Systems and methods to provide multiple connections for anonymous communication in a virtual environment
View Patent ↗Systems and methods to provide anonymous connections for a remote interaction system, such as a virtual classroom, which may allow a remote teacher and a group of remote students to have a sidebar discussion/presentation, for instance, to individually tutor the student as needed. In addition to telephonic connection, optional video/chat connections can be provided on-demand with same/different prices and time tracking indicators. Different media connections can be dynamically offered based on available bandwidth, and device capabilities of both the teacher and the student, upsell/transition from chat to voice to video, with price/charge confirmation (e.g., based on device capability, bandwidth). Connection quality can be monitored for improved billing. Pricing for individuals in a group learning setting can be dynamically determined (e.g., based on the size of the group, privacy request). Clips of interaction between teachers and students can be captured as recorded materials, searchable and/or viewable offline at different prices.
1. A method comprising:
providing, via a computing apparatus, a user interface to a user device of a first user in a group of users connected to a service provider during a group session with the group of users, the service provider to provide services to the group of users via communication connections provided to interconnect the group of users and the service provider, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of first user interface elements to request communication connections of different types for the first user in the group session;
providing, via the computing apparatus, a plurality of second user interface elements to display usages of the communication connections of the different types;
providing, via the computing apparatus, a first display area to present video content from the service provider when a video connection is established via activating one of the first user interface elements;
providing, via the computing apparatus, a second display area to facilitate text chat with the service provider when a chat connection is established via activating one of the first user interface elements;
providing, via the computing apparatus, an option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider during the group session with the group of users; and
establishing, via the computing apparatus, a connection for the private communication between the first user and the service provider, during the group session, in response to detecting a selection of the option, via the user interface, by the first user and temporarily suspending communications, during the group session, between the service provider and other users of the group during a time period of the private communication.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication connections of the different types have different prices for services provided by the service provider.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communication connections of the different types have a same price for services provided by the service provider.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to dynamically offer the communication connections of the different types based on available bandwidth, and device capabilities.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
monitoring transmissions over the communication connections of the different types; and
measuring the usages of the communication connections of the different types to receive services from the service provider based on the monitoring.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein time periods during which services are not provided over the communication connections of the different types are excluded from the usages.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein time periods during which transmission quality of services provided is below a threshold are excluded from the usages.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein a price charged to the first user is dynamically adjusted based on a current number of users in the group sharing services from the service provider.
9. The method of claim 1 , where when the option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider is selected, communication connections interconnecting the group of users and the service provider are reconfigured to block private communications between the first user and the service provider from being transmitted to users in the group other than the first user.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider is selected, metering of services provided by the service provider to the group is paused.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein during a first time period in which there is no private communication with the service provider, cost of the first time period is shared by users in the group; and during a second time period in which there is private communications between the service provider and the first user, cost of the second time period is charged to the first user.
12. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
recording contents transmitted over communication connections interconnecting the group of users and the service provider;
wherein the user interface provides a search tool to search recorded contents.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the search tool is configured to allow the first user to search contents recorded in time periods that have no private communications and recorded in time periods that have private communications between the first user and the service provider.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first user is allowed to search the recorded contents after the group session.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first user is not allowed to access contents recorded in a time period that has private communications between a second user and the service provider.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider is not selected, content of communications between the first user and the service provider is broadcast in real time to the group during the group session; and when the option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider is selected, content of communications between the first user and the service provider is not provided to users in the group other than the first user.
17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dynamically offering different connections of the communication connections of the different types, via the user interface, to the first user based in part on detecting available bandwidth of the first user and the service provider.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of first user interface elements, the plurality of second user interface elements, and the option are presented concurrently.
19. A non-transitory computer-storage medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to at least:
provide a user interface to a user device of a first user in a group of users connected to a service provider during a group session with the group of users, the service provider to provide services to the group of users via communication connections provided to interconnect the group of users and the service provider, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of first user interface elements to request communication connections of different types for the first user in the group session;
provide a plurality of second user interface elements to display usages of the communication connections of the different types;
provide a first display area to present video content from the service provider when a video connection is established via activating one of the first user interface elements;
provide a second display area to facilitate text chat with the service provider when a chat connection is established via activating one of the first user interface elements;
provide an option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider during the group session with the group of users, and
establish a connection for the private communication between the first user and the service provider, during the group session, in response to detecting a selection of the option, via the user interface, by the first user and temporarily suspending communications, during the group session, between the service provider and other users of the group during a time period of the private communication.
20. The non-transitory computer-storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the computing apparatus to:
dynamically offer different connections of the communication connections of the different types, via the user interface, to the first user based in part on detecting available bandwidth of the first user and the service provider.
21. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 19 , wherein:
the plurality of first user interface elements, the plurality of second user interface elements, and the option are presented concurrently.
22. A computing apparatus, comprising:
at least one microprocessor, and
memory storing instructions, executed by the microprocessor, to cause the computing apparatus to at least:
provide a user interface to a user device of a first user in a group of users connected to a service provider during a group session with the group of users, the service provider to provide services to the group of users via communication connections provided to interconnect the group of users and the service provider, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of first user interface elements to request communication connections of different types for the first user in the group session;
provide a plurality of second user interface elements to display usages of the communication connections of the different types;
provide a first display area to present video content from the service provider when a video connection is established via activating one of the first user interface elements;
provide a second display area to facilitate text chat with the service provider when a chat connection is established via activating one of the first user interface elements;
provide an option selectable to request a private communication with the service provider during the group session; and
establish a connection for the private communication between the first user and the service provider, during the group session, in response to detecting a selection of the option, via the user interface, by the first user and temporarily suspending communications, during the group session, between the service provider and other users of the group during a time period of the private communication.
23. The computing apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the instructions, executed by the microprocessor, are further configured to cause the computing apparatus to provide communication connections interconnecting the group of users and the service provider.
24. The computing apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the instructions, executed by the microprocessor, are further configured to cause the apparatus to, when the option is selected, reconfigure the communication connections interconnecting the group of users and the service provider to block communications between the first user and the service provider from being transmitted to users in the group other than the first user.
25. The computing apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the instructions stored in the memory are further configured to:
dynamically offer different connections of the communication connections of the different types, via the user interface, to the first user based in part on detecting available bandwidth of the first user and the service provider.
26. The computing apparatus of claim 22 , wherein:
the plurality of first user interface elements, the plurality of second user interface elements, and the option are presented concurrently.