Virtual receptionist via videoconferencing

One disclosed example system includes a reception room meeting device configured for establishing a video conference with a device associated with a remote receptionist. The reception room meeting device sends a request for a video meeting with one of a plurality of candidate remote receptionists in response to receiving an activation signal triggered by a visitor to a reception area, and establishes the video meeting with a device associated with one remote receptionist selected based on the request. The system further includes a virtual receptionist system configured to access visitor data obtained by various input devices at the reception area, and determine the status of the visitor based on the visitor data. The virtual receptionist system further transmits the status of the visitor to the device associated with the selected remote receptionist to facilitate the check-in process.

FIELD

The present application generally relates to technologies for enabling virtual receptionist and more particularly relates to systems and methods for enabling virtual receptionist through videoconferencing.

BACKGROUND

Videoconferencing has become a common way for people to meet without being at the same physical location. Participants can join a video conference from various devices, such as a dedicated video conference device, a personal computer, a smartphone, and so on. Through the video conference, participants are able to see and hear each other and converse largely as they would during an in-person meeting or event.

SUMMARY

Various examples are described for systems and methods for enabling virtual receptionist through videoconferencing. One example method includes receiving, by a video conference provider from a reception room meeting device, a request for a meeting with a remote receptionist; determining, by the video conference provider and based on request data associated with the request, one or more qualified remote receptionists from a plurality of candidate remote receptionists, wherein the request data specifies the plurality of candidate remote receptionists and comprises an indication of a preference setting for the meeting; sending, by the video conference provider, a meeting request to a device associated with a first qualified remote receptionist that is available for the meeting; and establishing, by the video conference provider and in response to the qualified remote receptionist accepting the meeting request, a video conference between the reception room meeting device and the device associated with the first qualified remote receptionist.

In another example, a system includes a reception room meeting device configured for establishing a video conference with a device associated with a remote receptionist by sending, to a video conference provider, a meeting request for a video meeting with one of a plurality of candidate remote receptionists in response to receiving an activation signal triggered by a visitor; and establishing the video meeting with a device associated with a remote receptionist available to assist the visitor out of the plurality of candidate remote receptionists selected by the video conference provider based on the meeting request. The system further includes one or more input devices configured for obtaining data associated with the visitor; and one or more computing devices comprising one or more processors and non-transitory computer-readable media communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations include accessing the data associated with the visitor obtained by the one or more input devices; determining a status of the visitor based on the data associated with the visitor, the status of the visitor comprising an authenticity status or a physical status; and transmitting the status of the visitor to the device associated with the available remote receptionist.

Another example system includes a reception room meeting device configured for establishing a video conference with a device associated with a remote receptionist by sending a request for a video meeting with one of a plurality of candidate remote receptionists in response to receiving an activation signal triggered by a visitor, and establishing the video meeting with a device associated with a remote receptionist of the plurality of candidate remote receptionists selected based on the request. The system further includes one or more computing devices comprising one or more processors and non-transitory computer-readable media communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations. The operations comprise receiving, from the reception room meeting device among a plurality of reception room meeting devices, the request for the video meeting; determining, based on request data associated with the request, a qualified remote receptionist from the plurality of candidate remote receptionists, wherein the request data specifies the plurality of candidate remote receptionists; and causing a video meeting between the reception room meeting device and a device associated with the qualified remote receptionist to be initiated by sending, to a video conference provider, a meeting request for the video meeting.

These illustrative examples are mentioned not to limit or define the scope of this disclosure, but rather to provide examples to aid understanding thereof. Illustrative examples are discussed in the Detailed Description, which provides further description. Advantages offered by various examples may be further understood by examining this specification.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Examples are described herein in the context of systems and methods for enabling virtual receptionists through videoconferencing. Those of ordinary skill in the art will realize that the following description is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. Reference will now be made in detail to implementations of examples as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The same reference indicators will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like items.

In one example, a virtual reception system includes a reception room meeting device located in a reception area. The reception room meeting device is configured for establishing a video conference with a device associated with a virtual receptionist who is located remotely from the reception area (also referred to herein as a “remote receptionist”). For instance, the reception room meeting device sends, in response to receiving an activation signal, a meeting request for a video meeting with a virtual receptionist. The activation signal may be generated by, for example, a visitor touching a call button on the reception room meeting device, standing in front of a camera associated with the reception room meeting device, or scanning his/her identification card using an ID scanner in the reception area. The reception room meeting device further establishes the video meeting with a device associated with a remote receptionist available to assist the visitor. The remote receptionist is selected out of a list of candidate remote receptionists.

The meeting request may be processed by a video conference provider or a virtual receptionist system to determine a qualified remote receptionist that is available to assist the visitor. The meeting request is associated with request data specifying the list of candidate remote receptionists. The request data further includes an indication of a preference setting for the meeting, such as a preferred language for the meeting. The video conference provider or the virtual receptionist system determines the qualified remote receptionist from the list of candidate remote receptionists based on the preference setting for the meeting, and facilitates the establishment of the video meeting between the reception room meeting device and the device associated with the determined remote receptionist. Once the meeting is established, the visitor is able to communicate with the remote receptionist through the video conference.

The virtual reception system further includes one or more input devices configured for obtaining data associated with the visitor. The input devices may include a scanner (e.g., to scan the visitor's ID), a chip reader (e.g., to read the visitor's information through reading a chip on a device carried by the visitor), a temperature sensor (to measure the body temperature of the visitor), or an image sensor (e.g., to detect the face of the visitor). The data associated with the visitor is collected, for example by the virtual receptionist system, to determine the status of the visitor, including an authenticity status or a physical status. The status of the visitor is transmitted to the device associated with the determined remote receptionist to facilitate the check-in process by the remote receptionist.

The virtual reception system further includes one or more output devices controllable by the device associate with the remote receptionist. These output devices are configured for presenting information to the visitor (e.g., a display device for presenting a map) or generating documents for the visitor (e.g., a badge printer, a parking ticket printer, or a general printer). The remote receptionist can instruct the output devices, either directly or through the virtual receptionist system, to present information or produce documents as needed.

By using the virtual receptionist technique presented herein, the overall efficiency of the reception system can be improved. For example, by enabling various systems (e.g., the video conference provider, the virtual receptionist system, the receptionist device, the reception room meeting device, and various input and output devices in the reception area) to communicate with each other to exchange information and data, the virtual receptionist technique presented herein allows a smaller number of virtual receptionists to support a larger number of reception areas. In addition, a virtual receptionist that is more suitable for a particular visitor (e.g., speaks the same language as the visitor) can be selected to handle the check-in process of the visitor. Further, by allowing the list of candidate virtual receptionists to be configured for a reception room meeting device, the virtual receptionist who handles the visitors to the reception area is limited to this known list thereby ensuring a proper virtual receptionist is selected when assisting the visitors to this reception area.

This illustrative example is given to introduce the reader to the general subject matter discussed herein and the disclosure is not limited to this example. The following sections describe various additional non-limiting examples and examples of systems and methods for securely recording and retrieving encrypted video conferences.

