Conference queue automatic arrangement for inclusiveness

Abstract

A method and system for automatically adjusting a participation queue among a plurality of participants of a communication session is disclosed, comprising adding a contribution request to the participation queue for spoking or sharing content in the communication session, calculating a participation metric for each participant of the plurality of participants, an order of entries in the participation queue is determined based on a comparison of the participation metrics of the respective participants in the participation queue to the determined participation metric threshold, thereby increasing the priority of entries of the respective participants having the calculated participation metrics below the determined participation metric threshold.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for adjusting participation queues to promote inclusion among multiple participants in a communication session in accordance with some embodiments. Background Art

[0002] As technology develops, the use of software and hardware technologies for conferencing and communication services continues to increase. As the number of functions provided by conferencing and communication services increases, managing communication sessions becomes increasingly burdensome. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method and system for automatically adjusting a participation queue between multiple participants in a communication session, including: adding a contribution request for speaking or sharing content in a communication session to the participation queue, calculating a participation metric for each of the multiple participants, and determining an order of entries in the participation queue based on a comparison of the participation metric of the corresponding participant in the participation queue with a determined participation metric threshold, thereby increasing the priority of entries of the corresponding participant having a calculated participation metric below the determined participation metric threshold.

[0004] Inputs from respective computing devices of at least two of the plurality of participants may be received, wherein the inputs include gestures captured by an image capture device, voice signals captured by an audio sensing device, or input signals input via a user input device, and are determined to represent events indicating contribution requests for speaking or sharing content in a communication session. The contribution requests may be aggregated for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session and added as entries to a participation queue, the participation queue including entries from at least two of the plurality of participants. An engagement metric may be calculated for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session, the engagement metric being based at least in part on the aggregated contribution requests or the amount of verbal contributions of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session. An engagement metric threshold for the communication session may be determined based at least in part on the engagement metric calculated for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session. An order of entries in the participation queue may be determined based on a comparison of the engagement metric of the respective participants in the participation queue with a determined engagement metric threshold, so as to increase the priority of entries of the respective participants having a calculated engagement metric lower than the determined engagement metric threshold in the order of the participation queue, and the determined order may be displayed to a first user of the communication session.

[0005] The claimed subject matter may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a computing device to implement the disclosed subject matter. As used herein, the term "article of manufacture" is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from any computer-readable storage device or medium. Computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, optical disks, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), smart cards, flash memory devices, and the like. In contrast, computer-readable media (i.e., non-storage media) may additionally include communication media, such as transmission media for wireless signals, and the like.

[0006] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the Detailed Description. It is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] The disclosed aspects will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are provided to illustrate rather than to limit the disclosed aspects.

[0008] Figure 1 An example system including user equipment and a conferencing service is shown.

[0009] Figure 2 An example communication session between multiple participants of a conferencing service is shown.

[0010] Figures 3 to 6 An example conference application view of a communication session between multiple participants is shown, including different conference application features.

[0011] Figure 7 An example method of adjusting participation queues among multiple participants in a communication session is shown.

[0012] Figure 8 An example networked environment including one or more user devices, a communication server, and a user database communicating over a network is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] A communication session between multiple participants is typically managed or controlled by an organizer, a moderator, or one or more presenters. An organizer establishes a communication session between multiple participants. Participants typically include presenters and audience members. Although established by an organizer, the communication session is managed by one or more moderators, such as initially assigned by the organizer or the organizer itself, who control the characteristics of the communication session during the communication session between the multiple participants. One or more presenters share information, such as audio, video, documents, applications, or other information, to one or more other participants during the communication session.

[0014] For example, in a business environment, a communication session is typically managed by a manager or group project leader. Presentations within a communication session are typically handed off between participants in an organized manner, similar to a face-to-face meeting. In some examples, a communication session may include various combinations or permutations of in-person and virtual attendance.

[0015] In other examples, such as in a classroom or educational environment, audience members (typically students) have some ability to control one or more settings or features of their respective conferencing applications or user devices, but one or more moderators or presenters (typically teachers) retain the ability to control what is displayed or provided to multiple participants, including controlling the order of audio or video participation (or other sharing) in the communication session.

[0016] Audience members of a communication session are typically muted while a presenter is presenting or sharing a communication session to limit disruption of the presentation. In some examples, one or more presenters or moderators can mute one or more other participants, or control when one or more other participants can unmute to provide audio to the remaining participants. In some examples, the order of participation in a communication session can be organized by creating and maintaining a participation queue via a conference service, such as via a conference application executed on or associated with a user device of an organizer, moderator, or one or more presenters of the communication session.

[0017] During a communication session, a participant may select a control to virtually "raise their hand" to let one or more hosts, presenters, or other participants know that they want to contribute without breaking up the communication session. In response, a "hand" icon may be displayed in the participant area of ​​the conference application near the name of the participant who raised their hand, and a notification may be provided to one or more hosts or presenters. The participant area may show who has raised their hand, and if more than one participant has raised their hand, in which particular order, such as indicated by numbers in the order in which they raised their hands (e.g., "1" indicates first, "2" indicates second, etc.) or in the order in which the participants are displayed in the participant area. Participants may lower their hands by reselecting the control, or one or more hosts or presenters may lower the hands of individual or all participants.

[0018] When a group of people come together in any setting, it’s important to ensure that all are heard or at least given the opportunity to be heard. Inclusion enhances participation and innovation, and creates a sense of belonging, which improves the participant experience. This is true both for individuals and for groups in an organization.

[0019] For example, projects in an organization are often organized into different groups (e.g., production, finance, marketing, engineering, user interface, regulatory compliance, legal, etc.) by project managers. It is important to ensure that all groups are heard from in a communication session about a particular project, and that if one group or different members of a group dominate participation in the communication session, the moderator(s) understand that a particular group or one or more key stakeholders, while viewing the communication session, may not be providing necessary input.

