A telecommunication and multimedia management apparatus and method that supports voice and other media communications and that enables users to: (i) participate in multiple conversation modes, including live phone calls, conference calls, instant voice messaging or tactical communications; (ii) review the messages of conversations in either a live mode or a time-shifted mode and to seamlessly transition back and forth between the two modes; (iii) participate in multiple conversations either concurrently or simultaneously; (iv) archive the messages of conversations for later review or processing; and (v) persistently store media either created or received on the communication devices of users. The latter feature enables users to generate or review media when either disconnected from the network or network conditions are poor and to optimize the delivery of media over the network based on network conditions and the intention of the users participating in conversations.

Automated processes, computing systems, computing devices and other aspects of a data processing system provide improved reliability in delivering digital media content over the Internet or a similar wide area network without sacrificing data security. Content is initially placed into a secure format (e.g., secure hypertext transport protocol (HTTPS) via transport control protocol (TCP) or the like). Prior to transmission on the network, the secure data packets are encapsulated within connectionless frames, such as user datagram protocol (UDP) frames. The client device that receives the encapsulated packets extracts the underlying secure content from the connectionless frames for further processing. The encapsulation into connectionless data frames permits client and server devices to establish effective streaming sessions while preserving the security of the underlying data.

Systems and methods are directed to automatically creating customized whiteboard backgrounds. A network system accesses metadata associated with a virtual presentation (e.g., title, topic, tenant identifier). First image data is identified based on first data of the metadata and second image data is identified based on second data of the metadata. Using the first image data and the second image data, the network system generates a plurality of whiteboard backgrounds by combining a first object obtained from the first image data with a second object obtained from the second image data to form each whiteboard background. The network system then causes presentation of a representation of each of the plurality of whiteboard backgrounds on a user interface of a host, who can select one of the representations. In response to receiving a selection, a whiteboard background corresponding to the selected representation is displayed as background on a whiteboard canvas.

Listeners to media programs provide feedback to creators or other entities associated with the media programs in the form of one or more spoken utterances. When a listener to a media program speaks one or more words to a microphone or other system, the words are captured and processed to determine an emotion of the listener, or to determine whether the words include any objectionable content. Data including the spoken words is captured and stored, and presented to the creator of the media program. Notifications of the utterances are provided to the creator, who may identify one of the utterances, and include the utterance in the media program, or invite the listener who provided the utterances to participate in the media program.

A method includes receiving a selection of a subgroup of participants from a group of potential focus group participants, placing each participant in the subgroup of participants in a waiting room environment, establishing a respective testing video conference between each participant in the subgroup of participants and the second user and confirming, based on the respective testing video conference, a respective technical ability to carry out a video conference. The method includes establishing the video conference comprising each respective confirmed participant and the second user, receiving respective data as part of the focus group from each respective confirmed participant and presenting live data associated with the video conference of the focus group to the first user at a user device. The method and associated network server enable a quick way to establish a focus group and then carry out a focus group on a topic of interest.

Disclosed are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media for making virtual colored markings on objects. Instructions may include receiving an indication of an object; receiving from an image sensor an image of a hand of an individual holding a physical marking implement; detecting in the image a color associated with the marking implement; receiving from the image sensor image data indicative of movement of a tip of the marking implement and locations of the tip; determining from the image data when the locations of the tip correspond to locations on the object; and generating, in the detected color, virtual markings on the object at the corresponding locations.

Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to creating and administering artificial reality collaborative working environments and providing interaction modes for them. An XR work system can provide and control such artificial reality collaborative working environments to enable, for example, A) links between real-world surfaces and XR surfaces; B) links between multiple real-world areas to XR areas with dedicated functionality; C) maintaining access, while inside the artificial reality working environment, to real-world work tools such as the user's computer screen and keyboard; D) various hand and controller modes for different interaction and collaboration modalities; E) use-based, multi-desk collaborative room configurations; and F) context-based auto population of users and content items into the artificial reality working environment.

A system and method for managing virtual queues. A cloud-based queue service manages a plurality of queues hosted by one or more entities. The queue service is in constant communication with the entities providing queue management, queue analysis, and queue recommendations. The queue service is likewise in direct communication with queued persons. Sending periodic updates while also motivating and incentivizing punctuality and minimizing wait times based on predictive analysis. The predictive analysis uses “Big Data” and other available data resources, for which the predictions assist in the balancing of persons across multiple queues for the same event or multiple persons across a sequence of queues for sequential events.

A computer-implemented method for preserving media streams may include (i) identifying a media stream transmitted by a client device to a server that hosts the media stream for access by additional devices, (ii) detecting that the server is expected to go offline, (iii) sending, in response to detecting that the server is expected to go offline, a message to the client device indicating that the server is expected to go offline, (iv) receiving, at an additional server, a request from the client device to host the media stream, and (v) in response to receiving the request, hosting the media stream at the additional server while ceasing to host the media stream at the server that is expected to go offline. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

An electronic communication method and system for providing private communications from one or more advisors to a participant of an electronic communication are provided. Exemplary methods include establishing an electronic communication between two or more participants (e.g., using a first communication session) and establishing a private session between an advisor and one or more of the participants.