Conferencing system and method for controlling the conferencing system
A communication system and a method can be configured to facilitate the performance of a conference. The system can include a conference organizer terminal and at least two participants' terminals each assigned to respective conference participants who each log in to start a conference on the communication system. The communication system can be configured to calculate a decision situation at a particular point in time of the ongoing conference by analyzing the views expressed by the conference participants during the conference and send data relating to the decision situation for that point in time to the conference organizer's terminal and/or other conference participant terminals for use in facilitating the conference. IN some embodiments, such data can be used to assist the conference participants' in recognizing when there is a consensus made on at least one decision to be made during the conference.
1. A communication apparatus comprising:
a control unit comprising a processor that is configured to communicate with first and second terminals via communication connections formed with the first and second terminals, the control unit being configured to execute a method comprising:
calculating, by the control unit, a decision situation at a particular point in time by analyzing views previously expressed by conference participants via the first and second terminals during an ongoing conference, and
calculating, by the control unit, a cumulative weighted position value v nm that represents a decision position of each conference participant n at the particular point in time, the calculating of the cumulative weighted position value being performed such that a view expressed more recently during the ongoing conference is weighed more heavily than views expressed prior that time; and
wherein the control unit is configured to send data identifying the calculated decision situation for the point in time to the first terminal and/or the second terminal; and
wherein the control unit is a component of a communication device, wherein the communication device is configured to record views that are audibly expressed by conference participants during the conference and convert the audibly expressed views into analyzable data via transcription so that the analyzable data is analyzable by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to derive the decision situation for that point in time based on the analyzable data.
2. The communication apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cumulative weighted position value v nm for each conference participant n with respect to another conference participant m is calculated using the following formula:
v
nm
=
∑
i
=
1
k
s
nm
[
i
]
k
-
(
i
+
1
)
where
s
nm
=
∑
j
=
1
c
a
nmj
*
b
nmj
with:
n, m representing dialog between person n and person m
i is a time period
k is a maximum number of iterated periods
j is a number of ongoing dialogs within a period
c is a number of ongoing dialogs between person n and person m in the period concerned
s nm is a sum of evaluated dialogs between person n and person m in the period concerned
a nmj = is a number representing agreeing or dissenting statements made by person n and person m in dialog j, and
b nmj is a number representing sarcastic statements made by person n and person m in dialog j.
3. The communication apparatus of claim 2 comprising:
the first terminal communicatively connected to the control unit.
4. The communication apparatus of claim 3 comprising:
the second terminal communicatively connected to the control unit.
5. The communication apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the communication apparatus is configured as a communication system;
the first terminal is a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer; and
the second terminal is a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer.
6. The communication apparatus of claim 2 wherein variable (a nm ) is configured such that an agreeing statement is accorded a +1 value, a dissenting statement is accorded a −1 value, and an undetermined statement is accorded a 0 value.
7. The communication apparatus of claim 2 wherein the variable (b nm ) is configured such that a −1 value is accorded to a determined sarcastic statement and a +1 value is accorded to a neutral statement.
8. The communication apparatus of claim 7 wherein variable (a nm ) is configured such that an agreeing statement is accorded a +1 value, a dissenting statement is accorded a −1 value, and an undetermined statement is accorded a 0 value.
9. The communication apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control unit is also configured to effect generation of a representation of the calculated decision situation for each conference participant at a particular point in time.
10. The communication apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication device is also configured to determine a mood of each conference participant during the conference based on views expressed by the conference participant during the conference.
11. The communication apparatus of claim 1 wherein the communication apparatus is configured as a conferencing system.
12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having a program stored thereon, the program defining a method that is performed by a communication device of a communication system that executes the computer program via a processor of the communication device, the method comprising:
calculating, by the communication device, a decision situation at a particular point in time by analyzing views previously expressed by conference participants of an ongoing conference via second terminals during the conference, and
calculating, by the communication device, a cumulative weighted position value v nm that represents a decision position of each conference participant n at the particular point in time, the calculating of the cumulative weighted position value being performed such that a view expressed more recently during the ongoing conference is weighed more heavily than views expressed prior to that time; and
the communication device sending data identifying the calculated decision situation for the point in time to a first terminal and/or at least one of the second terminals; and
wherein the communication device is configured to record views that are audibly expressed by conference participants during the conference and convert the audibly expressed views into analyzable data via transcription so that the analyzable data is analyzable by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to derive the decision situation for that point in time based on the analyzable data.
13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the cumulative weighted position value v nm for each conference participant n with respect to another conference participant is calculated using the following formula:
v
nm
=
∑
i
=
1
k
s
nm
[
i
]
k
-
(
i
+
1
)
where
s
nm
=
∑
j
=
1
c
a
nmj
*
b
nmj
with:
n, m representing dialog between person n and person m
i is a time period
k is a maximum number of iterated periods
j is a number of ongoing dialogs within a period
c is a number of ongoing dialogs between person n and person m in the period concerned
s nm is a sum of evaluated dialogs between person n and person m in the period concerned
a nmj = is a number representing agreeing or dissenting statements made by person n and person m in dialog j, and
b nmj is a number representing sarcastic statements made by person n and person m in dialog j.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein variable (a nm ) is configured such that an agreeing statement is accorded a +1 value, a dissenting statement is accorded a −1 value, and an undetermined statement is accorded a 0 value.
15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the variable (b nm nm) is configured such that a −1 value is accorded to a determined sarcastic statement and a +1 value is accorded to a neutral statement.
16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein variable (a nm ) is configured such that an agreeing statement is accorded a +1 value, a dissenting statement is accorded a −1 value, and an undetermined statement is accorded a 0 value.
17. A method for controlling a conferencing system comprising at least one processor, comprising:
calculating, by the conferencing system, a decision situation at a particular point in time by analyzing views previously expressed by conference participants via terminals during an ongoing conference; and
calculating, by the conferencing system, a cumulative weighted position value v nm that represents a decision position of each conference participant n at the particular point in time, the calculating of the cumulative weighted position value being performed such that a view expressed more recently during the ongoing conference is weighed more heavily than views expressed prior that time; and
the conferencing system sending data identifying the calculated decision situation for the point in time to at least one of the terminals; and
wherein the conferencing system comprises a communication device configured to record views that are audibly expressed by conference participants during the conference and convert the audibly expressed views into analyzable data via transcription so that the analyzable data is analyzable by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured to derive the decision situation for that point in time based on the analyzable data.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the cumulative weighted position value v nm for each conference participant n with respect to another conference participant m is calculated using the following formula:
v
nm
=
∑
i
=
1
k
s
nm
[
i
]
k
-
(
i
+
1
)
where
s
nm
=
∑
j
=
1
c
a
nmj
*
b
nmj
with:
nm representing dialog between person n and person m
i is a time period
k is a maximum number of iterated periods
j is a number of ongoing dialogs within a period
c is a number of ongoing dialogs between person n and person m in the period concerned
s nm is a sum of evaluated dialogs between person n and person m in the period concerned
a nmj = is a number representing agreeing or dissenting statements made by person n and person m in dialog j, and
b nmj is a number representing sarcastic statements made by person n and person m in dialog j.
19. The method of claim 18 wherein:
each of the terminals is a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a mobile computer device, a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer; and
the variable (a nm ) is configured such that an agreeing statement is accorded a +1 value,
a dissenting statement is accorded a −1 value, and an undetermined statement is accorded a 0value.
the variable (b nm ) is configured such that a −1 value is accorded to a determined sarcastic statement and a +1 value is accorded to a neutral statement.