Patent Issued for Contextual messaging in video conference (USPTO 11848900): Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC

2024 JAN 05 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx journalists, a patent by the inventors Bailey, Peter (Redmond, WA, US), White, Ryen William (Woodinville, WA, US), filed on August 31, 2021, was published online on December 19, 2023.

The assignee for this patent, patent number 11848900, is Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Redmond, Washington, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “People spend a lot of time in video and/or audio conferences (referred to herein simply as “conferences”) via technology such as Teams® from Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington, United States, and Zoom® from Zoom Video Communications, Incorporated of San Jose, California, United States. A user of conference technology listens to and can optionally view one or more primary speakers. A participant of a conference can access and listen to the conference without video or access the video conference to both view and listen to the conference. The user of the conference may have time to engage with other participants in the conference. However, conference technology often lacks in personalized context for participants. For example, consider a conference about employee health benefits in which company personnel are describing updates to health, dental, vision, or other benefits. Some employees may understand the difference between a high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) linked to health savings accounts (HSAs), health maintenance organization (HMO) plans, preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, or the like, but some may not. Due to time constraints and efficiency concerns, it may not be prudent to explain the differences between these health plans. The participant that is not familiar with the differences in these health plans can be left making an underinformed decision regarding their healthcare. Many other similar circumstances in which personalized context is lacking is experienced daily in conferences.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “A method, device, or machine-readable medium for contextual messaging in an audiovisual conference are provided. The method, device, or machine-readable medium can provide additional context, in the form of a message displayed, to the conference that is not otherwise present in audiovisual conferences. The additional context can provide a reminder, information beyond what is provided in the audiovisual conference, a task to be completed, or the like. The additional context can be conditional, such that the message is only presented if certain conditions are satisfied. The additional context can be participant-specific, such that a participant with a first characteristic and a participant with a second, different characteristic are provided different additional context. Many other details and improvements are provided.

“A method for contextual messaging in an audiovisual conference can include receiving, by a first user interface, data indicating content of a message, a recipient of the message, and a condition that, when satisfied during the conference, causes the message to be visually displayed during the audiovisual conference. The method can further include while the conference is being held via an audiovisual conference application, monitoring user contextual data for whether the condition is satisfied. The method can further include, responsive to the condition being satisfied, augmenting audiovisual conference data from the audiovisual conference application to include the message resulting in augmented audiovisual data. The method can further include providing, to the recipient on a second user interface of the audiovisual conference application, a view of the augmented audiovisual data.

“The data can further indicate a location on the second user interface to present the message and the content of the message is presented at the location on the second user interface. The method can further include, wherein the audiovisual conference application is executed on a client or a server. The method can further include, wherein the data further indicates a form of the content of the message, the form including a type of presentation of the content, the type including ticker tape, thought bubble, notification, hyperlink, or text box. The form can further include a visual transparency of the content of the message.

“The data of the recipient of the message can further include a characteristic condition that indicates that only users that satisfy the characteristic condition receive the content of the message. The data can further include a criterion that defines a further characteristic condition that defines which portions of the content of the message are provided to the recipient. The condition can further include an event occurring in audiovisual data of the conference, the event including a gesture being performed, a phrase being spoken, a time elapsing, check of user contextual information, or an object appearing. The user contextual information can include a job title, education status, expertise, task status, training status, device type, or current location.

“The method can further include receiving, by the first user interface, data indicating content of a second message, a second, different recipient of the second message, and a second condition that, when satisfied, causes the second message to be displayed during the conference. The method can further include while the conference is being held via a conference application, monitoring, by the conference application, audiovisual data of the conference for whether the second condition is satisfied. The method can further include responsive to the second condition being satisfied, augmenting the audiovisual data to include the second message resulting in second augmented audiovisual data. The method can further include providing, to the second recipient on a third user interface of the conference application, a view of the augmented audiovisual data. The method can further include, wherein the recipient is only a presenter participant.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A method for contextual messaging in an audiovisual conference, the method comprising: receiving, by an attendee of the audiovisual conference and by a first user interface, data indicating content of a message relevant to content of the audiovisual conference, a recipient of the message, and a condition that, when satisfied during the conference, causes the message to be visually displayed during the audiovisual conference; while the conference is being held via an audiovisual conference application, monitoring audiovisual conference data for user contextual data, the audiovisual conference data including audio and video of the audiovisual conference, the video including data of images of multiple participants in the audiovisual conference: determining, based on the user contextual data, whether the condition is satisfied; responsive to determining the condition is satisfied, augmenting further subsequent video data from audiovisual conference data from the audiovisual conference application to include the message resulting in augmented audiovisual data; and providing, to the recipient on a second user interface of the audiovisual conference application, a view of the augmented audiovisual data.

