Non-persistent user interface for real-time communication

• US 7,568,167 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Issued: 07/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ligameri, Mark R., Cooperman, Hillel, Hoek, Tjeerd S., Van Dok, Cornelis K., Banks, Richard M., Blagsvedt, Sean O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huynh; Ba
• Assistant Examiner(s): WIENER, ERIC A
• Application Number:
  US10/606,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 715784-787, 715817-830, 715788-789, 715/758, 715/753, 715/751, 709203-207
• US Class Current: 715/789
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer program products for making real-time communication user interfaces less intrusive by automatically adjusting the user interfaces based on the user'"'"'s level of interaction. An initial representation of a user interface for real-time communication is displayed and automatically adapted to the user'"'"'s activity level based on user input directed to the user interface. For example, the initial representation may be automatically adjusted, either reduced or enlarged, to an intermediate representation, a larger representation, or a smaller representation. When a representation is reduced, a message may be displayed to indicate the reduced representation'"'"'s location. For smaller representations, subsequently received real-time messages may be displayed adjacent to the smaller representation, at least for a predetermined time. The initial representation may display in a desktop bar that displays other user interfaces, such as for a calendar, etc. As the initial representation adjusts, these other representations may adjust as well.

Claims

1. In a computer system that supports real time communication between a user of the computer system and one or more contacts, a method of making one or more user interfaces for real time communication less intrusive by automatically adjusting the one or more user interfaces based on the user'"'"'s level of interaction over a period of time, the method comprising acts of:

displaying an intermediate representation of a user interface for real time communication, the intermediate representation including a text input box, a conversation window and at least a portion of a received real time message;

monitoring all types of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface over a period of time;

determining an overall level of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface based on a combination of all monitored user interactions with the user interface within the period of time;

determining the location and size of any other application windows that are being displayed in addition to the intermediate representation;

automatically adapting the user interface to the user'"'"'s activity level by performing at least one of;

based on the determined overall level of user interaction, and without any explicit user input indicating that the intermediate representation is to be enlarged, automatically enlarging the size of the intermediate representation of the user interface to an enlarged representation appropriate for a high determined overall level of interaction, wherein the intermediate representation is enlarged without obstructing other windows in accordance with the determined location of the other windows, wherein the enlarged representation includes the text input box; and

based on the determined overall level of user interaction, and without any explicit user input indicating that the intermediate representation is to be reduced, automatically reducing the size of the intermediate representation of the user interface to a reduced representation appropriate for a low determined overall level of interaction;

determining that the overall level of user interaction is sufficient to expand and separate the conversation window of the intermediate representation from the intermediate representation itself, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface;

expanding the conversation window beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window'"'"'s borders extend at least one of horizontally and vertically beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation; and

separating the conversation window from the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface in addition to the intermediate representation of the user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the enlarged representation corresponds to a maximized state for the user interface, and wherein the intermediate representation of the user interface corresponds to a minimized state for the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of, upon automatically reducing the intermediate representation to a reduced representation, displaying a message to indicate where the reduced representation is located.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the increased level of interaction comprises one or more of hovering over the intermediate representation and clicking a pointing device on the intermediate representation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the increased level of interaction comprises typing text in the text input box, and wherein the enlarge representation comprises a send option, the method further comprising an act of automatically reducing the enlarged representation to the intermediate representation upon selection of the send option.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the intermediate representation of the user interface for real time communication is displayed within a desktop bar.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the desktop bar also displays a contact representation, the method further comprising an act of, upon dragging and dropping a file object onto the contact representation, displaying a real time message window that includes the file object and an option to send the file object to a contact associated with the contact representation.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising an act of highlighting the contact representation when one or more real time messages are received from the contact associated with the contact representation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the contact representation comprises a user definable icon.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the desktop bar displays one or more representations of one or more other user interfaces simultaneously with the intermediate representation of the user interface for real time communication.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising an act of automatically reducing or enlarging the one or more representations of the one or more other user interfaces when the intermediate representation is automatically enlarged or reduced.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more other user interfaces comprise one or more of a calendar object, a streaming video object, a streaming audio object, and a contact list.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the reduced representation of the user interface for real time communication comprises a selectable icon.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the intermediate representation of the user interface for real time communication is automatically reduced to the reduced representation, the method further comprising an act of displaying one or more received real time messages adjacent the reduced representation for at least a predetermined period of time.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored user interaction with the intermediate representation includes two or more of the following over the period of time:

