Interpersonal networking in virtual space using chatbot queries and a virtual facilitator

1 . An automated method for allowing meeting participants of a host-scheduled videoconferencing session to interact with each other via an online meeting user interface of a videoconferencing system using their respective participant computers, wherein the videoconferencing system includes (i) a database of user profiles for each of the meeting participants, (ii) a chatbot query engine, and (iii) a virtual facilitator in communication with the chatbot query engine, the method comprising:

(a) generating, by the chatbot query engine, for selected meeting participants one or more queries to ask the selected meeting participants via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the selected meeting participants, the chatbot query engine using the user profiles of the selected meeting participants to assist in generating the one or more queries;

(b) electronically communicating, by the virtual facilitator, via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the selected meeting participants to ask the one or more queries, receive their answers, and share the answers with selected other meeting participants, thereby facilitating electronic communication among the selected meeting participants,

wherein the chatbot query engine updates the database of user profiles with the answers to the queries from the respective meeting participants; and

(c) generating, by the chatbot query engine, using the answers from previous queries that were previously generated by the chatbot query engine and asked to one or more of the selected meeting participants by the virtual facilitator, one or more additional queries for the virtual facilitator to ask one or more of the selected meeting participants via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the one or more selected meeting participants,

wherein each query and each answer is synchronously heard by each of the selected meeting participants via their respective online user interfaces of the videoconferencing system.

2 . The automated method of claim 1 wherein the videoconferencing system provides a waiting room for the meeting participants to be placed in prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, and wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants within the waiting room.

3 . The automated method of claim 1 wherein the videoconferencing system provides a breakout session during the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, and wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants within the breakout session.

4 . The automated method of claim 1 wherein the videoconferencing system provides a post-meeting session after the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, and wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants within the post-meeting session.

5 . The automated method of claim 1 wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants during the host-scheduled videoconferencing session.

6 . The automated method of claim 1 wherein each query is directed to only one specific one of the selected meeting participants by including a noun of direct address in the query.

7 . A computer program product for allowing meeting participants of a host-scheduled videoconferencing session to interact with each other via an online meeting user interface of a videoconferencing system using their respective participant computers, wherein the videoconferencing system includes (i) a database of user profiles for each of the meeting participants, (ii) a chatbot query engine, and (iii) a virtual facilitator in communication with the chatbot query engine, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium tangibly embodying computer-executable program instructions thereon that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices to:

(a) generate, by the chatbot query engine, for selected meeting participants one or more queries to ask the selected meeting participants via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the selected meeting participants, the chatbot query engine using the user profiles of the selected meeting participants to assist in generating the one or more queries;

(b) electronically communicate, by the virtual facilitator, via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the selected meeting participants to ask the one or more queries, receive their answers, and share the answers with selected other meeting participants, thereby facilitating electronic communication among the selected meeting participants,

wherein the chatbot query engine updates the database of user profiles with the answers to the queries from the respective meeting participants; and

(c) generate, by the chatbot query engine, using the answers from previous queries that were previously generated by the chatbot query engine and asked to one or more of the selected meeting participants by the virtual facilitator, one or more additional queries for the virtual facilitator to ask one or more of the selected meeting participants via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the one or more selected meeting participants,

wherein each query and each answer is synchronously heard by each of the selected meeting participants via their respective online user interfaces of the videoconferencing system.

8 . The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the videoconferencing system provides a waiting room for the meeting participants to be placed in prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, and wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants within the waiting room.

9 . The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the videoconferencing system provides a breakout session during the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, and wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants within the breakout session.

10 . The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the videoconferencing system provides a post-meeting session after the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, and wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants within the post-meeting session.

11 . The computer program product of claim 7 wherein steps (a) and (b) occur for the selected meeting participants during the host-scheduled videoconferencing session.

12 . The computer program product of claim 7 wherein each query is directed to only one specific one of the selected meeting participants by including a noun of direct address in the query.

