Real-time directory groups

• US 8,819,132 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Serr, Robert W., McClelland, Mark D., Huddleston, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Jimmy H
• Application Number:
  US12/472,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306317A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Groups within an organizational directory are set up as real-time groups enabling subscribers of those groups to receive incoming content via feeds or to interact with the group through real-time chat sessions. Subscribers are enabled to switch between interaction modes, employ different real-time communication modalities for chat sessions, and access stored records of incoming content, discussions, and similar data.

Claims

1. A method to be executed at least in part in a computing device for facilitating interactions with real-time directory groups, the method comprising:

subscribing a user to a real-time directory group, wherein the group includes an associated chat room;

determining the user'"'"'s default notification means for new content, the default notification means comprising one of a feed, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a SIP notification, a visual alert, and an audio alert;

receiving the new content for the group;

notifying the user about the new content employing the user'"'"'s default notification means such that voluminous communications from group members is avoided;

in response to an active interaction mode change selection by the user, enabling the user to interact with the group via a communication session through the chat room;

displaying a contextual history of the new content as history in the chat room;

constructing a metadata to store the new content using at least one of;

the electronic mail message, the instant message, an author, a thread, and a timestamp;

storing the new content in a shared repository using the metadata to upload and access the new content; and

publishing the new content within a chat form in the chat room through an email bridge in response to receiving the new content through another email message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving an indication from the user, reverting the user back to a notification mode from the active interaction mode enabling the communication session through the chat room, wherein the user receives notifications via the default notification means if additional new content is received for the group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the user to interact with the group includes enabling the user to participate in a conversation associated with the received new content employing at least one communication mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one communication mode includes one from the following:

audio communication, video communication, an application sharing session, a data sharing session, a whiteboard sharing session, an electronic mail exchange, and an instant message session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification includes information associated with at least one from a set of:

a subject matter of the new content, a link to a document associated with the new content, and reference information associated with the new content.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the notification means includes one of:

a feed, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a SIP notification, a visual alert, and an audio alert.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the new content includes one of:

a message, a document, an audio file, and a video file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user access to at least one from a set of;

stored documents, recordings, and links associated with current and past conversations based on received content for the group.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the user to interact with the group includes enabling the user to join a conversation associated with the received new content employing one communication mode and to escalate the conversation to at least one other communication mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user information associated with an ongoing conversation based on one of;

a user request, a predefined period, and a completion of the ongoing conversation.

11. A communication system comprising:

a computing device including a memory and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor executing a communication service facilitating interactions with real-time directory groups, wherein the computing device is configured to;

manage a plurality of real-time directory groups based on common themes;

employ security measures including an identification number and a password associated with each member of the real-time directory groups to ensure a privacy and a security of conversations associated with the real-time directory groups;

in response to receiving a request, subscribe a user to one of the groups;

determine the user'"'"'s default notification means including one of;

a feed, an electronic mail message, an instant message, a SIP notification, a visual alert, and an audio alert;

in response to receiving new content associated with the user'"'"'s group, notify the user about the new content providing at least one from a set of;

a subject matter of the new content, a link to a document associated with the new content, and reference information associated with the new content such that voluminous communications from group members is avoided;

display a small section of a sequential context associated with the user'"'"'s group prior to the new content while differentiating the sequential context from the new content with visual cues;

include information associated with one of the conversations in the notification including at least one from a set of;

a start time of the conversation, and

participant information including at least one from a set of;

joining participants and leaving participants; and

in response to receiving an indication from the user, enable the user to interact with the group by joining the conversation with at least one communication mode through a chat room associated with the group.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

another computing device executing a client application configured to;

present the notification to the user employing at least one from a set of;

a textual scheme, a graphic scheme, and a color scheme; and

enable the user to establish multimodal communications with the user'"'"'s group.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

enable the user to create a new real-time directory group based on a common theme; and

invite other users to join the newly created group.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is one of:

a dedicated server and a multipurpose server.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the computing device is further configured to:

enable the user to subscribe to another one of the plurality of groups;

aggregate notifications for both groups; and

provide the user the aggregated notifications.

16. A computer-readable memory device with instructions stored thereon for facilitating interactions with real-time directory groups, the instructions comprising:

in response to receiving a request, subscribing a user to a real-time directory group;

employing security measures including an identification number and a password associated with each member of the real-time directory group to ensure a privacy and a security of conversations associated with the real-time directory group;

in response to receiving new content addressed to the user'"'"'s group, updating a feed provided to the user such that voluminous communications from group members is avoided, wherein the feed includes at least one from a set of;

a subject matter of the new content, a link to a document associated with the new content, and reference information associated with the new content, the new content including one of;

a message, a document, an audio file, and a video file;

displaying a small section of a sequential context associated with the user'"'"'s group prior to the new content while differentiating the sequential context from the new content with visual cues;

including information associated with one of the conversations in the feed including at least one from a set of;

a start time of the conversation, and

participant information including at least one from a set of;

joining participants and leaving participants;

in response to an interaction mode change selection by the user, enabling the user to join the conversation through a chat room associated with the group;

enabling the user to subscribe to a plurality of groups;

providing an aggregated feed to the user that includes content information associated with the subscribed groups;

constructing a metadata to store the new content using at least one of;

the message, an author, a thread, and a timestamp;

storing the new content in a shared repository using the metadata to upload and access the new content;

publishing the new content within a chat form in the chat room through an email bridge in response to receiving the new content through an email message; and

upon the user'"'"'s departure from the conversation, reverting the user back to a notification mode from an active interaction mode and continuing to monitor content addressed to the group such that the feed for the user is updated again if additional new content is received.

17. The computer-readable memory device of claim 16, wherein the user is enabled to join the conversation by selecting one of:

a conversation identifier, a group Universal Resource Identifier (URI), and a feed URI.

18. The computer-readable memory device of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

providing a user interface to the user that includes identification, content status, and conversation capabilities of the subscribed groups employing at least one from a set of a textual scheme, a graphic scheme, and a color scheme such that the user is enabled to interact with any one of the subscribed groups through the user interface.

19. The computer-readable memory device of claim 16, wherein real-time directory groups are managed by one of:

a server in a centralized fashion and a group of servers and clients in a distributed fashion.