Referring now toFIG.1,FIG.1shows an example system100that provides videoconferencing functionality to various client devices. The system100includes a video conference provider110that is connected to multiple communication networks120,130, through which various client devices140-180can participate in video conferences hosted by the video conference provider110. For example, the video conference provider110can be located within a private network to provide video conferencing services to devices within the private network, or it can be connected to a public network, e.g., the internet, so it may be accessed by anyone. Some examples may even provide a hybrid model in which a video conference provider110may supply components to enable a private organization to host private internal video conferences or to connect its system to the video conference provider110over a public network.

The system optionally also includes one or more user identity providers, e.g., user identity provider115, which can provide user identity services to users of the client devices140-160and may authenticate user identities of one or more users to the video conference provider110. In this example, the user identity provider115is operated by a different entity than the video conference provider110, though in some examples, they may be the same entity.

Video conference provider110allows clients to create videoconference meetings (or “meetings”) and invite others to participate in those meetings as well as perform other related functionality, such as recording the meetings, generating transcripts from meeting audio, manage user functionality in the meetings, enable text messaging during the meetings, create and manage breakout rooms from the main meeting, etc.FIG.2, described below, provides a more detailed description of the architecture and functionality of the video conference provider110.

Meetings in this example video conference provider110are provided in virtual “rooms” to which participants are connected. The room in this context is a construct provided by a server that provides a common point at which the various video and audio data is received before being multiplexed and provided to the various participants. While a “room” is the label for this concept in this disclosure, any suitable functionality that enables multiple participants to participate in a common videoconference may be used. Further, in some examples, and as alluded to above, a meeting may also have “breakout” rooms. Such breakout rooms may also be rooms that are associated with a “main” videoconference room. Thus, participants in the main videoconference room may exit the room into a breakout room, e.g., to discuss a particular topic, before returning to the main room. The breakout rooms in this example are discrete meetings that are associated with the meeting in the main room. However, to join a breakout room, a participant must first enter the main room. A room may have any number of associated breakout rooms according to various examples.

To create a meeting with the video conference provider110, a user may contact the video conference provider110using a client device140-180and select an option to create a new meeting. Such an option may be provided in a webpage accessed by a client device140-160or client application executed by a client device140-160. For telephony devices, the user may be presented with an audio menu that they may navigate by pressing numeric buttons on their telephony device. To create the meeting, the video conference provider110may prompt the user for certain information, such as a date, time, and duration for the meeting, a number of participants, a type of encryption to use, whether the meeting is confidential or open to the public, etc. After receiving the various meeting settings, the video conference provider may create a record for the meeting and generate a meeting identifier and, in some examples, a corresponding meeting password or passcode (or other authentication information), all of which meeting information is provided to the meeting host.

After receiving the meeting information, the user may distribute the meeting information to one or more users to invite them to the meeting. To begin the meeting at the scheduled time (or immediately, if the meeting was set for an immediate start), the host provides the meeting identifier and, if applicable, corresponding authentication information (e.g., a password or passcode). The video conference system then initiates the meeting and may admit users to the meeting. Depending on the options set for the meeting, the users may be admitted immediately upon providing the appropriate meeting identifier (and authentication information, as appropriate), even if the host has not yet arrived, or the users may be presented with information indicating the that meeting has not yet started or the host may be required to specifically admit one or more of the users.

During the meeting, the participants may employ their client devices140-180to capture audio or video information and stream that information to the video conference provider110. They also receive audio or video information from the video conference provider210, which is displayed by the respective client device140to enable the various users to participate in the meeting.

At the end of the meeting, the host may select an option to terminate the meeting, or it may terminate automatically at a scheduled end time or after a predetermined duration. When the meeting terminates, the various participants are disconnected from the meeting and they will no longer receive audio or video streams for the meeting (and will stop transmitting audio or video streams). The video conference provider110may also invalidate the meeting information, such as the meeting identifier or password/passcode.

To provide such functionality, one or more client devices140-180may communicate with the video conference provider110using one or more communication networks, such as network120or the public switched telephone network (“PSTN”)130. The client devices140-180may be any suitable computing or communications device that have audio or video capability. For example, client devices140-160may be conventional computing devices, such as desktop or laptop computers having processors and computer-readable media, connected to the video conference provider110using the internet or other suitable computer network. Suitable networks include the internet, any local area network (“LAN”), metro area network (“MAN”), wide area network (“WAN”), cellular network (e.g., 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, etc.), or any combination of these. Other types of computing devices may be used instead or as well, such as tablets, smartphones, and dedicated video conferencing equipment. Each of these devices may provide both audio and video capabilities and may enable one or more users to participate in a video conference meeting hosted by the video conference provider110.

In addition to the computing devices discussed above, client devices140-180may also include one or more telephony devices, such as cellular telephones (e.g., cellular telephone170), internet protocol (“IP”) phones (e.g., telephone180), or conventional telephones. Such telephony devices may allow a user to make conventional telephone calls to other telephony devices using the PSTN, including the video conference provider110. It should be appreciated that certain computing devices may also provide telephony functionality and may operate as telephony devices. For example, smartphones typically provide cellular telephone capabilities and thus may operate as telephony devices in the example system100shown inFIG.1. In addition, conventional computing devices may execute software to enable telephony functionality, which may allow the user to make and receive phone calls, e.g., using a headset and microphone. Such software may communicate with a PSTN gateway to route the call from a computer network to the PSTN. Thus, telephony devices encompass any devices that can make conventional telephone calls and is not limited solely to dedicated telephony devices like conventional telephones.

Referring again to client devices140-160, these devices140-160contact the video conference provider110using network120and may provide information to the video conference provider110to access functionality provided by the video conference provider110, such as access to create new meetings or join existing meetings. To do so, the client devices140-160may provide user identification information, meeting identifiers, meeting passwords or passcodes, etc. In examples that employ a user identity provider115, a client device, e.g., client devices140-160, may operate in conjunction with a user identity provider115to provide user identification information or other user information to the video conference provider110.

A user identity provider115may be any entity trusted by the video conference provider110that can help identify a user to the video conference provider110. For example, a trusted entity may be a server operated by a business or other organization and with whom the user has established their identity, such as an employer or trusted third-party. The user may sign into the user identity provider115, such as by providing a username and password, to access their identity at the user identity provider115. The identity, in this sense, is information established and maintained at the user identity provider115that can be used to identify a particular user, irrespective of the client device they may be using. An example of an identity may be an email account established at the user identity provider110by the user and secured by a password or additional security features, such as biometric authentication, two-factor authentication, etc. However, identities may be distinct from functionality such as email. For example, a health care provider may establish identities for its patients. And while such identities may have associated email accounts, the identity is distinct from those email accounts. Thus, a user's “identity” relates to a secure, verified set of information that is tied to a particular user and should be accessible only by that user. By accessing the identity, the associated user may then verify themselves to other computing devices or services, such as the video conference provider110.

When the user accesses the video conference provider110using a client device, the video conference provider110communicates with the user identity provider115using information provided by the user to verify the user's identity. For example, the user may provide a username or cryptographic signature associated with a user identity provider115. The user identity provider115then either confirms the user's identity or denies the request. Based on this response, the video conference provider110either provides or denies access to its services, respectively.