[0020] The inventors have recognized that the order in which participants raise their hands in a communication session may not be the best way to organize or manage the order in which participants present in the communication session, or more specifically, the order in which participants are displayed to one or more hosts or presenters of the communication session. Furthermore, for large conference rooms or large classroom environments, or for repeated communication sessions with the same participants, manually tracking the participation of participants in a conference session can be cumbersome (if not completely impossible), especially when viewed from a negative perspective, because people who have presented and for how long are not tracked, but people who have not yet presented are tracked to ensure that all voices are included.

[0021] In certain examples, the technical solutions contemplated herein provide systems and methods for automatically adjusting a participation queue displayed to one or more presenters or presenters of a communication session in a specific manner based on a specific determination of participation of corresponding participants of the communication session, thereby solving the following technical problems: managing a potentially large group of participants in a control area of ​​a conference application having a limited size while ensuring inclusivity of key stakeholders across one or more communication sessions in real time. In an example, the participation queue displayed to one or more presenters or presenters can be automatically adjusted by calculating an participation metric for each of a plurality of participants, and increasing the priority of entries in the participation queue for corresponding participants having a calculated participation metric below a determined participation metric threshold based on the calculated participation metric for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session.

[0022] Figure 1 An example computer system 100 for providing a conference service is shown, including a first user device 101 and a second user device 111 coupled to a network 109 and a conference service 110 .

[0023] The first user device 101 is exemplary and may include a processor 102 (e.g., one or more processors), a memory 103, a transceiver 105, and one or more input / output (I / O) components 106. The first user device 101 and the second user device 111 may include one or more electronic devices, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, or various combinations thereof. Users of the first and second user devices may include a presenter or organizer of a communication session, one or more participants, or a combination thereof. In some examples, the memory 103 may include a conference application 104 that is configured to interact with or connect to a conference service 110. Although the conference application 104 may be executed on the first user device 101 (or one or more other user devices), the conference service 110 is separated from the first user device and is remote from the first user device, and may include a server, network, or cloud-based service accessible via a network 109.

[0024] In an example, the conference application 104 may include a local client installed on a corresponding user device and connected to a conference service 110 (such as a cloud-based conference service or platform (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Skype, etc.), such as a Microsoft Teams client, a Skype client, etc. In other examples, the conference application 104 may include a virtual application (e.g., a network, a network, a server, or a cloud-based application) that accesses resources of the corresponding user device, or a combination of a local client and a virtual application, etc.

[0025] The conference service 110 can manage communication sessions, including communication streams, such as emails, documents, chats, comments, text, images, animations, hyperlinks, or voice or video communications of users associated with one or more online or other communication sessions through a conference application executed on a connected device (such as the first and second user devices 101, 111 or one or more other devices), the connected device including hardware and software configured to enable the conference application or one or more other communication platforms to communicate with the corresponding devices.

[0026] Figure 2 An example communication session 200 is shown between a plurality of participants having respective user devices executing respective conference applications coupled to a conference service 210 via a network 209. The conference service 210 may include or otherwise be coupled to one or more servers or databases, such as server 212 or database 213, for use in, for example, storing or processing user information or providing one or more services associated with the communication session, including presentation of the communication session, such as Figure 2 shown.

[0027] The communication session 200 includes a first user (such as a host or presenter) coupled to a first user device 201, which executes a conference application and shares information, such as a representation of the first user and accompanying audio data or other shared information of the first user (e.g., a video stream of an active portion of an active screen of the first user device 201, one or more applications executed on the first device 201, documents, etc.), and provides such information to a conference service 210 for management and display to multiple second user devices 222-228 of multiple participants or audience members via a network 209, each of which executes a conference application connected to the conference service 210.

[0028] In an example, a conference application view 215 (e.g., a presenter view) of a communication session 200 may include one or more controls 216 for a conference application, a representation of a first user 217 (e.g., a video representation, an avatar, a profile image, etc.), one or more representations 218 of a plurality of participants (e.g., video representations, avatars, profile images, etc.), and a transcription box 219 configured to display a real-time transcribed text of the communication session 200. In other examples, an area of ​​the transcription box 219 in the conference application view 215 may include other information, such as a list of participating or invited users, a message (or chat) box for user discussions, or one or more other types of boxes or displays of information or interactions.

[0029] Figure 3 An example communication session 300 is shown, which includes a conference application view 215 between multiple participants, one or more controls 216, representations 217, 218 of a first user and multiple participants, and an optional transcription box 219, similar to Figure 2 The transcription box 219 includes a chat box representing the text spoken in the communication session 300 adjacent to an avatar 320 (eg, a representative image, a selected icon, etc.) of the corresponding participant speaking such text.

[0030] Additionally, alternatively, or in addition to the transcription box 219, the communication session 300 also includes an optional participant box 330, such as selectable by one or more controls 216, and configured to be optionally located in the location of the transcription box 209. In other examples, the location of the optional transcription box 219 may include one or more other features, as shown herein or otherwise.

[0031] The participant box 330 may include a list of participating or invited users (e.g., User 1-User 8, where User 1 is the first user, or the host of the communication session 300, User 2-User 8 are optional audience participants, etc.) and their corresponding avatars 333, as well as a microphone icon 331 of each corresponding participant, which shows whether the microphone of the user device of the corresponding participant is muted, unmuted, or receiving / sending audio information, such as by changing the color of the icon or showing changes such as receiving / sending audio.

[0032] The participant box 330 may optionally include a raised hand box 332 that shows which of any of the participants has raised their hand, such as using one or more controls 216 of their respective conference applications, to indicate that they want to contribute in the communication session 300 (e.g., a "hand" icon adjacent to User 3 and User 5-User 7) and a number indicating the specific order in which they raised their hands (e.g., "1" adjacent to User 3 indicating that they raised their hand first, etc.), thereby creating a participation queue. Participants can lower their hands by reselecting the control, or one or more hosts or presenters can lower the hands of individuals or all participants, such as after a user has participated or if the time to participate is over.

[0033] Figure 4 An example communication session 400 is shown, which includes a conference application view 215 between multiple participants, one or more controls 216, and representations 217, 218 of a first user and multiple participants, similar to Figure 2-Figure 3 Those shown in , and additionally, optional second and third participant boxes 435 , 438 .

