Graphical user interface for multimedia call set-up and call handling in a virtual conference on a desktop computer conferencing system
First Claim
1. A method for use in a user workstation including a pointing device and a visual display unit to provide a graphical user interface for graphically depicting in a realistic manner setting up and/or handling of a multimedia call for a multimedia virtual meeting, comprising the steps of:
- initiating a multimedia call from the user workstation to at least one prospective participant of the virtual meeting;
displaying in an area on a screen of the visual display unit at the user'"'"'s workstation a graphical representation of a realistic virtual meeting room metaphor including realistic icons of at least a table, the user'"'"'s image, at least one empty chair and a telephone, wherein the user'"'"'s image icon and the at least one empty chair icon are positioned around the table icon in a realistic, real life manner mad the realistic telephone icon is for use in setting up a multimedia call to the at least one prospective virtual meeting participant, said empty chair being an indication that a prospective participant can be added to the virtual meeting;
filling the empty chair when a participant is added to the virtual meeting,adding an empty chair if a maximum number of participants has not been attained,adjusting the virtual meeting room display area on the users workstation screen to accommodate an added chair when that occurs, andcausing the realistic icons to be arranged in the virtual meeting room metaphor being displayed so that the adjusted screen area displaying the virtual meeting room is minimized.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A graphical user interface, i.e., multimedia communications application program, for setting up and handling a multimedia call is disclosed that employs realistic metaphors of real life face-to-meetings in setting up and handling a multimedia call to establish a virtual meeting which is automatically reconfigured in response to user action. This is realized by taking advantage of prospective virtual meeting participants'"'"' already existing knowledge of how real life face-to-face meetings operate. To this end, the multimedia communications application program enables the virtual meeting participants through direct manipulation of the realistic graphical metaphors to establish a realistic virtual meeting room which is displayed on the screen of their workstation monitor. The virtual meeting room includes a table and chairs arranged in a realistic manner in the virtual meeting room. The virtual meeting room and table are automatically configured in response to user action in such a manner as to minimize the screen area displaying the virtual meeting room and, thereby, maximizing the screen area available for multimedia collaboration by the meeting participants. An empty chair is displayed at the table which indicates that at least one more participant can be added to the virtual meeting. Once a predetermined maximum number of participants have been included in the virtual meeting, the empty chair is no longer displayed.
284 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for use in a user workstation including a pointing device and a visual display unit to provide a graphical user interface for graphically depicting in a realistic manner setting up and/or handling of a multimedia call for a multimedia virtual meeting, comprising the steps of:
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initiating a multimedia call from the user workstation to at least one prospective participant of the virtual meeting; displaying in an area on a screen of the visual display unit at the user'"'"'s workstation a graphical representation of a realistic virtual meeting room metaphor including realistic icons of at least a table, the user'"'"'s image, at least one empty chair and a telephone, wherein the user'"'"'s image icon and the at least one empty chair icon are positioned around the table icon in a realistic, real life manner mad the realistic telephone icon is for use in setting up a multimedia call to the at least one prospective virtual meeting participant, said empty chair being an indication that a prospective participant can be added to the virtual meeting; filling the empty chair when a participant is added to the virtual meeting, adding an empty chair if a maximum number of participants has not been attained, adjusting the virtual meeting room display area on the users workstation screen to accommodate an added chair when that occurs, and causing the realistic icons to be arranged in the virtual meeting room metaphor being displayed so that the adjusted screen area displaying the virtual meeting room is minimized. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Apparatus for use in a user workstation including a pointing device and a visual display unit to provide a graphical user interface for graphically depicting in a realistic manner setting up and/or handling of a multimedia call for a multimedia virtual meeting, comprising:
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means for initiating a multimedia call from the user workstation to at least one prospective participant of the virtual meeting; means for displaying in an area on a screen of the visual display unit at the user'"'"'s workstation a graphical representation of a realistic virtual meeting room metaphor including realistic icons of at least a table, the user'"'"'s image, at least one empty chair and a telephone, wherein the user'"'"'s image icon and the at least one empty chair icon are positioned around the table icon in a realistic, real life manner and the realistic telephone icon is for use in setting up a multimedia call to the at least one prospective virtual meeting participant;
said empty chair being an indication that a prospective participant can be added to the virtual meeting;means for filling the empty chair when a participant is added to the virtual meeting, means for adding an empty chair if a maximum number of participants has not been attained, means for adjusting the virtual meeting room display area on the users workstation screen to accommodate an added chair when that occurs, and means for causing the realistic icons to be arranged in the virtual meeting room metaphor being displayed so that the adjusted screen area displaying the virtual meeting room is minimized. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification