IP Library Granted Patent US 11,188,718
Granted Patent B2
US 11,188,718 · App. 16/585,874 · Granted Nov 30, 2021

Collective emotional engagement detection in group conversations

Inventors: Ilse M. Breedvelt-Schouten (Manotick, CA); John A. Lyons (Ottawa, CA); Jana H. Jenkins (Raleigh, NC); Jeffrey A. Kusnitz (Campbell, CA)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
G06F40/30H04L12/1813
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,188,718
App. No.
16/585,874
Granted
Nov 30, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A collective emotional engagement detection arrangement is provided for determining emotions of users in group conversations. A computer-implemented method includes determining a first conversation velocity of communications through conversation channels over a first time period for a group discussion between user computers; determining that a conversation velocity of the communications has increased to a second conversation velocity of communications which exceeds a predetermined threshold, and has remained above the predetermined threshold for at least a second time period; determining, aggregated emotions of the users during the second time period; and providing an output to a moderator of the group discussion indicating that the second conversation velocity of the communications has exceeded the predetermined threshold for at least the second time period, and indicating the aggregated emotions of the users during the second time period.

Claims (37)

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a computer device, a first conversation velocity of communications through conversation channels over a first period of time for a group discussion between a plurality of users utilizing, respectively, a plurality of user computers;

determining, by the computer device, that a conversation velocity of the communications has increased to a second conversation velocity of communications which exceeds a predetermined threshold, and has remained above the predetermined threshold for at least a second period of time;

determining, by the computer device, aggregated emotions of the users during the second period of time; and

providing, by the computer device, an output to a moderator of the group discussion indicating that the second conversation velocity of the communications has exceeded the predetermined threshold for at least the second period of time, and indicating the aggregated emotions of the users during the second period of time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the communications of the first conversation velocity of communications are posts between the users.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first conversation velocity of communications is based on posts occurring between the users which are filtered by at least one selected from the group consisting of: time of day; location; and time of year.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising determining, by the computer device, aggregate group emotions of the users during the first period of time.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining the first conversation velocity of communications is performed continuously.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising determining, by the computer device, a topic of discussion between the users by cognitive analysis of text content occurring during the second period of time.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the determining the aggregated emotions of the users includes determining both positive and negative emotions.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the first conversation velocity of communications and the determining of the aggregated emotions of the users are performed by a backend server connected to the plurality of user computers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the moderator is comprised of an automated bot.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the aggregated emotions of the users is performed in real-time.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the output to the moderator includes a display of emojis used to indicate the aggregated emotions of the users during the second period of time.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the display includes a timeline indicating the second conversation velocity of communications during at least the second period of time and a portion of the first period of time.

13. A system for collective emotional engagement detection in a group conversation, the system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage medium located in a computer device;

program instructions to, in response to receiving inputs via a conversation channel, including communications between participants in conversation using user computers, identify a trajectory of measured average conversation velocity of the communications as a normal conversation velocity over a first time period;

program instructions to identify emotions associated with participants in conversation wherein the identifying is over the first time period;

program instructions to summarize the emotions identified over the first time period into aggregated emotions of the users during the first time period;

program instructions to review an ongoing conversation received from the conversation channel during a second time period, after the normal conversation velocity has been established over the first time period;

program instructions to, in response to a determination of a trajectory of conversation velocity in the second time period exceeding a predetermined threshold, emotions associated with the participants during the second time period into additional aggregated emotions; and

program instructions to generate an output of the group conversation for use in moderation, including identifying a point of increase in the trajectory of the conversation velocity in the second time period and a summary of the additional aggregated emotions during the second time period,

wherein all of the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage medium for execution by the processor via the computer readable memory.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising program instructions to tag and label the emotions identified over the first time period.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the communications are posts occurring between the participants which are filtered by at least one selected from the group consisting of: time of day; location; and time of year.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the output includes a display of emojis used to indicate the emotions associated with the participants in conversation over the first time period.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the display includes a timeline of the normal conversation velocity of communications.

18. A computer program product, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer device to cause the computer device to:

determine a first conversation velocity of communications through conversation channels over a first period of time for a group discussion between a plurality of users utilizing, respectively, a plurality of user computers;

determine that the first conversation velocity of communications has increased to a second conversation velocity of communications which exceeds a predetermined threshold, and has remained above the predetermined threshold for at least a second period of time;

determine aggregated emotions of the users during the second period of time; and

provide an output to a moderator of the group discussion indicating that the second conversation velocity of communications has exceeded the predetermined threshold for at least the second period of time, and indicating the aggregated emotions of the users during the second period of time,

wherein the output indicates when the increase of the first conversation velocity of communications starts, and indicates an identity of one of the users that sent a communication that started the increase of the first conversation velocity.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 , wherein communications include posts between the users.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the posts occurring posts between the users are filtered by at least one selected from the group consisting of: time of day; location; and time of year.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 27, 2019
From: BREEDVELT-SCHOUTEN, ILSE M.; LYONS, JOHN A.; JENKINS, JANA H.; KUSNITZ, JEFFREY A.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 050519/0917 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210097142A1 · Apr 1, 2021
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