Granted Patent B2

US 9,282,286 · App. 14/198,954 · Granted Mar 8, 2016

Abstract

Claims (76)

1. A method of participating in an online meeting, comprising:

receiving, by processing circuitry of a vehicle, a join instruction to join the online meeting;

performing, by the processing circuitry of the vehicle, a communications exchange with a remote online meeting server in response to the join instruction, the communications exchange establishing an online meeting session with the remote online meeting server to join the processing circuitry of the vehicle to the online meeting; and

after the online meeting session is established, outputting, by the processing circuitry of the vehicle, video of the online meeting on a display screen which is integrated with the vehicle;

wherein outputting the video of the online meeting on the display screen includes:

receiving a motion signal indicating whether the vehicle is in motion,

displaying first video of the online meeting on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion, and

displaying second video of the online meeting on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion, the second video being different than the first video.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein displaying the first video signal when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion includes providing, as the first video, a static image signal to display a static image on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion; and

wherein displaying the second video signal when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion includes providing, as the second video, a moving image signal to display a moving image on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion.

3. A method as in claim 2 , further comprising:

regardless of whether the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion, outputting audio of the online meeting on a set of speakers while the video of the online meeting is concurrently outputted on the display screen.

4. A method as in claim 3 wherein outputting audio of the online meeting on the set of speakers includes providing audio of a person who is currently talking in the online meeting;

wherein providing the static image signal to display the static image on the display screen includes constantly rendering a static video frame of the person who is currently talking in the online meeting to show no movement of the person who is currently talking when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion; and

wherein providing the moving image signal to display the moving image on the display screen includes rendering a series of video frames of the person who is currently talking in the online meeting to show movement of the person who is currently talking when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion.

5. A method as in claim 3 wherein outputting audio of the online meeting on the set of speakers includes providing audio of a person who is currently talking in the online meeting;

wherein providing the static image signal to display the static image on the display screen includes constantly rendering a picture icon of the person who is currently talking in the online meeting to show no movement of the person who is currently talking when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion; and

wherein providing the moving image signal to display the moving image on the display screen includes rendering a series of video frames of the person who is currently talking in the online meeting to show movement of the person who is currently talking when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion.

6. A method as in claim 3 wherein outputting audio of the online meeting on the set of speakers includes providing audio of a person who is currently talking in the online meeting;

wherein providing the static image signal to display the static image on the display screen includes constantly rendering a static slide of an online meeting presentation when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion; and

wherein providing the moving image signal to display the moving image on the display screen includes rendering a series of video frames to show movement when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion.

7. A method as in claim 3 wherein performing the communications exchange includes:

establishing, as the online meeting session, a cellular communications pathway between the processing circuitry of the vehicle and the remote online server, the cellular communications pathway carrying (i) audio data and video data from the processing circuitry of the vehicle to the remote online meeting server, and (ii) other audio data and other video data from the remote online meeting server to the processing circuitry of the vehicle.

8. A method as in claim 3 wherein the set of speakers is integrated with the vehicle; wherein the vehicle includes a radio tuner to receive and play broadcasted radio station content on the set of speakers; and wherein outputting the audio of the online meeting on the set of speakers includes:

disabling output of the radio tuner from playing broadcasted radio station content on the set of speakers and providing an audio signal of the online meeting to the set of speakers while the video of the online meeting is concurrently outputted on the display screen.

9. A method as in claim 3 wherein the set of speakers belongs to a smart portable device which is separate from the vehicle; and wherein outputting the audio of the online meeting on the set of speakers includes:

disabling vehicle speakers of the vehicle from outputting the audio of the online meeting and providing an audio signal of the online meeting to the set of speakers of the smart portable device while the video of the online meeting is concurrently outputted on the display screen.

10. A method as in claim 9 wherein the video of the online meeting is conveyed to the processing circuitry of the vehicle over a first communications pathway established between the processing circuitry of the vehicle and the remote online meeting server; and

wherein the audio of the online meeting is conveyed to the smart portable device over a second communications pathway established between the smart portable device and the remote online meeting server, the first communications pathway and the second communications pathway being different from each other and co-existing.

11. A method as in claim 9 wherein receiving the join instruction to join the online meeting includes:

obtaining the join instruction from the smart portable device via a local communications pathway between the smart portable device and the processing circuitry of the vehicle.

12. A method as in claim 9 , further comprising:

prior to providing the audio signal of the online meeting to the set of speakers of the smart portable device, sending a command from the processing circuitry of the vehicle to the smart portable device via a local communications pathway between the processing circuitry of the vehicle and the smart portable device to direct the smart portable device to join the online meeting.

13. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

outputting audio of the online meeting on a set of speakers while the video of the online meeting is concurrently outputted on the display screen; and

wherein outputting the video of the online meeting further includes showing, in a name field on the display screen which is integrated with the vehicle, a name of a person currently speaking in the online meeting, contents of the name field dynamically changing as different people speak during the online meeting.

14. A method as in claim 1 wherein forward and backward audio system navigation buttons are integrated with the vehicle; and wherein outputting the video of the online meeting further includes:

in response to user commands entered via the forward and backward audio system navigation buttons, re-displaying earlier outputted video of the online meeting on the display screen which is integrated with the vehicle.

15. A method as in claim 1 wherein forward and backward audio system navigation buttons are integrated with the vehicle; and wherein outputting the video of the online meeting further includes:

in response to user commands entered via the forward and backward audio system navigation buttons, displaying various thumbnail images of the online meeting on the display screen which is integrated with the vehicle.

16. A method as in claim 1 wherein the processing circuitry of the vehicle is separate and distinct from an engine controller of the vehicle; and wherein receiving the motion signal indicating whether the vehicle is in motion includes:

acquiring, by the processing circuitry of the vehicle, an electronic signal from the engine controller, the electronic signal indicating whether the vehicle is currently in motion.

17. A vehicle, comprising:

a passenger compartment which includes a display screen;

a drive section which is constructed and arranged to move the passenger compartment among different locations; and

processing circuitry coupled to the passenger compartment and the drive section, the processing circuitry being constructed and arranged to:

receive a join instruction to join the online meeting,

perform a communications exchange with a remote online meeting server in response to the join instruction, the communications exchange establishing an online meeting session with the remote online meeting server to join the processing circuitry of the vehicle to the online meeting, and

after the online meeting session is established, output video of the online meeting on the display screen;

wherein the processing circuitry, when outputting the video of the online meeting on the display screen, is constructed and arranged to:

receive a motion signal from the drive section, the motion signal indicating whether the vehicle is in motion,

display first video of the online meeting on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion, and

display second video of the online meeting on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion, the second video being different than the first video;

wherein the passenger compartment includes:

a set of speakers, and

a radio tuner constructed and arranged to play broadcasted radio station content on the set of speakers; and

wherein the processing circuitry is further constructed and arranged to:

regardless of whether the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion, output audio of the online meeting on the set of speakers while the video of the online meeting is concurrently outputted on the display screen.

18. A vehicle as in claim 17 wherein forward and backward audio system navigation buttons are integrated with the vehicle; and

wherein the processing circuitry, when outputting the video of the online meeting on the display screen, is further constructed and arranged to:

show, in a name field on the display screen, a name of a person currently speaking in the online meeting, contents of the name field dynamically changing as different people speak during the online meeting, and

in response to user commands entered via the forward and backward audio system navigation buttons, at least one of (i) re-displaying earlier outputted video of the online meeting on the display screen which is integrated with the vehicle, and (ii) displaying various thumbnail images of the online meeting on the display screen which is integrated with the vehicle.

19. A vehicle as in claim 17 wherein, when receiving the motion signal indicating whether the vehicle is in motion, the processing circuitry is constructed and arranged to:

acquire an electronic signal from an engine controller of the drive section, the electronic signal indicating whether the vehicle is currently in motion.

20. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium which stores a set of instructions to involve a participant in an online meeting, the set of instructions, when carried out by processing circuitry of a vehicle, causing the processing circuitry of the vehicle to perform a method of:

receiving a join instruction to join the online meeting;

performing a communications exchange with a remote online meeting server in response to the join instruction, the communications exchange establishing an online meeting session with the remote online meeting server to join the processing circuitry of the vehicle to the online meeting; and

after the online meeting session is established, outputting video of the online meeting on a display screen which is integrated with the vehicle;

wherein outputting the video of the online meeting on the display screen includes:

receiving a motion signal indicating whether the vehicle is in motion,

displaying first video of the online meeting on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion, and

displaying second video of the online meeting on the display screen when the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is not in motion, the second video being different than the first video; and

wherein the method further includes:

regardless of whether the motion signal indicates that the vehicle is in motion, outputting audio of the online meeting on a set of speakers while the video of the online meeting is concurrently outputted on the display screen.

21. A computer program product as in claim 20 wherein the processing circuitry of the vehicle is separate and distinct from an engine controller of the vehicle; and wherein receiving the motion signal indicating whether the vehicle is in motion includes:

acquiring an electronic signal from the engine controller, the electronic signal indicating whether the vehicle is currently in motion.

Assignments (14)