Presenting a Message in a Communication Session

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016306504-A1
Application number	US-201514806291-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for presenting a message in a communication session are described. In at least some embodiments, a message is sent by a participant in a communication session. The message is presented in a graphical user interface (GUI) for the communication session and visually linked to a visual representation of the participant. According to one or more implementations, a number of messages that are presented in a GUI for a communication session is throttled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
at least one processor; and one or more computer-readable storage media including instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the at least one processor, cause the system perform operations including:
detecting that a participant in a communication session sends a message;
identifying a visual representation of the participant within a graphical user interface (GUI) for the communication session;
ascertaining a linking configuration for visually linking the message to the visual representation of the user based on whether the user is an active participant or a passive participant in the communication session; and
presenting at least a portion of the message within the GUI by visually linking the message to the visual representation of the participant within the GUI and according to the linking configuration.

2 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the graphical representation comprises a video feed that includes a live image of the user.

3 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said identifying comprises identifying a region of a display in which the visual representation is displayed.

4 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining an active participant linking configuration based on the participant being tagged as an active participant in the communication session.

5 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining a passive participant linking configuration based on the participant being tagged as a passive participant in the communication session.

6 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein a linking configuration for an active participant is different than a linking configuration for a passive participant.

7 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining an active participant linking configuration based on the participant being tagged as an active participant in the communication session, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the at least a portion of the message as an overlay over at least a portion of the visual representation of the participant according to the active participant linking configuration.

8 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining a passive participant linking configuration based on the participant being tagged as a passive participant in the communication session, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the at least a portion of the message adjacent to the visual representation of the participant according to the passive participant linking configuration.

9 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the GUI includes an active participant region and a passive participant region, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the at least a portion of the image in the active participant region or the passive participant region dependent on whether the participant is an active participant or a passive participant.

10 . A system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the operations further include:
receiving further messages from participants in the communication session; ascertaining that the further messages exceed a message threshold that specifies a threshold number of messages over a specified period of time; and presenting a visual notification within the GUI that the further messages are available to be viewed.

11 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
detecting that a participant in a communication session sends a message; identifying by a computing system a visual representation of the participant within a graphical user interface (GUI) for the communication session; ascertaining a linking configuration for visually linking the message to the visual representation of the user based on whether the user is an active participant or a passive participant in the communication session; and presenting by the computing system at least a portion of the message within the GUI by visually linking the message to the visual representation of the participant within the GUI and according to the linking configuration.

12 . A method as described in claim 11 , wherein the visual representation of the participant comprises a live video feed of the participant, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the at least a portion of the message as an overlay on at least a portion of the live video feed.

13 . A method as described in claim 11 , further comprising ascertaining that the participant is an active participant in the communication session, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the at least a portion of the message as a visual overlay over at least a portion of the visual representation of the participant based on said ascertaining.

14 . A method as described in claim 11 , further comprising ascertaining that the participant is a passive participant in the communication session, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the at least a portion of the message adjacent to the visual representation of the participant based on said ascertaining.

15 . A method as described in claim 11 , wherein said presenting comprises presenting message media and an identifier for the participant as part of the at least a portion of the message.

16 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
detecting that messages are sent as part of a communication session by one or more participants in the communication session; ascertaining whether the messages exceed a threshold number of messages sent over a specified period of time; and presenting an indication of the messages within a graphical user interface (GUI) for the communication session based on whether the messages exceed the threshold number of messages sent over the specified period of time.

17 . A method as described in claim 16 , wherein the threshold number of messages is determined based on a size of the GUI.

18 . A method as described in claim 16 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the messages do not exceed the threshold number of messages, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting the messages in the GUI and visually linked to one or more visual representations of the one or more participants in the communication session.

19 . A method as described in claim 16 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the messages exceed the threshold number of messages, and wherein said presenting comprises presenting a visual indicator that is selectable to cause the messages to be presented.

20 . A method as described in claim 16 , wherein said ascertaining comprises ascertaining that the messages exceed the threshold number of messages, wherein said presenting comprises presenting a visual indicator that is selectable to cause the messages to be presented, the method further comprising:
receiving a user selection of the visual indicator; and presenting a message window in the GUI that includes at least some of the messages.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Brunsch Devi
• Faulkner Jason Thomas
• Swift Mark Robert

Classifications

• H04L65/1083

  In-session procedures · CPC title

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• H04L51/04 Primary

  Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] · CPC title

• H04L51/046

  Interoperability with other network applications or services · CPC title

• H04M3/42382

  Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks · CPC title