Method and device for controlling a conference

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9307203-B2
Application number	US-201514662454-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 20, 2014
Publication date	Apr 5, 2016
Grant date	Apr 5, 2016

Abstract

A method and communication system are disclosed for conducting a conference among sets of conference participants connected by a communication system. This system has at least one conference server, at least one image reproduction unit at each conference environment and at least one microphone at each conference environment. The method involves calculating respective virtual images of a majority of the conference environments, each virtual image containing at least one image corresponding to at least one conference participant who is present at that conference environment, calculating an aggregate representation of the virtual images of all conference environments and displaying the aggregate representation on at least one image reproduction unit. The method also calculates an individual representation for an individual conference participant and provides the individual participant with the individual representation while simultaneously providing to that individual the aggregate representation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for conducting a conference among sets of conference participants, one set of conference participants being at a first conference environment, at least one other set of conference participants being at another conference environment, the conference participants being connected by a communication system comprised of at least one conference server, at least one image reproduction unit at each conference environment on which images corresponding to at least some of the conference participants are displayed and at least one microphone at each conference environment, wherein the method comprises:
a) calculating respective virtual images of a majority of the conference environments, each virtual image containing at least one image corresponding to at least one conference participant who is present at that conference environment;
b) calculating an aggregate representation of the virtual images of all conference environments;
c) displaying the aggregate representation on at least one image reproduction unit;
d) receiving and processing individual requirements of an individual participant,
e) after the receiving and processing of the individual requirements of the individual participant, calculating an individual representation for an individual conference participant based upon the aggregate representation of the respective conference environment of which the individual participant is a part and based on the individual requirements of the individual participant, wherein the individual requirements encompass attenuating a listening level for at least one conference participant; and
f) providing the individual participant with the individual representation while simultaneously providing to that individual the aggregate representation.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein steps a) through f) are performed by the at least one conference server.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the communication system also comprises a local conferencing unit which is assigned to the respective conference environment of which the individual participant is a part and which performs steps b) through f).

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the local conferencing unit receives the virtual images of all other conference environments before performing step b).

5. The method as in claim 3 wherein step e) is preceded by a step of receiving the aggregate representation for the respective local conferencing unit.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the individual requirements encompass at least one requirement from the group consisting of spatial arrangement of the conference participants; removing, adding, resizing one or more participants and/or objects; placing one or more participants in a separate representation; representing additional information selected from the group consisting of metadata, context data, moods, personal relationship data, professional relationship data, and private contact details for at least one participants; and emphasizing a listening level for at least one conference participant.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the requirements of the individual participant are communicated via voice input.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the individual representation is provided on a mobile terminal device.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein the conference participants are optically equally distributed in the aggregate representation.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the conference participants are acoustically equally distributed in the aggregate representation.

11. A communication system connecting a plurality of conference environments comprised of at least one conference server, at least one image reproduction unit at each conference environment on which images corresponding to at least some conference participants are displayed and at least one microphone at each conference environment, the at least one conference server containing a processor and a non-transitory memory containing a program which causes the communication system to perform a method comprising:
a) calculating respective virtual images of a majority of the conference environments, each virtual image containing at least one image corresponding to at least one conference participant who is present at that conference environment;
b) calculating an aggregate representation of the virtual images of all conference environments;
c) displaying the aggregate representation on at least one image reproduction unit;
d) receiving and processing individual requirements of an individual participant
e) after the receiving and processing of the individual requirements of the individual participant, calculating an individual representation for an individual conference participant based upon the aggregate representation of the respective conference environment of which the individual participant is a part and based on the individual requirements of the individual participant, wherein the individual requirements encompass attenuating a listening level for at least one conference participant; and
f) providing the individual participant with the individual representation while simultaneously providing to that individual the aggregate representation.

12. The communication system of claim 11 also comprising a local conferencing unit connected to the at least one conference server and which is assigned to the respective conference environment of which the individual participant is a part.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program defining a method that is executable by a conference server in a communication system for conducting a conference among sets of conference participants, one set of conference participants being at a first conference environment, at least one other set of conference participants being at another conference environment, the conference participants being connected by the communication system, the communication system comprised of at least one conference server, at least one image reproduction unit at each conference environment on which images corresponding to at least some of the conference participants are displayed and at least one microphone at each conference environment, wherein the method comprises:
a) calculating respective virtual images of a majority of the conference environments, each virtual image containing at least one image corresponding to at least one conference participant who is present at that conference environment;
b) calculating an aggregate representation of the virtual images of all conference environments;
c) displaying the aggregate representation on at least one image reproduction unit;
d) receiving and processing individual requirements of an individual participant
e) after the receiving and processing of the individual requirements of the individual participant, calculating an individual representation for an individual conference participant based upon the aggregate representation of the respective conference environment of which the individual participant is a part and based on the individual requirements of the individual participant, wherein the individual requirements encompass attenuating a listening level for at least one conference participant; and
f) providing the individual participant with the individual representation while simultaneously providing to that individual the aggregate representation.

Assignees

• Unify Gmbh & Co Kg

Inventors

• Kleiner Patrick
• Klug Karl
• Unterstaller Martha
• Stephan Luzia

Classifications

• H04N7/157 Primary

  defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents (computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827) · CPC title

• H04N7/15

  Conference systems · CPC title