Method, apparatus and computer program product providing graphical user interface that facilitates management of multiple simultaneous communication sessions

• US 8,285,785 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2005
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Koort, Tiiu, Kuusinen, Jarmo, Kalliokulju, Satu, Tuomainen, Kimmo T., Leinonen, Katja H., Ekholm, Anne
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US11/274,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20060148512A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,521 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5009 Adding a party to an existing conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

In one aspect thereof the exemplary embodiments of this invention provide a user interface for a communication terminal. The user interface provides at least one of a first view and a second view that provide a user with a visual representation of, at least, a type of at least one ongoing communication, participants in the at least one ongoing communication, and whether content is being shared with participants of the at least one ongoing communication.

Claims

1. A user interface for a communication terminal, comprising a session view that provides to a user a visual representation of a plurality of communication sessions on which the terminal is active,

wherein the plurality of communication sessions are provided by different communication applications, and

wherein the session view represents at least:

for each of the plurality of active communication sessions, a type of the active communication session and participants in the active communication session; and

for at least one of the active communication sessions, a status indication indicating whether or not content is being shared with corresponding participants, and

wherein the user interface is configured to

provide a user with a participant sharing option associated with content; and

wait until all of a plurality of participants in an active communication session accept the content associated with the participant sharing option before sharing the content by transmitting the content from the communication terminal to each of a plurality of participants.

2. A user interface as in claim 1, further comprising a workspace view that provides a user with a visual representation of further details of a selected one of the active communication sessions as compared to the sessions view, in which the workspace view for the selected one of the active communication sessions is displayed at the user interface in response to a user selecting any of the plurality of active communication sessions from the session view.

3. A user interface as in claim 2, the workspace view further comprising a control for initiating a sharing of content with participants of the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

4. A user interface as in claim 2, the workspace view further comprising a control for adding a participant to the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

5. A user interface as in claim 2, the workspace view further comprising a control for initiating a new active communication session with at least one other participant during the selected active communication session.

20. A user interface as in claim 2, in which the workspace view further comprises tabs which when selected switch the workspace view between the active communication sessions.

21. A user interface as in claim 20, in which there is a different tab in the workspace view corresponding to each of the plurality of active communication sessions of the session view.

22. A user interface as in claim 20, in which at least one of the tabs in the workspace view is a share tab which when selected by a user enables sharing of content between the terminal in which the user interface is disposed and at least one participant in the selected one of the active communication sessions.

32. A user interface as in claim 1, wherein the different communications applications comprise two or more of:

an instant messaging application;

a content sharing application;

a push over cellular application;

a video telephony application; and

a telephony application.

39. A user interface as in claim 1, wherein said content is stored on said communication terminal.

43. A user interface as in claim 1, wherein the user interface is configured to wait until all of three or more participants in an active communication session accept the content associated with the participant sharing option before sharing the content.

44. A user interface as in claim 1, wherein the transmission of the content is by streaming or by sending a file.

6. A device, comprising a data processor;

in which the data processor is configured to control a user interface to display a sessions view that provides to a user a visual representation of a plurality of communication sessions on which the device is active, wherein the plurality of communication sessions are provided by different communication applications, and in which for each of the plurality of active communication sessions the session view represents at least, a type of the active communication session, participants in the active communication session, and for at least one of the active communication sessions a status indication indicating whether or not content is being shared with participants of the at least one active communication session; and

wherein the data processor is configured to send a “

share”

message to a plurality of participants in an active communication session, and wait until all of the plurality of participants accept before sharing content by transmitting the content from the to each of a plurality of participants.

7. A device as in claim 6, in which the data processor is configured to control the user interface to further display a workspace view that provides a user with a visual representation of further details of a selected one of the active communication sessions as compared to the sessions view, in which the workspace view is displayed at the user interface in response to a user selecting any of the plurality of active communication sessions from the session view.

8. A device as in claim 7, in which the workspace view further comprises a control for initiating a sharing of content with participants of the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

9. A device as in claim 7, in which the workspace view further comprises a control for adding a participant to the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

10. A device as in claim 7, in which the workspace view further comprises a control for initiating a new active communication session with at least one other participant during the selected active communication session.

23. A device as in claim 7, in which the workspace view further comprises tabs which when selected switch the workspace view between the active communication sessions.

24. A device as in claim 23, in which there is a different tab in the workspace view corresponding to each of the plurality of active communication sessions of the session view.

25. A device as in claim 23, in which at least one of the tabs in the workspace view is a share tab which when selected by a user enables sharing of content between the terminal in which the user interface is disposed and at least one participant in the selected one of the active communication sessions.

33. A device as in claim 6, wherein the different communications applications comprise two or more of:

an instant messaging application;

a content sharing application;

a push over cellular application;

a video telephony application; and

a telephony application.

36. A device as in claim 6, wherein the data processor is configured to send said “

share”

message upon user selection of a participant sharing option on the user interface, and wherein said participant sharing option is associated with the content to be shared.

