Dynamic virtual backgrounds

1 . A method, comprising:

identifying a virtual-background (VBG) rule for setting a first target VBG of a first conference participant of at least two conference participants of a video conference,

wherein the at least two conference participants include the first conference participant and a second conference participant,

wherein the VBG rule identifies a VBG source, and

wherein the first target VBG for the first conference participant set using the VBG rule is different from a second target VBG for the second conference participant set using the VBG rule;

obtaining a VBG datum from the VBG source;

setting, using the VBG datum and a display mode identified in the VBG rule, the first target VBG to obtain a target output image; and

transmitting for display or displaying the target output image.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting an indication of a location of the first conference participant to the VBG source, wherein the VBG datum is based on the location.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the first target VBG using the VBG datum comprises:

overlaying the VBG datum on a background segment of an image that includes the first conference participant.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein setting the first target VBG using the VBG datum comprises:

setting a background segment of an image using the VBG datum.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the VBG rule is identified based on respective characteristics associated with the at least two conference participants.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the VBG datum is obtained from the VBG source in response to a request transmitted to the VBG source.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the VBG rule further indicates a refresh parameter, the method further comprising:

transmitting, at a frequency corresponding to the refresh parameter, requests for a plurality of new VBG data; and

resetting the first target VBG responsive to receiving at least some of the plurality of the new VBG data.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the VBG rule further indicates a frequency parameter, the method further comprising:

receiving, at a frequency corresponding to the frequency parameter, a plurality of new VBG data; and

resetting the first target VBG responsive to receiving at least some of the plurality of the new VBG data.

9 . A device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor, the processor configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

identify a virtual-background (VBG) rule for setting a first target VBG of a first conference participant of at least two conference participants of a video conference,

wherein the at least two conference participants include the first conference participant and a second conference participant,

wherein the VBG rule identifies a VBG source, and

wherein the first target VBG for the first conference participant set using the VBG rule is different from a second target VBG for the second conference participant set using the VBG rule;

obtain a VBG datum from the VBG source;

set, using the VBG datum and a display mode identified in the VBG rule, the first target VBG to obtain a target output image; and

transmit for display or displaying the target output image.

10 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions stored in the memory to:

obtain a characteristic value for a characteristic placeholder identified in the VBG rule; and

transmit the characteristic value to the VBG source.

11 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the instructions to set the first target VBG using the VBG datum comprise instructions to:

obtain a VBG part from the VBG datum based on a handler configuration identified in the VBG rule; and

set the first target VBG using the VBG part.

12 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the VBG datum is received from the VBG source in response to a request transmitted to the VBG source.

13 . The device of claim 9 , wherein the VBG rule is a first VBG rule and the VBG datum is a first VBG datum, wherein the instructions to set the first target VBG comprise instructions to:

use an evaluation order to determine an order of processing of the first VBG datum and a second VBG datum obtained using a second VBG rule to set the first target VBG using the first VBG datum and the second VBG datum.

14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions operable to cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

identifying a virtual-background (VBG) rule for setting a first target VBG of a first conference participant of at least two conference participants of a video conference,

wherein the at least two conference participants include the first conference participant and a second conference participant,

wherein the VBG rule identifies a VBG source, and

wherein the first target VBG for the first conference participant set using the VBG rule is different from a second target VBG for the second conference participant set using the VBG rule;

obtaining a VBG datum from the VBG source;

setting, using the VBG datum and a display mode identified in the VBG rule, the first target VBG to obtain a target output image; and

transmitting for display or displaying the target output image.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting a characteristic value corresponding to a placeholder to the VBG source, wherein the VBG datum is based on the characteristic value.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining another VBG datum based on another VBG rule; and

modifying a foreground segment of another source image using on the another VBG datum.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein setting the first target VBG using the VBG datum comprises:

setting a background segment of an image using the VBG datum.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the VBG datum is obtained by a callback handler that receives the VBG datum from the VBG source.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the VBG datum is received from the VBG source in response to a request transmitted to the VBG source.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the VBG rule is a first VBG rule and the VBG datum is a first VBG datum, wherein setting the first target VBG comprises:

setting the first target VBG based on an order of processing of the first VBG datum and a second VBG datum obtained using a second VBG rule.