For telephony devices, e.g., client devices170-180, the user may place a telephone call to the video conference provider110to access video conference services. After the call is answered, the user may provide information regarding a video conference meeting, e.g., a meeting identifier (“ID”), a passcode or password, etc., to allow the telephony device to join the meeting and participate using audio devices of the telephony device, e.g., microphone(s) and speaker(s), even if video capabilities are not provided by the telephony device.

Because telephony devices typically have more limited functionality than conventional computing devices, they may be unable to provide certain information to the video conference provider110. For example, telephony devices may be unable to provide user identification information to identify the telephony device or the user to the video conference provider110. Thus, the video conference provider110may provide more limited functionality to such telephony devices. For example, the user may be permitted to join a meeting after providing meeting information, e.g., a meeting identifier and passcode, but they may be identified only as an anonymous participant in the meeting. This may restrict their ability to interact with the meetings in some examples, such as by limiting their ability to speak in the meeting, hear or view certain content shared during the meeting, or access other meeting functionality, such as joining breakout rooms or engaging in text chat with other participants in the meeting.

It should be appreciated that users may choose to participate in meetings anonymously and decline to provide user identification information to the video conference provider110, even in cases where the user has an authenticated identity and employs a client device capable of identifying the user to the video conference provider110. The video conference provider110may determine whether to allow such anonymous users to use services provided by the video conference provider110. Anonymous users, regardless of the reason for anonymity, may be restricted as discussed above with respect to users employing telephony devices, and in some cases may be prevented from accessing certain meetings or other services, or may be entirely prevented from accessing the video conference provider.

Referring again to video conference provider110, in some examples, it may allow client devices140-160to encrypt their respective video and audio streams to help improve privacy in their meetings. Encryption may be provided between the client devices140-160and the video conference provider110or it may be provided in an end-to-end configuration where multimedia streams transmitted by the client devices140-160are not decrypted until they are received by another client device140-160participating in the meeting. Encryption may also be provided during only a portion of a communication, for example encryption may be used for otherwise unencrypted communications that cross international borders.

Client-to-server encryption may be used to secure the communications between the client devices140-160and the video conference provider110, while allowing the video conference provider110to access the decrypted multimedia streams to perform certain processing, such as recording the meeting for the participants or generating transcripts of the meeting for the participants. End-to-end encryption may be used to keep the meeting entirely private to the participants without any worry about a video conference provider110having access to the substance of the meeting. Any suitable encryption methodology may be employed, including key-pair encryption of the streams. For example, to provide end-to-end encryption, the meeting host's client device may obtain public keys for each of the other client devices participating in the meeting and securely exchange a set of keys to encrypt and decrypt multimedia content transmitted during the meeting. Thus the client devices140-160may securely communicate with each other during the meeting. Further, in some examples, certain types of encryption may be limited by the types of devices participating in the meeting. For example, telephony devices may lack the ability to encrypt and decrypt multimedia streams. Thus, while encrypting the multimedia streams may be desirable in many instances, it is not required as it may prevent some users from participating in a meeting.

By using the example system shown inFIG.1, users can create and participate in meetings using their respective client devices140-180via the video conference provider110. Further, such a system enables users to use a wide variety of different client devices140-180from traditional standards-based video conferencing hardware to dedicated video conferencing equipment to laptop or desktop computers to handheld devices to legacy telephony devices. etc.

Referring now toFIG.2,FIG.2shows an example system200in which a video conference provider210provides videoconferencing functionality to various client devices220-250. The client devices220-250include two conventional computing devices220-230, dedicated equipment for a video conference room240, and a telephony device250. Each client device220-250communicates with the video conference provider210over a communications network, such as the internet for client devices220-240or the PSTN for client device250, generally as described above with respect toFIG.1. The video conference provider210is also in communication with one or more user identity providers215, which can authenticate various users to the video conference provider210generally as described above with respect toFIG.1.

In this example, the video conference provider210employs multiple different servers (or groups of servers) to provide different aspects of video conference functionality, thereby enabling the various client devices to create and participate in video conference meetings. The video conference provider210uses one or more real-time media servers212, one or more network services servers214, one or more video room gateways216, and one or more telephony gateways218. Each of these servers212-218is connected to one or more communications networks to enable them to collectively provide access to and participation in one or more video conference meetings to the client devices220-250.

The real-time media servers212provide multiplexed multimedia streams to meeting participants, such as the client devices220-250shown inFIG.2. While video and audio streams typically originate at the respective client devices, they are transmitted from the client devices220-250to the video conference provider210via one or more networks where they are received by the real-time media servers212. The real-time media servers212determine which protocol is optimal based on, for example, proxy settings and the presence of firewalls, etc. For example, the client device might select among UDP, TCP, TLS, or HTTPS for audio and video and UDP for content screen sharing.

The real-time media servers212then multiplex the various video and audio streams based on the target client device and communicate multiplexed streams to each client device. For example, the real-time media servers212receive audio and video streams from client devices220-240and only an audio stream from client device250. The real-time media servers212then multiplex the streams received from devices230-250and provide the multiplexed stream to client device220. The real-time media servers212are adaptive, for example, reacting to real-time network and client changes, in how they provide these streams. For example, the real-time media servers212may monitor parameters such as a client's bandwidth CPU usage, memory and network I/O as well as network parameters such as packet loss, latency and jitter to determine how to modify the way in which streams are provided.

The client device220receives the stream, performs any decryption, decoding, and demultiplexing on the received streams, and then outputs the audio and video using the client device's video and audio devices. In this example, the real-time media servers do not multiplex client device220's own video and audio feeds when transmitting streams to it. Instead each client device220-250only receives multimedia streams from other client devices220-250. For telephony devices that lack video capabilities, e.g., client device250, the real-time media servers212only deliver multiplex audio streams. The client device220may receive multiple streams for a particular communication, allowing the client device220to switch between streams to provide a higher quality of service.

In addition to multiplexing multimedia streams, the real-time media servers212may also decrypt incoming multimedia stream in some examples. As discussed above, multimedia streams may be encrypted between the client devices220-250and the video conference provider210. In some such examples, the real-time media servers212may decrypt incoming multimedia streams, multiplex the multimedia streams appropriately for the various clients, and encrypt the multiplexed streams for transmission.

In some examples, to provide multiplexed streams, the video conference provider210may receive multimedia streams from the various participants and publish those streams to the various participants to subscribe to and receive. Thus, the video conference provider210notifies a client device, e.g., client device220, about various multimedia streams available from the other client devices230-250, and the client device220can select which multimedia stream(s) to subscribe to and receive. In some examples, the video conference provider210may provide to each client device the available streams from the other client devices, but from the respective client device itself, though in other examples it may provide all available streams to all available client devices. Using such a multiplexing technique, the video conference provider210may enable multiple different streams of varying quality, thereby allowing client devices to change streams in real-time as needed, e.g., based on network bandwidth, latency, etc.

