Asynchronous Video Threads

• US 20120317210A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fisher, Danyel, Hoff, Aaron, Czerwinski, Mary, Quinn, Kori Inkpen, Johns, Paul, Roseway, Asta, Venolia, Gina, Tang, John C., Barksdale, Jeremy
• Granted Patent: US 8,635,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads

Abstract

Described are systems and user interfaces for facilitating asynchronous communication with video threads. Implementations may enable members of a team to have threaded view of video messages, from which they can capture video, record their screen, and send, receive, and reply to a video message. The screen recording feature enables team members to share parts of their screen while simultaneously narrating, if desired. Video messages are threaded by topic and each conversation is visually represented.

Claims

1. A method of threading video messages, the method comprising:

automatically maintaining a data store storing a set of video messages and thread information interrelating the video messages, the video messages having been recorded and submitted as messages from users;

generating a thread view user interface from the video messages and the thread information;

displaying the thread view user interface at a computer operated by one of the users; and

receiving, via the thread view user interface, user input associated with a user-designated one of the video messages, and in response automatically;

capturing video at the computer,

storing the video in a new video message in the data store, and

updating the thread information to link the new video message to the user-designated video message.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically adding to the thread view user interface a new icon representing the new video message and a new graphic representing the link between the new video message and the user-designated video message.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the capturing video at the computer comprises capturing a sequence of video from a user designated portion of a display of the computer.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the capturing the video at the computer comprises capturing video of the user from a camera attached with the computer.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving additional user input directed to a user-designated path through the hierarchy of message icons, and in response automatically playing the corresponding video messages consecutively in an order corresponding to an order of the message icons in the user-designated path.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the video messages have creation times, and given a first edge of the thread view and a second edge opposite the first edge, the message icons are automatically arranged such that, given any first icon of a first video message that is older than a second video message of a second icon, the first icon is closer to the first edge than the second icon.

7. A method of asynchronous video messaging, the method comprising:

accessing link information that identifies a hierarchy of linked video clips; and

based on the link information, generating display information comprising information that when processed by a computer allows the computer to display a thread view, the thread view, when displayed, comprising an interactive view area containing a hierarchy graphic comprised of icons representing the video clips and graphic connections between the icons, where the thread view, when displayed, can be interacted with by the user to play the video clips and to insert new video clips into the hierarchy of linked video clips.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein each icon is an interactive user interface element that can be activated to play the corresponding video clip or to record a new clip that is threaded to the activated icon.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the thread view is displayed by an email client.

10. A method according to claim 7, further comprising performing analysis on one or more frames and/or audio clips of the video clips.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the analysis comprises image processing of the frames to identify key icons to represent the video messages or to identify content in the video clips, and the method further comprises either displaying the key icons to represent the video messages or indexing keywords that correspond to the identified content.

12. A method according to claim 7, further comprising performing speech-to-text processing on audio data of the video clips and storing and using the resulting text for the video messaging.

13. A method according to claim 7, further comprising allowing the user to, with only a single command:

reply to a video clip selected by the user, where the replying includes capturing a new video clip and automatically adding the new video clip to the hierarchy of linked video clips by linking the new video clip to the selected video clip.

14. A method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying a selection tool that lists indicia of a plurality of different hierarchies of linked video clips, and responding to selection of a listed hierarchy of linked video clips by replacing, in the thread view, a new graphic hierarchy corresponding to the selected hierarchy of linked video clips, whereby a user is able to select which hierarchy of linked video clips is currently displayed.

15. One or more computer readable storage media storing information that when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform a process, the process comprising:

displaying a user interface comprising a threaded view of videos, the threaded view comprising;

a plurality of icons representing corresponding videos, each video comprising a clip of video data,

graphics indicating connections between icons corresponding to link data indicating links between the video messages, the lines having been generated based on information indicating which video messages are related; and

displaying user interface elements that allow a user to play the videos and to record video responses to the videos, where the link data is automatically updated to include links between video responses and videos to which the video responses were directed.

16. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 15, the process further comprising receiving indications of new videos via a network, and displaying new icons representing the new videos and new graphics indicating connections between the icons and the new icons, the new videos having been generated by users interacting with respective instances of the user interface.

17. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 16, wherein, given a series of linked icons selected by the user, the process further comprises responding to input from the user by playing all of the videos corresponding to the series of linked icons.

18. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 15, the process further comprising receiving a command inputted by the user in association with an icon designated by the user, and in response automatically capturing video from a camera and/or video of a video signal being displayed on a display of the computer, and automatically adding the captured video to the link data.

19. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 15, further comprising storing annotations entered by the user in association with the captured video such that when the captured video is played the annotations are displayed with the captured video.

20. One or more computer readable storage media according to claim 15, the process further comprising performing speech-to-text translation on videos.