“2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further indicates a location on the second user interface to present the message and the content of the message is presented at the location on the second user interface.

“3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audiovisual conference application is executed on a client or a server.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data further indicates a form of the content of the message, the form including a type of presentation of the content, the type including ticker tape, thought bubble, notification, hyperlink, or text box.

“5. The method of claim 4, wherein the form further includes a visual transparency of the content of the message.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient of the data includes a characteristic condition that indicates that only users that satisfy the characteristic condition receive the content of the message.

“7. The method of claim 6, wherein the data further includes a criterion that defines a further characteristic condition that defines which portions of the content of the message are provided to the recipient.

“8. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition includes an event occurring in audiovisual data of the conference, the event including a gesture being performed, a phrase being spoken, a time elapsing, check of user contextual information, or an object appearing.

“9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user contextual information includes a job title, education status, expertise, task status, training status, device type, or current location.

“10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by an attendee of the audiovisual conference and by a first user interface, data indicating content of a second message, a second, different recipient of the second message, and a second condition that, when satisfied, causes the second message to be displayed during the conference; while the conference is being held via a conference application, monitoring, by the conference application, audiovisual data of the conference for whether the second condition is satisfied; responsive to the second condition being satisfied, augmenting the audiovisual data to include the second message resulting in second augmented audiovisual data; and providing, to only the second recipient on a third user interface of the conference application, a view of the augmented audiovisual data.

“11. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient is only a presenter participant.

“12. A compute device comprising: processing circuitry; and a memory coupled to the processing circuitry, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the processing circuitry to perform operations for contextual messaging in an audiovisual conference, the operations comprising: receiving, by a first user interface, data indicating content of a message relevant to content of the audiovisual conference, a recipient of the message, and a condition that, when satisfied during the conference, causes the message to be visually displayed during the audiovisual conference; while the conference is being held via an audiovisual conference application, monitoring audiovisual conference data for user contextual data, the audiovisual conference data including audio and video of the audiovisual conference, the video including data of images of multiple participants in the audiovisual conference: determining, based on the user contextual data, whether the condition is satisfied; responsive to determining the condition is satisfied, augmenting further subsequent video data from audiovisual conference data from the audiovisual conference application to include the message resulting in augmented audiovisual data; and providing, to the recipient on a second user interface of the audiovisual conference application, a view of the augmented audiovisual data.

“13. The compute device of claim 12, wherein the data further indicates a location on the second user interface to present the message and the content of the message is presented at the location on the second user interface.

“14. The compute device of claim 12, wherein the data further indicates a form of the content of the message, the form including a type of presentation of the content, the type including ticker tape, thought bubble, or text box.

“15. The compute device of claim 14, wherein the form further includes a visual transparency of the content of the message.

“16. The compute device of claim 12, wherein the recipient of the data includes a characteristic condition that indicates that only users that satisfy the characteristic condition receive the content of the message.

“17. The compute device of claim 16, wherein the data further includes a criterion that defines a further characteristic condition that defines which portions of the content of the message are provided to the recipient.

“18. A user interface for an audiovisual conference compatible application, the user interface configured to perform operations comprising: receiving, by an attendee of the audiovisual conference, data indicating content of a message relevant to content of the audiovisual conference, a recipient of the message, and a condition that, when satisfied during the conference, causes the message to be visually displayed during the audiovisual conference; storing the received data such that, while the conference is being held via an audiovisual conference application, the audiovisual conference application monitors audiovisual conference data for user contextual data, the audiovisual conference data including audio and video of the audiovisual conference, the video including data of images of multiple participants in the audiovisual conference: responsive to determining, based on the user contextual data, the condition is satisfied augmenting further subsequent video data from audiovisual conference data from the audiovisual data to include the message resulting in augmented audiovisual data; and providing, to the recipient, a view of the augmented audiovisual data.

“19. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the condition includes an event occurring in audiovisual data of the conference, the event including a gesture being performed, a phrase being spoken, a time elapsing, or an object appearing.

“20. The user interface of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving data indicating content of a second message, a second, different recipient of the second message, and a second condition that, when satisfied, causes the second message to be displayed during the conference; and storing the received data such that, while the conference is being held via an audiovisual conference application, the audiovisual conference application monitors for whether the second condition is satisfied and responsive to the second condition being satisfied, augments the audiovisual data to include the second message resulting in second augmented audiovisual data.”

For more information, see this patent: Bailey, Peter. Contextual messaging in video conference. U.S. Patent Number 11848900, filed August 31, 2021, and published online on December 19, 2023. Patent URL (for desktop use only): https://ppubs.uspto.gov/pubwebapp/external.html?q=(11848900)&db=USPAT&type=ids

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