As mentioned above with respect toFIG.1, the video conference provider210may provide certain functionality with respect to unencrypted multimedia streams at a user's request. For example, the meeting host may be able to request that the meeting be recorded or that a transcript of the audio streams be prepared, which may then be performed by the real-time media servers212using the decrypted multimedia streams, or the recording or transcription functionality may be off-loaded to a dedicated server (or servers), e.g., cloud recording servers, for recording the audio and video streams. In some examples, the video conference provider210may allow a meeting participant to notify it of inappropriate behavior or content in a meeting. Such a notification may trigger the real-time media servers to212record a portion of the meeting for review by the video conference provider210. Still other functionality may be implemented to take actions based on the decrypted multimedia streams at the video conference provider210, such as monitoring video or audio quality, adjusting or changing media encoding mechanisms, etc.

It should be appreciated that multiple real-time media servers212may be involved in communicating data for a single meeting and multimedia streams may be routed through multiple different real-time media servers212. In addition, the various real-time media servers212may not be co-located, but instead may be located at multiple different geographic locations, which may enable high-quality communications between clients that are dispersed over wide geographic areas, such as being located in different countries or on different continents. Further, in some examples, one or more of these servers may be co-located on a client's premises, e.g., at a business or other organization. For example, different geographic regions may each have one or more real-time media servers212to enable client devices in the same geographic region to have a high-quality connection into the video conference provider210via local servers212to send and receive multimedia streams, rather than connecting to a real-time media server located in a different country or on a different continent. The local real-time media servers212may then communicate with physically distant servers using high-speed network infrastructure, e.g., internet backbone network(s), that otherwise might not be directly available to client devices220-250themselves. Thus, routing multimedia streams may be distributed throughout the video conference system210and across many different real-time media servers212.

Turning to the network services servers214, these servers214provide administrative functionality to enable client devices to create or participate in meetings, send meeting invitations, create or manage user accounts or subscriptions, and other related functionality. Further, these servers may be configured to perform different functionalities or to operate at different levels of a hierarchy, e.g., for specific regions or localities, to manage portions of the video conference provider under a supervisory set of servers. When a client device220-250accesses the video conference provider210, it will typically communicate with one or more network services servers214to access their account or to participate in a meeting.

When a client device220-250first contacts the video conference provider210in this example, it is routed to a network services server214. The client device may then provide access credentials for a user, e.g., a username and password or single sign-on credentials, to gain authenticated access to the video conference provider210. This process may involve the network services servers214contacting a user identity provider215to verify the provided credentials. Once the user's credentials have been accepted, the client device may perform administrative functionality, like updating user account information, if the user has an identity with the video conference provider210, or scheduling a new meeting, by interacting with the network services servers214.

In some examples, users may access the video conference provider210anonymously. When communicating anonymously, a client device220-250may communicate with one or more network services servers214but only provide information to create or join a meeting, depending on what features the video conference provider allows for anonymous users. For example, an anonymous user may access the video conference provider using client device220and provide a meeting ID and passcode. The network services server214may use the meeting ID to identify an upcoming or on-going meeting and verify the passcode is correct for the meeting ID. After doing so, the network services server(s)214may then communicate information to the client device220to enable the client device220to join the meeting and communicate with appropriate real-time media servers212.

In cases where a user wishes to schedule a meeting, the user (anonymous or authenticated) may select an option to schedule a new meeting and may then select various meeting options, such as the date and time for the meeting, the duration for the meeting, a type of encryption to be used, one or more users to invite, privacy controls (e.g., not allowing anonymous users, preventing screen sharing, manually authorize admission to the meeting, etc.), meeting recording options, etc. The network services servers214may then create and store a meeting record for the scheduled meeting. When the scheduled meeting time arrives (or within a threshold period of time in advance), the network services server(s)214may accept requests to join the meeting from various users.

To handle requests to join a meeting, the network services server(s)214may receive meeting information, such as a meeting ID and passcode, from one or more client devices220-250. The network services server(s)214locate a meeting record corresponding to the provided meeting ID and then confirm whether the scheduled start time for the meeting has arrived, whether the meeting host has started the meeting, and whether the passcode matches the passcode in the meeting record. If the request is made by the host, the network services server(s)214activates the meeting and connects the host to a real-time media server212to enable the host to begin sending and receiving multimedia streams.

Once the host has started the meeting, subsequent users requesting access will be admitted to the meeting if the meeting record is located and the passcode matches the passcode supplied by the requesting client device220-250. In some examples additional access controls may be used as well. But if the network services server(s)214determines to admit the requesting client device220-250to the meeting, the network services server214identifies a real-time media server212to handle multimedia streams to and from the requesting client device220-250and provides information to the client device220-250to connect to the identified real-time media server212. Additional client devices220-250may be added to the meeting as they request access through the network services server(s)214.

After joining a meeting, client devices will send and receive multimedia streams via the real-time media servers212, but they may also communicate with the network services servers214as needed during meetings. For example, if the meeting host leaves the meeting, the network services server(s)214may appoint another user as the new meeting host and assign host administrative privileges to that user. Hosts may have administrative privileges to allow them to manage their meetings, such as by enabling or disabling screen sharing, muting or removing users from the meeting, creating sub-meetings or “break-out” rooms, recording meetings, etc. Such functionality may be managed by the network services server(s)214.

For example, if a host wishes to remove a user from a meeting, they may identify the user and issue a command through a user interface on their client device. The command may be sent to a network services server214, which may then disconnect the identified user from the corresponding real-time media server212. If the host wishes to create a break-out room for one or more meeting participants to join, such a command may also be handled by a network services server214, which may create a new meeting record corresponding to the break-out room and then connect one or more meeting participants to the break-out room similarly to how it originally admitted the participants to the meeting itself.

In addition to creating and administering on-going meetings, the network services server(s)214may also be responsible for closing and tearing-down meetings once they have completed. For example, the meeting host may issue a command to end an on-going meeting, which is sent to a network services server214. The network services server214may then remove any remaining participants from the meeting, communicate with one or more real time media servers212to stop streaming audio and video for the meeting, and deactivate, e.g., by deleting a corresponding passcode for the meeting from the meeting record, or delete the meeting record(s) corresponding to the meeting. Thus, if a user later attempts to access the meeting, the network services server(s)214may deny the request.

Depending on the functionality provided by the video conference provider, the network services server(s)214may provide additional functionality, such as by providing private meeting capabilities for organizations, special types of meetings (e.g., webinars), etc. Such functionality may be provided according to various examples of video conferencing providers according to this description.

Referring now to the video room gateway servers216, these servers216provide an interface between dedicated video conferencing hardware, such as may be used in dedicated video conferencing rooms. Such video conferencing hardware may include one or more cameras and microphones and a computing device designed to receive video and audio streams from each of the cameras and microphones and connect with the video conference provider210. For example, the video conferencing hardware may be provided by the video conference provider to one or more of its subscribers, which may provide access credentials to the video conferencing hardware to use to connect to the video conference provider.

