# US 12,002,137 B2 · Context-based virtual backgrounds for video communications

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- Number: US 12,002,137 B2
- Document ID: US12002137B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/852,357
- Filed: 2022-06-28
- Published: 2022-11-03
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-04-30
- Assignees: Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
- Applicants: Zoom Video Communications, Inc.
- Inventors: Shane Paul Springer; Ryan Weddle; Servio Lee; Irina Cohen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002137B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/101: Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
- G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text
- G06V 10/768: {using context analysis, e.g. recognition aided by known co-occurring patterns}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING

## Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media relate to a method for providing video communications with dynamic virtual backgrounds within a communication platform. Based on the contextual information of a meeting, the system selects a virtual background to be used for the meeting. During, a video meeting, the system generates for display, on one or more client devices, a composite video depicting the imagery of the user overlaid on imagery of the selected virtual background.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method for providing dynamic virtual backgrounds within a video communication system, the method comprising:
receiving contextual information about a meeting;
applying at least one virtual background selection rule to the received contextual information to identify a virtual background for use by a first client device associated with a first user during the meeting;
in response to identifying the virtual background for use by the first client device during the meeting, synchronizing a second client device associated with a second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting;
receiving video content depicting imagery of the first user of the first client device, the video content having multiple video frames; and
generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of the virtual background.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information comprises at least a title of the meeting, a number of meeting participants, a time zone of one or more meeting participants or a description of the meeting.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying a gesture of the first user based on the video content; and
generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of a virtual background selected based on the identified gesture, wherein the virtual background is associated with the gesture.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of a user defined selection rule, a selection rule automatically generated by the video communication system, or a selection rule preconfigured by the video communication system.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
identifying textual information in the video content; and
generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of a virtual background selected based on the identified textual information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
applying the virtual background selection rule to select the virtual background based on a priority ranking of the virtual background selection rule.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the second client device associated with the second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting comprises:
in response to determining that the virtual background is inaccessible to the second client device, transmitting a file of the virtual background to the second client device.

### Claim 8

Non-transitory computer storage that stores executable program instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, configure the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:
receiving contextual information about a meeting;
applying at least one virtual background selection rule to the received contextual information to identify a virtual background for use by a first client device associated with a first user during the meeting;
in response to identifying the virtual background for use by the first client device during the meeting, synchronize a second client device associated with a second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting;
receiving video content depicting imagery of the first user of the first client device, the video content having multiple video frames; and
generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of the virtual background.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8, wherein the contextual information comprises at least a title of the meeting, a number of meeting participants, a time zone of one or more meeting participants or a description of the meeting.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8, wherein the contextual information comprises information of a planned meeting obtained from a meetings repository.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8, wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of a user defined selection rule, an automatically generated selection rule, or a preconfigured selection rule.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8, wherein the virtual background selection rule is automatically generated based on a prior selected virtual background for a previous meeting having similar contextual information.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8, further comprising the operations of:
applying the virtual background selection rule to select the virtual background based on a priority ranking of the virtual background selection rule.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer storage of claim 8, wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of multiple virtual background selection rules applied to the contextual information to select the virtual background for the meeting.

### Claim 15

A system comprising one or more processors configured to perform the operations of:
receiving contextual information about a meeting;
applying at least one virtual background selection rule to the received contextual information to identify a virtual background for use by a first client device associated with a first user during the meeting;
in response to identifying the virtual background for use by the first client device during the meeting, synchronizing a second client device associated with a second user of the meeting to use the virtual background during the meeting;
receiving video content depicting imagery of the first user of the first client device, the video content having multiple video frames; and
generating, for display on at least one client device, a composite video depicting imagery of the first user overlaid on imagery of the virtual background.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the contextual information comprises at least a title of the meeting, a number of meeting participants, a time zone of one or more meeting participants or a description of the meeting.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the contextual information comprises information of a planned meeting obtained from a meetings repository.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual background selection rule is one of a user defined selection rule, an automatically generated selection rule or a preconfigured selection.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the virtual background selection rule is automatically generated based on a prior selected virtual background for a previous meeting having similar contextual information.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, further comprising the operations of:
applying the virtual background selection rule to select the virtual background based on a priority ranking of the virtual background selection rule.