40. A device as in claim 6, wherein said content is stored on said device.

45. A device as in claim 6, wherein the device is one or more of a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a portable computer, an image capture device, a digital camera, a gaming device, a music storage appliance, a music playback appliance, and an internet appliance configured to enable Internet access and browsing.

46. The device of claim 6, the device further comprising:

at least one memory including computer program code.

11. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable memory medium and storing a program of computer readable instructions executable by a data processor, said instructions operable to cause said data processor to:

manage a user interface function and to establish a display of a sessions view that provides to a user a visual representation of a plurality of communication sessions on which a communication terminal is active, wherein the plurality of communication sessions are provided by different communication applications, and in which for each of the plurality of active communication sessions the session view represents, at least, a type of the active communication session, participants in the active communication session, and for at least one of the active communication sessions a status indication indicating whether or not content is being shared with participants of the at least one active communication session; and

send a “

share”

message to a plurality of participants in an active communication session, and wait until all of the plurality of participants accept before sharing content by transmitting the content from the communication terminal to each of a plurality of participants.

12. A computer program product as in claim 11, where said user interface function comprises a control for initiating a sharing of content with participants of the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

13. A computer program product as in claim 11, where said user interface function comprises establishing a display of a workspace view that provides a user with a visual representation of further details of a selected one of the active communication sessions as compared to the sessions view, in which the workspace view is displayed at the user interface in response to a user selecting any of the plurality of active communication sessions from the session view.

14. A computer program product as in claim 13, in which the workspace view further comprises a control for adding a participant to the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

15. A computer program product as in claim 13, in which the workspace view further comprises a control for initiating a new active communication session with at least one other participant during the selected active communication session.

26. A computer program product as in claim 13, in which the workspace view further comprises tabs which when selected switch the workspace view between the active communication sessions.

27. A computer program product as in claim 26, in which there is a different tab in the workspace view corresponding to each of the plurality of active communication sessions of the session view.

28. A computer program product as in claim 26, in which at least one of the tabs in the workspace view is a share tab which when selected by a user enables sharing of content between the terminal in which the user interface is disposed and at least one participant in the selected one of the active communication sessions.

34. A computer program product as in claim 11, wherein the different communications applications comprise two or more of:

an instant messaging application;

a content sharing application;

a push over cellular application;

a video telephony application; and

a telephony application.

37. A computer program product as in claim 11, wherein said instructions are further operable to cause said data processor to send said “

share”

message upon user selection of a participant sharing option on the user interface, and wherein said participant sharing option is associated with the content to be shared.

41. A computer program product as in claim 11, wherein said content is stored on said communication terminal.

16. A method comprising:

establishing at a communication terminal a session view to provide a visual representation of a plurality of communication sessions on which the communication terminal is active, wherein the plurality of communication sessions are provided by different communication applications, and in which for each of the plurality of active communication sessions the session view represents at least, a type of the active communication session, participants in the active communication session, and for at least one of the active communication sessions a status indication indicating whether or not content is being shared with participants of the at least one active communication session;

displaying the session view at a user interface of a communication device;

responding to user activation of at least one control to manage operation of at least one of the plurality of active communication sessions; and

sending a “

share”

message to a plurality of participants in an active communication session, and waiting until all of the plurality of participants accept before sharing content by transmitting the content from the communication terminal to each of a plurality of participants.

17. A method as in claim 16, where in response to user activation of a control, the method comprises displaying at the user interface a workspace view that provides a user with a visual representation of further details of a selected one of the active communication sessions as compared to the sessions view, in which the workspace view is displayed at the user interface in response to a user selecting any of the plurality of active communication sessions from the session view.

18. A method as in claim 17, where in response to user activation of a control while the workspace view is displayed, the method comprises initiating a sharing of content with participants of the selected active communication session during the selected active communication session.

19. A method as in claim 17, where in response to user activation of a control while the workspace view is displayed, the method comprises initiating a new active communication session with at least one other participant during the selected active communication session.

29. A method as in claim 17, in which the workspace view further comprises tabs which when selected switch the workspace view between the active communication sessions.

30. A method as in claim 29, in which there is a different tab in the workspace view corresponding to each of the plurality of active communication sessions of the session view.

31. A method as in claim 29, in which at least one of the tabs in the workspace view is a share tab which when selected by a user enables sharing of content between the terminal in which the user interface is disposed and at least one participant in the selected one of the active communication sessions.

35. A method as in claim 16, wherein the different communications applications comprise two or more of:

an instant messaging application;

a content sharing application;

a push over cellular application;

a video telephony application; and

a telephony application.

38. A method as in claim 16, wherein sending said “

share”

message is performed upon user selection of a participant sharing option on the user interface, and wherein said participant sharing option is associated with the content to be shared.

42. A method as in claim 16, wherein said content is stored on said communication terminal.