Method for collecting and sharing live video feeds of employees within a distributed workforce

1. A method comprising:

during a first period of time:

distributing a first side-facing video feed to a second computing device associated with a second user and to a third computing device associated with a third user, the first side-facing video feed recorded by a first side-facing camera facing a first user at a first computing device;

distributing a second side-facing video feed to the first computing device associated with the first user, the second side-facing video feed recorded by a second side-facing camera facing the second user at the second computing device;

distributing a third side-facing video feed to the first computing device associated with the first user, the third side-facing video feed recorded by a third side-facing camera facing the third user at the third computing device; and

in response to activation of a communication channel between the first user and second user:

activating a first forward-facing video feed recorded by a first forward-facing camera facing the first user at the first computing device;

distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second computing device;

activating a second forward-facing video feed recorded by a second forward-facing camera facing the second user at the second computing device;

distributing the second forward-facing video feed to the first computing device;

distributing the first side-facing video feed to the third computing device; and

distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing the first side-facing video feed during the first period of time comprises, in response to initiation of a work period for a set of users:

activating the first side-facing video feed; and

distributing the first side-facing video feed.

3. The method of claim 1 :

wherein distributing the second side-facing video feed to the first computing device during the first period of time comprises distributing the second side-facing video feed to the first computing device during the first period of time comprising a set duration;

further comprising, during a second period of time succeeding the first period of time:

withholding the first side-facing video feed from the second computing device;

distributing the first side-facing video feed to the third computing device;

withholding the second side-facing video feed from the first computing device;

distributing the second side-facing video feed to the third computing device; and

distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first computing device and the second computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to deactivation of the communication channel:

disabling the first forward-facing video feed;

distributing the first side-facing video feed to the second computing device and the third computing device;

disabling the second forward-facing video feed;

distributing the second side-facing video feed to the first computing device; and

distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 :

wherein distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second computing device in response to activation of the communication channel between the first user and the second user further comprises withholding the first side-facing video feed from the second computing device; and

wherein distributing the second forward-facing video feed to the first computing device in response to activation of the communication channel between the first user and the second user further comprises withholding the second side-facing video feed from the first computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the first forward-facing video feed in response to activation of the communication channel between the first user and the second user comprises activating the first forward-facing video feed in response to activation of the communication channel comprising:

receiving an input by the first user to activate the communication channel comprising a text messenger between the first user and the second user; and

activating the text messenger between the first user and the second user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the first forward-facing video feed in response to activation of the communication channel between the first user and the second user comprises activating the first forward-facing video feed in response to activation of a video conference between the first user and the second user.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

wherein activating the first forward-facing video feed in response to activation of the communication channel comprises activating the first forward-facing video feed in response to activation of a first video conference;

further comprising, in response to activation of a second video conference between the first user, the second user, and the third user:

activating the first forward-facing video feed;

distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second computing device and the third computing device;

activating the second forward-facing video feed;

distributing the second forward-facing video feed to the first computing device and the third computing device;

activating a third forward-facing video feed recorded by the third computing device facing the third user at the third computing device; and

distributing the third forward-facing video feed to the first computing device and the second computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 :

wherein distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second computing device comprises distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second computing at a first frame rate; and

wherein distributing the first side-facing video feed to the third computing device comprises distributing the first side-facing video feed to the third computing device at a second frame rate slower than the first frame rate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to initiation of an event associated with the first user:

disabling the first side-facing video feed at the first computing device;

disabling the first forward-facing video feed at the first computing device;

replacing the first side-facing video feed with an event icon at the second computing device and the third computing device; and

initiating a timer for the event; and

in response to expiration of the event:

activating the first side-facing video feed; and

distributing the first side-facing video feed to the second computing device and the third computing device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein disabling the first side-facing video feed in response to initiation of the event comprises disabling the first side-facing video feed in response to initiation of a scheduled recess.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

distributing the first side-facing video feed, the second side-facing video feed, and the third side-facing video feed to the fourth computing device associated with a supervisor;

