# US 2017/0289499 A1 · Communication Event > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0289499 A1 - Document ID: US20170289499A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/624,297 - Filed: 2017-06-15 - Published: 2017-10-05 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-19 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Jason Thomas FAULKNER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170289499A1 ## CPC - H04N 7/147: {Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals (selecting H04Q)} - H04L 65/1063: Application servers providing network services (systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42) - H04L 65/403: Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) - H04N 7/15: Conference systems - H04N 7/152: {Multipoint control units therefor} - G11B 27/031: Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G11B: INFORMATION STORAGE BASED ON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN RECORD CARRIER AND TRANSDUCER (recording measured values in a way that does not require playback through a transducer G01D9/00; recording or playback apparatus using mechanically marked tape, e.g. punched paper tape, or using unit records, e.g. punched or magnetically marked cards G06K; transferring data from one type of record carrier to another G06K1/18; circuits for coupling output of reproducer to radio receiver H04B1/20; gramophone pick-ups or like acoustic electromechanical transducers or circuits therefor H04R) ## Abstract In a communication event between a first user and one or more second users via a communication network. A plurality of video streams is received via the network at a computer connected to the network. Each of the streams carries a respective moving image of at least one respective user. The computer causes the respective moving image of a first of the video streams to be displayed at a user device of the first user for a first time interval. The computer detects, in the respective moving image of a second of the video streams that is not displayed at the user device in the first time interval, a change in the visual content thereof In response to detecting said change in the visual content, the computer causes at least the second video stream to be displayed at the user device for a second time interval. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a plurality of video streams, each video stream carrying a respective moving image of one or more users; causing the respective moving image of a first of the video streams to be displayed at a device for a first time interval; detecting a change in the visual content of the respective moving image of a second of the video streams that is not being displayed at the device during the first time interval, the change in the visual content comprising a change in a total number of users in the respective moving image; and in response to detecting the change in the visual content, causing the respective moving image of the second video stream to be displayed at the device for a second time interval. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising determining a duration of the second time interval based on the change in the visual content detected in the moving image of the second video stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the change in the visual content is detected by applying a facial detection algorithm to the respective moving image of the second video stream to detect a change in a total number of faces in the moving image of the second video stream during the first time interval. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the change in the visual content is detected by applying a skeletal tracking algorithm to the respective moving image of the second video stream to detect a change in a total number of skeletons in the moving image of the second video stream during the first time interval. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: assigning a first priority value to the second video stream for the first time interval; in response to detecting the change in the visual content, assigning a second priority value denoting a higher priority to the second video stream; and selecting the second video stream from the plurality of video streams for display at the device based on the second priority value ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing at least the respective moving image of the second video stream to be displayed at the user device comprises causing the respective moving image of the first video stream to be replaced with the respective moving image of the second video stream. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein causing at least the respective moving image of the second video stream to be displayed at the user device comprises causing the first video stream to not be displayed at the device for the second time interval. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein both the moving images of the first and second video streams are displayed simultaneously at the device for the second time interval. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the respective moving image of a third of the plurality of video streams is displayed at the device in the first time interval in addition to the first video stream, and wherein the method further comprises causing the respective moving image of the third video stream to be replaced with the respective moving image of the second video stream such that the respective moving image of the third video stream is not displayed at the device for the second time interval. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising in response to detecting the change in the visual content, selecting one of a plurality of predetermined layouts for displaying the respective moving image of the second video stream at the device for the second time interval. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of predetermined layouts is for displaying a different number of video streams at the device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein a different one of the predetermined layouts is used to display the respective moving image of the first stream in the first time interval. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least two of the plurality of video streams are received from different communication client instances. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein each of the different communication client instances are executed at a different device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each of the video streams is received from a different communication client instance executed on a different user device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising causing the moving image of each of the first and second video streams to be displayed at the device by transmitting that stream to the device via a network. ### Claim 17 One or more computer-readable storage media comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more processors, perform operations comprising: receiving a plurality of video streams, each video stream carrying a respective moving image of one or more users; causing the respective moving image of a first of the video streams to be displayed at a device for a first time interval; detecting a change in the visual content of the respective moving image of a second of the video streams that is not being displayed at the device during the first time interval, the change in the visual content comprising a change in a total number of users in the respective moving image; and in response to detecting the change in the visual content, causing the respective moving image of the second video stream to be displayed at the device for a second time interval. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising determining a duration of the second time interval based on the change in the visual content detected in the moving image of the second video stream. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the change in the visual content is detected by applying a facial detection algorithm to the respective moving image of the second video stream to detect a change in a total number of faces in the moving image of the second video stream during the first time interval. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The one or more computer-readable storage media of claim 17, wherein the change in the visual content is detected by applying a skeletal tracking algorithm to the respective moving image of the second video stream to detect a change in a total number of skeletons in the moving image of the second video stream during the first time interval.