability Company
    Inventor: Michael Garofalo
  • Patent number: 9317345
    Abstract: An information processing device of this disclosure has: a data sharing unit capable of sharing, the sharing being a process of causing an application, selected as data output destination from a plurality of applications, to process data output from a data output source application; a display unit; an operation unit; and a processor that, when executing instructions, performs: acquiring image data; displaying identification images for identifying the plurality of applications on the display unit; and receiving an input designating N identification images of the plurality of identification images displayed on the display unit from the operation unit, N being natural number greater than 1; and causing the data sharing unit to perform sharing the acquired image data to each of N data output destination application, each of N data output destination application respectively corresponding to each of the N identification images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Norihiko Asai
  • Patent number: 9298450
    Abstract: Visualizing user interfaces specified by source code includes executing, using a development application, source code including a segment of source code specifying a user interface and, responsive to executing the segment of source code, generating, using a processor, a first screenshot including the user interface. The first screenshot is correlated with the segment of source code. The first screenshot is stored in association with the segment of source code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2016
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Cristina L. Grant, Patricia Leon, Adriana Valido
  • Patent number: 9276973
    Abstract: A determination is made of users that form a group within a social network in which the users communicate with each other over a network with electronic devices in a client-server architecture. The users in the group within the social network form a peer-to-peer (P2P) storage group within a P2P storage network. In the P2P storage network, users are peers that act as a client and a server for each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2016
    Inventor: Philip Scott Lyren
  • Patent number: 9262744
    Abstract: Techniques are described for display and navigation of hierarchical messages, which displays include contextual data for the messages. Context information for a current message includes reply messages, parent messages, and metadata representations. Message representations are also associated with visual depth indicators that are independent of the text of the messages. Users may navigate displays of hierarchical message data using different navigational inputs. For example, more information may be requested for messages, without selecting a new message for viewing as a focal message, using swipes across portions of the display dedicated to displaying the messages. A limited number of messages for a requested list of messages is initially retrieved and displayed, and a mechanism for viewing more messages from the list is provided. Historical usage of the mechanism is recorded and the number of messages to be displayed for the list of messages is adjusted based on the historical usage data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: Apollo Education Group, Inc.
    Inventors: Jongwoo Lee, Manish Upendran, Locke D. Berkebile, Jason Brightman
  • Patent number: 9256641
    Abstract: A method includes receiving a first database query, in which the first database query requests particular data associated with a first object that is stored on a data source. The method also includes determining whether the first database query includes an aggregation function. The method also includes sending an instruction to generate current aggregate data based on the aggregation function to the data source in response to determining that the first database query includes the aggregation function, in which the current aggregate data corresponds to the particular data. The data source is configured to generate the current aggregate data in response to receiving the instruction. The method includes generating a second database query based on the first database query, in which the second database query requests the current aggregate data. The method also includes retrieving the current aggregate data using the second database query and providing the current aggregate data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: CA, Inc.
    Inventor: Pavel Zlatnik
  • Patent number: 9256856
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed herein which enable simultaneous manipulation of user-interface objects by a plurality of users across a network of a plurality of nodes using multiple independent data paths, wherein on each node, an input device activates a plurality of user-interface elements, and such activations are replicated across each node. Only user-interface change data is transmitted, thereby enabling real-time, simultaneous collaboration without transmitting an image of the user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: IMI Innovations, Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Fairs, Lee A. Mitchell
  • Patent number: 9253225
    Abstract: Community interaction during video viewing is provided. A video hosting website includes videos available for viewing. Users establish lists of friends, who are other users of the video hosting site. When a user logs on, her presence is made known by an interaction engine to her friends that are also logged in to the site. The user's activities are tracked and her friends are notified of those activities. Tracked activities may include viewing a video, rating a video, commenting on a video, uploading a video to the site, and adding a new friend. Friends are notified of these activities in one embodiment through one or more user interface elements. A user can select a user interface element to discover which of her friends are also watching the same video at that time. A user watching a video can summon her online friends to the watch page to watch collaboratively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ryan Junee, Herbert Ho, Yu Pan, Erik Klein, Slave Jovanovski, Julian Frumar, Jasson Arthur Schrock, Richard B. Leider, Mohan Nibhanupudi
  • Patent number: 9224033
