Indicating availability for participation in communication session

• US 8,997,007 B1
• Filed: 06/18/2012
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, David Scrymgeour, Singh, Ujjwal
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/526,291
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/752, 715/753, 715/757, 715/758
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• 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 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for a for indicating user availability comprising providing for display at a first client device, graphical representations associated with one or more users available to participate in a synchronous communication session that enables communication between different client devices, receiving, from the first client device, a selection of the graphical representations to engage with at least one second client device corresponding to the selected graphical representations in the synchronous communication session, and responsive to receiving the selection of the graphical representations, coupling the first client device to the synchronous communication session, wherein coupling the first client device to the synchronous communication session allows the first client device to communicate with at least the second client device associated with the at least one selected graphical representations, wherein at least the second client device is coupled to the synchronous communication session.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for indicating user availability, the method comprising:

providing for display at a first client device associated with a first user, by at least one of one or more computing devices, one or more graphical representations associated with one or more users available to participate in a first synchronous communication session that enables communication between different client devices;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, from the first client device, a selection of a graphical representation of a second user to engage with a second client device in the first synchronous communication session;

determining that the second user is currently engaged in a second synchronous communication session that is different from the first synchronous communication session; and

responsive to receiving, from the first client device, the selection of the graphical representation of the second user to engage with the second client device in the first synchronous communication session, determining that the second user is currently engaged in the second synchronous communication session that is different from the first synchronous communication session, coupling, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the first client device to at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions, wherein coupling the first client device to the at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions allows the first client device to join the second synchronous communication session and communicate with the second client device in the second synchronous communication session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, from the first client device, the selection of the graphical representation of the second user further comprises selecting a graphical representation of a social group and selecting the second user from available users of the social group.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling the first client device to the at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions comprises initiating the first synchronous communication session, and wherein the method further comprises:

sending an invitation, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, to the second client device to join the first synchronous communication session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the selection of the graphical representation of the second user comprises receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, an indication of a detection of a touch of a touch-target associated with the selected graphical representation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accepting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a request to connect from the first client device,

hosting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the first synchronous communication session between at least one of the one or more computing devices, the first client device, and the second client device; and

sending, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, signals related to the first synchronous communication session to the first client device and to the second client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more users comprises a third user, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a signal indicating that the third user is available; and

responsive to receiving the signal indicating that the third user is available, designating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the third user as available to participate in the first synchronous communication session.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises:

arranging, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the one or more graphical representations of the one or more users available to participate in the first synchronous communication session based on one or more characteristics; and

wherein the one or more characteristics include a type of relationship between each of the one or more users and the first user, a social group comprising the one or more users associated with the first user by a social relationship, a number of times each of the one or more users and the first user have engaged in previous synchronous communication sessions, a length of time each of the one or more users has been available for the first synchronous communication session, a geographic distance between each of the one or more users, one or more time zones of the one or more users, and a length of time since each of the one or more users has engaged in a previous synchronous communication session.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing for display at the first client device the one or more graphical representations associated with the one or more users available to participate in the first synchronous communication session comprises providing for display, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a scrollable list of the graphical representations,

wherein the scrollable list of the graphical representations further comprises at least one of a username for each of the one or more users associated with the graphical representations, one or more controls for displaying the graphical representations, one or more controls for scrolling through the scrollable list, and an input field to search characteristics of the one or more users, and

wherein the one or more graphical representations span horizontally with respect to one another across a portion of a display of the one or more computing devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the second user comprises at least one of a video representation of at least part of the second user, a still image representation of the second user, an animated image, a geographic representation of a location of the second user, a video sequence, and an indication of a recent activity of the second user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first synchronous communication session comprises at least one of a video chat and a live text-based chat.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, an indication that a third user is available to participate in the first synchronous communication session; and

responsive to receiving the indication, providing for display at the first client device, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a graphical representation of the third user in the one or more graphical representations.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, an indication that a third user is unavailable to participate in the first synchronous communication session; and

responsive to receiving the indication, indicating for removal at the first client device, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a graphical representation of the third user from the one or more graphical representations.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graphical representations of the one or more users comprise a navigable list of the graphical representations of the one or more users, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, from the first client device, an order command that identifies at least one criterion for arranging the navigable list of the graphical representations; and

responsive to receiving the order command, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, arranging the navigable list of the graphical representations according to the at least one criterion.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graphical representations of the one or more users comprise a navigable list of the graphical representations of the one or more users, further comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a user input indicating a search command that identifies at least one characteristic;

responsive to receiving the search command, searching, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, data associated with the navigable list of the graphical representations according to the at least one characteristic; and

identifying, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, at least one user of the one or more users having at least one associated characteristic that approximately matches the at least one characteristic.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more graphical representations of the one or more users comprise a graphical representation of a social group.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising selecting, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, all of the graphical representations associated with the social group to engage with in the first synchronous communication session.

17. The method of claim 15,

wherein the graphical representations associated with the social group include all members of the social group that are available in the first synchronous communication session.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing for display at the first client device, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the one or more graphical representations of the one or more users as graphical output of an extension or a plugin of a web browser executed by the first client device.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for causing at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

providing for display at a first client device associated with a first user, by at least one of one or more computing devices, one or more graphical representations associated with one or more users available to participate in a first synchronous communication session that enables communication between different client devices;

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, from the first client device, a selection of a graphical representation of a second user to engage with a second client device in the first synchronous communication session;

determining that the second user is currently engaged in a second synchronous communication session that is different from the first synchronous communication session; and

responsive to receiving, from the first client device, the selection of the graphical representation of the second user to engage with the second client device in the first synchronous communication session, determining that the second user is currently engaged in the second synchronous communication session that is different from the first synchronous communication session, coupling, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the first client device to at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions, wherein coupling the first client device to the at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions allows the first client device to join the second synchronous communication session and communicate with the second client device in the second synchronous communication session.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one programmable processor to couple the first client device to the at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

sending, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, to the second client device to join the first synchronous communication session.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions that cause the at least one programmable processor to couple the first client device to the at least one of the first and second synchronous communication sessions further comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a signal indicating that a third user is available; and

responsive to receiving the signal indicating that the third user is available, designating, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the third user as available to participate in the first synchronous communication session.

22. A computing device, comprising:

a network interface to connect to a first synchronous communication session that enables communication between users of different computing devices;

a display device that displays one or more graphical representations of one or more users available to participate in the first synchronous communication session;

an input device configured to receive, by a user interface of the computing device, a user input from a first user selecting a graphical representation of a second user to engage with a second client device in the first synchronous communication session; and

one or more processors configured to determine that the second user is currently engaged in a second synchronous communication session that is different from the first synchronous communication session, and to allow the first user to join the second synchronous communication session responsive to receiving the user input from the first user selecting the graphical representation of the second user to engage with the second client device in the first synchronous communication session and determining that the second user is currently engaged in the second synchronous communication session that is different from the first synchronous communication session.

23. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the network interface is further configured to send an invitation to another computing device associated with the second user to join the first synchronous communication session.

24. The computing device of claim 22, wherein the network interface is further configured to receive a signal indicating that a third user is available, and responsive to receiving the signal indicating that the third user is available, designate the third user as available to participate in the first synchronous communication session.