Video conference enhancements for education
View Patent ↗A virtual conferencing system is described for implementing a plurality of user interface configurations for an administrator and for a plurality of users to access via computing devices. The virtual conferencing system includes a user interface configuration for an administrator to place users in a specific location within a virtual environment and provide users with visual and audio feedback. The virtual conferencing system also includes a virtual breakout room configuration for the administrator to distribute a subset of users into breakout rooms and access each breakout room simultaneously. The virtual conferencing system also includes a virtual waiting room configuration for the administrator to place users within a waiting room including an audio and visual element for any desired amount of time.
1. A system, comprising:
a central computing system configured to provide a virtual environment to an administrator computing device and to a plurality of user computing devices that are each associated with a respective user, the central computing system having one or more processors and memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processors, cause the one or more processors to:
receive, from the administrator computing device, a user interface configuration including a location of a visual representation of each of the respective users within a user interface to be displayed at the administrator computing device and the plurality of user computing devices;
receive, from a user computing device of the plurality of user computing devices, log-in credentials for a user to access the virtual environment;
determine, based on the log-in credentials, the location of the visual representation of the user within the user interface as provided by the user interface configuration from the administrator computing device;
cause the administrator computing device and the plurality of user computing devices to render the user interface with the visual representation of the user at the location as provided by the user interface configuration;
receive, from the administrator computing device, an administrator input directed to the location of the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface, wherein the administrator input comprises a selection of an audio or visual timer effect and a duration for rendering the audio or visual timer effect at the user computing device;
cause the user computing device to render, for the selected duration, the audio or visual timer effect selected via the administrator input at the location over the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface responsive to receiving the administrator input;
receive, from the administrator computing device, a second administrator input comprising a selection indicating to render the audio or visual timer effect at the remaining user computing devices of the plurality of user computing devices;
cause each of the remaining user computing devices of the plurality of user computing devices to render, for the selected duration, the audio or visual timer effect selected via the administrator input at the location over the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface responsive to receiving the second administrator input;
receive, from the administrator computing device, a breakout room configuration which groups the plurality of user computing devices into a plurality of virtual breakout rooms, each of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms comprising a subset of the plurality of user computing devices;
cause the subset of the plurality of user computing devices for the respective virtual breakout rooms to render a breakout room user interface, based on the breakout room configuration, which includes a visual representation of users of the subset of the computing devices and a visual representation of an administrator of the administrator computing device for a respective virtual breakout room of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms;
render the breakout room user interface for each of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms to the administrator computing device;
receive, from a user computing device within a first virtual breakout room of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms, a user input comprising a selection of a visual effect for rendering at the administrator computing device; and
cause the administrator computing device to render the visual effect selected via the user input only at the location over the visual representation of the first breakout room rendered on the breakout room user interface responsive to receiving the user input.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the visual representation comprises a live stream of the user received from a camera of the user computing device.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
receive a second user input from the user computing device; and
cause the administrator computing device to render a user interface element based on the second user input from the user computing device.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive, from the administrator computing device, a virtual waiting room configuration including an audio or visual effect for rendering at the user computing devices within a virtual waiting room.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
receive, from the administrator computing device, a request to move the user of the user computing device into the virtual waiting room, wherein the request specifies an amount of time in which the user is to be present in the virtual waiting room; and
cause the user computing device to render a virtual waiting room user interface based on the virtual waiting room configuration and including the audio or visual effect for the amount of time specified in the request.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audio or visual timer effect comprises a virtual hourglass.