[0034] The second participant box 435 may include a list of participating or invited users and their corresponding avatars 333, and a first group of users selected as a participating queue with corresponding raised hand boxes 436 (e.g., User 3 and User 5-User 7). In some examples, the audience of the communication session 400 (e.g., User 2-User 8) additionally each includes a corresponding participation metric 437, which indicates a total number of contribution requests (e.g., raised hand selections), actual contributions, or other calculated participation metrics for each participant of the communication session 400, such as will be further described herein.

[0035] In an example, all participants including one or more presenters, such as a first user (User 1), etc., may have corresponding participation metrics. Up and down arrows are shown between the participation metric 437 and the hand raising box 436. In some examples, the up and down arrows may be used, such as by one or more presenters or presenters, to, for example, adjust the position of a participation queue.

[0036] The third participation box 438 is similar to the second participation box 435 , but the entries in the participation queue have been automatically sorted to increase the priority of participants in the participation queue with smaller participation metrics 437 , for example, to promote inclusion among multiple participants of the communication session 400 .

[0037] Figure 5 Shows such as Figure 4 The example engagement frame 438 is shown, which additionally includes first and second breakouts 541 , 543 showing engagement metrics for respective participants in the group of the plurality of participants.

[0038] The first breakdown 541 shows the total number of participation requests for each user sorted in order (e.g., from user 8 to user 2) with respect to the determined participation metric threshold 560 and the determined participation metric threshold range 561. In some examples, the determined participation metric threshold 560 can be determined as the average (or median) of the determined participation metric of the audience of the communication session (or repeated communication sessions), including or excluding one or more hosts or presenters. Determining the participation metric threshold 560 as a statistical measure of the participation metric of the audience itself can be automatically adjusted for differences in communication session management styles between different hosts or presenters. In some examples, the determined participation metric range 561 can be determined as a percentage (e.g., + / - 20%, etc.) above and below the determined participation metric threshold 560. In some examples, only participants with a determined participation metric below one of the determined participation metric threshold 560 or the determined participation metric range 561 are prioritized in the participation queue. In some examples, adjusting the participation queues does not discourage over-participation too much, primarily facilitates under-participation, and makes it easier for organizers, moderators, and presenters to identify and promote inclusivity among all participation.

[0039] The first teardown 541 can be performed by selecting a specific user (e.g., selecting Figure 5 6 in the participation queue) or by selecting one or more other controls (e.g., participation box control 540, etc.). In this example, when the selection of user 6 triggers the display of the first teardown box 541, the first teardown 541 highlights the request 542 of user 6. In this example, the selected user, user 6, has an engagement metric within the determined engagement metric range 561, and in some examples, is not adjusted upward in the participation queue even after another user with a greater engagement metric (e.g., user 7, user 3, etc.). In other examples, for example, if the participation queue is sorted by strict priority, the priority of the selected user in the participation queue, user 6, can be raised to a higher priority than that of user 3 or user 7, even if user 6 is added to the participation queue after user 3 and user 7.

[0040] A second teardown 543 can be triggered by selecting the engagement box control 540, and the second teardown 543 shows the total number of engagement requests for each user sorted by frequency (e.g., from the most engagement requests, 6 times for User 3, to the least engagement requests, 0 times for User 2). The second teardown 543 shows a first highlight 544 showing users with engagement metrics above the upper limit of the determined engagement metric range 561 (e.g., User 3 and User 7), and a second highlight 545 showing users with engagement metrics below the lower limit of the determined engagement metric range 561 (e.g., User 4 and User 8). Placing a mouse cursor 546 over data in the corresponding teardown can trigger the display of pop-up text 547 that describes the data under the mouse cursor 546 or the name of the user associated with the data under the mouse cursor 546. In this example, the pop-up text calls out "User 8."

[0041] Figure 6 Shows something like Figure 2 An example transcription box 639 of the transcription box 219 is shown, which includes a chat box representing text spoken in a communication session adjacent to the avatar 320 of the corresponding participant who spoke such text. The transcription box 639 additionally includes third, fourth, and fifth teardowns 650, 655, 656 showing participation metrics of corresponding participants in the group of multiple participants. In some examples, the chat boxes in the transcription box 639 can include a timestamp 648, such as the time (start time, end time, duration, or a combination thereof) of the text in the particular chat box.

[0042] The third teardown 650 shows participation information for a selected user for a corresponding communication session (or repeated communication sessions), including a user identity 651 (e.g., "User 8"), a number of total contribution requests 652 (e.g., 1), an amount of verbal contributions 653 (e.g., 58), and a contribution time 654 (e.g., 0:06:04.3). In an example, the verbal contributions 653 may include words spoken by the corresponding user, such as determined by transcription, typed words in a chat or message box, or a combination thereof, etc. In other examples, the contribution time 654 may include the user's active microphone time in the communication session, a total duration of timestamps attributable to the user (e.g., timestamp 648), etc. The third teardown 650 may be triggered by selecting a particular user, an avatar, or one or more other controls (such as the transcription box control 640, etc.).

[0043] The fourth teardown 655 shows threshold and region information for the communication session. In an example, the threshold may include an average of corresponding engagement metrics or information for corresponding users (e.g., audience, all participants, etc.) of the communication session. For example, the audience of the communication session (e.g., user 2-user 8 of the communication session 400) may have the following threshold (e.g., average) and region (e.g., + / - 20%) information [threshold; region]: contribution requests [2.4; 1.9-2.9]; words [75; 60-90]; and time [0:08:24; 0:06:43.2-0:10:04.8]. The fourth teardown 655 may be triggered by selecting specific engagement information or one or more other controls (such as the transcription box control 640, etc.).

[0044] The fifth teardown 656 shows the calculated composite participation metric for each respective user sorted in order (e.g., from user 8 to user 2) with respect to a determined composite participation metric threshold 660 (e.g., an average) and a determined composite participation metric threshold range 661 (e.g., + / - 20% of the average). In an example, the participation metric may include a composite function of contribution requests and verbal communications (e.g., the number of contribution requests multiplied by one or more of the following: active microphone time, the number of words of the user from the transcription box, the number of chats or messages of the user, etc.). The threshold and range may be determined for the communication session, and the calculated participation metric may be displayed and used to increase the priority of the order of the participation queue of the respective participants having a calculated participation metric below one or more of the threshold or range.

