Handling of a communication session

• US 9,021,105 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2013
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Thywissen, Kurt A., Wells, Tyler
• Primary Examiner(s): NANO, SARGON N
• Application Number:
  US13/961,724
• Publication Number:
  US 20130326075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709/221, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/485 Task life-cycle, e.g. stopping, restarting, resuming execution G06F9/4881 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Embodiments describe handling a communication session at a device, by executing a communication session handling program at the device, the communication session handling program comprising a communication session handling part for handling the communication session and an interfacing part for linking with a communication session control interface. An application executed at the device provides, to a user of the device, a communication session control interface for the communication session handled by the communication session handling part of the communication session handling program, the application linking with the interfacing part of the communication session handling program. On detecting that the application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface, the interfacing part of the communication session handling program links, without dropping the communication session, to a further communication session control interface provided at the device for continuation of the communication session handled by the communication session handling part.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

executing a communication session handling program comprising a communication session handling part for handling a communication session and an interfacing part for linking with a communication session control interface associated with an application;

detecting, by the communication session handling program, that the application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface for the communication session; and

responsive to detecting that the application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface, linking the interfacing part of the communication session handling program, without dropping the communication session, to an additional communication session control interface to continue the communication session handled by the communication session handling part of the communication session handling program.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application comprises a host application hosting a plug-in program.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the plug-in program provides the communication session control interface.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein an additional program provides the additional communication session control interface.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the plug-in program comprises a HyperText Markup Language tag.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application is a web browser.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the web browser provides the communication session control interface on a web page and the web browser ceases to provide the communication session control interface when a user navigates away from the web page.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the application ceases to provide the communication session control interface when the application is closed.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising opening a new window on detecting that the application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface, the additional communication session control interface being provided in the new window.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the communication session comprises a voice call, a video call, a chat session, a voice mail, or a video mail.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the communication session is a video call and the method further comprises the application rendering the video call.

12. One or more computer-readable storage devices comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by one or more processors, perform operations comprising:

executing a communication session handling program comprising a communication session handling part for handling a communication session and an interfacing part for linking with a communication session control interface associated with a web browser;

detecting that the web browser has ceased to provide the communication session control interface for the communication session responsive to the web browser being closed or navigation away from a web page on which the communication session control interface is provided; and

linking the interfacing part of the communication session handling program, without dropping the communication session, to an additional communication session control interface to continue the communication session handled by the communication session handling part of the communication session handling program.

13. The one or more computer-readable storage devices of claim 12, further comprising opening a new window on detecting that the web browser has ceased to provide the communication session control interface, the additional communication session control interface being provided in the new window.

14. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform operations comprising;

executing a communication session handling program comprising a communication session handling part for handling a communication session and an interfacing part for linking with a communication session control interface;

detecting that an application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface for the communication session; and

linking the interfacing part of the communication session handling program to an additional communication session control interface to handle the communication session.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the application is a web browser.

16. The computing device of claim 15, wherein the web browser provides the communication session control interface on a web page and the web browser ceases to provide the communication session control interface when a user navigates away from the web page.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the application ceases to provide the communication session control interface when the application is closed.

18. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the instructions, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform operations further comprising opening a new window responsive to detecting that the application has ceased to provide the communication session control interface, the additional communication session control interface being provided in the new window.