Unified communications application functionality in condensed views

• US 9,213,462 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Gunderson, Nathan, Garding, Phillip, Gong, Zaoyang, Durgin, Kris, Java, Punit
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvesteffer, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/649,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20140101572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

A unified communications application is described herein. The unified communications application is displayable in one of two views: a full view and a condensed view. When displayed in the condensed view, which consumes less than fifty percent of a display screen, the unified communications application is employable by a user thereof to participate in real-time conversations/meetings with contacts of the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving an indication that a unified communications application executing on a computing device is to be displayed on a display of the computing device in a condensed view, the unified communications application displayable on the display in either a condensed view or a full view, the condensed view occupying a first portion of the display when displayed, the full view occupying a second portion of the display when displayed, the second portion is larger than the first portion, the unified communications application supports multiple communications modalities, the communications modalities comprising real-time communications modalities and non real-time communications modalities, the real-time communications modalities comprising instant messaging, video conferencing, and content sharing, the non real-time communications modalities comprising voicemail playback; and

displaying, on the display of the computing device, the unified communications application in the condensed view responsive to receiving the indication, the unified communications application in the condensed view configured to receive and display real-time communications from at least one contact of a user of the computing device in any of the communications modalities.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when the unified communications application is in the condensed view, displaying a conversation region on the display, wherein the conversation region comprises real-time communications in at least two communications modalities in the multiple communications modalities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified communications application in the condensed view comprises a conversation region, the conversation region comprises a multimedia region that depicts one of video or content being shared with a user of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the conversation region comprises an instant message region, the instant message region depicting instant messages previously transmitted to the user of the computing device or from the user of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the instant message region further comprises a text entry field that is configured to receive input from the user of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user that the user is to input text into the text entry field; and

responsive to receiving the indication, displaying a software keyboard on the display of the computing device, wherein displaying the software keyboard comprises reducing size of the unified communications application in the condensed view and displaying the software keyboard in at least a portion of the display previously occupied by the unified communications application in the condensed view.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the unified communications application in the condensed view comprises an application bar, the application bar comprising a plurality of selectable graphical tiles that facilitate controlling real-time communications undertaken by way of the unified communications application.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the plurality of selectable graphical tiles comprise:

a first button that controls at least one instant messaging feature;

a second button that controls at least one audio feature;

a third button controls at least one telecommunication feature;

a fourth button that controls at least one video feature; and

a fifth button that controls at least one content sharing feature.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a notification when the unified communications application is in the condensed view, the notification requesting user input; and

displaying, on the display, the notification in the unified communications application in the condensed view, the notification comprising at least one selectable graphical button configured to receive the user input.

10. The method of claim 1 executed on a mobile computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, n the display, graphical data in the unified communications application in the condensed view to visually indicate to a user of the computing device a functionality of the unified communications application most recently employed by the user of the computing device when the unified communications application was displayed in the full view.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein prior to receiving the indication, the unified communications application is displayed on the display of the computing device in the full view, the full view graphically depicting one of the following graphical features related to the functionality of the unified communications application:

a plurality of contacts of a user of the computing device;

a history of instant messaging communications between the user of the computing device and at least one contact thereof;

or

received voice mail from at least one contact of the user of the computing device, the method further comprising;

in response to receiving the indication, displaying, on thee display, the graphical data in the unified communications application in the condensed view to visually indicate to the user of the computing device a most recently viewed graphical feature of the graphical features.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory that comprises instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform acts comprising;

receiving an indication from a user of a computing device that a unified communications application executing on the computing device is to be displayed in a condensed view, the unified communications application displayable in either the condensed view or a full view, the unified communications application being a windowless application, the unified communications application is configured to transmit and receive real-time communications in a plurality of different real-time modalities, the real-time modalities comprising instant messaging, teleconferencing, and content sharing, the unified communications application further configured with at least one non real- time communications modality, the at least one non real-time communications modality comprises voicemail playback; and

displaying the unified communications application in the condensed view on a display of the computing device, the unified communications in the condensed view comprising a graphical region that is configured to facilitate real-time communications in any of the real-time modalities.

14. The system of claim 13 comprised by a tablet computing device.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the unified communications application, when displayed in the condensed view, is displayed on a first portion of the display of the computing device, and wherein the unified communications application, when displayed in the full view, is displayed on a second portion of the display of the computing device, the second portion being larger than the first portion.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving an indication that a contact of a user of the unified communications application desirably shares content with the user; and

displaying the content in the unified communications application in the condensed view.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content is a computer-executable file that is simultaneously viewed by the user of the unified communications application and the contact of the user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer-executable file is one of a word processing document, a spreadsheet, or a slide show presentation.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the acts further comprise:

receiving an indication that a user of the unified communications application is to transmit an instant message to a contact of the user when the display component is displaying the unified communications application in the condensed view; and

responsive to receiving such indication, displaying a soft keyboard on the display of the computing device.

20. A Computer-readable memory comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:

responsive to receiving a first command from a user, initiating a unified communications application on a computing device, wherein initiating the unified communications application comprises displaying the unified communications application in a full view on a display of the computing device, the full view consuming more than fifty percent of the display screen, and the unified communications application is configured to transmit and receive real-time communications in a plurality of modalities, the modalities comprising instant messaging, video communications, and content sharing, the unified communications application further configured with at least one non real-time communications modality, the at least one non real-time communications modality comprises voicemail playback;

responsive to receiving a second command from the user, displaying the unified communications application in a condensed view on the display of the computing device, the condensed view consuming less than fifty percent of the display, and a remainder of display real estate not consumed by the unified communications application is consumed by a full view of a second application;

when the unified communications application is displayed in the condensed view, receiving a real-time communication from at least one contact of the user that is to be displayed to the user by way of the unified communications application; and

displaying the real-time communication in the condensed view of the unified communications application responsive to the receiving of the real-time communication.