[0045] In other examples, the calculated engagement metric may be determined as a relative composite of multiple individual components of engagement information relative to determined thresholds or ranges. Multiple engagement information may be individually compared to one or more of the determined thresholds and ranges, scored relative to such thresholds and ranges, and aggregated into a composite engagement metric.

[0046] For example, regarding contribution requests, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in the engagement metric 437 in (and as shown in the fourth teardown 655), the average contribution request for users of the communication session is 2.4, where the determined threshold range (+ / - 20% of the average) can be between 1.9 and 2.9. Each user can be scored relative to the determined threshold range. Contribution requests above the threshold range (above 2.9) can be scored as "3", within the threshold range (between 1.9 and 2.9 and including 1.9 and 2.9) can be scored as "2", below the threshold range but above 0 (between 0 and 1.9) can be scored as "1", and 0 can be scored as "0".

[0047] Similarly, with respect to words (e.g., words spoken by the respective users, such as determined by transcription, words typed in a chat or message box, or a combination thereof, etc.), the average words for the users of the communication session is 75, where a determined threshold range (+ / - 20% of the average) may be between 60 and 90. Each user may be scored relative to the determined threshold range. Words above the threshold range (above 90) may be scored as a "3", within the threshold range (between 60 and 90 and including 60 and 90) may be scored as a "2", below the threshold range but above 0 (between 0 and 60) may be scored as a "1", and 0 may be scored as a "0".

[0048] With respect to time (e.g., active microphone time of a user in a communication session, total duration of timestamps attributable to a user, etc.), the average time for a user of a communication session is 0:08:24 (8 minutes 24 seconds), where a determined threshold range (+ / - 20% of the average) may be between 0:06:43.2 and 0:10:04.8. Each user may be scored relative to the determined threshold range. Times above the threshold range (above 0:10:04.8) may be scored as a "3," times within the threshold range (between and including 0:06:43.2 and 0:10:04.8) may be scored as a "2," times below the threshold range but above 0 (between 0 and 0:06:43.2) may be scored as a "1," and 0 may be scored as a "0."

[0049] For example, an example composite engagement metric ([contribution requests, words, time]) for an audience of a communication session (e.g., User 2 - User 8 of communication session 400) can be calculated as an aggregation of the composite metric using one or more functions (e.g., the sum or product of one or more individual metrics or relative individual metrics or various combinations thereof, etc.).

[0050]

[0051] Table 1 Composite participation metrics

[0052] Using the determined composite engagement metric in Table 1 and shown in the fifth teardown 656, the determined composite engagement metric threshold 660 may be 5, where the determined composite engagement metric threshold range (+ / - 20% of the average) may be between 4 and 6. A first highlight 657 shows users with composite engagement metrics above the upper limit of the determined composite engagement metric threshold range 661 (e.g., User 6), and a second highlight 658 shows users with composite engagement metrics below the lower limit of the determined composite engagement metric threshold range 661 (e.g., User 2). The fifth teardown 656 may be triggered by selection of a particular user, avatar, or one or more other controls (such as the transcription box control 640, etc.).

[0053] In other examples, one or more other relative or compound scoring conventions may be used, as well as comparisons to a threshold or one of an upper or lower limit of a range, etc.

[0054] Figure 7 An example method 700 for adjusting a participation queue between multiple participants of a communication session managed by a conference service is shown. A communication session may include a single communication session, or in other examples, include one or more of a series or sequence of repeated conference sessions, such as with the same or similar group of participants, etc. In an example, a conference service may be connected to one or more conference applications executed on corresponding computing devices (e.g., user devices, etc.) of multiple participants. The corresponding computing device may include a corresponding user interface (U / I) component configured to capture, receive or send one or more input signals or interactions of the corresponding participant to the conference application executed on the corresponding computing device. The conference application may be connected to the conference service, such as via a network, and the conference service is separated from the computing devices of multiple participants and is away from the computing devices of multiple participants. In some examples, one or more of the following steps may be performed by a conference application executed on the corresponding computing device of the participant, by a conference service away from the computing devices of multiple participants, by one or more components connected to the conference service, or a combination thereof.

[0055] Contribution requests may be received from one or more of a plurality of participants in a communication session at step 701. In an example, input may be received from respective computing devices of at least two of the plurality of participants to adjust a participation queue, such as by promoting one entry ahead of another, which requires two contribution requests.

[0056] The input may include one or more of a gesture captured by an image capture device, a voice signal captured by an audio sensing device, or an input signal input via a user input device. In an example, the input signal input via the user input device may include a selection by a participant of a raise hand box in a user interface portion of a conference application, such as shown in this article, etc. In other examples, in some examples, when a participant is muted by a presenter, a specific word or phrase may be detected from the participant by an audio sensing device. In other examples, an image capture device may detect that a user has raised his hand during a presentation through a conference application, a conference service, or through one or more image recognition processes performed on one or more components shown in this article.

[0057] In an example, the received input may be determined to represent an event indicating a contribution request for speaking or sharing content in a communication session. For example, a notification about the received input may be provided to the host, or a notification may be provided to the user, such as to verify that the contribution request is expected. In other examples, the initial input may be received by one or more of a conference application or conference service, and additional processing may be performed, or confirmation may be provided to the participant or host. In some examples, upon receiving the input, a temporary contribution request of the participant may be determined, which is then confirmed by additional processing or confirmation, so that if the input is subsequently determined or confirmed as an event indicating a contribution request, the intervention is not placed in the participation queue before the received input. In other examples, two indications are required (e.g., a specific word or phrase and an image indicating that the user has raised his hand on the camera, a selection of a hand-raising box and subsequent confirmation, various combinations or permutations thereof, etc.).

[0058] At step 702, contribution requests may be aggregated for each of a plurality of participants, such as by a conference application or a conference service, e.g., events determined to be indicative of contribution requests. For example, respective conference applications of the plurality of participants may determine or aggregate contribution requests of their respective users, and provide the determined information to the conference service for further storage, processing, or use. In other examples, the respective conference applications may be used to provide information from the respective participants to the conference service for storage, processing, or use, etc. In some examples, the aggregated contribution requests may be stored for later use, such as in calculating participation metrics, thresholds, ranges, etc.