The video room gateway servers216provide specialized authentication and communication with the dedicated video conferencing hardware that may not be available to other client devices220-230,250. For example, the video conferencing hardware may register with the video conference provider when it is first installed and the video room gateway may authenticate the video conferencing hardware using such registration as well as information provided to the video room gateway server(s)216when dedicated video conferencing hardware connects to it, such as device ID information, subscriber information, hardware capabilities, hardware version information etc. Upon receiving such information and authenticating the dedicated video conferencing hardware, the video room gateway server(s)216may interact with the network services servers214and real-time media servers212to allow the video conferencing hardware to create or join meetings hosted by the video conference provider210.

Referring now to the telephony gateway servers218, these servers218enable and facilitate telephony devices' participation in meetings hosed by the video conference provider. Because telephony devices communicate using the PSTN and not using computer networking protocols, such as TCP/IP, the telephony gateway servers218act as an interface that converts between the PSTN and the networking system used by the video conference provider210.

For example, if a user uses a telephony device to connect to a meeting, they may dial a phone number corresponding to one of the video conference provider's telephony gateway servers218. The telephony gateway server218will answer the call and generate audio messages requesting information from the user, such as a meeting ID and passcode. The user may enter such information using buttons on the telephony device, e.g., by sending dual-tone multi-frequency (“DTMF”) audio signals to the telephony gateway server218. The telephony gateway server218determines the numbers or letters entered by the user and provides the meeting ID and passcode information to the network services servers214, along with a request to join or start the meeting, generally as described above. Once the telephony client device250has been accepted into a meeting, the telephony gateway server218is instead joined to the meeting on the telephony device's behalf.

After joining the meeting, the telephony gateway server218receives an audio stream from the telephony device and provides it to the corresponding real-time media server212, and receives audio streams from the real-time media server212, decodes them, and provides the decoded audio to the telephony device. Thus, the telephony gateway servers218operate essentially as client devices, while the telephony device operates largely as an input/output device, e.g., a microphone and speaker, for the corresponding telephony gateway server218, thereby enabling the user of the telephony device to participate in the meeting despite not using a computing device or video.

It should be appreciated that the components of the video conference provider210discussed above are merely examples of such devices and an example architecture. Some video conference providers may provide more or less functionality than described above and may not separate functionality into different types of servers as discussed above. Instead, any suitable servers and network architectures may be used according to different examples.

Referring now toFIG.3,FIG.3shows an example of an operating environment300for virtual receptionist through videoconferencing, according to certain aspects described herein. The operating environment300includes local systems located at various locations330A-330N, and receptionist devices360A-360M associated with respective remote receptionists362A-362M configured to support the check-in process of visitors at the locations330A-330N. The various locations330A-330N may be referred to herein individually as a location330or collectively as the locations330. Likewise, the receptionist devices360A-360M may be referred to herein individually as a receptionist device360or collectively as the receptionist devices360. The remote receptionists362A-362M may be referred to herein individually as a remote receptionist362or collectively as remote receptionists362. In some implementations, the number of remote receptionists362is smaller than the number of locations330.

The operating environment300further includes a video conference provider210configured to provide video conference functionalities for reception room meeting devices302located at reception areas320of the locations330and the receptionist devices360. The operating environment300further includes a virtual receptionist system350configured to facilitate the check-in process performed by the remote receptionists362, such as collecting data associated with a visitor for the remote receptionists362and transmitting data to devices in the reception area320according to the commands sent from the receptionist devices360. The virtual receptionist system350may be a system accessible over a network340(e.g., a cloud computing system) or a system local to the respective locations330. The network340might be a local-area network (“LAN”), a wide-area network (“WAN”), the Internet, or any type of data communications network known in the art that enables communications between the various components in the operating environment300.

At each location330A, such as an office building or a hotel, a reception room meeting device302, one or more input device(s)304, and one or more output device(s)306may be installed in a reception area320. The reception room meeting device302is configured to establish a video call with a receptionist device360associated with a remote receptionist362. The one or more input device(s)304are configured to obtain data associated with visitors to the reception area320. The input devices may include an identification (ID) scanner305(e.g., to scan the visitor's ID), a chip reader310(e.g., to read the visitor's information through reading a chip on a device carried by the visitor), a temperature sensor308(to measure the body temperature of the visitor), or a camera/image sensor (e.g., to detect the face of the visitor). The camera/image sensor may be integrated into the reception room meeting device302or a stand-alone camera connected to the reception room meeting device302. The one or more output device(s)306are configured for presenting information to the visitor (e.g., a display device for presenting a map) or generating documents for the visitor (e.g., a badge printer, a parking ticket printer, or a general-purpose printer). The display device may be a stand-alone display device or integrated into the reception room meeting device302. The reception room meeting device302, the input device(s)304, and output device(s)306may be communicatively connected to each other and to other systems, such as the virtual receptionist system350, the video conference provider210, and the receptionist devices360.

A visitor332to the reception area320may trigger an activation signal at the reception room meeting device302to start a video conference with a remote receptionist362. The activation signal for a video call may be triggered in various ways. For example, the visitor332may trigger the call by pressing a button on the reception room meeting device302(e.g., pushing a “call” button displayed on the reception room meeting device302or a physical button dedicated to initiating a video call with a remote receptionist). In response to receiving the user input, the reception room meeting device302generates an activation signal for the call. The visitor332may also trigger the call by standing in front of the camera/image sensor that is integrated into or otherwise connected to the reception room meeting device302. The reception room meeting device302may be configured to detect a human based on the images captured by the camera and generate an activation signal for the call. In a further example, the visitor332may trigger the call by scanning his/her ID card using the ID scanner305or placing his/her cellphone or other personal device near the chip reader for reading of the information. Upon detecting that an ID card is scanned at the ID scanner305, the reception room meeting device302may generate an activation signal for the call. Various other ways of triggering the video call with a remote receptionist362may be implemented.

Based on the activation signal, the reception room meeting device302can generate a meeting request for a video meeting with a remote receptionist362. In some examples, the reception room meeting device302is configured with a list of candidate remote receptionists from which a remote receptionist can be selected to assist a visitor332at the reception area320where the reception room meeting device302is located. The list of candidate remote receptionists may be specified by an administrator in a portal user interface configured to customize the reception room meeting device302. For instance, the reception room meeting device302is configured with a software template for setting up the video meeting with a remote receptionist. The template allows an administrator to enter the list of candidate remote receptionists to call and also to set up the way to initiate the call, such as dialing into a meeting or dial straight to the receptionist device360of a selected remote receptionist. In some examples, the template also allows the administrator to customize the user interface of the reception room meeting device302, such as setting up a welcome screen with a call button.

The reception room meeting device302can also be configured to determine a preference setting for the meeting. For instance, the reception room meeting device302accesses or otherwise receives audio data sampled by a microphone of the reception room meeting device302to detect the language used by the visitor332as the preferred language of the meeting. The preferred language may also be input by the visitor332, such as through selecting a menu option on a user interface presented on the reception room meeting device302. The input of the preferred language may also be performed through a voice command where the reception room meeting device302analyzes the audio data captured by the microphone to detect the voice command. The reception room meeting device302can also be configured to generate preference settings based on other characteristics of the visitor332, such as hearing impairment or visual impairment of the user, obtained through user interaction with the reception room meeting device302, for example.