    Abstract: The present approach enables an impression of the atmosphere of a scene or an object present in the scene at the time of photography to be pictured in a person's mind as though the person were actually at the photographed scene. A feeling-expressing-word processing device has: a feeling information calculating unit 11 for analyzing a photographed image, and calculating feeling information which indicates a situation of a scene portrayed in the photographed image or a condition of an object present in the scene; and a feeling-expressing-word extracting unit 12 for extracting, from among feeling-expressing words which express feelings and are stored in a feeling-expressing-word database 21 in association with the feeling information, a feeling-expressing word which corresponds to the feeling information calculated by the feeling information calculating unit 11.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2015
    Assignee: NEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kyota Higa, Toshiyuki Nomura, Yuzo Senda, Masumi Ishikawa
  • Patent number: 9212925
    Abstract: A request is received from a route traveler for a suggested departure time associated with travel to a destination. Community event and social media information, related to events and activities near a travel route to the destination, is evaluated. The suggested departure time is determined based upon the community event and social media information related to the events and activities near the travel route to the destination. The suggested departure time determined based upon the community event and social media information related to the events and activities near the travel route to the destination is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Denise A. Bell, Pamela F. Geiger, Leah A. Lawrence, Irgelkha D. Mejia
  • Patent number: 9204098
    Abstract: In an approach to determine a pre-recorded video for use in place of a video feed of a user in a video conference, a computer receives one or more pre-recorded videos of a user in which the pre-recorded videos include at least one visual representation of an emotional state. The computer determines a meeting tone of at least one meeting discussion in the video conference and determines a first video of the one or more pre-recorded videos of the user that corresponds to the meeting tone. The computer substitutes the first video into the video conference in place of a video feed in the video conference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Hernan A. Cunico, Asima Silva
  • Patent number: 9189153
    Abstract: A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: 2236008 Ontario Inc.
    Inventors: Phillip A. Hetherington, Mario Vaira, Alex Escott
  • Patent number: 9189797
    Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to provide the ability to detect, measure, aggregate, and normalize sentiments expressed by a group of users on a certain event or topic on a social network so that the normalized sentiments truly reflect the sentiments of the general public on that specific event or topic. Additionally, the collected and measured sentiments of an individual user expressed on a social network can also be normalized against a baseline sentiment that reflects in order to truly reflect the individual user's sentiment at the time of his/her expression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, Scott Park Manley
  • Patent number: 9191353
    Abstract: A system for providing open session based selective broadcasting in an instant messaging system. The instant messaging system user is provided with a mechanism through which they can broadcast a user-defined message to the participants in all currently open instant messaging sessions with the user, or to the participants in a selected subset of currently open instant messaging sessions with the user. The system provides the ability to capture and save a list of the participants receiving a previously broadcast message. The captured participant list can be subsequently recalled and used to broadcast another user defined message when the interruption ends, and the user can resume participation in the sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corinne M. Ryan, Ruthie D. Lyle, Doris L. Jones
  • Patent number: 9183232
    Abstract: Systems and methods which provide organization of content using robust content information to enable presenting content to a user organized in a highly relevant way are disclosed. According to embodiments, a user does not control the organization of the particular content (although the user may establish some level of preferences), but rather content organization rules may be autonomously applied through analysis of robust content information and provide content organized in a thematic organizational structure which is highly relevant to the user. Such content organization rules may identify content connection points which are not readily apparent, but which nevertheless provide a collection of content which is relevant. Such content organization rules may operate to provide organization of content related through a thematic thread, such as may comprise a temporal aspect, a geographic aspect, a subject matter aspect, a content file aspect, a setting aspect, a general aspect, and/or the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: MiMedia, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Giordano, Gordon C. Mackenzie, III, Mel Reyes, Nick Faulkner, Jourdan Urbach
  • Patent number: 9185084
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a system and method of maintaining private communications using coded messages using an application program configured for activating privacy controls for intercepting electronic transmissions, e.g. text messages, for controlling how they are displayed upon receipt of a selection of a coded icon corresponding to a decoded message, wherein the application program converts the selected coded icon into the decoded message that is converted into cryptic text for display while the text message is being created for transmission, thereby maintaining the privacy of the communications. The cryptic text is again converted into the decoded message for transmission such that the recipient receives the message in decoded format. If the recipient's communication device is configured with the application program, upon receipt of the decoded message it is intercepted and will be displayed as cryptic text until read or reviewed by the intended recipient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Inventor: Isaac S. Daniel
  • Patent number: 9178920