[0059] At step 703, the participation queue can be displayed, for example, to one or more organizers, moderators, or presenters of the communication session to manage participation in the communication session. In other examples, the participation queue can be displayed to multiple participants, for example, to encourage participant management of the communication session. In some examples, the participation queue can be displayed using a display of a computing device.

[0060] At step 704, a participation metric may be calculated, such as a participation metric for each of a plurality of participants of the communication session. In an example, respective conference applications of the plurality of participants may calculate the participation metric for their respective participants. In other examples, the participation metric may be calculated by a conference service. In an example, the respective participation metric may be determined based on aggregated contribution requests for the respective participation. In other examples, the respective participation metric may be calculated based on an amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session, or a combination thereof.

[0061] At step 705, an amount of verbal contributions may be determined for each of a plurality of participants in the communication session, such as by a conferencing application or conferencing service. Verbal contributions may include contributions having words (including written or spoken words) attributable to a particular participant.

[0062] At step 706, audible contributions may be received, such as from one or more input devices of the respective participant's computing device. The conferencing service may receive the audible contributions from the respective participant and create a transcription of the communication session, etc. In some examples, the audible contributions may be determined based on the resulting transcription. In other examples, the conferencing service may track the active audio presenter of the communication session and may determine the audible contributions based on the activity time of the respective participant's active audio.

[0063] The written contribution may be received, such as in one or more of a chat box or a message box associated with the communication session, at step 707. In some examples, the written contribution may include a plurality of words provided by each respective participant.

[0064] In an example, the engagement metric may be determined as a composite of one or more of the received contribution requests and the determined verbal contributions, including at least one of an audible contribution or a written contribution to the communication session.

[0065] At step 708, the determined engagement metrics may optionally be displayed, for example, to one or more organizers, moderators, presenters, audience, or other participants of the communication session to manage participation in the communication session.

[0066] The calculated engagement metric may be compared to an engagement metric threshold at step 709. The engagement metric threshold may include a statistical measure of one or more of the user's engagement metrics, and in some examples, a range may be determined based on the threshold, such as a percentage above and below the threshold (e.g., + / - 20%, etc.).

[0067] In some examples, if the calculated engagement metric exceeds the engagement metric threshold, then the engagement queue does not need to be adjusted, and the method can return to step 703. However, if the calculated engagement metric does not exceed the engagement metric threshold (e.g., an average of the calculated thresholds, etc.), such as a lower limit of a threshold range, then at step 710, the priority of the corresponding engagement metric can be increased.

[0068] At step 711, a notification may be displayed to a meeting organizer, a host, one or more presenters, etc., such as if one or more of the calculated engagement metrics do not exceed a determined threshold amount, such as a lower limit of an engagement threshold range, etc.

[0069] Although different queue processing is shown herein, such as determining a composite participation metric, in other examples, other combinations may be determined. For example, a participation metric for each corresponding participant of a communication session may be determined. In some examples, a composite participation metric may be determined as the product of the number of times a participant provides a contribution request and the duration of time the participant speaks in the communication session. For repeated communication sessions such as in a classroom setting, a composite participation metric may be determined across the last few classes, across all previous classes, etc. In other examples, participation trends may be determined as changes in participation metrics across multiple communication settings, or relative to short-term averages (e.g., the average of the last session or several sessions), etc. for all sessions. If a user's corresponding participation metric is decreasing and is below or approaching a participation threshold, an organizer, host, or presenter may receive a notification to check in the corresponding participant. In other examples, notifications may be provided for all participants below the participation threshold.

[0070] In other examples, the systems and methods described herein can be further extended to cover specific user groups, such as different groups of participants within a larger communication session. For example, a project manager at a company can organize a series of communication sessions about the company's new product design. Communication sessions can be established with users in a specific group. As described herein, individual engagement metrics can be determined for each respective participant in the communication session. However, in addition, engagement metrics can be aggregated across specific groups of participants to determine that each group (if not each participant) has changed to provide feedback. If the entire group has not yet shared or participated, the project manager can be notified so that they request feedback from all groups working on the new product individually or purposefully. Group thresholds and ranges can be determined, similar to those described above with respect to participants, and used to determine relative participant metrics for a specific group.

[0071] In some examples, showing participation metrics to participants can create a self-management environment where users below a threshold can start providing more during a meeting, and those who overshare can be self-restrained without action from the organizer. Showing such thresholds and ranges can clearly communicate management's expectations of participants, thereby aligning expectations and earned effort. In other examples, such as having a specific group of participants provide more feedback during a specific time in a project, etc.

[0072] Figure 8 An example system 800 is shown including a first user device 801 and a second user device 811 in a networked environment including a conference service 810 and a user database 835 communicating over a network 809 .

[0073] The first user device 801 is exemplary and may include a processor 802 (e.g., one or more processors), a memory 803, a transceiver 805, an input / output (I / O) component 806, one or more presentation components 807, and one or more I / O ports 808. The first user device 801 may take the form of a mobile computing device or any other portable device, such as a mobile phone, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a computing pad, a notebook, a gaming device, a portable media player, etc. In other examples, the first user device 801 may include a less portable device, such as a desktop personal computer, an information kiosk, a desktop device, an industrial control device, etc. Other examples may incorporate the first user device 801 as part of a multi-device system, in which two separate physical devices share or otherwise provide access to the illustrated components of the first user device 801.

[0074] The processor 802 may include any number of processing units and may be programmed to execute computer executable instructions for implementing various aspects of the present disclosure. The instructions may be executed by a processor or processors within a computing device, or by a processor external to the first user device 801. In some examples, the processor 802 is programmed to perform methods, such as one or more methods shown herein, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 802 may be programmed to present an experience in a user interface ("UI"). For example, the processor 802 may represent an implementation of a technique for performing the operations described herein.

[0075] The transceiver 805 may include an antenna capable of sending and receiving radio frequency ("RF") signals and various antennas and corresponding chipsets to provide communication capabilities between the first user device 801 and one or more other remote devices. However, the example is not limited to RF signaling, as various other communication modalities may be used instead.

