Presenting a message in a communication session

• US 10,061,467 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2015
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Brunsch, Devi, Faulkner, Jason Thomas, Swift, Mark Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Shih, Haoshian
• Application Number:
  US14/806,291
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 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 Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1025 of avatars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 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 Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

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.

Claims

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 based on the user being indicated as 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, said visually linking including presenting the at least a portion of the message adjacent the visual representation of the participant according to a passive participant linking configuration.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual 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 a passive participant linking configuration based on the participant being tagged as a passive participant in the communication session.

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

6. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

detecting that a different participant in the communication session sends a different message; and

ascertaining an active participant linking configuration based on the different participant being tagged as an active participant in the communication session, and presenting at least a portion of the different message as an overlay over at least a portion of a visual representation of the different participant according to the active participant linking configuration.

7. 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 passive participant region.

8. 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.

18. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

receiving further messages from participants in the communication session;

ascertaining based on the size of the GUI 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.

19. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

receiving further messages from participants in the communication session;

ascertaining based on the size of the GUI that the further messages exceed a message threshold that specifies a threshold number of messages over a specified period of time;

presenting a visual notification within the GUI that the further messages are available to be viewed; and

presenting a visual indicator that is selectable to cause the messages to be presented.

9. 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 based on the user being indicated as 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, said visually linking including presenting the at least a portion of the message adjacent the visual representation of the participant according to a passive participant linking configuration.

10. A method as described in claim 9, 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 adjacent at least a portion of the live video feed.

11. A method as described in claim 9, further comprising:

detecting that a different participant in the communication session sends a different message; and

ascertaining that the different participant is an active participant in the communication session, and presenting at least a portion of the different message as a visual overlay over at least a portion of a visual representation of the different participant.

12. A method as described in claim 9, wherein said presenting comprises presenting message media and an identifier for the participant as part of the at least a portion of the message.

20. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

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.

13. 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.

14. A method as described in claim 13, wherein the threshold number of messages is determined based on a size of the GUI.

15. A method as described in claim 13, 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.

16. A method as described in claim 13, 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.

17. A method as described in claim 13, 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.