Facebook's new patent application hints at multi-user video conferencing through their social network platform - US Patent Application 20170187610

TECHNICAL FIELD 

The following description relates to using switching technologies to stream media in digital conferencing applications. 

BACKGROUND 

Video conferencing generally describes a process whereby conferencing participants can communicate remotely with one another through the use of video equipment that typically includes some form of camera and a video display. Increased usage of the Internet has resulted in an increased demand for video conferencing and a corresponding need for cost effective multimedia communications solutions. 

Facebook's advertisement in virtual reality social network, US Patent Application 20170186232

Facebook's latest patent application hints at offering advertisements for products and services in virtual world.  This opens up another huge venue of advertisers to reach out to consumers in the 3D where the VR market revenue to reach $150 billion by 2020.

"15. The method of claim 11, further comprising: identifying the additional information about the virtual object, wherein the additional information about the virtual object comprises a description of a product or service represented by the virtual object, an image of the product or service, information about alternative products or services, or a combination thereof; and providing the additional information to the interested party." 

TECHNICAL FIELD 

This disclosure generally relates to using three-dimensional virtual objects to interact with and guide users in virtual environments. 

BACKGROUND 

A social-networking system, which may include a social-networking website, may enable its users (such as persons or organizations) to interact with it and with each other through it. The social-networking system may, with input from a user, create and store in the social-networking system a user profile associated with the user. The user profile may include demographic information, communication-channel information, and information on personal interests of the user. The social-networking system may also, with input from a user, create and store a record of relationships of the user with other users of the social-networking system, as well as provide services (e.g., wall posts, photo-sharing, event organization, messaging, games, or advertisements) to facilitate social interaction between or among users. 

The social-networking system may send over one or more networks content or messages related to its services to a mobile or other computing device of a user. A user may also install software applications on a mobile or other computing device of the user for accessing a user profile of the user and other data within the social-networking system. The social-networking system may generate a personalized set of content objects to display to a user, such as a newsfeed of aggregated stories of other users connected to the user. 

A mobile computing device--such as a smartphone, tablet computer, or laptop computer--may include functionality for determining its location, direction, or orientation, such as a GPS receiver, compass, gyroscope, or accelerometer. Such a device may also include functionality for wireless communication, such as BLUETOOTH communication, near-field communication (NFC), or infrared (IR) communication or communication with wireless local area networks (WLANs) or a cellular-telephone network. Such a device may also include one or more cameras, scanners, touchscreens, microphones, or speakers. Mobile computing devices may also execute software applications, such as games, web browsers, or social-networking applications. With social-networking applications, users may connect, communicate, and share information with other users in their social networks. 

Facebook - US Patent Application 20170140214 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY GENERATING EMOJIS BASED ON IMAGE ANALYSIS OF FACIAL FEATURES

United States Patent Application	20170140214
Kind Code	A1
Matas; Michael James ;   et al.	May 18, 2017

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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY GENERATING EMOJIS BASED ON IMAGE ANALYSIS OF FACIAL FEATURES

Abstract Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable media can acquire real-time image data depicting at least a portion of a face of a user of a computing system (or device). The real-time image data can be analyzed to determine a state associated with at least the portion of the face. An emoji can be provided based on the state associated with at least the portion of the face. The emoji can be inputted in a communication to be made by the user.

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Inventors:

Matas; Michael James; (Healdsburg, CA) ; Reckhow; Michael Waldman; (San Francisco, CA) ; Taigman; Yaniv; (Los Altos, CA)

Applicant:	Name City State Country Type Facebook, Inc. Menlo Park CA US
Family ID:	1000001988719
Appl. No.:	14/942784
Filed:	November 16, 2015

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Current U.S. Class:	1/1
Current CPC Class:	G06K 9/00315 20130101; G06K 9/00281 20130101; G06F 17/212 20130101; G06F 17/24 20130101; G06K 9/00335 20130101
International Class:	G06K 9/00 20060101 G06K009/00; G06F 17/21 20060101 G06F017/21; G06F 17/24 20060101 G06F017/24

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Facebook - US Patent Application 20150242679 - TECHNIQUES FOR EMOTION DETECTION AND CONTENT DELIVERY

United States Patent Application	20150242679
Kind Code	A1
Naveh; Barak Reuven	August 27, 2015

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TECHNIQUES FOR EMOTION DETECTION AND CONTENT DELIVERY

Abstract Techniques for emotion detection and content delivery are described. In one embodiment, for example, an emotion detection component may identify at least one type of emotion associated with at least one detected emotion characteristic. A storage component may store the identified emotion type. An application programming interface (API) component may receive a request from one or more applications for emotion type and, in response to the request, return the identified emotion type. The one or more applications may identify content for display based upon the identified emotion type. The identification of content for display by the one or more applications based upon the identified emotion type may include searching among a plurality of content items, each content item being associated with one or more emotion type. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

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Inventors:

Naveh; Barak Reuven; (Palo Alto, CA)

Applicant:	Name City State Country Type Facebook, Inc. Menlo Park CA US
Family ID:	53882521
Appl. No.:	14/189467
Filed:	February 25, 2014

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Current U.S. Class:	382/100
Current CPC Class:	H04N 21/262 20130101; G06K 9/00302 20130101; H04N 21/44218 20130101
International Class:	G06K 9/00 20060101 G06K009/00; H04N 21/262 20060101 H04N021/262

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