hovering over the intermediate representation with a pointing device, entering text using the intermediate representation, selecting an element in the intermediate representation with the pointing device, changing focus to the intermediate representation, dragging and dropping items within the intermediate representation, minimizing, maximizing, opening, closing, resizing and moving the intermediate representation.

42. The method of claim 1, further comprising the user adding at least a portion of a second, different user interface in place of the separated conversation window.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dragging and dropping a file onto a selected instant messaging user listed among instant messaging users in an instant messaging portion of the intermediate representation; and

opening an instant messaging window that includes the selected user and the dragged and dropped file.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the second, different user interface comprises a media player configured to provide video content.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein a second, different user interface is automatically inserted into the intermediate representation of the user interface in place of the separated conversation window.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the second, different user interface comprises a calendar.

15. In a computer system that supports real time communication between a user of the computer system and one or more contacts, a method of simplifying user interaction with one or more real time conmmnication user interfaces by adapting the one or more user interfaces to the user'"'"'s activity level measured over a period of time, the method comprising steps for:

monitoring all types of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface;

determining an overall level of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface based on a combination of all monitored user interactions with the user interface within the period of time;

determining the location and size of any other application windows that are being displayed in addition to the intermediate representation;

determining, without any explicit user input indicating that the intermediate representation is to be adjusted, a size adjustment based on the determined level of user interaction with the initial representation of the user interface;

automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface, such that the initial representation is adjusted without obstructing other windows in accordance with the determined location of the other windows;

determining that the overall level of user interaction is sufficient to expand and separate the conversation window of the intermediate representation from the intermediate representation itself, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface;

expanding the conversation window beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window'"'"'s borders extend at least one of horizontally and vertically beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation; and

separating the conversation window from the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface in addition to the intermediate representation of the user interface.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step for automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface based on the monitored level of user interaction occurs without an explicit input to reduce or enlarge the initial representation.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising an act of displaying the initial representation of the user interface for real time communication in a desktop bar.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the desktop bar also displays one or more representations of one or more other user interfaces.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising a step for automatically adapting the one or more other user interfaces to account for one of more size changes in the initial representation of the user interface for real time communication.

33. The method of claim 15, further comprising automatically adjusting subsequent representations of the user interface according to a periodic interval.

34. The method of claim 15, wherein automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface comprises enlarging at least a portion of the representation of the user interface.

35. The method of claim 15, wherein automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface comprises reducing at least a portion of the representation of the user interface.

36. The method of claim 15, wherein automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface comprises maintaining the current size of at least a portion of the representation of the user interface.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein the initial representation of the user interface comprises the text input box and a send option, and wherein reducing the initial representation of the user interface is in response to the user selecting the send option.

38. The method of claim 35, further comprising a step for indicating where the reduced representation may be found.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the reduced representation comprises a conversation balloon.

