Private communications in virtual meetings

A method, in an apparatus configured to receive a respective uplink data stream from each of three or more further apparatuses in a virtual meeting, and to transmit a respective downlink data stream to each of the further apparatuses in the virtual meeting, wherein the three or more further apparatuses are separate from the apparatus and communicate with the apparatus over a network;

• the method comprising:
• generating, in response to receiving, by the apparatus, a request from a first one of the further apparatuses to join the virtual meeting after the virtual meeting has already started, a list of candidate participants for private communication, wherein the list of candidate participants includes one or more of the further apparatuses in the virtual meeting, wherein the list of candidate participants excludes an actively speaking one of the further apparatuses;
• receiving, by the apparatus from the first one of the further apparatuses, a selection of a second one of the further apparatuses for the private communication from the list of candidate participants;
• wherein the selection of the second one of the further apparatuses is made by a user operating the first one of the further apparatuses;
• receiving first data in the uplink data stream received by the apparatus from the first one of the further apparatuses;
• and
• in a first mode, including at least some of the first data in the respective downlink data streams transmitted to every other one of the further apparatuses, or, in a second mode, including at least some of the first data in the downlink data stream transmitted to the second one of the further apparatuses and to omit or attenuate substantially all of the first data in the downlink data stream transmitted to at least a third one of the further apparatuses.

An apparatus comprising:

• an interface configured to transmit an uplink data stream to a virtual-meeting server, and to receive a downlink data stream from the virtual-meeting server;
• a user input system configured to receive one or more inputs from a user;
• and
• a logic system in communication with the interface and the user input system, the logic system being configured:
• to send a request, from the apparatus to the virtual-meeting server, to join a virtual meeting, of two or more further apparatuses and the apparatus, hosted by the virtual-meeting server after the virtual meeting has already started;
• wherein the apparatus and the two or more further apparatuses are separate from the virtual-meeting server and communicate with the virtual-meeting server over a network;
• to receive, by the apparatus from the virtual meeting server, a list of candidate participants for private communication, wherein the list of candidate participants includes at least one of the two or more further apparatuses in the virtual meeting, wherein the list of candidate participants excludes an actively speaking one of the two or more further apparatuses;
• to send, from the apparatus to the virtual meeting server, a selection of a subset of the further apparatuses for the private communication from the list of candidate participants, wherein the subset of the further apparatuses includes a second one of the further apparatuses;
• wherein the selection of the subset of the further apparatuses is made by the user operating the apparatus;
• to receive a first input from the user;
• and
• to indicate to the virtual-meeting server, in response to receiving the first input from the user that at least some of the data in the uplink data stream is to be sent to just the subset of the further apparatuses;
• wherein the apparatus sends first data to the virtual-meeting server;
• to cause the virtual-meeting server to transmit, in a first mode, at least some of the first data in downlink data streams to every one of the further apparatuses, or, in a second mode, at least some of the first data in a downlink data stream to the second one in the subset of the further apparatuses while omitting or attenuating substantially all of the first data to at least a third one of the further apparatuses.

A method performed by an apparatus configured to receive one or more inputs from a user, to receive a downlink data stream from a virtual-meeting server and to transmit an uplink data stream to the virtual-meeting server, the method comprising:

• sending a request, from the apparatus to the virtual-meeting server, to join a virtual meeting, of two or more further apparatuses and the apparatus, hosted by the virtual-meeting server after the virtual meeting has already started;
• receiving, by the apparatus from the virtual-meeting server, a list of candidate participants for private communication, wherein the list of candidate participants includes at least one of the two or more further apparatuses in the virtual meeting, wherein the list of candidate participants excludes an actively speaking one of the two or more further apparatuses;
• sending, to the virtual-meeting server, a selection of a subset of the further apparatuses for the private communication from the list of candidate participants, wherein the subset of the further apparatuses includes a second one of the further apparatuses;
• wherein the selection of the subset of the further apparatuses is made by the user operating the apparatus;
• receiving a first input from the user;
• and
• indicating to the virtual-meeting server, in response to receiving the first input from the user that at least some of the data in the uplink data stream is to be sent to just a subset of the further apparatuses;
• sending first data to the virtual-meeting server;
• causing the virtual-meeting server to transmit, in a first mode, at least some of the first data in downlink data streams to every one of the further apparatuses, or, in a second mode, at least some of the first data in a downlink data stream to the second one in the subset of the further apparatuses while omitting or attenuating substantially all of the first data to at least a third one of the further apparatuses.