IP Library Granted Patent US 12,002,137
Granted Patent B2
US 12,002,137 · App. 17/852,357 · Granted Jun 4, 2024

Context-based virtual backgrounds for video communications

Inventors: Shane Paul Springer (Manchester, MI); Ryan Weddle (Alexandria, VA); Servio Lee (San Francisco, CA); Irina Cohen (Paramus, NJ)
Assignee: Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
G06T11/60G06V10/768
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,002,137
App. No.
17/852,357
Granted
Jun 4, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media relate to a method for providing video communications with dynamic virtual backgrounds within a communication platform. Based on the contextual information of a meeting, the system selects a virtual background to be used for the meeting. During, a video meeting, the system generates for display, on one or more client devices, a composite video depicting the imagery of the user overlaid on imagery of the selected virtual background.

Claims (43)

1. A computer-implemented method for providing dynamic virtual backgrounds within a video communication system, the method comprising:

receiving contextual information about a meeting;

applying at least one virtual background selection rule to the received contextual information to identify a virtual background for use by a first client device associated with a first user during the meeting;

in response to identifying the virtual background for use by the first client device during the meeting, synchronizing a second client device associated with a second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting;

receiving video content depicting imagery of the first user of the first client device, the video content having multiple video frames; and

generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of the virtual background.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the contextual information comprises at least a title of the meeting, a number of meeting participants, a time zone of one or more meeting participants or a description of the meeting.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a gesture of the first user based on the video content; and

generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of a virtual background selected based on the identified gesture, wherein the virtual background is associated with the gesture.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of a user defined selection rule, a selection rule automatically generated by the video communication system, or a selection rule preconfigured by the video communication system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying textual information in the video content; and

generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of a virtual background selected based on the identified textual information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying the virtual background selection rule to select the virtual background based on a priority ranking of the virtual background selection rule.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein causing the second client device associated with the second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting comprises:

in response to determining that the virtual background is inaccessible to the second client device, transmitting a file of the virtual background to the second client device.

8. Non-transitory computer storage that stores executable program instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, configure the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving contextual information about a meeting;

applying at least one virtual background selection rule to the received contextual information to identify a virtual background for use by a first client device associated with a first user during the meeting;

in response to identifying the virtual background for use by the first client device during the meeting, synchronize a second client device associated with a second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting;

receiving video content depicting imagery of the first user of the first client device, the video content having multiple video frames; and

generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of the virtual background.

9. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8 , wherein the contextual information comprises at least a title of the meeting, a number of meeting participants, a time zone of one or more meeting participants or a description of the meeting.

10. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8 , wherein the contextual information comprises information of a planned meeting obtained from a meetings repository.

11. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8 , wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of a user defined selection rule, an automatically generated selection rule, or a preconfigured selection rule.

12. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8 , wherein the virtual background selection rule is automatically generated based on a prior selected virtual background for a previous meeting having similar contextual information.

13. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8 , further comprising the operations of:

applying the virtual background selection rule to select the virtual background based on a priority ranking of the virtual background selection rule.

14. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8 , wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of multiple virtual background selection rules applied to the contextual information to select the virtual background for the meeting.

15. A system comprising one or more processors configured to perform the operations of:

receiving contextual information about a meeting;

applying at least one virtual background selection rule to the received contextual information to identify a virtual background for use by a first client device associated with a first user during the meeting;

in response to identifying the virtual background for use by the first client device during the meeting, synchronizing a second client device associated with a second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting;

receiving video content depicting imagery of the first user of the first client device, the video content having multiple video frames; and

generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of the virtual background.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the contextual information comprises at least a title of the meeting, a number of meeting participants, a time zone of one or more meeting participants or a description of the meeting.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the contextual information comprises information of a planned meeting obtained from a meetings repository.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of a user defined selection rule, an automatically generated selection rule or a preconfigured selection.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the virtual background selection rule is automatically generated based on a prior selected virtual background for a previous meeting having similar contextual information.

20. The system of claim 15 , further comprising the operations of:

applying the virtual background selection rule to select the virtual background based on a priority ranking of the virtual background selection rule.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 7, 2025
From: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: ZOOM COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 069839/0593 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2023
From: SPRINGER, SHANE PAUL; WEDDLE, RYAN; LEE, SERVIO; COHEN, IRINA
To: ZOOM VIDEO COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 063511/0529 →