20. For a computer system that supports real time communication between a user of the computer system and one or more contacts, a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media carrying computer executable instruction that implement a method of making one or more user interfaces for real time communication less intrusive by automatically adjusting the one or more user interfaces based on the user'"'"'s level of interaction over a period of time, the method comprising acts of:

displaying an intermediate representation of a user interface for real time communication, the intermediate representation including a text input box, a conversation window and at least a portion of a received real time message;

monitoring all types of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface;

determining an overall level of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface based on a combination of all monitored user interactions with the user interface within the period of time;

determining the location and size of any other application windows that are being displayed in addition to the intermediate representation;

automatically adapting the user interface to the user'"'"'s activity level by performing at least one of;

based on the determined overall level of user interaction, and without any explicit user input indicating that the intermediate representation is to be enlarged, automatically enlarging the size of the intermediate representation of the user interface to an enlarged representation appropriate for a high determined overall level of interaction, wherein the intermediate representation is enlarged without obstructing other windows in accordance with the determined location of the other windows, wherein the enlarged representation includes the text input box; and

based on the determined overall level of user interaction, and without any explicit user input indicating that the intermediate representation is to be reduced, automatically reducing the size of the intermediate representation of the user interface to a reduced representation appropriate for a low determined overall level of interaction;

determining that the overall level of user interaction is sufficient to expand and separate the conversation window of the intermediate representation from the intermediate representation itself, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface

expanding the conversation window beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window'"'"'s borders extend at least one of horizontally and vertically beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation and

separating the conversation window from the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface in addition to the intermediate representation of the user interface.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the act of automatically reducing the intermediate interface occurs without an explicit input to reduce the intermediate representation.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the intermediate representation of the user interface corresponds to a minimized state for the user interface.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, further comprising an act of, upon automatically reducing the intermediate representation to a reduced representation, displaying a message to indicate where the reduced representation is located.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the reduced representation of the user interface for real time communication comprises a selectable icon, the method further comprising an act of displaying one or more received real time messages adjacent the selectable icon for at least a predetermined period of time.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, the method further comprising an act of enlarging the selectable icon representation of the user interface for real time communication in response to the user interacting with the one or more real time message displayed adjacent to the selectable icon.

26. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the intermediate representation of the user interface for real time communication is displayed within a desktop bar and wherein the desktop bar displays one or more representations of one or more other user interfaces simultaneously with the intermediate representation of the user interface for real time communication, the method further comprising an act of automatically reducing or enlarging the one or more representations of the one or more other user interfaces when the intermediate representation is automatically enlarged or reduced.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the one or more other user interfaces comprise one or more of a calendar object, a streaming video object, a streaming audio object, and a contact list.

28. For a computer system that supports real time communication between a user of the computer system and one or more contacts, a computer program product comprising one or more computer readable media carrying computer executable instructions that implement a method of simplifying user interaction with one or more real time communication user interfaces by adapting the one or more user interfaces to the user'"'"'s activity level over a period of time, the method comprising steps for:

monitoring all types of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface;

determining an overall level of user interaction with the intermediate representation of the user interface based on a combination of all monitored user interactions with the user interface within the period of time;

determining the location and size of any other application windows that are being displayed in addition to the intermediate representation;

determining, without any explicit user input indicating that the intermediate representation is to be adjusted, a size adjustment based on the determined level of user interaction with the initial representation of the user interface;

automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface, such that the initial representation is adjusted without obstructing other windows in accordance with the determined location of the other windows;

determining that the overall level of user interaction is sufficient to expand and separate the conversation window of the intermediate representation from the intermediate representation itself, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface;

expanding the conversation window beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window'"'"'s borders extend at least one of horizontally and vertically beyond the window borders of the intermediate representation; and

separating the conversation window from the intermediate representation, such that the conversation window appears as a separate interface in addition to the intermediate representation of the user interface.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, the method further comprising an act of displaying the initial representation of the user interface.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the step for automatically applying the determined size adjustment to the initial representation of the user interface based on the monitored level of user interaction occurs without an explicit input to reduce or enlarge the initial representation.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising an act of displaying the initial representation of the user interface for real time communication in a desktop bar that also displays one or more representations of one or more other user interfaces.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, further comprising a step for automatically adapting the one or more other user interfaces to account for changes in the initial representation of the user interface for real time communication.

40. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the initial representation of the user interface comprises the text input box and a send option, and wherein reducing the initial presentation of the user interface is in response to the user selecting the send option.