The reception room meeting device302can generate the meeting request to include the list of candidate remote receptionists, the preference setting, and other information. In one example, the reception room meeting device302sends the meeting request to the video conference provider210. The video conference provider210selects, among the list of candidate remote receptionists, a remote receptionist based on the preference setting and the availabilities of the remote receptionists362. For example, the video conference provider210determines, from the list of candidate remote receptionists, qualified remote receptionists as those matching the preference settings. If the preference settings include a preferred language for the meeting, the video conference provider210determines those candidate remote receptionists who speak the preferred language as the qualified remote receptionists. If the preference setting includes an indication that the meeting is to be set up for a visitor having a hearing impairment, the video conference provider210determines those candidate remote receptionists who know sign language as qualified remote receptionists. The video conference provider210further checks the availabilities of the qualified remote receptionists and selects a qualified remote receptionist who is available to assist the visitor332.

The video conference provider210can further send a meeting request to the receptionist device360associated with the selected remote receptionist. Upon acceptance of the request, the video conference provider210can establish and support the video meeting between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360as described above with respect toFIGS.1and2.

In another example, the reception room meeting device302is configured to send the meeting request to the virtual receptionist system350. Responsive to the meeting request, the virtual receptionist system350selects the remote receptionist based on the list of candidate remote receptionists and the preference settings in a way similar to that used by the video conference provider210described above. The virtual receptionist system350sends data identifying the selected remote receptionist to the video conference provider210which in turn establishes a video meeting between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360as described above with respect toFIGS.1and2.

To facilitate the check-in process of the visitor332, the virtual receptionist system350can further obtain data about the visitor332from the input device(s)304. The collection of the information can be triggered when at least one of the input devices304is activated. For example, if the visitor332scanned his/her ID card using the ID scanner305, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain a copy of the scanned ID card. If the visitor332places his/her device close to the chip reader310to allow the chip reader310to read authentication information stored on the chip of the device, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain a copy of the authentication information from the chip reader310. If the temperature sensor308has a reading of the visitor's temperature, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain the temperature reading from the temperature sensor308as well.

In some examples, the virtual receptionist system350is further configured to process the obtained data associated with the visitor332. For example, the virtual receptionist system350can compare the temperature reading with a temperature requirement, e.g., to check for a potential fever, to determine if the visitor332is allowed to enter the building. The virtual receptionist system350may also be configured to store or have access to records of the scheduled visits, which may include information such as the name, address, or organization of the visitor, the host of the visitor, the destination room322that the visitor is scheduled to visit and so on. The virtual receptionist system350can thus process the scanned ID card (e.g., using image processing or recognition) to determine the information shown on the ID card, such as name, identification number, organization, address, or other aspects of the visitor332and determine if the extracted information matches the record. The virtual receptionist system350may be further configured to extract a picture of the visitor332from the ID card if required. Likewise, the virtual receptionist system350may also analyze the data obtained from the chip reader to determine the basic information about the visitor332, such as name, address, etc., and to determine whether the information matches the record. Although the above describes multiple input devices304, not all the input devices are used to obtain data associated with the visitor332. For example, in some scenarios, only one of the ID scanner305or the chip reader310is installed or used to obtain data.

Based on the obtained data and the analysis results, the virtual receptionist system350can determine the status of the visitor332. The status can be an authenticity status indicating whether the identity of the visitor332is authentic or a physical status indicating whether the visitor332is physically suitable to enter the premises (e.g., whether the body temperature meets the requirement). The virtual receptionist system350can be configured to send the status of the visitor332to the receptionist device360of the selected remote receptionist. In examples where the virtual receptionist system350selects the remote receptionist for the visitor332, the virtual receptionist system350may transmit the status information to the remote receptionist362before, concurrently, or after sending the meeting request to the video conference provider210.

In examples where the video conference provider210selects the remote receptionist for the visitor332, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain information of the selected remote receptionist from the video conference provider210or from the reception room meeting device302. For instance, once the remote receptionist is selected, the video conference provider210transmits the information of the selected remote receptionist362to the virtual receptionist system350so that the virtual receptionist system350can determine the receptionist device360to which the status of the visitor is to be transmitted. Alternatively, or additionally, the reception room meeting device302can be configured to send the virtual receptionist system350information about the selected remote receptionist. In further examples, the virtual receptionist system350may be configured to transmit the status of the visitor332and other information upon a request from the receptionist device360associated with the selected remote receptionist362. In any of the above examples, the remote receptionist362can view the status of the visitor332prior to or during the check-in process of the visitor332and determine whether to allow the visitor332to enter the premises.

If the remote receptionist362determines that the visitor332can enter the premises, the remote receptionist may use the associated receptionist device360to send commands to the output device(s)306in the reception area320to generate documents or provide information to the visitor332. For example, if a visitor badge is needed, the receptionist device360sends a request to the badge printer312to print a badge for the visitor332. If a parking ticket is needed, the receptionist device360sends a request to the parking ticket printer314to print a parking ticket for the visitor332. If other documents are needed, the receptionist device360sends a request to the general printer316to print the documents for the visitor332. The request from the receptionist device360may be sent to directly to the output device(s)306in the reception area320or to the virtual receptionist system350which in turn requests the corresponding output device(s)306to perform the required actions.

In further examples, the receptionist device360associated with the remote receptionist362can send a request to the virtual receptionist system350to request digital content, such as a floor map of the building, to be presented on a display device located in the reception area320. The digital content may also be text or images showing the status of the check-in process, such as “temperature okay,” “authentication verified,” “host notified,” etc. The display device may be a standalone display device installed in the reception area320or the display integrated into the reception room meeting device302.

In some implementations, the virtual receptionist system350is further configured to determine the status of the destination room322that the visitor332is scheduled to visit. The virtual receptionist system350can access or otherwise maintain room status for conference rooms or other rooms that are open to visitors, such as the capacity of the rooms, the current number of occupants in the respective rooms, and so on. The capacity of the rooms may be dynamically determined. For instance, if there is an ongoing pandemic, the virtual receptionist system350reduces the capacity of the rooms so that social distancing can be maintained. The virtual receptionist system350can restore the normal capacity of the rooms later on when the pandemic is over. The virtual receptionist system350further transmits the room status to the receptionist device360associated with the remote receptionist362. In situations where the destination room322that the visitor332is scheduled to visit is full, the virtual receptionist system350may further provide recommendations on alternative rooms that the visitor332may visit based on the fullness of other rooms on the same premises.

The virtual receptionist system350can further be configured to send a notification to a device associated with the host of the visitor332. For example, if the visitor332is checked in, the receptionist device360can send a request to the virtual receptionist system350(or the virtual receptionist system350can determine on its own) to send a notification to a device associated with the host, such as via a text message, a phone call, an email or an instant message through an online chatting application.

Referring now toFIG.4,FIG.4shows an example of a process400for establishing a video conference between a reception room meeting device and a receptionist device for a visitor, according to some aspects described herein. The process400ofFIG.4will be described with respect to the systems shown inFIG.3; however any suitable system according to this disclosure may be employed, including any of the systems shown inFIGS.1and2. In some embodiments, one or more computing devices (e.g., the video conference provider210) implement operations depicted inFIG.4by executing suitable program code.

