Multiplex live group communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9681099-B1
Application number	US-201615195834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving from a first group member a request to initiate a multiplex live communication with members of a group, wherein the first group member belongs to the group; sending a notification to each of one or more second group members notifying the one or more second group members that a multiplex live communication among members of the group is underway, wherein the one or more second group members belongs to the group; receiving one or more requests from a first subset of the one or more second group members to join the multiplex live communication; initiating the multiplex live video communication between the first group member and the first subset of the one or more second group members who requested to join the multiplex live communication.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
by a computer server, receiving from a first group member a request to initiate a multiplex live communication with members of a group, wherein the first group member belongs to the group;
by a computer server, sending a notification to each of one or more second group members notifying the one or more second group members that a multiplex live communication among members of the group is underway, wherein the one or more second group members belongs to the group, and wherein:
the first group member corresponds to a first node in a social graph, the one or more second group members each correspond to one or more second nodes in the social graph, and the group corresponds to a third node in the social graph; and
the first node and the one or more second nodes are each connected by an edge to the third node;

by a computer server, receiving one or more requests from a first subset of the one or more second group members to join the multiplex live communication; and
by a computer server, initiating the multiplex live video communication between the first group member and the first subset of the one or more second group members who requested to join the multiplex live communication.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiplex live communication comprises audio and video communication.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiplex live communication comprises only audio communication.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving one or more requests from a second subset of the one or more second group members to join the multiplex live communication, wherein receiving the one or more requests from the second subset of the one or more second group members occurs after the multiplex live communication is already underway; and
adding the second subset of the one or more second group members to the multiplex live communication.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the group comprises the first group member and the one or more second group members, wherein the first group member and the one or more second group members have joined the group prior to and independently of any multiplex live communication.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiplex live communication is displayed on a plurality of computing devices, each computing device corresponding to a member of the group.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
by a computer server, receiving audio data and visual data from each of the plurality of computing devices;
by a computer server, displaying the visual data from each computing device on each computing device;
by a computer server, analyzing the audio data and visual data to determine which member of the group is speaking; and
by a computer server, displaying in real-time on each computing device the visual data captured on a camera associated with the computing device corresponding to the member of the group determined to be speaking.

8. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
receive from a first group member a request to initiate a multiplex live communication with members of a group, wherein the first group member belongs to the group;
send a notification to each of one or more second group members notifying the one or more second group members that a multiplex live communication among members of the group is underway, wherein the one or more second group members belongs to the group, and wherein:
the first group member corresponds to a first node in a social graph, the one or more second group members each correspond to one or more second nodes in the social graph, and the group corresponds to a third node in the social graph; and
the first node and the one or more second nodes are each connected by an edge to the third node;

receive one or more requests from a first subset of the one or more second group members to join the multiplex live communication; and
initiate the multiplex live video communication between the first group member and the first subset of the one or more second group members who requested to join the multiplex live communication.

9. The media of claim 8 , wherein the multiplex live communication comprises audio and video communication.

10. The media of claim 8 , wherein the multiplex live communication comprises only audio communication.

11. The media of claim 8 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to: receive one or more requests from a second subset of the one or more second group members to join the multiplex live communication, wherein receiving the one or more requests from the second subset of the one or more second group members occurs after the multiplex live communication is already underway; and
add the second subset of the one or more second group members to the multiplex live communication.

12. The media of claim 8 , wherein the group comprises the first group member and the one or more second group members, wherein the first group member and the one or more second group members have joined the group prior to and independently of any multiplex live communication.

13. The media of claim 8 , wherein the multiplex live communication is displayed on a plurality of computing devices, each computing device corresponding to a member of the group.

14. The media of claim 8 , wherein the software is further operable when executed to:
receive audio data and visual data from each of the plurality of computing devices;
display the visual data from each computing device on each computing device;
analyze the audio data and visual data to determine which member of the group is speaking; and
display in real-time on each computing device the visual data captured on a camera associated with the computing device corresponding to the member of the group determined to be speaking.

15. A system comprising: one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to:
receive from a first group member a request to initiate a multiplex live communication with members of a group, wherein the first group member belongs to the group;
send a notification to each of one or more second group members notifying the one or more second group members that a multiplex live communication among members of the group is underway, wherein the one or more second group members belongs to the group, and wherein:
the first group member corresponds to a first node in a social graph, the one or more second group members each correspond to one or more second nodes in the social graph, and the group corresponds to a third node in the social graph; and
the first node and the one or more second nodes are each connected by an edge to the third node;

receive one or more requests from a first subset of the one or more second group members to join the multiplex live communication; and
initiate the multiplex live video communication between the first group member and the first subset of the one or more second group members who requested to join the multiplex live communication.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the multiplex live communication comprises audio and video communication.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the multiplex live communication comprises only audio communication.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:
receive one or more requests from a second subset of the one

Assignees

• Facebook Inc

Inventors

• Deets Jr Charles Donald

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

  Business processes related to social networking or social networking services · CPC title

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L12/1822

  Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission · CPC title

• H04L65/4015

  where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference · CPC title

• H04N7/152

  Multipoint control units therefor · CPC title