Concurrent engagement with live content of multiple conference sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10547654-B2
Application number	US-201715596688-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2017
Priority date	May 16, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Described herein are techniques to enable a user to concurrently engage with live content and/or chat conversations of multiple conference sessions at the same time. The concurrent engagement is enabled within a single user interface. The user interface is configured to enable the concurrent engagement with live content and/or chat conversations of multiple conference sessions via an adjacent view (e.g., side-by-side, top and bottom, etc.) or a tabbed view. The live content can be configured for display in a first display region of the user interface. The chat conversations can be configured for display in a second display region of the user interface that is adjacent to the first display region. Consequently, a user is able to manage levels of engagement with live content and chat conversations of multiple conference sessions, and switch the levels of engagement to view and/or hear activity amongst the multiple conference sessions.

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:
receive, from a client computing device, one or more requests to view first live content associated with a first conference session concurrently with second live content associated with a second conference session;
cause the first live content associated with the first conference session to be displayed in a first display area of a first display region within a user interface;
cause the second live content associated with the second conference session to be displayed in a second display area of the first display region within the user interface, the second display area being adjacent to the first display area in the first display region so that the first live content and the second live content are concurrently displayed;
receive, from the client computing device, a subsequent request to enable output of first audio for the first live content;
enable, based at least in part on the subsequent request, the output of the first audio for the first live content;
based on the enabling of the output of the first audio for the first live content, disable output of the second audio for the second live content;
cause a second display region within the user interface to be displayed, the second display region being adjacent to the first display region and configured to display at least one of a first textual chat conversation associated with the first live content or a second textual chat conversation associated with the second live content; and
cause a third display region within the user interface to be displayed, the third display region configured to display at least one of a first textual chat conversation associated with the first live content or a second textual chat conversation associated with the second live content, the third display region displayed concurrently with at least one of the first and second display regions.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second display region is configured to switch between displaying the first textual chat conversation and displaying the second textual chat conversation based at least in part on selection of a tab.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second display region is configured to concurrently display the first textual chat conversation and the second textual chat conversation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to:
detect an occurrence of a notable event in the second live content; and
cause a notification to be displayed based on the occurrence of the notable event in the second live content.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the notable event comprises one or more of a mention of a user identity, a sharing of a file, a change to a file currently displayed, a task that is assigned, an explicit flag added to an interactive timeline by a user, or a time period of concentrated activity.

6. The system of claim 4 , wherein the notification is graphically associated with the second display area of the first display region within the user interface.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to cause a control element to be output, the control element, upon selection, enabling the output of the second audio for the second live content while disabling the output of the first audio for the first live content.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to cause a status indicator to be communicated and displayed to participants of the second conference session indicating that the output of the second audio for the second live content has been disabled.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first display area of the first display region and the second display area of the first display region are of equal size.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first live content and the second live content each comprise file data, the file data being associated with at least one of a document, a presentation, a spreadsheet, an image, or a video.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to cause a monitor to be displayed, the monitor comprising one or more video streams associated with one or more persons participating in the first conference session, the output of the first audio including speech by individual ones of the one or more persons.

12. A method comprising:
receiving, from a client computing device, one or more requests to view first live content associated with a first conference session concurrently with second live content associated with a second conference session;
causing the first live content associated with the first conference session to be displayed in a first display area within a user interface;
causing the second live content associated with the second conference session to be displayed in a second display area within the user interface, the second display area being adjacent to the first display area so that the first live content and the second live content are concurrently displayed;
receiving, from the client computing device, a subsequent request to enable output of first audio for the first live content;
enabling, based at least in part on the subsequent request, the output of the first audio for the first live content;
based on the enabling of the output of the first audio for the first live content, disabling output of the second audio for the second live content;
detecting an occurrence of a notable event in the second live content;
causing a notification to be displayed based on the occurrence of the notable event in the second live content;
causing a control to be displayed within the user interface, the control, upon selection, enabling the output of the second audio for the second live content while disabling the output of the first audio for the first live content; and
causing a third display area within the user interface to be displayed, the third display area configured to display at least one of a first textual chat conversation associated with the first live content or a second textual chat conversation associated with the second live content, the third display area displayed concurrently with the first and second display areas.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the notable event comprises one or more of a mention of a user identity, a sharing of a file, a change to a file currently displayed, a task that is assigned, an explicit flag added to an interactive timeline, or a time period of concentrated activity.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising causing a status indicator to be displayed to participants of the second conference session indicating that the output of the second audio for the second live content has been disabled.

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:
receive, from a client computing device, one or more requests to concurrently engage with a first conference session and a second conference session;
cause a first display region to be displayed within a user interface, the first display region configured to display, based on selection of a first tab, first live content associated with the first conference session or second live conten

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Faulkner Jason Thomas

Classifications

• H04L51/046

  Interoperability with other network applications or services · CPC title

• H04L12/1827

  Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation · CPC title

• H04L65/4015 Primary

  where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · 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