At block410, the video conference provider210receives a request for a meeting with a remote receptionist362. In some examples, the video conference provider210receives the request for a meeting from a reception room meeting device302. As discussed above with regard toFIG.3, the request for a meeting may be generated based on an activation signal triggered in various ways. For example, a visitor332to the location where the reception room meeting device302is located may trigger the meeting by pressing a button on the reception room meeting device302(e.g., pushing a “call” button displayed on the reception room meeting device302or a physical button dedicated to initiating a video call with a remote receptionist). In response to receiving the user input, the reception room meeting device302generates an activation signal for the meeting. The visitor332may also trigger the meeting by standing in front of the camera/image sensor that is integrated in or otherwise connected to the reception room meeting device302. The reception room meeting device302may be configured to detect a human based on the images captured by the camera and generate an activation signal for the meeting. The visitor332may also trigger the meeting by scanning his/her ID card using the ID scanner306or placing his/her device close to the chip reader310. Upon detecting that an ID card is scanned at the ID scanner305or a chip is read by the chip reader310, the reception room meeting device302may generate an activation signal for the meeting.

In some examples, the request has request data associated therewith specifying a list of candidate remote receptionists from which the remote receptionist362assisting the visitor332is to be selected. The request data may further include an indication of a preference setting for the meeting. As described above with respect toFIG.3, the preference setting for the meeting can be determined by the reception room meeting device302. For instance, the reception room meeting device302determines a preferred language for the meeting by accessing or otherwise receiving audio data to detect the language used by the visitor332. The preferred language may also be input by the visitor332, such as through selecting a menu option on a user interface presented on the reception room meeting device302or through a voice command. The reception room meeting device302can generate preference settings based on other characteristics of the visitor332, such as hearing impairment or visual impairment of the user, obtained through user interaction with the reception room meeting device302.

At block420, the video conference provider210determines qualified remote receptionists based on the list of candidate remote receptionists specified in the request. If the request data of the request specifies one or more preference settings for the meeting, the video conference provider210further selects the qualified remote receptionists that satisfy the preference setting(s). For example, if the preference setting includes a preferred language for the meeting, the video conference provider210determines those candidate remote receptionists who speak the preferred language as the qualified remote receptionists. If the preference setting includes an indication that the meeting is to be set up for a visitor having a hearing impairment, the video conference provider210determines those candidate remote receptionists who knows sign language as qualified remote receptionists.

At block430, the video conference provider210determines the availabilities of the qualified remote receptionists. In some examples, the video conference provider210maintains or has access to the real-time statuses of the accounts associated with the remote receptionists362. The status for a remote receptionist may indicate that the remote receptionist is busy (e.g., in a meeting), offline, away, or available. Based on the real-time statuses of the remote receptionists, the video conference provider210is able to identify those qualified remote receptionists who are available to assist with the visitor332.

At block440, the video conference provider210determines if at least one qualified remote receptionist is available. If not, the video conference provider210waits for a period of time at block450. The wait time may be randomly selected or pre-determined. If the video conference provider210determines that there is at least one qualified remote receptionist available, the video conference provider210sends, at block460, a meeting request to the receptionist device360associated with one of the available remote receptionists362. Upon acceptance of the meeting request by the remote receptionist362, the video conference provider210establishes, at block470, a video meeting between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360associated with the remote receptionist as described above with respect toFIGS.1and2. At block480, the video conference provider210disconnects the meeting responsive to receiving a disconnection request from the receptionist device360or the reception room meeting device302.

In the example shown inFIG.4, the video conference provider210selects the remote receptionist for the visitor332from the list of candidate remote receptionists specified in the request. It is possible that when the request is received, none of the candidate remote receptionists is available for a long time (e.g., longer than a threshold wait time), or none of them are qualified remote receptionists according to the preference setting in the request. In such scenarios, the video conference provider210can search for qualified available remote receptionists outside the list of candidate remote receptionists and provide a recommendation for an alternative remote receptionist. Specifically, the video conference provider210estimates the time period that a remote receptionist is unavailable based on the status and statistics of the remote receptionist. For instance, the video conference provider210can compare the average length of meetings involving the remote receptionist362with the elapsed time of a meeting that the remote receptionist is currently in to determine the remaining time that the remote receptionist will be in the meeting. The remote receptionist system350can perform the same estimation for all the qualified remote receptionists. The virtual receptionist system350can send a notification to the reception room meeting device302with the shortest estimated wait time, where the reception room meeting device302is configured to display the estimated wait time to the visitor332.

If none of the qualified remote receptionists has an estimated remaining meeting time shorter than the threshold wait time, the video conference provider210can provide the recommendation for an alternative remote receptionist. The video conference provider210may maintain, or obtain from the virtual receptionist system350, a list of remote receptionists that are authorized to serve visitors to the location330but are not specified in the request. The video conference provider210can determine whether any of these additional remote receptionists are qualified and available to assist the visitor332as described above. The video conference provider210may present any determined remote receptionist to an administrator or other personnel in charge of managing the remote receptionists for approval. Upon receiving the approval, the video conference provider210can establish a video meeting between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360of the recommended remote receptionist362.

Referring now toFIG.5,FIG.5shows an example of a process500for facilitating the check-in process of a visitor by a remote receptionist, according to some aspects described herein. The process500ofFIG.5will be described with respect to the systems shown inFIG.3; however any suitable system according to this disclosure may be employed, including any of the systems shown inFIGS.1and2. In some embodiments, one or more computing devices (e.g., the virtual receptionist system350) implement operations depicted inFIG.5by executing suitable program code.

At block510, the virtual receptionist system350accesses data associated with a visitor332. As discussed above with respect toFIG.3, the data can be obtained by various input devices304at the location of the visitor332. As discussed above with respect toFIG.3, collecting the data associated with the visitor332can be triggered when at least one of the input devices304is activated. For example, if the visitor332scanned his/her ID card using the ID scanner305, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain a copy of the scanned ID card. If the visitor332uses the chip reader to enter his/her authentication information, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain a copy of the authentication information. If the temperature sensor308has a reading of the visitor's temperature, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain the temperature reading from the temperature sensor308. The data associated with the visitor332can further include a picture of the visitor332, such as a picture taken by a camera on the reception room meeting device302or another camera in the reception area.

At block520, the virtual receptionist system350determines the status of the visitor332based on the data associated with the visitor. For example, the virtual receptionist system350compares the temperature reading with a temperature requirement to determine if the visitor332is well enough to be allowed to enter the building. The virtual receptionist system350processes the scanned ID card or the data obtained by the chip reader to determine information of the visitor332, such as name, identification number, organization, address, and determine whether the extracted information matches the information stored in the records of the scheduled visits. The virtual receptionist system350may be further configured to compare (e.g., using face recognition) the picture of the visitor obtained by a camera with his/her picture on the scanned ID card. Based on the processed information, the virtual receptionist system350determines the status of the visitor332. The status can be an authenticity status indicating whether the identity of the visitor332is authenticate or a physical status indicating whether the visitor332is physically suitable to enter the premises (e.g., whether the body temperature meets the requirement).

