US-12627768-B2 - Selectively controlling follower device output for video conferencing

Abstract

The output of visual content at various follower devices within a physical space is selectively controlled during a video conference. Multiple displays located at a physical space are designated as follower devices, in which the follower device designation of the multiple displays enables a leader device located at the physical space to control the multiple displays for a video conference. A configuration is enforced to cause, during the video conference, an output of first visual data associated with the video conference at a first display of the multiple displays and an output of second visual data associated with the video conference at a second display of the multiple displays. The leader device and the follower devices are collectively represented as a single logical entity to the video conference.

Inventors

• Jin Fang
• Ashley Alexandra Hellmann
• Robert Aaron Klegon
• Cynthia Eshiuan Lee
• Nicholas P. Mueller
• Stephen George Newton
• Shane Paul Springer

Assignees

• ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230731

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A method, comprising: designating multiple displays located at a physical space as follower devices, wherein a leader device located at the physical space is a shared computing device that connects to a video conference via a server-side multimedia router associated with the video conference, wherein the follower devices each connects to the video conference via the leader device based on the connection between the leader device and the server-side multimedia router, and wherein follower device designations of the multiple displays causes a representation of the leader device and the follower devices collectively as a single conference participant within a participant list of the video conference and enables the leader device to control the multiple displays during the video conference via the connection between the leader device and the server-side multimedia router; and enforcing a configuration to cause, during the video conference, an output of first visual data associated with the video conference at a first display of the multiple displays and an output of second visual data associated with the video conference at a second display of the multiple displays.
2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein enforcing the configuration comprises: transmitting, by the leader device, a signal indicating to cause the output of the first visual data at the first display and the output of the second visual data at the second display.
3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuration corresponds to configuration logic defined for the video conference, the method comprising: defining the configuration logic to specify indicate visual data to output to specific displays of the multiple displays.
4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein designating the multiple displays as follower devices comprises: authenticating the multiple displays for the video conference based on connections of the multiple displays to the leader device.
5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to one or more first conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to one or more second conference participant video streams.
6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to first video conference functionality and the second visual data corresponds to second video conference functionality.
7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to one or more conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to functionality of the video conference.
8. 8 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising: designating multiple displays located at a physical space as follower devices, wherein a leader device located at the physical space is a shared computing device that connects to a video conference via a server-side multimedia router associated with the video conference, wherein the follower devices each connects to the video conference via the leader device based on the connection between the leader device and the server-side multimedia router, and wherein follower device designations of the multiple displays causes a representation of the leader device and the follower devices collectively as a single conference participant within a participant list of the video conference and enables the leader device to control the multiple displays during the video conference via the connection between the leader device and the server-side multimedia router; and enforcing a configuration to cause, during the video conference, an output of first visual data associated with the video conference at a first display of the multiple displays and an output of second visual data associated with the video conference at a second display of the multiple displays.
9. 9 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the configuration is based on configuration logic defined for the physical space.
10. 10 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , the operations comprising: pairing each of the multiple displays to the leader device for the video conference.
11. 11 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first display and the second display are displays of separate digital whiteboard devices.
12. 12 . A system, comprising: a memory subsystem storing instructions; and processing circuitry configured to execute the instructions to: designate multiple displays located at a physical space as follower devices, wherein a leader device located at the physical space is a shared computing device that connects to a video conference via a server-side multimedia router associated with the video conference, wherein the follower devices each connects to the video conference via the leader device based on the connection between the leader device and the server-side multimedia router, and wherein follower device designations of the multiple displays causes a representation of the leader device and the follower devices collectively as a single conference participant within a participant list of the video conference and enables the leader device to control the multiple displays during the video conference via the connection between the leader device and the server-side multimedia router; and enforce a configuration to cause, during the video conference, an output of first visual data associated with the video conference at a first display of the multiple displays and an output of second visual data associated with the video conference at a second display of the multiple displays.
13. 13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the configuration is based on capabilities of the first display and the second display.
14. 14 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to a first arrangement of conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to a second arrangement of one or more of the conference participant video streams.
15. 15 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to a digital whiteboard.
16. 16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to chat messages associated with the video conference.
17. 17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to screen share media of the video conference.
18. 18 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to conference participant video streams and the second visual data corresponds to a user interface including host controls for the video conference.
19. 19 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the first visual data corresponds to a first digital whiteboard and the second visual data corresponds to a second digital whiteboard.
20. 20 . The system of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first display or the second display is a display of a digital whiteboard device.

Description

FIELD This disclosure generally relates to leader-follower approaches for unifying a conferencing experience within a software-based room system for video conferencing, and, more specifically, to systems and techniques for collectively representing hardware and software components within a physical space used with a software-based room system as a single logical entity in connection with leader-follower approaches for controlling and using those components for video conferencing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS This disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is emphasized that, according to common practice, the various features of the drawings are not to-scale. On the contrary, the dimensions of the various features are arbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of an electronic computing and communications system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example internal configuration of a computing device of an electronic computing and communications system. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example of a software platform implemented by an electronic computing and communications system. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example of a conferencing system for delivering conferencing software services in an electronic computing and communications system. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example of a software-based room system for conferencing software services. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of components of a physical space associated with a software-based room system. FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an example of functionality of leader-follower software usable with a software-based room system. FIG. 8 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for assigning select conference participant video streams for output at select displays of a physical space associated with a software-based room system. FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for assigning select conferencing functionality select displays of a physical space associated with a software-based room system. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for selecting and using a single camera of a physical space associated with a software-based room system to transmit a single video stream for the physical space to remote video conference participants. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for selecting and using multiple cameras of a physical space associated with a software-based room system to transmit multiple video streams for the physical space to remote video conference participants. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for using selection software at one or more devices of a physical space associated with a software-based room system to select a video stream to use for one or more conference participants within the physical space. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for activating and using individual companion devices of a physical space associated with a software-based room system with a video conference. FIG. 14 is a block diagram of an example of a leader-follower approach for activating and using all companion devices of a physical space associated with a software-based room system with a video conference. FIG. 15A is an illustration of a conference participant list in which individual components of a physical space associated with a software-based room system are represented as separate logical entities. FIG. 15B is an illustration of a conference participant list in which all components of a physical space associated with a software-based room system are collectively represented as a single logical entity. FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an example of a technique for controlling follower devices in a companion mode designation during a video conference. FIG. 17 is a flowchart of an example of a technique for automatically activating and/or deactivating follower devices during a video conference. FIG. 18 is a flowchart of an example of a technique for authenticating a follower device for leader device control during a video conference. FIG. 19 is a flowchart of an example of a technique for selectively controlling the output to display at a follower device during a video conference. FIG. 20 is a flowchart of an example of a technique for controlling the capture of video streams at follower devices during a video conference. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Conferencing software is frequently used across various industries to support video-enabled conferences between participants in multiple locations. In some cases, each of the conference participants separately connects to the conferencing software from their own remote locations. In other cases, one or more of the conference participants may be physically located in and connect to the conferencing software from