distributing a supervisor side-facing video feed to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device; and

in response to selection of the third user by the supervisor:

activating a third forward-facing video feed recorded by a third forward-facing camera facing the third user at the third computing device;

distributing the third forward-facing video feed to the fourth computing device associated with the supervisor;

distributing the supervisor side-facing video feed to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

distributing a fourth side-facing video feed to the first computing device, the second computing device, and the third computing device, the fourth side-facing video feed recorded by a fourth side-facing camera facing the supervisor at the fourth computing device;

in response to selection of the first user by the supervisor at the fourth computing device:

activating the first forward-facing video feed associated with the first user; and

distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the fourth computing device associated with the supervisor.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, in response to detecting an anomaly in the first side-facing video feed, activating the first forward-facing video feed associated with the first user.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein activating the first forward-facing video feed associated with the first user in response to detecting the anomaly in the first side-facing video feed comprises activating the first forward-facing video feed associated with the first user in response to detecting presence of a cell phone in the first side-facing video feed.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

in response to detecting the anomaly in the first side-facing video feed, distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the fourth computing device associated with the supervisor.

17. The method of claim 1 :

further comprising accessing a set of side-facing video feeds from a set of computing devices executing instances of a user portal;

wherein distributing the first side-facing video feed to the second computing device and to the third computing device comprises distributing the first side-facing video feed to a second instance of the user portal executing on the second computing device and a third instance of the user portal executing on the third computing device;

wherein distributing the second side-facing video feed to the first computing device comprises distributing the second side-facing video feed to a first instance of the user portal executing on the first computing device; and

wherein distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first computing device comprises distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first instance of the user portal executing on the first computing device.

18. A method comprising:

during a first period of time:

distributing a first side-facing video feed to a second computing device associated with a second user and to a third computing device associated with a third user, the first side-facing video feed recorded by a first side-facing camera facing a first user at a first computing device;

distributing a second side-facing video feed to the first computing device associated with the first user, the second side-facing video feed recorded by a second side-facing camera facing the second user at the second computing device;

distributing a third side-facing video feed to the first computing device associated with the first user, the third side-facing video feed recorded by a third side-facing camera facing the third user at the third computing device; and

in response to activation of a video conference between the first user, the second user, and the third user:

activating a first forward-facing video feed recorded by a first forward-facing camera facing the first user at the first computing device;

activating a second forward-facing video feed recorded by a second forward-facing camera facing the second user at the second computing device;

activating a third forward-facing video feed recorded by a third forward-facing camera facing the third user at the third computing device; and

in response to detecting the first user as a first speaker:

distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second computing device and the third computing device;

distributing the second side-facing video feed to the first computing device and the third computing device; and

distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first computing device and the second computing device.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising, in response to activation of a video conference between a set of users:

detecting the first user in the set of users as a first speaker; and

distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the set of computing devices.

20. A method comprising:

during a first period of time:

distributing a first side-facing video feed to a second instance of a user portal operating at a second computing device associated with a second user and to a third instance of the user portal operating at a third computing device associated with a third user, the first side-facing video feed recorded by a first side-facing camera facing a first user at a first computing device;

distributing a second side-facing video feed to a first instance of the user portal operating at the first computing device, the second side-facing video feed recorded by a second side-facing camera facing the second user at the second computing device;

distributing a third side-facing video feed to the first instance of the user portal, the third side-facing video feed recorded by a third side-facing camera facing the third user at the third computing device; and

in response to activation of a communication channel between the first user and the second user:

activating a first forward-facing video feed recorded by a first forward-facing camera facing the first user at the first computing device;

distributing the first forward-facing video feed to the second instance of the user portal operating at the second computing device;

activating a second forward-facing video feed recorded by a second forward-facing camera facing the second user at the second computing device;

distributing the second forward-facing video feed to the first instance of the user portal operating at the first computing device;

distributing the first side-facing video feed to the third instance of the user portal operating at the third computing device; and

distributing the third side-facing video feed to the first instance of the user portal operating at the first computing device.