    Abstract: The saving device for image sharing includes an image acquiring unit configured to acquire the images offered by a sharer of the images, a sharee information storing unit configured to store sharee information with respect to at least one sharee, a subject assessing unit configured to assess whether or not a person subject is included in the acquired images, an image associating unit configured to associate the images assessed as not including a person subject with the images assessed as including a person subject, based on the sharee information, and a shared image determining unit configured to determine the images to be shared with the sharee or sharees from among the associated images and the images assessed as including a person subject, based on the sharee information. The image sharing system and an image sharing method use such a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazuma Tsukagoshi, Yukinori Yokoyama, Karin Kon, Yuto Furukawa
  • Patent number: 9154845
    Abstract: An example system includes: storing, in a data object, data corresponding to electronic communication, where the data object has an object element associated therewith, and the object element initially resides on a first area of a portal; recognizing movement of the object element from the first location to a second location on the portal, where the second location is different from the first location; detecting that the object element has been moved to the second location; in response to the detecting, triggering execution of a function to obtain the data from the data object; and generating a display of the electronic communication based on the data, where the display is rendered over at least part of the second location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: WEW Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kwabena Benoni Abboa-Offei, Maurice Courtois
  • Patent number: 9154566
    Abstract: A system and method for a user to send presence information to authorized contacts in her device's address book and to receive the presence information of those contacts in her device's address book that have authorized her. A user can authorize any contact in her address book. Optionally, a user can only authorize a contact and be authorized by a contact if she is in that contact's address book. A local application on the device interacts with and displays the device's address book, manages the authorization of contacts, updates the user's presence, and receives and displays the presence of contacts. The local application updates the user's presence manually, semi-automatically, or automatically. Semi-automatic updates involve synchronizing with the device's calendar. Automatic updates may involve the use of location data, the device's built-in sensors, and augmented reality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignee: Wallrust, Inc.
    Inventors: Jozsef Patvarczki, Adam Kornafeld, Endre Tomas
  • Patent number: 9135267
    Abstract: Systems and methods for establishing a bridge between two documents on a server are provided, including receiving, at the server, a first document represented by a hierarchical data structure model having a plurality of first nodes, generating, by a processor, a second document represented by a flat data structure model having a plurality of flat data structure elements, and establishing, by the processor, the bridge between the first document and the second document. Establishing the bridge includes linking each of the plurality of first nodes to the plurality of flat data structure elements, and maintaining the bridge, such that an edit to the first document, represented in at least one of the first nodes, is applied to at least one corresponding flat data structure element, thereby applying the edit to the second document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: GOOGLE INC.
    Inventors: Keith Charles Bottner, Reuben Kan
  • Patent number: 9137298
    Abstract: A tag sharing method and system. The method includes receiving by a computer processor, an audio/video data file and tag data describing different subject matter of audio/video data of the audio/video data file. The computer processor associates portions of the tag data with audio/video subsets of the audio/video data and in response the computer processor generates a modified audio/video data file including independent audio/video tags. Each audio/video tag of the independent audio/video tags includes an audio/video subset of the audio/video subsets independently stored with an associated portion of the portions of the tag data. The computer processor receives rule data comprising rules associated with allowing users of a social networking system to view each audio/video subset. The computer processor stores the modified audio/video data file and the rule data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventor: Sarbajit K. Rakshit
  • Patent number: 9122817
    Abstract: A method for collaborative editing an electronic model of a CAx object may include providing access to an electronic model that is spatially decomposed into a plurality of editing regions, enabling a user to make changes to an editable feature corresponding to a particular editing region and blocking the user from making changes to an editable feature corresponding to an editing region assigned to another user. A corresponding apparatus may comprise one or more software modules and associated hardware that are configured to execute the described method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Brigham Young University
    Inventors: Walter Edward Red, Charles Gregory Jensen, Jordan David Ryskamp
  • Patent number: 9124997
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method for remote control at a mobile communication terminal includes a display unit that outputs a remote control screen when a remote control event occur; a communication unit either transmits or receives a remote control signal to or from an object terminal as well as data for storage when a remote control event occurs; a remote control processor processes the remote control signal received from the communication unit, and controls either the transmitting or receiving of data for storage; and a controller controls the remote control processor according to the received remote control signal, so as to transmit a storage data transmission or reception request message to the object terminal in response a respective on of a transmission or a reception request for the data for storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoon-Suk Choi, Gi-Tae Mun
  • Patent number: 9118723
