Integrated multitasking interface for communication sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11567785-B2
Application number	US-201715478239-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Jan 31, 2023
Grant date	Jan 31, 2023

Abstract

The techniques disclosed herein enable participants of a teleconference session to access the functionality of a number of task-related program modules while maintaining engagement with aspects of a teleconference session within a single user interface. For example, a session participant can access files, various chat discussions, various channels, calendars, emails, an operating system desktop, and other functionality of a computing device while viewing one or more video streams of a teleconference session within a unified graphical user interface. The session participant can maintain engagement with both audio and video capabilities while performing tasks, including but not limited to, selecting, viewing, and modifying content data. In some configurations, a specialized graphical user interface allows a user to view one or more video streams of the teleconference session in predetermined positions while also providing optimal access to tools for interacting with different types of content managed by a variety of modules.

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 a display of a first display area of a first user interface arrangement comprising a rendering of a select user with a first number of video streams depicting other remote users of a communication session within the first user interface arrangement rendered on a display device;
cause a display of a menu comprising a plurality of selectable elements, wherein individual elements of the plurality of selectable elements are configured to provide access to functionality for editing content data from a computing device causing a display of the first user interface arrangement;
receive a selection of a selectable element from the menu, wherein the selection is configured to change the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users of the communication session while maintaining the display of the select user to allocate a portion of a display area for a display of the content data;
in response to the selection of the selectable element, cause a change in the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users of the communication session while maintaining the display of the select user thereby allocating the portion of a display area for a display of the content data;
cause a transition from the first user interface arrangement to a second user interface arrangement having a first display area of the second user interface arrangement comprising interface elements for editing the content data and a second display area comprising a rendering of a second number of video streams depicting the other remote users at a second position, wherein the first number of video streams depicting the other remote users is different than the second number of video streams depicting the other remote users;
cause an execution of one or more program modules configured to edit the content data; and
cause a display of the second user interface arrangement having the first display area comprising the interface elements for editing the content data concurrently with the rendering of a second number of video streams depicting the other remote users at a second position concurrently with the display of the select user within the second display area on the display device of the computing device that received the selection of content data.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the communication session is associated with a first category of functionality and wherein causing the execution of the one or more program modules configured to edit the content data comprises activating a second category of functionality that is different than the first category of functionality of the communication session.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein editing the content data is enabled by an invitation to edit the content data.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second display area of the second user interface arrangement comprises a rendering of second content data displayed concurrently with the second number of video streams at the second position and wherein the first display area comprises interface elements for selecting a file.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: determine the select user depicted in the rendering that is maintained during the transition from the first user interface arrangement to the second user interface arrangement, where the transition changes the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users to allocate the portion of the display area for the display of the content data, wherein the select user is determined to be maintained during the transition in response to determining that the select user has talked for a predetermined period of time.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: determine the select user depicted in the rendering that is maintained during the transition from the first user interface arrangement to the second user interface arrangement, where the transition changes the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users to allocate the portion of the display area for the display of the content data, wherein the select user is determined to be maintained during the transition in response to determining that the select user is in the process of gesturing or moving.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: determine the select user depicted in the rendering that is maintained during the transition from the first user interface arrangement to the second user interface arrangement, where the transition changes the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users to allocate the portion of the display area for the display of the content data, wherein the select user is determined to be maintained during the transition in response to determining that the lips of the select user are moving as an indication of an extent to which the select user is speaking.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: determine the select user depicted in the rendering that is maintained during the transition from the first user interface arrangement to the second user interface arrangement, where the transition changes the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users to allocate the portion of the display area for the display of the content data, wherein the select user is determined to maintained during the transition in response to determining that the select user has modified the content data.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the one or more processing units to: determine the select user depicted in the rendering that is maintained during the transition from the first user interface arrangement to the second user interface arrangement, where the transition changes the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users to allocate the portion of the display area for the display of the content data, wherein the select user is determined to maintained during the transition in response to determining that the select user has modified a display of a page of the content data.

10. 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 at least one video stream of a communication session;
cause a display of a first display area of a first user interface arrangement rendering of a select user with a first number of video streams depicting other remote users of a communication session;
receive a selection of a selectable element from a menu comprising a plurality of selectable elements, wherein individual elements of the plurality of selectable elements are configured to provide access to functionality for editing content data, the selection received from a computing device associated with the display device displaying the first user interface arrangement, the content data comprising at least one of channel communication data, chat communication data, or documents data, wherein an input indicating the selection of the content data is configured to change the number of displayed video streams depicting the other remote users of the communication session while maintaining the display of the select user thereby alloca

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Faulkner Jason Thomas
• Baker Casey
• Kannuthottiyil Ewin Davis
• Hill Michael
• Morrison Kevin
• Astavans Ruchir

Classifications

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0486

  Drag-and-drop · CPC title

• G06F9/451 Primary

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• H04N7/147

  Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals (selecting H04Q) · CPC title