# US 9,883,142 B1 · Automated collaboration system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,883,142 B1 - Document ID: US9883142B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/464,366 - Filed: 2017-03-21 - Granted: 2018-01-30 - Earliest claimed: 2017-03-21 - Assignees: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Cisco Technology, Inc. - Inventors: HaoHai Sun - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9883142B1 ## CPC - G01S 5/18: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - G01S 5/186: {Determination of attitude (using inertial means G01C9/00; control of attitude G05D1/49)} - G01S 5/28: by co-ordinating position lines of different shape, e.g. hyperbolic, circular, elliptical or radial - G01S 5/30: Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location - H04L 65/1086: {session scope modification} - H04L 65/4015: {where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference} - 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 7/147: {Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals (selecting H04Q)} - H04N 7/152: {Multipoint control units therefor} - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract In one embodiment, a method includes retrieving positions P1, P2 and P3 of a first, second and third attendee position, respectively, P1, P2, P3 being determined based on detecting speech from the first, second and third attendee position, respectively, by a first microphone array of a first collaboration apparatus, retrieving distances D1, D2 and D3 from the first, second and third attendee position, respectively, to a second microphone array of a second collaboration apparatus, D1, D2, D3 being determined based on detecting speech from the first, second and third attendee position, respectively, by the second microphone array, P1 and D1 defining a circle C1 centered at P1 with radius D1, P2 and D2 defining a circle C2 centered at P2 with radius D2, P3 and D3 defining a circle C3 centered at P3 with radius D3, calculating a position P4 based on a proximity of a circumference of C1, C2 and C3. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: retrieving, from a memory, a position P1, a position P2 and a position P3 of a first attendee position, a second attendee position and a third attendee position, respectively, wherein the positions P1, P2, P3 are determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, by a first microphone array of a video end-point; retrieving, from a memory, a distance D1, a distance D2 and a distance D3 from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, to a second microphone array of a digital white board, wherein the distances D1, D2, D3 are determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, by the second microphone array, the position P1 and distance D1 defining a circle C1 centered at position P1 with a radius D1, the position P2 and distance D2 defining a circle C2 centered at position P2 with a radius D2, the position P3 and distance D3 defining a circle C3 centered at position P3 with a radius D3; and calculating a position P4 based on a proximity of a circumference of the circle C1, a circumference of the circle C2 and a circumference of the circle C3, the position P4 defining a position of the digital white board for use in defining a presentation zone based on the position P4 and for use in instructing a camera to zoom in to a user in the presentation zone. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising defining the presentation zone based on the position P4 of the digital white board. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, further comprising: receiving an indication that the user is presenting using the digital white board; and based on receiving the indication, staring presenter tracking of the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein the indication is based on one or more of the following: a proximity measurement of the user to the digital white board; the user touching directly or indirectly the digital white board; and an item of content shared on the digital white board. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, further comprising: instructing the camera to capture images from the presentation zone; identifying the user in one or more of the captured images; and instructing the camera to zoom in to the user in the presentation zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the positions P1, P2, P3 and the distances D1, D2, D3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: calculating the positions P1, P2, P3 and the distances D1, D2, D3 using time difference of arrival; or determining each one of the positions P1, P2, P3 and each one of the distances D1, D2, D3 based on comparing audio signals detected by the first microphone array and second microphone array, respectively, to data produced by an artificial neural network. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising: retrieving, from the memory, an angle A1 of the first attendee position from the second microphone array of the digital white board, wherein the angle A1 is determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position by the second microphone array; and calculating an orientation of the digital white board based on the position P1, the position P4 and the angle A1. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a processor; and a memory to store data used by the processor, wherein the processor is operative to: retrieve, from the memory, a position P1, a position P2 and a position P3 of a first attendee position, a second attendee position and a third attendee position, respectively, wherein the positions P1, P2, P3 are determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, by a first microphone array of a video end-point; retrieve, from the memory, a distance D1, a distance D2 and a distance D3 from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, to a second microphone array of a digital white board, wherein the distances D1, D2, D3 are determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, by the second microphone array, the position P1 and distance D1 defining a circle C1 centered at position P1 with a radius D1, the position P2 and distance D2 defining a circle C2 centered al position P2 with a radius D2, the position P3 and distance D3 defining a circle C3 centered at position P3 with a radius D3; and calculate a position P4 based on a proximity of a circumference of the circle C1, a circumference of the circle C2 and a circumference of the circle C3, the position P4 defining a position of the digital white board for use in defining a presentation zone based on the position P4 and for use in instructing a camera to zoom in to a user in the presentation zone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is operative to define the presentation zone based on the position P4 of the digital white board. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the processor is operative to: receive an indication that the user is presenting using the digital white board; and based on receiving the indication, start presenter tracking of the user. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the indication is based on one or more of the following: a proximity measurement of the user to the digital white board; the user touching directly or indirectly the digital white board; and an item of content shared on the digital white board. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system according to claim 11, wherein the processor is operative to: instruct the camera to capture images from the presentation zone; identity the user in one or more of the captured images; and instruct the camera to zoom in to the user in the presentation zone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is operative to determine the positions P1, P2, P3 and the distances D1, D2, D3. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is operative to: calculate the positions P1, P2, P3 and the distances D1, D2, D3 using time difference of arrival; or determine each one of the positions P1, P2, P3 and each one of the distances D1, D2, D3 based on comparing audio signals detected by the first microphone array and second microphone array, respectively, to data produced by an artificial neural network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor is operative to: retrieve, from the memory, an angle A1 of the first attendee position from the second microphone array of the digital white board, wherein the angle A1 is determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position by the second microphone array; and calculate an orientation of the digital white board based on the position P1, the position P4 and the angle A1. ### Claim 17 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor and memory are implemented in at least one of the following: a video conference server; a cloud computing environment; a video end-point; and a digital white board. ### Claim 18 A software product, comprising a non-transient computer-readable medium in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a central processing unit (CPU), cause the CPU to: retrieve, from a memory, a position P1, a position P2 and a position P3 of a first attendee position, a second attendee position and a third attendee position, respectively, wherein the positions P1, P2, P3 are determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, by a first microphone array of a video end-point; retrieve, from a memory, a distance D1, a distance D2 and a distance D3 from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, to a second microphone array of a digital white board, wherein the distances D1, D2, D3 are determined based on detecting speech from the first attendee position, the second attendee position and the third attendee position, respectively, by the second microphone array, the position P1 and distance D1 defining a circle C1 centered at position P1 with a radius D1, the position P2 and distance D2 defining a circle C2 centered at position P2 with a radius D2, the position P3 and distance D3 defining a circle C3 centered at position P3 with a radius D3; and calculate a position P4 based on a proximity of a circumference of the circle C1, a circumference of the circle C2 and a circumference of the circle C3, the position P4 defining a position of the digital white board for use in defining a presentation zone based on the position P4 and for use in instructing a camera to zoom in to a user in the presentation zone.