SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING MULTIPLE CONCURRENT COMMUNICATION SESSIONS USING A GRAPHICAL CALL CONNECTION METAPHOR

• US 20100246571A1
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Roessler, Frank, GEPPERT, Birgit
• Application Number:
  US12/749,150
• Publication Number:
  US 20100246571A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/247 Telephone sets including user guidance or feature selection means facilitating their use user interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 : Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42289 : with carrierprovider selection by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 : User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 : whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 : for social networking applications

Abstract

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for managing a plurality of concurrent communication sessions via a graphical user interface (GUI). A system configured to practice the method presents a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of the respective communication session via the GUI for each of a plurality of concurrent communication sessions. Each communication session has at least two participants and the appearance of the set of connected graphical elements is based on a communication mode. The system receives user input associated with one set of connected graphical elements and having an action associated with the respective communication session, and performs the action based on the received user input. The communication mode is one of voice over IP (VoIP), phone, videoconference, instant messaging, text messaging, and email. The action can combine two communication sessions or split one communication session into multiple communication sessions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of managing a plurality of concurrent communication sessions via a graphical user interface (GUI), the method causing a communications device to perform steps comprising:

for each communication session in the plurality of concurrent communication sessions, presenting a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of the respective communication session via the GUI, the communication session comprising at least two communicating users, wherein an appearance of the set of connected graphical elements is based on a communication mode;

receiving user input associated with one set of connected graphical elements, the user input having an action associated with the respective communication session; and

performing the action based on the received user input.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the communication mode is one of public switched telephone, Voice over IP (VoIP), private branch switched telephone, cellular telephone, videoconference, instant messaging, text messaging, email, multi-media, and web-based.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is combining two communication sessions.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is splitting one communication session into more than one communication sessions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the splitting is for a limited duration, after which the more than one communication sessions are merged into the one communication session.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is creating a sidebar communication session that spans at least two existing communication sessions.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user input is one or more of mouse input, keyboard input, stylus input, touch input, a single-touch or multi-touch gesture, a speech command, a button press, and input via a handheld device.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of concurrent communication sessions includes one user and are presented on the GUI from a point of view of the one user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is selecting a current communication session to receive communication input.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is switching between the plurality of concurrent communication sessions.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the action is creating a sidebar communication session with a participant in one communication session of the plurality of communication sessions.

12. A system for managing a plurality of concurrent communication sessions via a graphical user interface (GUI), the system comprising:

a processor;

a first module controlling the processor to, for each communication session in the plurality of concurrent communication sessions, present a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of the respective communication session via the GUI, the communication session comprising at least two communicating users, wherein an appearance of the set of connected graphical elements is based on a communication mode;

a second module controlling the processor to receive user input associated with one set of connected graphical elements, the user input having an action associated with the respective communication session; and

a third module controlling the processor to perform the action based on the received user input.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the communication mode is one of public switched telephone, Voice over IP (VoIP), private branch switched telephone, cellular telephone, videoconference, instant messaging, text messaging, email, multi-media, and web-based.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the action is combining two communication sessions.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the action is splitting one communication session into more than one communication sessions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the splitting is for a limited duration, after which the more than one communication sessions are merged into the one communication session.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the action is creating a sidebar communication session that spans at least two existing communication sessions.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the user input is one or more of mouse input, keyboard input, stylus input, touch input, a single-touch or multi-touch gesture, a speech command, a button press, and input via a handheld device.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of concurrent communication sessions includes one user and are presented on the GUI from a point of view of the one user.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to manage a plurality of concurrent communication sessions via a graphical user interface (GUI), the instructions comprising:

for each communication session in the plurality of concurrent communication sessions, presenting a set of connected graphical elements representing a structure of the respective communication session via the GUI, the communication session comprising at least two communicating users, wherein an appearance of the set of connected graphical elements is based on a communication mode;

receiving user input associated with one set of connected graphical elements, the user input having an action associated with the respective communication session; and

performing the action based on the received user input.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the communication mode is one of public switched telephone, Voice over IP (VoIP), private branch switched telephone, cellular telephone, videoconference, instant messaging, text messaging, email, multi-media, and web-based.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the action is combining two communication sessions.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the action is splitting one communication session into more than one communication sessions.