7. A method comprising:
receiving, from an administrator computing device, a user interface configuration for a virtual environment provided to the administrator computing device and to a plurality of user computing devices, the user interface configuration including a location of a visual representation of each of the respective users within a user interface to be displayed at the administrator computing device and the plurality of user computing devices;
receiving, from a user computing device of the plurality of user computing devices, log-in credentials for a user to access the virtual environment;
determining, based on the log-in credentials, the location of the visual representation of the user within the user interface as provided by the user interface configuration from the administrator computing device;
causing the administrator computing device and the plurality of user computing devices to render the user interface with the visual representation of the user at the location as provided by the user interface configuration;
receiving, from the administrator computing device, an administrator input directed to the location of the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface, wherein the administrator input comprises a selection of a visual timer effect and a duration for rendering the visual timer effect at the user computing device over the visual representation of the user;
causing the user computing device to render, for the selected duration, the visual timer effect selected via the administrator input at the location over the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface responsive to receiving the administrator input;
receiving, from the administrator computing device, a second administrator input comprising a selection indicating to render the visual timer effect at the remaining user computing devices of the plurality of user computing devices;
causing each of the remaining user computing devices of the plurality of user computing devices to render, for the selected duration, the visual timer effect selected via the administrator input at the location over the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface responsive to receiving the second administrator input;
receiving, from the administrator computing device, a breakout room configuration which groups the plurality of user computing devices into a plurality of virtual breakout rooms, each of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms comprising a subset of the plurality of user computing devices;
causing the subset of the plurality of user computing devices for the respective virtual breakout rooms to render a breakout room user interface, based on the breakout room configuration, which includes a visual representation of users of the subset of the computing devices and a visual representation of an administrator of the administrator computing device for a respective virtual breakout room of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms;
rendering the breakout room user interface for each of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms to the administrator computing device;
receiving, from a user computing device within a first virtual breakout room of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms, a user input comprising a selection of a visual effect for rendering at the administrator computing device; and
causing the administrator computing device to render the visual effect selected via the user input only at the location over the visual representation of the first breakout room rendered on the breakout room user interface responsive to receiving the user input.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the visual representation comprises a live stream of the user received from a camera of the user computing device.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a second user input from the user computing device; and
causing the administrator computing device to render a user interface element based on the second user input from the user computing device.
10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising receiving, from the administrator computing device, a virtual waiting room configuration including an audio or visual effect for rendering at the user computing devices within a virtual waiting room.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from the administrator computing device, a request to move the user of the user computing device into the virtual waiting room, wherein the request specifies an amount of time in which the user is to be present in the virtual waiting room; and
causing the user computing device to render a virtual waiting room user interface based on the virtual waiting room configuration and including the audio or visual effect for the amount of time specified in the request.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the visual timer effect comprises a virtual hourglass.
13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, from an administrator computing device, a user interface configuration for a virtual environment provided to the administrator computing device and to a plurality of user computing devices, the user interface configuration including a location of a visual representation of each of the respective users within a user interface to be displayed at the administrator computing device and the plurality of user computing devices;
receiving, from a user computing device of the plurality of user computing devices, log-in credentials for a user to access the virtual environment;
determining, based on the log-in credentials, the location of the visual representation of the user within the user interface as provided by the user interface configuration from the administrator computing device;
causing the administrator computing device and the plurality of user computing devices to render the user interface with the visual representation of the user at the location as provided by the user interface configuration;
receiving, from the administrator computing device, an administrator input directed to the location of the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface, wherein the administrator input comprises a selection of a visual timer effect and a duration for rendering the visual timer effect at the user computing device;
causing the user computing device to render, for the selected duration, the visual timer effect selected via the administrator input at the location over the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface responsive to receiving the administrator input;
receiving, from the administrator computing device, a second administrator input comprising a selection indicating to render the visual timer effect at the remaining user computing devices of the plurality of user computing devices;
causing each of the remaining user computing devices of the plurality of user computing devices to render, for the selected duration, the visual timer effect selected via the administrator input at the location over the visual representation of the user rendered on the user interface responsive to receiving the second administrator input;
receiving, from the administrator computing device, a breakout room configuration which groups the plurality of user computing devices into a plurality of virtual breakout rooms, each of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms comprising a subset of the plurality of user computing devices;
causing the subset of the plurality of user computing devices for the respective virtual breakout rooms to render a breakout room user interface, based on the breakout room configuration, which includes a visual representation of users of the subset of the computing devices and a visual representation of an administrator of the administrator computing device for a respective virtual breakout room of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms;
rendering the breakout room user interface for each of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms to the administrator computing device;
receiving, from a user computing device within a first virtual breakout room of the plurality of virtual breakout rooms, a user input comprising a selection of a visual effect for rendering at the administrator computing device; and
causing the administrator computing device to render the visual effect selected via the user input only at the location over the visual representation of the first breakout room rendered on the breakout room user interface responsive to receiving the user input.
14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the visual timer effect comprises a virtual hourglass.