[0076] The presentation component 807 may include, but is not limited to, a computer monitor, a television, a projector, a touch screen, a phone display, a flat panel display, a wearable device screen, a television, a speaker, a vibration device, and any other device configured to display, verbally communicate, or otherwise indicate image search results to a user of the first user device 801 or to provide information visually or audibly on the first user device 801. For example, the first user device 801 may include a smart phone or a mobile tablet computer, which includes a speaker capable of playing audible search results to the user. In other examples, the first user device 801 may include a computer in a car that audibly presents the search response through the car speaker system, visually presents the search response on a display screen in the car (e.g., located in the dashboard of the car, in the headrest, on a drop-down screen, etc.), or a combination thereof. Other examples present the disclosed search response through various other displays or audio presentation components 812.

[0077] The I / O port 808 allows the first user device 801 to be logically coupled to other devices and I / O components 816, some of which may be built into the user device 801, while other devices may be external. The I / O component 806 may include a microphone 823, one or more sensors 824, a camera 825, and a touch device 826. The microphone 823 may capture a voice from a user and / or a user's voice or a user's voice. The sensor 824 may include any number of sensors on or in a mobile computing device, electronic toy, game console, wearable device, television, vehicle, or other user device 801, such as an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a pressure sensor, a photometer, a thermometer, a global positioning system ("GPS") chip or circuit, a bar scanner, a biometric scanner for scanning fingerprints, palm prints, blood, eyes, etc., a gyroscope, a near field communication ("NFC") receiver, or one or more of any other sensors configured to capture data from a user or environment. The camera 825 may capture an image or video of a user or a user. The touch device 826 may include a touchpad, a trackpad, a touch screen, or other touch capture device. In other examples, I / O components 806 may include one or more of a sound card, a vibration device, a scanner, a printer, a wireless communication device, or any other component for capturing information related to a user or the environment.

[0078] The memory 803 may include any number of memories associated with or accessible by the first user device 801. The memory 803 may be inside the first user device 801, outside the first user device 801, or a combination thereof. The memory 803 may include, but is not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, CDROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical or holographic media, cassettes, tapes, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, memory wired into an analog computing device, or any other medium for encoding desired information and accessed by the first user device 801. The terms computer-readable medium, machine-readable medium, and storage device do not include carrier waves, as carrier waves are considered too transient. The memory 803 may take the form of volatile and / or non-volatile memory, may be removable, non-removable, or a combination thereof; and may include various hardware devices, such as solid-state memory, hard disk drives, optical disk drives, and the like. Additionally or alternatively, the memory 803 may be distributed across multiple user devices, such as in a virtualized environment where instruction processing is performed on multiple user devices in the first user device 801. The memory 803 may store various device applications and other data that operate when executed by the processor 802 to perform functions on the first user device 801. Example applications may include search applications, instant messaging applications, email applications, web browsers, calendar applications, address book applications, messaging programs, media applications, location-based services, search programs, etc. The applications may communicate with corresponding applications or services, such as web services accessible via the network 809. For example, the applications may include client-side operating applications corresponding to server-side applications executed on a remote server or computing device in the cloud.

[0079] The instructions stored in the memory 803 may include one or more of a conference application 804, a communication application 821, and a user interface application 822 executed on the first user device 801. The communication application 821 may include one or more computer executable instructions for operating a network interface card and a driver for operating the network interface card. Communication between the first user device 801 and other devices may occur over a wired or wireless connection or over a network 809 using any protocol or mechanism. In some examples, the communication application 821 may operate using RF and short-range communication technologies using electronic tags (such as NFC tags, brand tags, etc.).

[0080] In some examples, the user interface application 822 includes a graphics application for displaying data to a user and receiving data from a user. The user interface application 822 may include computer executable instructions for operating a graphics card to display search results and corresponding images or voices on or through the presentation component 812. The user interface application 822 may interact with various sensors 824 and cameras 825 to capture and present information through the presentation component 807.

[0081] The conference service 810 may be configured to receive user and environment data such as received from the first user device 801 and the second user device 811 or one or more other devices via the network 809. In some examples, the conference service 810 may include one or more servers, memories, databases, or processors configured to execute different network service computer executable instructions, and may be configured to provide and manage one or more conference services for one or more users or user groups (such as users of the first user device 801 and the second user device 811). The conference service 810 is capable of providing and receiving messages or other information, including images, videos, audio, text, and other communication media, to or from the first and second user devices 801, 811 via the network 809.

[0082] Figure 8 The illustrated networking environment is an example of a suitable computing system environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation on the scope of use or functionality of the examples disclosed herein. The illustrated networking environment should not be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement related to any single component, module, index, or combination thereof, and in other examples, other network environments are contemplated.

[0083] The network 809 may include the Internet, a private network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or any other computer network, including various network interfaces, adapters, modems, and other networking devices for communicatively connecting the first user device 801 and the second user device 811 and the conference service 810. The network 809 may also include configurations for point-to-point connections.

[0084] Conference service 810 includes a processor 812 for processing executable instructions, a memory 813 embodying executable instructions, and a transceiver 805 for communicating over a network 809. The memory 813 may include one or more of the following: a conference application 814, a communication application 831, a storage event application 832, a selection application 833, a personal identification code application 834, or one or more other applications, modules or devices. Although conference service 810 is shown as a single box, it is not limited to this and can be scalable. For example, conference service 810 may include multiple servers of various parts of the operating software, which together generate composite icons or templates for users of the first user device 801 and the second user device 811.

[0085] The user database 835 can provide backend storage for web, user, and environmental data that can be accessed by the conference service 810 or the first user device 801 via the network 809 and used by the conference service 810 to combine subsequent data in the communication flow. The web, user, and environmental data stored in the database include, for example, but not limited to, one or more user profiles 836 and user events 837. In addition, although not shown for clarity, the servers of the user database 835 may include their own processors, transceivers, and memories. In addition, the networked environment depicts the user database 835 as a collection of devices separate from the conference service 810. However, the example may store the web, user, and environmental data discussed in the user database 835 on the conference service 810.

