IP Library Granted Patent US 12,641,135
Granted Patent B2
US 12,641,135 · App. 17/733,436 · Granted May 26, 2026

Connecting enhanced conference rooms with persistent hybrid virtual collaborative workspaces

Inventors: Ross Douglas Mayfield (Palo Alto, CA); Robert Allen Ryskamp (Mountainview, CA); Jeffrey William Smith (Layton, UT); Matthew Brandon Wesson (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: Zoom Communications, Inc.
H04L65/1093H04L12/1813H04L65/4015
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,641,135
App. No.
17/733,436
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

One example method includes receiving, by a computing device, a detection signal wherein the detection signal corresponds to an individual entering a room hosted by a video conference provider; transmitting, by the computing device, a control signal to one or more peripheral devices wherein the control signals cause the one or more peripherals to enter an active state; determining, by the computing device, that the individual is associated with a virtual space; and joining, by the computing device, the virtual space hosted by the video conference provider.

Claims (53)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a detection signal, wherein the detection signal corresponds to an individual entering a physical room;

transmitting, by the computing device, a control signal to one or more peripheral devices located within the physical room, wherein the control signal causes the one or more peripheral devices to enter an active state;

in response to determining that the detection signal indicates the individual has entered the physical room:

determining, by the computing device, that the individual is a member of a virtual space hosted by a video conference provider; and

joining, by the computing device, the virtual space based on determining that the individual is a member of the virtual space.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device, a video conference request to a video conference provider to request the video conference provider to start a video conference associated with the virtual space;

joining, by the computing device, the video conference; and

providing data streams from the one or more peripheral devices to the video conference.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein after joining the video conference, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device, a meeting signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the meeting signal is used by the user device to join the video conference.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein after joining the virtual space, the method further comprises:

transmitting, by the computing device, a join signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the join signal is used by the user device to join the virtual space.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the detection signal is received from a mobile device associated with the individual.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more peripheral devices comprise at least one of a camera, a microphone, and a display.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting, by the computing device, a signal to the video conference provider, the signal used by the video conference provider to provide an alert the individual is active in the virtual space to one or more members of the virtual space.

8 . A system comprising:

a computing device comprising one or more processors and a non-transitory computer readable memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to at least:

receive, a detection signal wherein the detection signal corresponds to an individual entering a physical room;

transmit a control signal to one or more peripheral devices located within the physical room, wherein the control signal causes the one or more peripheral devices to enter an active state;

in response to a determination that the detection signal indicates the individual has entered the physical room:

determine that the individual is a member of a virtual space hosted by a video conference provider; and

join the virtual space based on determining that the individual is a member of the virtual space.

9 . The system of claim 8 wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

transmit a video conference request to a video conference provider such that the video conference provider starts a video conference associated with the virtual space and provide access to the video conference to a remote user; and

join the video conference such that one or more transmissions from the one or more peripheral devices are provided in the video conference.

10 . The system of claim 8 wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

transmit a meeting signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the meeting signal is used by the user device to join a video conference.

11 . The system of claim 10 wherein after joining a video conference, the instructions further cause the computing device to:

transmit a meeting signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the meeting signal is used by the user device to join the video conference.

12 . The system of claim 8 wherein after joining the virtual space, the instructions further cause the computing device to:

transmit a join signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the join signal is used by the user device to join the virtual space.

13 . The system of claim 8 wherein the detection signal is received from a mobile device associated with the individual.

14 . The system of claim 8 wherein the one or more peripheral devices comprise at least one of a camera, a microphone, and a display.

15 . The system of claim 8 wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to:

transmit a signal to the video conference provider, the signal used by the video conference provider to provide an alert the individual is active in the virtual space to one or more members of the virtual space.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising processor-executable instructions configured to cause one or more processors to:

receive, a detection signal wherein the detection signal corresponds to an individual entering a physical room;

transmit a control signal to one or more peripheral devices located within the physical room, wherein the control signal causes the one or more peripheral devices to enter an active state;

in response to a determination that the detection signal indicates the individual has entered the physical room:

determine that the individual is a member of a virtual space hosted by a video conference provider; and

join the virtual space based on determining that the individual is a member of the virtual space.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instruction further cause the processors to:

transmit a video conference request to a video conference provider such that the video conference provider starts a video conference associated with the virtual space and provide access to the video conference to a remote user; and

join the video conference such that one or more transmissions from the one or more peripheral devices are provided in the video conference.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instruction further cause the processors to:

transmit a meeting signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the meeting signal is used by the user device to join a video conference.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instruction further cause the processors to:

transmit a signal to the video conference provider, the signal used by the video conference provider to provide an alert the individual is active in the virtual space to one or more members of the virtual space.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instruction further cause the processors to:

transmit a join signal to a user device associated with the individual wherein the join signal is used by the user device to join the virtual space.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 6, 2025
From: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 073506/0058 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 24, 2022
From: MAYFIELD, ROSS DOUGLAS; RYSKAMP, ROBERT ALLEN; SMITH, JEFFREY WILLIAM; WESSON, MATTHEW BRANDON
To: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059994/0897 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230353608A1 · Nov 2, 2023
References Cited (47)
US 8514842B1 · Jared · 2013 [cited by examiner]
US 8631076B1 · Auerbach et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9392225B2 · Eisenberg · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 10091253B2 · Sedar · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 10375125B2 · Rosenberg · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10432676B2 · Cutler · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 10721280B1 · Heppner et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10931918B1 · Griffin · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11570220B1 · Norheim et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 11606220B2 · Jorasch · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 12034554B2 · Mayfield et al. · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20070283278A1 · Hupfer · 2007 [cited by examiner]
US 20100251142A1 · Geppert et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20120182384A1 · Anderson et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20140098947A1 · Dingsor · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140115502A1 · Van Wie · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140236876A1 · Hapse · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20150049162A1 · Kurupacheril et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20170195266A1 · Moyers · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170302709A1 · Jones et al. · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20180124359A1 · Faulkner · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180316893A1 · Rosenberg et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190215183A1 · Krasadakis · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190251753A1 · Canada et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190273767A1 · Nelson · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20210185105A1 · Van Wie et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210211317A1 · Khan et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210289167A1 · Griffin · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20210357639A1 · Campbell · 2021 [cited by examiner]
US 20210400142A1 · Jorasch et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220182581A1 · Oz et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20220321369A1 · Lin · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20220360742A1 · Krol et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20230008964A1 · Fernandez Guajardo et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230045116A1 · Pitts et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230156156A1 · Zhang · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230252686A1 · Lecesne et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230269283A1 · Chun · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20230281901A1 · Oz et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230306484A1 · Van Wie · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20240104896A1 · Green · 2024 [cited by examiner]
WO 2009105298A2 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
WO 2018106675A1 · 2018 [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/733,505 , Final Office Action, Mailed On Sep. 28, 2023, 20 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/733,505 , Non-Final Office Action, Mailed On Apr. 6, 2023, 19 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 17/733,505 , Notice of Allowance, Mailed On Mar. 6, 2024, 10 pages. [cited by applicant]
U.S. Appl. No. 18/765,995, “Non-Final Office Action”, Nov. 18, 2025, 15 pages. [cited by applicant]