Interactive timeline for a teleconference session

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10171256-B2
Application number	US-201715427007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 7, 2017
Priority date	Feb 7, 2017
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

Described herein is a system that generates and displays an interactive timeline for a teleconference session. The system determines notable events that occur in association with live and/or recorded content of the teleconference session. The system adds a representation of a notable event to the interactive timeline in association with a time at which the notable event occurs. Moreover, the system enables varying levels of user interaction with a representation so that the user can view different amounts of information associated with a notable event. For example, first input associated with a representation can cause first information about a notable event to be displayed to a user without interrupting a current view of content being displayed. In an event the user wants to view more detailed information about the notable event, the user can provide second input which causes second information about the notable event to be displayed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
one or more processing units; and
a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the one or more processing units to:
cause content of a teleconference session to be displayed;
cause an interactive timeline associated with the teleconference session to be displayed, wherein the interactive timeline includes a plurality of representations that correspond to a plurality of notable events associated with the teleconference session and wherein the plurality of representations are of one or more different types;
receive a first request associated with a representation of the plurality of representations while the content of the teleconference session continues to be displayed in association with a current view;
based at least in part on receiving the first request, cause first information to be displayed while the content of the teleconference session continues to be displayed in association with the current view, the first information describing a notable event that corresponds to the representation;
receive a second request associated with the representation; and
based at least in part on receiving the second request, switch from the current view to a different view to display second information associated with the notable event.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first request is associated with hovering of a user control element over the representation.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to cause the first information to be displayed in an overlay display area on top of the content of the teleconference session being displayed in association with the current view.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of notable events are different types of notable events comprising at least two of:
a mention of a user;
a file that is shared;
a comment that is submitted to a chat conversation;
a task that is assigned;
a poll that is conducted;
an expression that is shared; or
a link to an external object.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first information comprises one or more of:
identification information associated with a user that is a source of the notable event;
identification information associated with one or more users to which the notable event is directed;
text of an individual comment that is submitted to a chat conversation;
a name of a file that is shared;
a general description of a task;
an option to submit a vote for a poll; or
a link to an external object.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second information provides more detail about the notable event than the first information, the second information comprising one or more of:
a recorded portion of the teleconference session associated with a time on the interactive timeline with which the notable event is associated;
a part of a chat conversation in which a comment is submitted;
a display area of a recorded portion of the teleconference session associated with a time on the interactive timeline with which the notable event is associated;
content of a file that is shared;
details of a task that is assigned;
results of a poll that is conducted; or
information accessible via selection of a link to an external object.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to:
cause an option that enables a user to add a notable event of a particular type to the interactive timeline to be displayed;
receive a selection of the option; and
add the notable event of the particular type to the interactive timeline based at least in part on the selection.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to graphically distinguish, using different colors, between a first notable event and a second notable event of the plurality of notable events based on a first user being a first source of the first notable event and a second user being a second source of the second notable event.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to:
detect an occurrence of at least one of the plurality of notable events during the teleconference session; and
add the at least one of the plurality of notable events to the interactive timeline based at least in part on the detecting.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one of the plurality of notable events occurs based on input into a chat conversation that is associated with the teleconference session.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the content of the teleconference session comprises recorded content.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the content of the teleconference session comprises live content.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the different view comprises a first display area that includes the content of the teleconference session that corresponds to a position of an interactive timeline cursor and a second display area that includes the second information associated with the notable event.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein switching from the current view to the different view comprises replacing the content of the teleconference session that corresponds to a position of an interactive timeline cursor with the second information associated with the notable event.

15. A system comprising:
one or more processing units; and
a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the one or more processing units to:
record live content of a teleconference session;
determine occurrences of a first set of notable events that are associated with the live content of the teleconference session;
add, to an interactive timeline associated with the teleconference session, a first set of representations that correspond to the first set of notable events;
receive a request to view recorded content of the teleconference session;
cause the recorded content of the teleconference session to be displayed;
cause the interactive timeline associated with the teleconference session to be displayed;
determine occurrences of a second set of notable events associated with the recorded content of the teleconference session; and
add, to the interactive timeline associated with the teleconference session, a second set of representations that correspond to the second set of notable events, wherein the interactive timeline graphically distinguishes between the first set of representations and the second set of representations.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the interactive timeline graphically distinguishes between the first set of representations and the second set of representations using colors.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the interactive timeline graphically distinguishes between the first set of representations and the second set of representations using display locations.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein, prior to receiving the request to view the recorded content of the teleconference session, the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to cause the interactive timeline to be displayed in association with an end-of-session object embedded in a chat conversation or a calendar.

19. A method comprising:
causing content of a teleconference session to be displayed;
causing an interactive timeline associa

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Faulkner Jason Thomas
• Rodriguez Jose
• Baker Casey
• Arora Sonu
• Welsh Christopher
• Morrison Kevin D

Classifications

• H04L12/1827

  Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation · CPC title

• H04L12/1822 Primary

  Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission · CPC title

• H04L12/1818 Primary

  Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties · CPC title

• H04L12/1831

  Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status · CPC title

• H04L12/1813

  for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms (instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15) · CPC title