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for generating and providing a post in a social activity stream by using a post framework and a content framework are provided. The post framework provides clear separation of shared content, the posting user's voice, social metadata, comment discussion, and interactive actions. The content framework includes a defined content body. The content body may include content, metadata and user interface control elements to be provided in a user post within a social activity stream. Systems and machine-readable media for providing a post in a social activity stream by using a post framework and/or a content framework are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Ray J. Su, Brynn Marie Evans, Christopher Templin Howse
  • Patent number: 9118981
    Abstract: The invention pertains to a call management service for a communications system, configured to automatically: receive telephone call data identifying a destination end point and identifying a source end point; initiate a call-back telephone call to said source end point to set-up a first call leg responsive to receiving said telephone call data; initiate a telephone call to said destination end point to set-up a second call leg; combine said first and second call legs together thereby to provide voice communication between said source and destination end points; and transmit call leg status signals for said voice communication over a separate real-time communications connections signalling link to a communications client associated with at least one of said end points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: RING2 COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: Thomas Michael Hughes, Abdelkareem Siddiq, Sylvain Dufour, Sandeep Mohanty
  • Patent number: 9110738
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for calling back a program. A receiving module receives calling information delivered by a first program. The calling information includes a target parameter of a second program to be called and a parameter indicating an application identity (APPID) of the first program. A processing module calls the second program by using the target parameter, and establishes an icon for quickly calling back the first program. The icon is corresponding to the APPID. A returning module returns to the first program by using the APPID after receiving an instruction triggered by an operation on the icon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Wenjun Gao, Ming He, Shi Zhen
  • Patent number: 9107052
    Abstract: There is provided a method and system of generating a rich-media message using a short message service (SMS) message. In one aspect, the method comprises encoding data and rich-media content information to generate an encoded rich-media message, and formatting the encoded rich-media message into a rich-media SMS message. In one aspect, the method includes transmitting the rich-media SMS over a network. In another aspect, the method includes receiving the rich-media SMS by a mobile device, decoding the SMS, and displaying the message. The method may include obtaining rich-media content from a server. In one embodiment, a system for communicating a rich-media message to a mobile device comprises an alerts generator configured to encode a rich-media message and format the message into a rich-media SMS, a content server configured to provide rich-media content to a mobile device configured to decode and display the rich-media SMS.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2015
    Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeremy A. Weinrib
  • Patent number: 9095778
    Abstract: Facilitating reconstruction of a party after a game over to avoid wasted time required for gathering members of a party. Moreover, a user may quickly reconstruct (gather) a party to improve the real thrill of an on-line game. Accordingly, an on-line game system allows a user of the game to select and display resurrection points of other characters included within the party. Since resurrection points of other characters included within the party can be selected and restored, wasted time required for gathering with each other around one location for the purpose of reconstructing a party can be avoided. Thus, it is possible to quickly gather the party.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Jin Fujisawa, Ryo Yamaguchi, Kyoko Yamazaki, Akira Nishimura
  • Patent number: 9094654
    Abstract: An electronic apparatus includes: a display at which a photographic image and a map image are displayed; a display control unit that controls the display so as to display identifiers each indicating a specific photographing location at which the photographic image among a plurality of photographic images was captured, over the map image displayed at the display; and an instruction unit that issues an instruction indicating a display mode for the identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chie Sogoh, Akira Ohmura
  • Patent number: 9082106
    Abstract: A method for providing a virtual conference includes obtaining participant information associated with participant identifiers, establishing an audio conference using the participant identifiers, and executing logic that receives information from a client device coupled to a conferencing system via a network, the conferencing system further executing logic that communicates the information to one or more client devices. A distributed system includes client devices with respective graphical interfaces and a conferencing system coupled to the client devices via a network. The conferencing system includes a first interface, an audio conferencing application, and a survey application. The first interface obtains information associated with respective participant identifiers. The audio conference application establishes an audio conference using the participant identifiers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: American Teleconferencing Services, Ltd.
    Inventors: Boland T. Jones, David Michael Guthrie, Peter Stewart, Randolph J. Leigh
  • Patent number: 9077820
    Abstract: During voice communication between multiple telecommunications devices, a shareable application facilitates concurrent sharing of data and processes between the devices. The application may be configured to monitor the voice communication and execute a predetermined function upon detecting a predetermined condition in the voice communication. The application may further facilitate sharing of functionality and user interface displays during the voice communication. In some implementations, a server computing device on a communications network may facilitate functions of shareable applications on one or more telecommunications devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc.