[0086] User profile 836 may include an electronically stored collection of information related to the user. Such information may be stored based on the user's explicit agreement or "opt-in" to store such personal information, including the user's name, age, gender, height, weight, demographics, current location, resident, citizen, family, friends, school, occupation, hobbies, skills, interests, Web searches, health information, birthday, anniversary, celebrity holidays, mood, user status, and any other personalized information associated with the user. The user profile includes static profile elements, such as name, birthplace, etc., and dynamic profile elements that change over time, such as residence, age, status, etc.

[0087] In addition, user profile 836 may include static and / or dynamic data parameters for individual users. Examples of user profile data include, but are not limited to, the user's age, gender, race, name, location, interests, web search history, social media connections and interactions, purchase history, regular behavior, job title, or nearly any unique data point specific to a user. User profile 836 may be expanded to cover various other aspects of a user.

[0088] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing command-based personalized composite templates in a communication flow according to at least the examples provided in the following sections:

[0089] (A1) In one aspect, some embodiments or examples include automatically adjusting a participation queue between multiple participants in a communication session, including receiving input from respective computing devices of at least two of the multiple participants, wherein the input includes a gesture captured by an image capture device, a voice signal captured by an audio sensing device, or an input signal input via a user input device, determining that the received input represents an event indicating a contribution request for speaking or sharing content in the communication session, aggregating the contribution requests of each of the multiple participants in the communication session, adding the contribution requests as entries to a participation queue, the participation queue including entries from at least two of the multiple participants, and computing multiple of the communication session. an engagement metric for each of the participants, the engagement metric being based at least in part on the aggregate contribution request or an amount of verbal contribution to the communication session by each of the plurality of participants, determining an engagement metric threshold for the communication session based at least in part on the engagement metric calculated for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session, determining an order of entries in a participation queue based on a comparison of the engagement metrics of respective participants in the participation queue with the determined engagement metric threshold to increase a priority in the order of the participation queue for entries of respective participants having a calculated engagement metric below the determined engagement metric threshold, and causing the participation queue to be displayed to a first user of the communication session in the determined order of the entries.

[0090] (A2) In some embodiments of A1, calculating a participation metric for each of multiple participants in a communication session includes based on: (1) a determined amount of verbal contribution of each of the multiple participants to the communication session and (2) an aggregated contribution request of each of the multiple participants.

[0091] (A3) In some embodiments of A1-A2, determining the amount of oral contribution of each of the multiple participants to the communication session includes: determining the amount of written contribution of each of the multiple participants to the communication session; determining the amount of audible contribution of each of the multiple participants to the communication session; and aggregating the determined amount of written contribution and the amount of audible contribution of each of the multiple participants to determine the amount of oral contribution of each of the multiple participants to the communication session.

[0092] (A4) In some embodiments or examples of A1-A3, the participation metric calculated for each of a plurality of participants is displayed to a first user of a communication session, wherein the first user is an organizer of the communication session and the plurality of participants are viewers of the communication session.

[0093] (A5) In some implementations of A1-A4, in some embodiments or examples, the participation metric calculated by each of the multiple participants is displayed to each of the multiple participants in the communication session.

[0094] (A6) In some embodiments of A1-A5, for example, the input signal input via the user input device includes a received hand-raise indication, and calculating the participation metric for each of the multiple participants includes the number of received hand-raise indications based on the communication session.

[0095] (A7) In some embodiments of A1-A6, the communication session includes a repeated communication session, and aggregating the contribution requests includes spanning the repeated communication sessions.

[0096] (A8) In some embodiments of A1-A7, the participation metric of the corresponding participant includes the number of words in the transcription of the repeated communication session.

[0097] (A9) In some implementations of A1-A8, in some embodiments or examples, the participation metric of each participant of a plurality of participants in a communication session is compared with a determined participation metric threshold, and if any calculated participation metric fails to meet the determined participation metric threshold, a notification is automatically displayed to the first user.

[0098] (A10) In some embodiments of A1-A9, the plurality of participants includes a plurality of participant groups, each of the plurality of participant groups includes at least one participant of the plurality of participants of the communication session, and the method includes:

[0099] Calculating an engagement metric for each of a plurality of participant groups, including aggregating engagement metrics of participants of the respective participant groups, determining an engagement metric group threshold for the communication session based at least in part on the calculated engagement metric for each of the participant groups, comparing the engagement metric for each of the plurality of participant groups for the communication session to the determined engagement metric group threshold, and automatically causing a notification to be displayed to a first user if any of the calculated engagement metrics for the plurality of participant groups fails to satisfy the determined engagement metric group threshold.

[0100] On the other hand, some embodiments include a system including a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor and having a program stored thereon, the program being used to be executed by the processor to perform operations of any of the embodiments A1-A10 described above in various combinations or permutations. On the other hand, some embodiments include a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by one or more processors of the storage device, the one or more programs including instructions for executing any of the embodiments A1-A10 described above in various combinations or permutations. On the other hand, some embodiments include a method or system including an apparatus for executing any of the embodiments A1-A\108 described above in various combinations or permutations.

[0101] Although some embodiments have been described in detail above, other modifications are possible. For example, the logic flows depicted in the accompanying drawings do not require the particular order or sequence shown to achieve the desired results. Other steps can be provided, or steps can be eliminated from the described flows, and other components can be added to or removed from the described systems. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the appended claims.

[0102] In the description herein, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof, and in which specific embodiments that can be practiced are shown by way of illustration. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it should be understood that other embodiments may be utilized, and structural, logical, and electrical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the description of the exemplary embodiments included should not be considered limited, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

[0103] The function may be configured to perform operations using, for example, software, hardware, firmware, etc. For example, the phrase "configured to" may refer to the logical circuit structure of a hardware element for implementing the associated function. The phrase "configured to" may also refer to the logical circuit structure of a hardware element for implementing the associated functionality of firmware or software. The term "module" refers to a structural element that can be implemented using any suitable hardware (e.g., processor, etc.), software (e.g., application, etc.), firmware, or any combination of hardware, software, and firmware. The term "logic" encompasses any function for performing a task. For example, each operation shown in the flowchart corresponds to the logic for performing the operation. Operations may be performed using software, hardware, firmware, etc. The terms "component", "system", etc. may refer to computer-related entities, hardware, and software, firmware, or a combination thereof in execution. A component may be a process, object, executable file, program, function, subroutine, computer, or a combination of software and hardware running on a processor. The term "processor" may refer to a hardware component, such as a processing unit of a computer system.

