Graphically recognized visual cues in web conferencing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704135-B2
Application number	US-82709410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2010
Priority date	Jun 30, 2010
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A web conferencing system includes web conferencing server for outputting a visual presentation which includes a visual cue. The visual cue is linked with an executable action. A visual robot operated by the web conferencing server graphically recognizes the visual cue when the visual presentation is displayed in a web conference, and associates the visual cue with the executable action. The executable action is then executed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for implementing visual cues in web conferencing comprising:
a slide presentation comprising a plurality of pages;
a visual cue comprising a graphical icon embedded, by a user during creation of the slide presentation, in at least one page of the slide presentation;
a web conferencing server comprising at least one processor presenting the at least one page of the slide presentation which comprises the visual cue, the visual cue being linked with at least one executable action;
a visual robot operated by the web conferencing server, the visual robot to:
automatically recognize the visual cue when the at least one page of the slide presentation is displayed in a web conference and wherein the visual robot is to automatically recognize the visual cue without the icon of the visual cue being manually selected by a user during the web conference;
associate the visual cue with the at least one executable action;
automatically execute the at least one executable action; and
automatically erase copies of the at least one page of the slide presentation comprising the visual cue from a storage device on a number of computing devices associated with a number of participants of the web conference upon completion of the slide presentation when the visual cue is an increase security visual cue that increases security settings of the web conference for the at least one page of the slide presentation.

2. The system of claim 1 , in which the visual robot automatically executes the executable action.

3. The system of claim 2 , in which the executable action comprises automatically configuring audio inputs in the system, the audio input of a presenter being activated and the audio input from other participants being muted.

4. The system of claim 3 , in which the executable action further comprises selecting a video feed generated by the presenter and broadcasting the video feed over the web conferencing server.

5. The system of claim 1 , in which the executable action alters security features of the system.

6. The system of claim 1 , in which the execution of the executable action is contingent on an authorizing action taken by a presenter or other participant.

7. The system of claim 1 , in which the visual cue comprises an icon component and a textual component, the visual robot recognizing the icon component and using optical character recognition to convert the textual component into computer readable text.

8. The system of claim 7 , in which the visual cue comprises a page number icon and page number, the visual robot being to graphically recognize the page number icon, use optical character recognition to convert the page number into computer readable text, and audibly read the page number.

9. The system of claim 1 , in which the executable action comprises opening an interlace with external programs and data stored on participants' local computing devices.

10. The system of claim 9 , in which the executable action comprises retrieving and consolidating data stored on participants' local computing devices.

11. The system of claim 9 , in which the executable action comprises creating a link to an external web site.

12. The system of claim 1 , in which the executable action comprises opening tools within a web conferencing application.

13. The system of claim 12 , in which the executable action comprises one of: opening a polling tool, opening a brainstorming tool, and opening a to-do tool.

14. The system of claim 1 , in which the visual robot comprises:
a visual recognition engine to recognize graphical and textual components within the slide presentation;
an action module which stores executable actions associated with specific graphic elements; and
a rule module which stores rules for applying the executable actions.

15. The system of claim 1 , in which the visual cue is displayed to all participants in the web conference.

16. The system of claim 1 , in which the visual cue comprises a static graphical icon placed within pages of the slide presentation.

17. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a platform independent visual cue tool bar, the visual cue tool bar comprising visual cue icons to be selected and dragged into the slide presentation.

18. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a rule module to designate a specific state of the system during which the executable action is permitted to occur.

19. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a visual robot actions box displayed to participants in the web conference, the visual robot actions box to display visual cues that the visual robot has identified in the slide presentation.

20. A method comprising:
embedding, by a user during creation of a slide presentation, a visual cue comprising a static graphical icon on a page of the slide presentation;
presenting the slide presentation during a web conference;
recognizing the visual cue within the slide presentation using a visual robot operated by a web conferencing server during the presentation of the slide presentation, wherein the icon of the visual cue is not manually selected by a user during the presentation of the slide presentation as part of recognizing the visual cue;
matching the visual cue with an executable action using an action module;
automatically executing the action to alter a media stream output of a web conferencing application hosted on the web conferencing server; and
deleting with the web conferencing server and from a memory device of a number of computing devices associated with a number of participants of the web conference, a portion of the slide presentation upon completion of the slide presentation;
wherein the deletion of the portion of the slide presentation automatically occurs when the visual cue within the portion of the slide presentation is an increase security visual cue that increases security settings of the web conference for at least that portion of the slide presentation.

21. The method of claim 20 , in which execution of the action is contingent on authorization by the user.

22. The method of claim 20 , in which execution of the action comprises selectively switching from one input stream to a second input stream.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising using optical character recognition to convert a portion of the visual presentation designated by the visual cue into computer readable text.

24. The method of claim 20 , further comprising applying a rule to the action using a rule module, the execution of the action being contingent on fulfilling the conditions of the rule.

25. The method of claim 20 , further comprising displaying the visual cue as part of the slide presentation to all participants in the web conference.

26. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
selecting the visual cues from icons in a visual cue tool bar; and
dragging the visual cue from the visual cue tool bar into the slide presentation.

27. The method of claim 20 , further comprising visually scanning, with the visual robot, slides in the slide presentation for static visual cues imbedded in individual slides by making an analysis of presented pixels or vector graphics in the slides.

28. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:
periodically capturing a screen shot of a displayed slide within the slide presentation; and
analyzing the screen shot by the visual robot to

Assignees

• Bastide Paul Roger
• Broomhall Matthew E
• Loredo Robert Edward
• IBM

Inventors

• Bastide Paul Roger
• Broomhall Matthew E
• Loredo Robert Edward

Classifications

• G06Q10/40

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

• G06Q10/101 Primary

  Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services · CPC title

• H04L65/611

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04L51/52

  for supporting social networking services · CPC title

• H04L67/75

  Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display · CPC title