Sharing Participant Information in a Videoconference

Abstract

A method for displaying information in a videoconference is disclosed. Video information from a first endpoint of the videoconference may be received. The video information may include an image of a participant at the first endpoint. Participant information for the participant (e.g., name, phone number, job title, etc.) may also be received. The video information and the participant information for the participant may be displayed together on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention may be obtained when the following detailed description is considered in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of a videoconference;

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a videoconferencing system including a videoconferencing device;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for displaying and/or sharing participant information for participants in a videoconference;

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a display in which an image of a participant is displayed together with participant information for the participant;

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment in which a videoconferencing device at a remote endpoint sends both video information and participant information to a videoconferencing device at a local endpoint;

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment in which a local videoconferencing device at a local endpoint receives video information from a remote videoconferencing device at a remote endpoint and receives participant information from a database;

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment display in which a callout box is displayed proximally to each participant on a display screen, where each callout box displays a name of the respective participant;

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment display in which multiple portions of participant information are displayed simultaneously with images of different participants;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for pre-storing participant information in a database;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for looking up the previously stored participant information for participants in a videoconference;

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment in which a videoconference participant carries a badge or card that stores the participant's identity information;

FIGS. 12-14 illustrate several exemplary implementations of a database in which participant information for participants may be stored;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for correlating the participant information for various participants with the images of the participants displayed on the display screen;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for verifying the identity of a potential participant in a videoconference using facial recognition;

FIGS. 17 and 18 illustrate an embodiment of a computer system for performing a facial recognition algorithm;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an embodiment of a method for automatically converting audio speech of a participant in a videoconference into text information;

FIG. 20 illustrates components in an exemplary videoconferencing device according to an embodiment; and

FIGS. 21A-21D illustrate exemplary hardware components for a videoconferencing device, according to an embodiment.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information in a videoconference, comprising: receiving video information, at a second endpoint, from a first endpoint of the videoconference, wherein the video information comprises an image of a participant at the first endpoint;receiving participant information for the participant, wherein the participant information comprises distinguishing information associated with the participant;displaying the video information on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference; anddisplaying the participant information for the participant on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the participant information for the participant comprises one or more of: a name of the participant;a phone number of the participant;an email address of the participant;a mailing address of the participant;a job title of the participant; and/oran employer of the participant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying the video information comprises displaying the image of the participant; andwherein said displaying the participant information for the participant comprises displaying the participant information for the participant substantially simultaneously with the image of the participant.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said displaying the participant information for the participant comprises displaying the participant information proximally to the participant such that the participant information is visually associated with the image of the participant.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said displaying the participant information comprises moving the displayed participant information relative to the displayed participant to visually associate the participant information with the displayed participant when the participant moves relative to a camera capturing the video information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the participant is a first participant and the participant information is first participant information;wherein the video information further comprises an image of a second participant at the first endpoint of the videoconference;wherein said displaying the video information on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference comprises displaying the image of the first participant substantially simultaneously with the image of the second participant; andwherein said displaying the first participant information for the first participant comprises displaying the first participant information proximally to the image of the first participant such that the first participant information is visually associated with the image of the first participant.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: receiving second participant information for the second participant;displaying the second participant information for the second participant on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference;wherein said displaying the second participant information for the second participant comprises displaying the second participant information proximally to the image of the second participant such that the second participant information is visually associated with the image of the second participant.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the participant information for the participant to one or more participants at the second endpoint of the videoconference.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said transmitting the participant information to the one or more participants at the second endpoint of the videoconference comprises one or more of: wirelessly transmitting the participant information to a personal wireless device of a participant at the second endpoint of the videoconference; and/or sending an email comprising the participant information to an email address of a participant at the second endpoint.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying the video information and said displaying the participant information comprises: a videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference creating a composite video output signal configured for display of the participant information with the video information; andthe videoconferencing device at the second endpoint displaying the composite video output signal on the display screen at the second endpoint.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the video information and said receiving the participant information comprises a videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference receiving the video information and the participant information from a videoconferencing device at the first endpoint of the videoconference.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the video information comprises a videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference receiving the video information from a videoconferencing device at the first endpoint of the videoconference; andwherein said receiving the participant information comprises the videoconferencing device at the second endpoint of the videoconference receiving the participant information from a database.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving an indication of an extent of the participant information to display on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference; andwherein said displaying the participant information comprises displaying the participant information to the indicated extent.

14. A videoconferencing device, comprising: one or more input ports operable to receive: video information from a first endpoint of a videoconference, wherein the video information comprises an image of a participant at the first endpoint; andparticipant information for the participant, wherein the participant information comprises distinguishing information associated with the participant;one or more computational elements operable to create a composite video output signal configured for display of the participant information with the video information; andan output port operable to provide the composite video output signal for displaying on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference.

15. The videoconferencing device of claim 14, wherein the participant information for the participant comprises one or more of: a name of the participant;a phone number of the participant;an email address of the participant;a mailing address of the participant;a job title of the participant; and/oran employer of the participant.

16. The videoconferencing device of claim 14, wherein the participant is a first participant and the participant information is first participant information;wherein the video information further comprises an image of a second participant at the first endpoint of the videoconference;wherein the composite video output signal is configured for display of both the image of the first participant and the image of the second participant; andwherein the composite video output signal is operable to be used to display the first participant information proximally to the image of the first participant such that the first participant information is visually associated with the image of the first participant.

17. The videoconferencing device of claim 16, wherein the one or more input ports are further operable to receive second participant information for the second participant;wherein the composite video output signal is further operable to be used to display the second participant information with the video information; andwherein the composite video output signal is further operable to be used to display the second participant information proximally to the image of the second participant such that the second participant information is visually associated with the image of the second participant.

18. The videoconferencing device of claim 14, further comprising a transmitter operable to wirelessly transmit the participant information to a wireless device.

19. The videoconferencing device of claim 14, wherein said one or more computational elements are further operable to: receive an indication of an extent of the participant information to display on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference; andwherein creating the composite video output signal comprises creating the composite video output signal to be configured for display of the participant information to the indicated extent.

20. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to: receive video information, at a second endpoint, from a first endpoint of a videoconference, wherein the video information comprises an image of a participant at the first endpoint;receive participant information for the participant, wherein the participant information comprises distinguishing information associated with the participant;display the video information on a display screen at a second endpoint of the videoconference; anddisplay the participant information for the participant on the display screen at the second endpoint of the videoconference.