Unified messaging platform and interface for providing user callouts

• US 10,360,287 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2015
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lane, Mira, Brasket, Michael, Waldman, Larry, Voss, Chad, Jhawar, Swati
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Imad
• Application Number:
  US14/801,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20160344679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 709220, 726 5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/02 using automatic reactions or user delegation, e.g. automatic replies or chatbot-generated messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A unified messaging platform is described which provides a comprehensive environment for collaboration, file sharing, and project management. In aspects, the unified messaging platform is organized based on one or more teams or projects, where each team or project is further organized by customizable categories. A user interface is provided for ready access to information related to each category (e.g., communications, files, tasks, work product, etc.), which information is automatically and seamlessly synchronized across the platform such that each team member remains abreast of the current progress and status of a project. For instance, cooperation and collaboration are facilitated by features such as user callouts, which operate to easily join or notify team members of a current conversation or request.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving a message;

scanning the message for a user callout;

identifying one or more endpoints associated with a user referenced by the user callout;

determining a current state for each of the one or more identified endpoints;

determining that at least one of the one or more identified endpoints has a current state of active;

identifying a device type and one or more open applications for the at least one active endpoint;

determining a notification regarding the user callout for the at least one active endpoint;

based at least in part on the device type and the one or more open applications, providing code with the notification that specifies at least one behavior to be performed by the at least one active endpoint when delivering the notification; and

sending the notification with the code to the at least one active endpoint associated with the user referenced by the user callout.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one active endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the at least one active endpoint is not registered with the unified messaging application, transforming the notification.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the at least one active endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the at least one active endpoint is registered with the unified messaging application, sending the notification to the at least one active endpoint without transforming the notification.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more endpoints further comprises identifying one or more of:

a display type for each endpoint;

one or more applications registered for each endpoint; and

one or more networks available to each endpoint.

5. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the at least one active endpoint is registered with a third party email messaging application; and

transforming the notification for transmission to the third party email messaging application.

6. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the at least one active endpoint is registered with an SMS application; and

transforming the notification for transmission to the SMS application.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the notification is an urgent notification, wherein the code is specific to the urgent notification for causing the at least one behavior to be performed on the at least one active endpoint.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more behaviors include:

causing the at least one active endpoint to trigger one of an audio alert and a visual alert upon receipt of the urgent notification;

causing a display of the at least one active endpoint to flash upon receipt of the urgent notification; and

causing a background of a display for the at least one active endpoint to be presented in red upon receipt of the urgent notification.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein transforming the notification is based at least in part on the at least one active endpoint.

10. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying one or more applications registered for the at least one active endpoint; and

transforming the notification based at least in part on the one or more applications.

11. A system comprising:

at least one processing unit; and

at least one memory storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processing unit, cause the system to perform a method, the method comprising;

receiving a message;

identifying a user callout within the message;

based at least in part on the user callout, determining a notification;

identifying one or more endpoints associated with a user referenced by the user callout;

determining a current state for each of the one or more identified endpoints;

determining that at least one of the one or more identified endpoints has a current state of active;

identifying a device type and one or more open applications for the at least one active endpoint;

based at least in part on the device type and the one or more open applications, providing code with the notification that specifies at least one behavior to be performed by the at least one active endpoint when delivering the notification; and

sending the notification with the code to the at least one active endpoint.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the at least one active endpoint is not registered with the unified messaging application, transforming the notification.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein identifying the one or more endpoints further comprises identifying one or more of:

a display type for each endpoint;

one or more applications registered for each endpoint; and

one or more networks available to each endpoint.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the at least one active endpoint is registered with a third party email messaging application; and

transforming the notification for transmission to the third party email messaging application.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

determining that the at least one active endpoint is registered with an SMS application; and

transforming the notification for transmission to the SMS application.

16. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

determining that the notification is an urgent notification, wherein the code is specific to the urgent notification for causing the at least one behavior to be performed on the at least one active endpoint.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more behaviors include:

causing the at least one active endpoint to trigger one of an audio alert and a visual alert upon receipt of the urgent notification;

causing a display of the at least one active endpoint to flash upon receipt of the urgent notification; and

causing a background of a display of the at least one active to be presented in red upon receipt of the urgent notification.

18. A method of determining a notification for a user callout, the method comprising:

receiving a message;

identifying a user callout within the message;

based at least in part on the message, determining a notification;

identifying one or more endpoints associated with a user referenced by the user callout;

determining a current state for each of the one or more identified endpoints;

determining that at least one of the one or more identified endpoints has a current state of active;

identifying a device type and one or more open applications for the at least one active endpoint;

formatting the notification for the at least one active endpoint;

based at least in part on the device type and the one or more open applications, providing code with the notification that specifies at least one behavior to be performed by the at least one active endpoint when delivering the notification; and

sending the formatted notification with the code to the at least one active endpoint.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

determining whether the endpoint is registered with a unified messaging application; and

in response to determining that the at least one active endpoint is not registered with the unified messaging application, transforming the notification.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that the notification is an urgent notification, wherein the code is specific to the urgent notification for causing the at least one behavior to be performed on the at least one active endpoint.