Systems And Methods For Forming Group Communications Within An Online Event

What is this patent about?

’335 is related to the field of online event communication, specifically addressing the need for improved group communication features within real-time online events. The background acknowledges the increasing popularity of online events but highlights the limitations in interaction compared to in-person experiences. Existing solutions often lack the flexibility for users to easily form and manage small, focused groups for prioritized communication.

The underlying idea behind ’335 is to enable users within an online event to dynamically create ad-hoc communication groups. This is achieved by allowing a user to select another participant's indicator (e.g., video feed) on the user interface, which then triggers the creation of a separate, prioritized communication link between the two users. This allows for direct, focused interaction without disrupting the broader event communication.

The claims of ’335 focus on a method, a non-transitory computer readable medium, and a device that all perform the same core steps: providing a user interface displaying real-time communications from multiple online participants, detecting an input from a first participant selecting a second participant's indicator, presenting a merged display of the two participants' indicators, and creating a separate communication link that prioritizes communication between the two selected participants.

In practice, the invention allows a user attending an online lecture to quickly form a private audio/video chat with another attendee by simply dragging their avatar onto the other attendee's avatar. This action establishes a direct communication channel, potentially with higher bandwidth or lower latency, while both users remain connected to the main lecture feed. The merged display visually confirms the group formation to all participants, enhancing the sense of community and collaboration.

This approach differentiates itself from prior solutions by providing a seamless and intuitive way to form groups without requiring separate 'rooms' or complex configuration. The prioritized communication link ensures that the direct interaction is not hindered by the general event traffic. This dynamic group formation enhances the overall online event experience, making it more engaging and collaborative for participants.