    Inventors: Winston Wang, Adam Holt, Jean-Luc Bouthemy, Michael Kemery
  • Patent number: 9069772
    Abstract: Disclosed is a computer-implemented method to create a presentation having at least one sheet, where each sheet contains one or more visual elements, as well as a system and computer program embodied on a computer-readable storage medium. The method includes, in response to input from a user, representing visual elements as depictions in a model, where each depiction depicts a single item in the model, where each item is a unit of information with a unique identifier, where each item can be depicted by at least one depiction and each depiction defines the visual representation of the item's information via the visual element. The method further includes, in response to a change to an item made by altering the visual element associated with the depiction of the item, automatically propagating the change to the item to all other depictions of the item across all sheets of the presentation. The method further includes updating the associated visual elements to reflect the change to the item.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Matthew J. Callery, Michael Desmond, Sophia Krasikov, Harold L. Ossher, Edith Schonberg, Ian D. Simmonds
  • Patent number: 9063562
    Abstract: A server is configured to receive, from a user device, a first connection request including a request for a list of one or more camera devices connected to the server; establish a first channel, between the user device and the server, based on receiving the first connection request; provide the list of one or more camera devices to the user device via the first channel; receive a second connection request identifying a particular camera device of the one or more camera devices; establish a second channel based on receiving the second connection request; and provide the second connection request to the particular camera device via the second channel. A third channel may circumvent the server, and may be used to provide content, captured by the particular camera device, to the user device independently of the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Saurabh Barnwal, Shiva Rama Krishna Nyshadham, Richa Mittal
  • Patent number: 9064243
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for computing a physiological presence of a user of a device. The method comprises obtaining a physiological measurement of the user of the device and computing a presence status based on physiological measurements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2015
    Assignee: BlackBerry Limited
    Inventor: Jasjit Singh
  • Patent number: 9058248
    Abstract: System and method may use assessment information obtained by assessing original content items or creators of the original content items in accordance with a hierarchical talent assessment process, to return search results responsive to a search for talented original content creators. The assessments of the creators and the content items by talent assessors may be monitored to increase the objectivity of the search results returned responsive to a search for talented original content creators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Inventors: Leroy Robinson, Cynthia Myricks
  • Patent number: 9058595
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing an electronic calendar are described. One exemplary method includes displaying a calendar on a display device, the calendar having at least one time range, and displaying an invitation, before it is accepted, on the calendar in the at least one time range with other events which are already accepted. Another exemplary method includes displaying a calendar on a display device and displaying a list of user-selectable calendars comprising an invitation calendar which presents invitations which have not yet been accepted or declined on the invitation calendar. Other methods are described, and machine readable media and systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2015
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick L. Coffman, Gregory Christie, Manuel Colom
  • Publication number: 20150149932
    Abstract: An information sharing system includes a computer network formed of terminals and a server and allows information about a posted message to be shared among users. The system or a terminal acquires a question message input via the terminal together with positional information associated with the question message and causes the acquired question message to be accessible to the users. The system or terminal acquires an answer message input by a respondent via the terminal as an answer to the question message and causes the acquired answer message to be accessible to the users. The system or terminal acquires positional information of the respondent and restricts the respondent accessing the question message on the basis of question positional information that is the positional information associated with the question message and respondent positional information that is the acquired positional information of the respondent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Hideo Yamada, Ryuya Muramatsu
  • Publication number: 20150149933
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to application sharing and provide a method, system and computer program product for user interface widget unit based application sharing. In a first embodiment, a data processing system for user interface widget unit based application sharing, can include a dynamic widget server communicatively linked to a dynamic widget browser. The dynamic widget browser can include program code enabled to render a user interface including one or more remote dynamic widgets peered to corresponding dynamic widgets for a dynamic view for an application launched by the dynamic widget server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventors: Haixin Chai, Daniel Q. Chen, Rong Yao Fu, Hui Su
  • Publication number: 20150149930
    Abstract: The principles described herein provide methods and systems of providing a user interface to allow a user to compose and send an electronic communication quickly and conveniently. For example, a user interface includes split-pane interface having a navigable tray area and a composition area. The navigable tray area may include categories of trays, each tray including a navigable listing of content items that may form part of the electronic communication. The navigable tray area allows the user to navigate from one tray to the next to access different types of content items to be used in composing the electronic communication. When composing an electronic communication, a user can select an item in a tray, and the item is previewed in the composition area and can become part of the electronic communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Brandon Marshall Walkin, Michael James Matas
  • Publication number: 20150149934
    Abstract: According to a general aspect, a method can include receiving a request, triggered via a consumer account, to access, using a social media application, a plurality of sharer content. The sharer content can be associated with a sharer account using the social media application. The method can include retrieving, in response to the request, a consumer value and a relationship value. The consumer value can represent an interaction with the social media application via the consumer account and the relationship value can characterize a relationship between a consumer identifier of the consumer account and a sharer identifier of the sharer account. The method can include selecting a subset of sharer content from the plurality of sharer content based on a combination of the consumer value and the relationship value, and can include defining a portion of a presentation customized for the consumer account using the selected subset of sharer content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2014
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Inventor: Ryan Hickman
  • Publication number: 20150149929
    Abstract: Systems and methods for managing information and content sharing in a virtual collaboration session. In some embodiments, a method may include creating a virtual collaboration workspace for a plurality of participants, where each of the participants operates a device configured to access the workspace, the workspace including a public portion and a plurality of private portions, the public portion accessible to each of the participants and each of the plurality of private portions accessible to a corresponding participant to the exclusion of at least another participant. The method may also include providing, to a given one of the participants, a representation of the public portion and a representation of the given participant's corresponding private portion, where the representation of the public portion and the representation of the given participant's corresponding private portion are renderable concurrently in a single window of a graphical user interface displayable by the given participant's device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: Dell Products, L.P.
