INSTANT ELECTRONIC MEETING FROM WITHIN A CURRENT COMPUTER APPLICATION

• US 20080126949A1
• Filed: 11/29/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Sharma, Bhanu
• Granted Patent: US 9,135,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/751
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Real time communication is discussed that may be initiated and maintained from within an web-based application without leaving the context of the underlying application. Within the web-based application, a web frame or portlet is displayed that can maintain a separate and independent communication channel with a data resource and other external resources. When activated by a user of the web application, the web frame or portlet establishes a communication link with an external resource and another party that will take part in a communication exchange. The interaction between the user and the other participant are displayed from within and/or processed by the web frame or portlet without affecting the state of the underlying web application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying one or more web frames within a computer application;

responsive to interaction with said one or more web frames, requesting a communication application for operation within said web frames, wherein said computer application continues to operate independently of said communication application; and

connecting a user of said computer application and one or more remote participants through said communication application.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

resizing said one or more one or more web frames to accommodate execution of said communication application.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

rendering one or more communication objects within said one or more one or more web frames to facilitate said communication application.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said one or more communication objects comprise one or more of:

a video window;

a text window;

a chat window;

a screen share window; and

a download window.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

overlapping said resized portions of said one or more one or more web frames over said computer application.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

managing multimedia communication within said one or more one or more web frames according to said communication application.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said multimedia communication comprises one or more of:

voice over internet protocol (VoIP);

session initiation protocol (SIP); and

internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS).

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

running a validation application within said one or more one or more web frames prior to said requesting.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

arranging a monetary exchange in said validation application prior to authorizing said requesting.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

providing a communication notice to said one or more remote participants responsive to receiving a validation from said validation application.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying a presence of said one or more remote participants prior to said connecting.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

rendering a visual indicator for said user that said one or more remote participants is unavailable for communication, wherein said connecting occurs after said one or more remote participants becomes available.

13. A method comprising:

displaying an interactive communication object within an application display;

receiving interaction from a first user at said interactive communication object;

responsive to receiving said interaction, requesting one or more additional users to participate in an electronic meeting; and

establishing at least one communication link between said interactive communication object and at least one communication device of said one or more additional users.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said communication link is established after said receiving interaction from said first user.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

resizing said interactive communication object to accommodate implementation of said electronic meeting.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

overlaying said resized interactive communication object over said application display.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

responsive to said establishing, determining whether said electronic meeting requires user validation; and

validating said first user in response to a determination of a validation requirement.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein said one or more additional users establishes a hierarchy regarding the order in which each of said at least one communication device is communicatively linked with said interactive communication object.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein said communication device is at least one of:

a computer;

a server;

personal digital assistant;

a cell phone; and

a telephone.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein said electronic meeting supports at least one of:

voice communication;

video communication;

data sharing;

application sharing; and

screen sharing.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein said interactive communication object supports multimedia communication transmitted according to one or more of:

voice over internet protocol (VoIP);

session initiation protocol (SIP); and

IP multimedia subsystem (ISM).

22. A computer program product having a computer readable medium with computer program logic recorded thereon, said computer program product comprising:

code for rendering one or more web frames within a computer application;

code, executable in response to interaction with said one or more web frames, for requesting a communication application for operation within said web frame, wherein said computer application continues to operate independently of said communication application; and

code for establishing communication between a user of said computer application and one or more remote participants through said communication application.

23. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

code for modifying a size said one or more web frames to accommodate execution of said communication application.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

code for displaying one or more communication objects within said one or more web frames to facilitate said communication application.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein said one or more communication objects comprise one or more of:

a video window;

a text window;

a chat window;

a screen share window; and

a download window.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 farther comprising:

code for laying said modified size of said one or more web frames over said computer application.

27. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

code for managing multimedia communication within said one or more web frames according to said communication application.

28. The computer program product of claim 27 wherein said multimedia communication comprises one or more of:

voice over internet protocol (VOIP);

session initiation protocol (SIP); and

internet protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS).

29. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

code, executable within said one or more web frames, for validating said user prior to said requesting.

30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein said code for validating includes:

code for arranging a payment by said user.

31. The computer program product of claim 30 further comprising:

code for providing a communication notice to said one or more remote participants responsive to affirmative results of executing said code for validating.

32. The computer program product of claim 22 further comprising:

code for detecting a presence of said one or more remote participants prior to said code for establishing communication.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 further comprising:

code for visually informing said user that said one or more remote participants is unavailable for communication, wherein said code for establishing communication occurs after said one or more remote participants becomes available.

34. A system comprising:

means for displaying an interactive communication object within an application display;

means for receiving interaction from a first user at said interactive communication object;

responsive to receiving said interaction, means for requesting one or more additional users to participate in an electronic meeting; and

means for establishing at least one communication link between said interactive communication object and at least one communication device of said one or more additional users.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein said communication link is established after execution of said means for receiving interaction from said first user.

36. The system of claim 34 further comprising:

means for resizing said interactive communication object to accommodate implementation of said electronic meeting.

37. The system of claim 36 further comprising:

means for overlaying said resized interactive communication object over said application display.

38. The system of claim 34 further comprising:

means, responsive to execution of said means for establishing, for determining whether said electronic meeting requires user validation; and

means for validating said first user in response to a determination of a validation requirement.

39. The system of claim 34 wherein said communication link is established after said receiving interaction from said first user.

40. The system of claim 34 wherein said one or more additional users establishes a hierarchy regarding the order in which each of said at least one communication device is communicatively linked with said interactive communication object.

41. The system of claim 34 wherein said communication device is at least one of:

a computer;

a server;

personal digital assistant;

a cell phone; and

a telephone.

42. The system of claim 34 wherein said electronic meeting supports at least one of:

voice communication;

video communication;

data sharing;

application sharing; and

screen sharing.

43. The system of claim 34 wherein said interactive communication object supports multimedia communication transmitted according to one or more of:

voice over internet protocol (VoIP);

session initiation protocol (SIP); and

IP multimedia subsystem (ISM).