[0104] In addition, the claimed subject matter may be implemented as a method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standard programming and engineering techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof to control a computing device to implement the disclosed subject matter. As used herein, the term "article of manufacture" is intended to cover a computer program accessible from any computer-readable storage device or medium. Computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, magnetic storage devices such as hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic strips, optical disks, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), smart cards, flash memory devices, and the like. In contrast, computer-readable media (i.e., non-storage media) may additionally include communication media, such as transmission media for wireless signals and the like.

Claims

1. A system for automatically adjusting participation queues among a plurality of participants in a communication session, comprising: one or more processors; as well as A memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to control the system to perform operations including: receiving input from respective computing devices of at least two of the plurality of participants, wherein the input comprises a gesture captured by an image capture device, a voice signal captured by an audio sensing device, or an input signal input via a user input device; determining that the received input represents an event indicating a contribution request to speak or share content in the communication session; aggregating the contribution requests of each of the plurality of participants of the communication session; adding the contribution request as an entry to the participant queue, the participant queue comprising entries from at least two of the plurality of participants; calculating a participation metric for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session, the participation metric being based at least in part on aggregated contribution requests or an amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session; determining an engagement metric threshold for the communication session based at least in part on a calculated engagement metric for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session; determining an order of entries in the participation queue based on a comparison of the participation metrics of respective participants in the participation queue with a determined participation metric threshold to increase priority in the order of the participation queue for entries of respective participants having a calculated participation metric below the determined participation metric threshold; and The participation queue is caused to be displayed to a first user of the communication session in an order of determined entries.

2. The system according to claim 1, in, Calculating the participation metric for each of the plurality of participants in the communication session includes determining a measure of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session based on (1) a determined amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session and (2) an aggregated contribution request of each of the plurality of participants.

3. The system according to claim 2, in, Determining an amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session includes: determining an amount of written contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session; determining an amount of audible contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session; and The determined amount of written contribution and the amount of audible contribution of each of the plurality of participants are aggregated to determine an amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session.

4. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the operations include: causing the calculated engagement metric for each of the plurality of participants to be displayed to the first user of the communication session, Wherein the first user is an organizer of the communication session, and wherein the plurality of participants are viewers of the communication session.

5. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 3, wherein the operations include: The calculated engagement metric for each of the plurality of participants is caused to be displayed to each of the plurality of participants of the communication session.

6. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, in, The input signal input via the user input device includes a received hand-raising indication, and Wherein calculating the participation metric for each of the plurality of participants comprises a number of hand raise indications received based on the communication session.

7. A system according to any one of claims 2 to 6, in, The communication session comprises a repeating communication session, and Wherein aggregating the contribution requests comprises across the repeating communication sessions.

8. The system according to claim 7, in, The engagement metric of the respective participant comprises a number of words in the transcription of the repeated communication session.

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the operations include: comparing the engagement metric of each of the plurality of participants of the communication session to the determined engagement metric threshold; as well as If any of the calculated engagement metrics fails to satisfy the determined engagement metric threshold, automatically causing a notification to be displayed to the first user.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, in, The plurality of participants includes a plurality of participant groups, each participant group of the plurality of participant groups includes at least one participant of the plurality of participants of the communication session, and The operations include: calculating a participation metric for each participant group of the plurality of participant groups, including aggregating the participation metrics of participants of the corresponding participant group, determining an engagement metric group threshold for the communication session based at least in part on the calculated engagement metric for each of the participant groups; comparing the engagement metric for each of the plurality of participant groups for the communication session to a determined engagement metric group threshold; and If any of the calculated engagement metrics for the plurality of participant groups fails to satisfy the determined engagement metric group threshold, automatically causing a notification to be displayed to the first user.

11. A method for automatically adjusting participation queues among a plurality of participants in a communication session, comprising: receiving input from respective computing devices of at least two of the plurality of participants, wherein the input comprises a gesture captured by an image capture device, a voice signal captured by an audio sensing device, or an input signal input via a user input device; determining that the received input represents an event indicating a contribution request to speak or share content in the communication session; aggregating the contribution requests of each of the plurality of participants of the communication session; adding the contribution request as an entry to the participant queue, the participant queue comprising entries from at least two of the plurality of participants; calculating an engagement metric for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session, the engagement metric being based at least in part on aggregated contribution requests or an amount of verbal contributions made by each of the plurality of participants to the communication session; determining an engagement metric threshold for the communication session based at least in part on a calculated engagement metric for each of the plurality of participants of the communication session; determining an order of entries in a participation queue based on a comparison of the participation metric of the respective participants in the participation queue with a determined participation metric threshold to increase priority in the order of the participation queue for entries of the respective participants having a calculated participation metric below the determined participation metric threshold; and The participation queue is caused to be displayed to a first user of the communication session in a determined order of entries.

12. The method according to claim 11, in, Calculating the participation metric for each of the plurality of participants in the communication session includes determining a measure of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session based on (1) a determined amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session and (2) an aggregated contribution request of each of the plurality of participants.

13. The method according to claim 12, in: Wherein determining an amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session comprises: determining an amount of written contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session; determining an amount of audible contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session; and The determined amounts of written contributions and audible contributions of each of the plurality of participants are aggregated to determine an amount of verbal contribution of each of the plurality of participants to the communication session.

14. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 13, comprising: causing the calculated engagement metric for each of the plurality of participants to be displayed to the first user of the communication session, Wherein the first user is an organizer of a communication session, and wherein the plurality of participants are viewers of the communication session.

15. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, in, The input signal input via the user input device includes a received hand-raising indication, and Wherein calculating the participation metric for each of the plurality of participants comprises a number of hand raise indications received based on the communication session.

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