US 12,244,655 B1
Interpersonal networking in virtual space pre-meeting waiting rooms and post-meeting sessions for participants of a videoconferencing session
Benjamin Slotznick, Mt. Gretna, PA (US)
Filed by Benjamin Slotznick, Mt. Gretna, PA (US)
Filed on Nov. 18, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/950,779.
Application 18/950,779 is a continuation in part of application No. 18/608,181, filed on Mar. 18, 2024, granted, now 12,149,567.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/457,934, filed on Apr. 7, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/482,919, filed on Feb. 2, 2023.
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 65/401 (2022.01); H04L 9/40 (2022.01); H04L 65/1069 (2022.01); H04L 65/1093 (2022.01)
CPC H04L 65/4015 (2013.01) [H04L 63/08 (2013.01); H04L 65/1069 (2013.01); H04L 65/1093 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated method for allowing meeting participants of a host-scheduled videoconferencing session to interact with each other via an online meeting user interface of a videoconferencing system using their respective participant computers prior to initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, wherein the meeting participants request to join the host-scheduled videoconferencing session by sending a request to the videoconferencing system from their respective participant computers, and wherein the videoconferencing system provides a waiting room for the meeting participants to be placed in prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, the method comprising:
(a) electronically clearing meeting participants to participate in the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, by the video conferencing system, who have requested to join the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, wherein cleared meeting participants automatically join the host-scheduled videoconferencing session upon its initiation via their respective meeting participant computers, and
wherein cleared meeting participants are in the waiting room prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session;
(b) providing, by the videoconferencing system, a selection option in the online meeting user interface to allow the cleared meeting participants to interact with other cleared meeting participants via the online meeting user interface using their respective participant computers prior to the initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session, thereby allowing cleared meeting participants who are in the waiting room to interact with each other upon making the selection option,
wherein the cleared meeting participants who interact with other cleared meeting participants in the waiting room are simultaneously admitted to the host-scheduled videoconferencing session upon initiation of the host-scheduled videoconferencing session;
(c) providing, by the videoconferencing system, a first process for creating subsets of a pre-specified number of cleared meeting participants who are in the waiting room and who selected to interact with other cleared meeting participants by making the selection option, wherein the cleared meeting participants in each subset can interact with each other in a pre-meeting networking session, and wherein the cleared meeting participants in each subset can interact only with other cleared meeting participants in the same subset; and
(d) providing, by the videoconferencing system, a second process for allowing cleared meeting participants who are in the waiting room and who selected to interact with other cleared meeting participants by making the selection option, and who are in a created subset, to subsequently interact in a second and different created subset, and thereby interact only with other cleared meeting participants in the second and different created subset.