Relevant communication mode selection

• US 9,094,363 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lin, Eugene, Myerson, Neal
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US14/543,874
• Time in Patent Office: 253 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities

Abstract

When initiating a communication session, a user may be faced with the challenge of deciding which communication mode to use to contact and/or share content with one or more other users intended for participation in the communication session. A communication application may be configured to provide a relevant communication mode selection, the communication application including selection and communication modules. For example, the selection module of the communication application may determine available communication modes in response to detection of a request to initiate a communication session from within an application or from a user experience provided by the communication application. The selection module may remove one or more unused communication modes, and prioritize the remaining available communication modes to select a communication mode. A communication module of the communication application may then automatically initiate the communication session through the selected communication mode.

Claims

1. A computing device configured to provide relevant communication mode selection via wireless or wired communication, the computing device comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to execute a communication application in conjunction with the stored instructions, the communication application configured to;

in response to detection of a request to initiate a communication session through a user interface associated with an application, determine available communication modes;

remove one or more unused communication modes, wherein an unused communication mode for removal is identified by determining whether an initiating user and a target user have logged into a subscription account using the communication mode;

prioritize remaining available communication modes to determine a selected communication mode, wherein at least one of a communication mode that is used frequently by one or both of the initiating user and the target user and a communication mode that is used frequently by the initiating user when communicating with the target user is prioritized higher than other communication modes; and

automatically initiate the communication session through the selected communication mode.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the communication modes include one or more of:

voice communication, video communication, email messaging, instant messaging, application sharing, and data sharing.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the communication application is a third party service or an integrated module of the application.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the communication application and the application are integrated modules of a coordinated application set.

5. A method to provide relevant communication mode selection, the method comprising:

in response to detecting a request to initiate a communication session, determining available communication modes;

identifying an unused communication mode for removal by determining whether an initiating user and a target user have logged into a subscription account using the communication mode;

removing the unused communication mode from among the available communication modes;

prioritizing remaining available communication modes to select a communication mode; and

automatically initiating the communication session through the selected communication mode.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein prioritizing the remaining communication modes comprises one or more of:

prioritizing a communication mode that is used frequently by one or both of the initiating user and the target user; and

prioritizing a communication mode that is used frequently by the initiating user when communicating with the target user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein prioritizing the remaining communication modes further comprises:

prioritizing a communication mode that one or both of the initiating user and the target user have explicitly defined as a selected communication mode.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein prioritizing the remaining communication modes further comprises:

prioritizing a communication mode based on one or more of a location and an availability status of one or both of the initiating user and the target user.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein prioritizing the remaining communication further comprises:

prioritizing a communication mode that one or both of the initiating user and the target user are currently using.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein prioritizing the remaining communication modes further comprises:

prioritizing a communication mode based on capabilities of a device used by one or both of the initiating user and the target user.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

selecting the communication mode based on a type of content to be shared between the initiating user and the target user.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining a confidence level in the prioritization of the remaining communication modes.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the confidence level is above a first threshold, automatically selecting a highest prioritized communication mode as the selected communication mode.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the confidence level is below a first threshold and above a second threshold, providing an option to one or both of the initiating user and the target user to change the selected communication mode.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the confidence level is below a second threshold, presenting a list of the prioritized communication modes to one or both of the initiating user and the target user for selection of the communication mode.

16. A system configured to provide relevant communication mode selection, the system comprising:

a first server configured to provide access to an application to a plurality of users; and

a second server configured to execute a communication application, wherein the communication application is configured to;

in response to detection of a request to initiate a communication session from within one of the application provided by the first server or a user experience provided by the communication application, determine available communication modes;

identify an unused communication mode for removal by determining whether an initiating user and a target user have logged into a subscription account using the communication mode;

remove the unused communication mode from among the available communication modes;

prioritize remaining available communication modes to determine a selected communication mode based on one or more priority criteria; and

automatically initiate the communication session through the selected communication mode.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first server and the second server are managed by separate entities that communicate via application programming interfaces (APIs).

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the unused communication mode is removed based on one or more removal criteria that include one or more of:

lack of a subscription by one or both of the initiating user and the target user to a service that provides a communication mode, and lack of login to a subscription account using the communication mode by one or both of the initiating user and the target user.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more priority criteria include one or more of:

frequent use of the communication mode by one or both of the initiating user and the target user, definition of the communication mode as the selected communication mode by one or both of the initiating user and the target user, a location and an availability status of one or both of the initiating user and the target user, current use of the communication mode by one or both of the initiating user and the target user, capabilities of a device currently being used by one or both of the initiating user and the target user, and a type of content to be shared between the initiating user and the target user.