    Inventors: Jason A. Shepherd, Michael S. Gatson, Todd Swierk, Clifton J. Barker, Yuan-Chang Lo
  • Publication number: 20150149931
    Abstract: An information sharing system includes a computer network formed of terminals and a server and allows information about a posted message to be shared among users. The system or a terminal acquires a question message input via the terminal together with positional information associated with the question message and causes the acquired question message to be accessible to the users. The system or terminal acquires an answer message input by a respondent via the terminal as an answer to the question message and causes the acquired answer message to be accessible to the users. The system or terminal acquires positional information of the respondent and restricts the respondent accessing the question message on the basis of question positional information that is the positional information associated with the question message and respondent positional information that is the acquired positional information of the respondent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: May 28, 2015
    Applicant: AISIN AW CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hideo Yamada, Ryuya Muramatsu
  • Patent number: 9041765
    Abstract: A new approach is proposed that contemplates systems and methods to support the operation of a Virtual Media Room or Virtual Meeting Room (VMR), wherein each VMR can accept from a plurality of participants at different geographic locations a variety of video conferencing feeds of audio and video streams from video conference endpoints and enables a multi-party video conferencing session in real time among the plurality of participants. Each of the participants is offered a rich set of conferencing and collaboration interaction hitherto not experienced by video conferencing participants and a moderator of the video conference is further offered with in-meeting management and control over a plurality of security and privacy settings during the video conference. These interactions encompass controlling of a video conferencing session, its configuration, privacy, security, the visual layout of the participants, customization of the VMR and adaptation of the room to different vertical applications.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Blue Jeans Network
    Inventors: Alagu Periyannan, Krish Ramakrishnan, Raghavan Anand, Anand Raghavan, Ravi Kiran Kalluri, Emmanuel Weber
  • Patent number: 9043719
    Abstract: A message screen display comprises a static non-scrollable display area for display of at least part of a first message, the first message having an associated first message time. The message screen display further comprises a scrollable display area for display of at least part of a second message, the second message having an associated second message time. The message screen display further comprises a feature applied to at least part of the first message that varies based on time as referenced to the associated first message time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: New York Stock Exchange LLC
    Inventors: Robert B. Hlad, Valerie Jeanne Schafer, Cynthia Teresa Bautista-Rozenberg, Robert S. Tannen, Nicholas L. Springer
  • Publication number: 20150143262
    Abstract: A software system, method, application that allows television and cinema viewers to create, store, and display on remote websites comments pertaining to viewed content (e.g. programs, streaming movies, advertisements). The viewer utilizes an electronic computing device (e.g. smartphone, television with Internet connectivity, etc.) and comprising an application (e.g. mobile app, IVT app) to enter comments and transmit them to a third party database for storage and/or display on website(s) (e.g. social media). The applications display user interface elements allowing the viewer to identify the television content (i.e. title of show), and to receive comment data input, which is then transmitted to remote second servers for storage, and/or for display by the second servers on websites, and/or viewing in applications by other users, who may respond to the comments. The data from a plurality of end-user's comments may be statistically analyzed before distribution to third parties, such as marketing firms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Applicant: SOCIAL COMMENTING, LLC
    Inventors: Michael Roy Norwood, Stephen Malvern Omohundro