Google Inc.

Serge Lachapelle

Alexander Kjeldaas

Henrik Lundin

Jens Fredrik Oja

Erik Kay

Jonas Erik Lindberg

John E Knapp

Rian Liebenberg

Matthew John Leske

Justin Russell Uberti

Christopher Vander Mey

Shijing Xian

Yuri James Wiitala

Jiao Yang Lin

Hin-Chung Lam

Magnus Flodman

Karl Martin Ohman

Christopher David Vander Mey

André Susano Pinto

Åsa Persson

Computer-implemented techniques can include establishing, between first and second computing devices, an audio communication session via a network. The first computing device can receive and temporarily store audio packets corresponding to an audio input signal obtained by the second computing device. When the audio packets cause the buffer to fill beyond or at a rate exceeding a loss threshold indicative of a temporary loss of communication via the network, the techniques can decode the audio packets to obtain an audio output signal, determine whether the audio output signal includes speech, and when the audio output signal includes speech, remove a redundant portion of the audio output signal corresponding to a pitch period to obtain a modified audio output signal. The modified audio output signal can then be output via a speaker of the first computing device.

Audio compensation techniques for network outages

A computer-implemented technique can include establishing an audio communication session between first and second computing devices and obtaining, by the first computing device, an audio input signal using audio data captured by a microphone. The first computing device can analyze the audio input signal to detect a speech input by its first user and can determine a duration of a detection period from when the audio input signal was obtained until the analyzing has completed. The first computing device can then transmit, to the second computing device, (i) a portion of the audio input signal beginning at a start of the speech input and (ii) the detection period duration, wherein receipt of the portion of the audio input signal and the detection period duration causes the second computing device to accelerate playback of the portion of the audio input signal to compensate for the detection period duration.

Techniques for decreasing echo and transmission periods for audio communication sessions

Systems and methods are provided for handling concurrent speech in which temporally overlapping first speech data and second speech data is received from respective first and second participants of a session. A speech policy applied to the speech data specifies dropping the second speech when it interrupts the first speech within a first interval of the first speech data. The first interval is temporally bounded by the beginning of the first speech and a first predetermined amount of time after the beginning of the first speech. The speech policy specifies outputting the first speech data and then outputting the second speech data when the second speech data interrupts a second interval of the first speech data. The second interval of the first speech data is temporally bounded by the end of the first speech data and a second predetermined amount of time before the end of the first speech data.

Handling concurrent speech

Implementations generally relate to enhancing video conferences. In some implementations, a method includes determining one or more characteristics of a video stream provided by a first camera. The method further includes determining one or more functions of the first camera based on the one or more characteristics. The method further includes enabling a browser to control the one or more functions of the first camera, and wherein the browser is remote relative to the first camera.

Enhancing video conferences

Techniques for muting participants in a communication session are described. A communication session, such as a teleconference or a video conference, may be established between a plurality of participants using devices. Each participant engaged in the communication session may be authorized to mute or un-mute other participants. Information related to the communication session may be provided to some of the participants, including but are not limited to, indications of when a participant is muted or unmuted, indications of which participant initiated a muting or un-muting, indications of volume of a participant, or indications of types of sounds in a communication session. Social controls, utilized through transparency (e.g., providing identifying indications), may reduce the chance of misuse of the muting functionality.

Muting participants in a communication session

According to one general aspect, a method may include executing, by a processor of a computing device, at least a portion of an application that includes a plurality of tabs, each tab associated with a respective document that is configured to be rendered for display by the application. The method may also include determining a particular tab of the plurality of tabs that is recording an audio and/or visual signal derived from an environment of the computing device. The method may further include providing a graphical indication, associated with the particular tab, that indicates to a user of the computing device that the particular tab is recording the audio and/or visual signal.

Managing audio at the tab level for user notification and control

Systems and methods are provided for handling concurrent speech in which first speech data is received from a first participant of a session and second speech data is received from a second participant of the session. The second speech data includes a pause. The second speech data temporally overlaps the first speech data. A determination is made as to whether the first speech data exceeds a predetermined length. When the first speech data exceeds the predetermined length, the first speech data is outputted and then the second speech data of the second participant is outputted without the pause. When the first speech data does not exceed the predetermined length, the first speech data is outputted and then the second speech data is outputted with the pause.

A system having one or more processors and a memory receives both speech data from first and second participants of a session. The system outputs the speech of the first participant. The system outputs the speech of the second participant concurrent with the speech of the first participant when the length of time of the speech data of the first participant is more than a predetermined threshold amount. The system outputs the speech data of the second participant in accordance with an adjustment of the speech of one or more participants of the session that includes delaying output of the speech data of the second participant until after the speech data of the first participant has been outputted when the length of time of the speech data of the first participant is less than the predetermined threshold amount.

A system having one or more processors and a memory, receives both speech data from first and second participants of a session. The system outputs the speech of the first participant. The system outputs the speech of the second participant in accordance with an adjustment of the speech of a participant of the session when the speech of the second participant temporally overlaps less than a first predetermined threshold amount of a terminal portion of the speech of the first participant. The system drops the speech of the second participant when the speech of the second participant temporally overlaps more than the first predetermined threshold amount of the terminal portion of the speech of the first participant. Optionally, the system adjusts the speech of a participant of the session by delaying output of the speech of the second participant.

Provided are methods for switching active speakers during a video conferencing session. An image of an active speaker in a video conference is provided for presentation in a main display area of a display screen, where the active speaker is one of a plurality of users participating in the video conference over a network. When, a new active speaker out of the users participating in the video conference is detected, resolutions of available video streams received for each of the users are determined. In response to determining that the resolution of the video stream received for the new active speaker is below a threshold resolution, the image of the active speaker continues to be provided for presentation in the main display area until a predetermined period of time has elapsed.

Speaker switching delay for video conferencing

A system having one or more processors and a memory, sends a plurality of test audio packets at a level of signal complexity deviating from a model level of signal complexity to a destination device through one or more networks. The system then receives a response to the plurality of test audio packets, where the response is indicative of a value for a quality of service characteristic associated with the one or more networks, and where the value for the quality of service characteristic is determined by how the plurality of test audio packets deviate from the model level of signal complexity when received by a remote device. In response to receiving the response to the plurality of test audio packets, the system activates a signal correction action when the value for the quality of service characteristic fails to meet a performance threshold.

Systems and methods for assessing jitter buffers

Systems and methods for adjusting the frame rate or other settings of a video camera device operably connected to a computing device are discussed. Embodiments disclosed herein include features such as detecting a camera activation event, acquiring location information about the location of the computing device, determining an AC power frequency associated with the device location or with a power source used by the device, determining ambient lighting conditions near or around the device, identifying a camera frame rate meant to reduce or avoid flicker that would otherwise be caused by a mismatch between AC frequency and camera frame rate, and setting the frame rate of the camera to the identified rate. Embodiments may include some or all of the features noted above, as well as additional features described herein.

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Vallentuna, Sweden

Serge Lachapelle