At block530, the virtual receptionist system350determines the remote receptionist362for assisting the visitor332. In scenarios where the reception room meeting device302sends the request for a meeting to the virtual receptionist system350, the virtual receptionist system350can determine qualified remote receptionists362from the list of candidate remote receptionists in a similar way as the video conference provider210described above with respect toFIG.4. To determine the availabilities of these qualified remote receptionists, the virtual receptionist system350can request the video conference provider210to send the statuses of the qualified remote receptionists or identifiers of qualified remote receptionists who are available based on their statuses. The virtual receptionist system350selects a remote receptionist from the available remote receptionists. The virtual receptionist system350further transmits a meeting request to the video conference provider210to start the video meeting between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360associated with the selected remote receptionist362. Similar to that described above with respect toFIG.4, the virtual receptionist system350may also be configured to provide recommendation for an alternative remote receptionist if none of the qualified candidate remote receptionists is available for a long time or there are no qualified remote receptionists in the list of candidate remote receptionists.

In scenarios where the reception room meeting device302sends the request for a meeting to the video conference provider210, the virtual receptionist system350can obtain the information about the selected remote receptionist from the video conference provider210.

At block540, the virtual receptionist system350transmits the status of the visitor332to the receptionist device360associated with the selected remote receptionist362to facilitate the check-in process. The transmission may be before, concurrently, or after the virtual receptionist system350requests the video conference provider210to establish the meeting. In some examples, the transmission is at the request of the receptionist device360of the selected remote receptionist362.

At block550, the virtual receptionist system350obtains and transmits additional information to the receptionist device360associated with the selected remote receptionist362if it receives new data about the visitor332from the input device(s)304. In further examples and as discussed above with respect toFIG.3, the virtual receptionist system350is configured to determine the status of the destination room322that the visitor332is scheduled to visit. The virtual receptionist system350compares the current capacity of the destination room322and the number of occupants in that room to determine whether the room is fully occupied. The virtual receptionist system350further transmits the room status to the receptionist device360associated with the remote receptionist. In situations where the room that the visitor332is scheduled to visit is full, the virtual receptionist system350may further provide recommendations on alternative rooms that the visitor332may visit. The visitor332may further collect and transmit other information to the receptionist device360.

At block560, the virtual receptionist system350receives a command from the receptionist device360. In some examples, the command instructs one or more output device(s)306in the reception area320to be activated to generate documents or provide information to the visitor332, as discussed above with respect toFIG.3. The command can be a command to instruct the badge printer312to print a badge for the visitor332, a command to instruct the parking ticket printer314to print a parking ticket for the visitor332, a command to print the documents for the visitor332. The command may instruct digital content, such as a floor map of the building, to be presented on a display device located in the reception area320. The digital content may also be text or images showing the status of the process, such as “temperature okay” “authentication verified” “host notified” etc. In other examples, the virtual receptionist system350may also receive a command to notify the host about the arrival of the visitor332and the room the visitor332is instructed to stay in while waiting for the host.

At block570, the virtual receptionist system350sends instructions to activate the corresponding output device(s)306or other devices based on the command received at block560. For example, depending on the command received at block560, the virtual receptionist system350may instruct the output device(s) and other devices in the reception area320to print the document or display the content as instructed. If the command is to notify the host, the virtual receptionist system350may retrieve the contact information of the host (e.g., the email address, phone number, online chat account), and send a notification in a proper format (e.g., an email, a text message, a phone call, or an instant message). Sending such a notification can activate the device of the host (e.g., a cellphone or a computer) to display the notification.

FIG.6shows an example of a user interface600presented on a reception room meeting device302in a reception area320when the video meeting between the reception room meeting device302and a receptionist device360is established, according to certain aspects described herein. The user interface600includes a primary video display area602showing the video of the remote receptionist362and a secondary video display area604showing the video of the visitor332. In the example shown inFIG.6, the secondary video display area604is overlaid on the primary video display area602. In some examples, the reception room meeting device302or the video conference provider210is configured to determine the location and size of the secondary video display area604so that it does not block or overlap with the face of the remote receptionist shown in the primary video display area602. For instance, the reception room meeting device302or the video conference provider210performs face detection on the video of the remote receptionist to detect the face region. The reception room meeting device302or the video conference provider210further determines the location of the secondary video display area604so that it does not block or occlude the face region of the remote receptionist video when overlaid on top of the remote receptionist video.

If changing the location of the secondary video display area604alone is insufficient to avoid occlusion, the reception room meeting device302or the video conference provider210may further adjust the size of the secondary video display area604to avoid the occlusion. In some examples, the size of the secondary video display area604is maintained to be no smaller than a minimum size. If needed, the reception room meeting device302or the video conference provider210may also be configured to send a notification to the receptionist device360to request the remote receptionist to adjust his/her gesture so that the secondary video display area604can be properly displayed in the user interface600(e.g., does not overlap with the face region of the remote receptionist video, is maintained above a minimum size, is placed at a specific location, etc.).

In addition to the video of the remote receptionist and the visitor, the user interface shown on the reception room meeting device302is configured to include a minimal set of user interface controls that are necessary to the video meeting to avoid distraction. For example, the user interface600shown inFIG.6only includes a volume control606that allows the visitor332to adjust the audio volume of the meeting. In other configurations, the user interface may include a user interface control to allow the visitor332to select preferred language or other meeting preferences.

It should be understood that although the examples shown above focus on video meetings between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360associated with the remote receptionist362, the communication between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360can also be an audio connection, such as an audio phone call. In this example, the video conference provider210, the virtual receptionist system350or another system facilitates the audio connection between the reception room meeting device302and the receptionist device360associated with the remote receptionist362in a way similar to those described above for the video meetings.

In additional examples, the remote receptionist selected for the visitor332could route the visitor to another individual (e.g., another virtual receptionist). For example, after talking to the visitor332through the established connection (video meeting or audio call), the selected remote receptionist can have the reception room meeting device302connect to the device associated with another individual who can further assist the visitor332, such as another receptionist device360associated with another remote receptionist. This can be achieved by, for example, the receptionist device360associated with the first remote receptionist sending a request to the video conference provider210or the virtual receptionist system350with the information of the individual identified by the first remote receptionist. The video conference provider210or the virtual receptionist system350then connects the reception room meeting device302to the device associated with the identified individual through a video meeting or an audio connection.

Referring now toFIG.7,FIG.7shows an example computing device700suitable for implementing aspects of the techniques and technologies described herein. The example computing device700includes a processor710which is in communication with the memory720and other components of the computing device700using one or more communications buses702. The processor710is configured to execute processor-executable instructions stored in the memory720to execute the reception room meeting device302, the virtual receptionist system350, the video conference provider210, or a portion thereof according to this disclosure or to perform one or more methods for facilitating the check-in process of a visitor by a remote receptionist according to different examples, such as part or all of the example processes400and500described above with respect toFIGS.4and5. The computing device, in this example, also includes one or more user input devices750, such as a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, video capture device, microphone, etc., to accept user input. The computing device700also includes a display740to provide visual output to a user.