13 . An automated method for allowing meeting participants of a host-scheduled videoconferencing session to interact with each other via an online meeting user interface of a videoconferencing system using their respective participant computers prior to initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, wherein the meeting participants request to join the host-scheduled videoconferencing session by sending a request to the videoconferencing system from their respective participant computers, and wherein the videoconferencing system provides a waiting room for the meeting participants to be placed in prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, the videoconferencing system including (i) a chatbot query engine, (ii) a virtual facilitator in communication with the chatbot query engine, and (iii) a database of user profiles for each of the meeting participants, the method comprising:

(a) electronically clearing meeting participants to participate in the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, by the video conferencing system, who have requested to join the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, wherein the electronically cleared meeting participants automatically join the host-scheduled videoconferencing session upon its initiation via their respective meeting participant computers, and

wherein the electronically cleared meeting participants are in the waiting room prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session;

(b) creating, by the videoconferencing system, subsets of a pre-specified number of the electronically cleared meeting participants who are in the waiting room, wherein the electronically cleared meeting participants in each subset can interact with each other in a pre-meeting networking session, and wherein the electronically cleared meeting participants in each subset can interact only with other electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset;

(c) generating, using the chatbot query engine, one or more queries to ask each of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset,

wherein the chatbot query engine uses the user profiles for each of the meeting participants to assist in generating the one or more queries to ask each of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset;

(d) electronically communicating, by the virtual facilitator, via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset to ask the one or more queries, receive their answers, and share the answers with each of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset, thereby facilitating electronic communication among the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset,

wherein the chatbot query engine updates the database of user profiles with the answers to the queries from the respective meeting participants; and

(e) generating, by the chatbot query engine, using the answers from previous queries that were previously generated by the chatbot query engine and asked to one or more of the selected meeting participants by the virtual facilitator, one or more additional queries for the virtual facilitator to ask each of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset via the online meeting user interface of the videoconferencing system using the respective participant computers of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset,

wherein each query and each answer is synchronously heard by each of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset via their respective online user interfaces of the videoconferencing system.

14 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein the chatbot query engine uses the user profiles for each of the meeting participants to assist in the process for creating subsets of the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants.

15 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein the subsets of the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants who can interact with each other in the waiting room are created by a random selection process that randomly selects for each subset the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants in the waiting room who can interact with each other.

16 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein the subsets of the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants who can interact with each other in the waiting room are created by an algorithmic process that algorithmically selects for each subset the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants in the waiting room who can interact with each other.

17 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein the subsets of the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants who can interact with each other in the waiting room are created by a manual process that allows an electronically cleared meeting participant in the waiting room to select via a pre-meeting networking session user interface specific other electronically cleared meeting participants in the waiting room whom the electronically cleared meeting participant wishes to interact with.

18 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein the subsets of the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants who can interact with each other in the waiting room are created by a manual process that allows an electronically cleared meeting participant in the waiting room to select via a pre-meeting networking session user interface a virtual table to be placed at so as to interact with other electronically cleared meeting participants in the waiting room who also select via the pre-meeting networking session user interface to be placed at the same virtual table,

wherein for each subset, the number of seats at the virtual table is equal to the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants in the waiting room who can interact with each other.

19 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein the subsets of the pre-specified number of electronically cleared meeting participants who can interact with each other in the waiting room are created by a manual process that allows an electronically cleared meeting participant in the waiting room to select via a pre-meeting networking session user interface a spatially depicted conversation group so as to interact with other electronically cleared meeting participants in the waiting room who also select via the pre-meeting networking session user interface to be placed in the same spatially depicted conversation group,

wherein the videoconferencing system sets a maximum number of electronically cleared meeting participants who can join the same spatially depicted conversation group.

20 . The automated method of claim 13 wherein each query is directed to only one specific one of the electronically cleared meeting participants in the same subset by including a noun of direct address in the query.