Cross-mode communiation

• US 10,171,410 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Liden, Lars, Laird-McConnell, Thomas Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollack, Melvin H
• Application Number:
  US15/083,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20170279759A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 709202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

The techniques described herein are directed to cross-channel communication. The techniques can employ a central method, system, or mode (“Cross-Mode Manager” or “CMM” herein), which is enabled to send and/or receive messages over a multiplicity of modes. Users can enable the CMM through a variety of methods described herein on modes which the user uses to communicates. Once enabled on at least one channel which the user uses to communicate, the presence of the CMM across a multiplicity of modes allows a user to create and/or join a cross-channel communication session maintained by the CMM and to communicate between the user'"'"'s communication mode and any of the multiplicity of modes for which the CMM has a presence. In other words, the techniques permit users to communicate across disparate channels from within a channel of their choosing.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first cross-channel account associated with a first channel, a command to initiate a cross-channel communication session, wherein the first cross-channel account receives the command via the first channel and from a first user account associated with the first channel;

generating a session identifier based on the command;

receiving, from a second, different cross-channel account associated with a second channel, a request to join the cross-channel communication session, the second channel being different than the first channel, wherein the second account receives the request via the second channel and from a second user account associated with the second channel, and wherein the request comprises the session identifier;

storing an association between the first channel and the first user account, the second channel and the second user account, and the session identifier; and

based at least in part on receiving the command and the request, relaying communication from the first cross-channel account originating from the first user account via the first channel to the second cross-channel account destined for the second user account via the second channel based on the stored association.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a third channel associated with a user associated with at least one of a first client device or a second client device, based at least in part on user account data; and

relaying communication between the first channel and the second channel to the third channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the command includes a first command and a conversation name, and wherein the request includes a second command and the conversation name.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing the conversation name;

storing user account data associated with a first user associated with the first channel;

storing user account data associated with a second user associated with the second channel; and

storing identifiers of the first channel and the second channel.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user account data includes a username or user identifier and is free of user account credentials.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a third channel to which to relay communication based at least in part on one or more of:

an indicated user preference of the third channel,

metadata related to channel use, or

message content or metadata.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

based at least in part on selecting the third channel, discontinuing communication via the first channel or the second channel; and

relaying communication between a remaining one of the first channel or the second channel and the third channel.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising, based at least in part on selecting the third channel, replicating communication between the first channel and the second channel over the third channel.

9. A system comprising:

one or more electronic processors configured to;

receive, from a first cross-channel account associated with a first channel, a command to initiate a cross-channel communication session, wherein the first cross-channel account receives the command via the first channel and from a first user account associated with the first channel;

generate a session identifier based on the command;

receive, from a second, different cross-channel account associated with a second channel, a request to join the cross-channel communication session, the second channel being different than the first channel, wherein the second account receives the request via the second channel and from a second user account associated with the second channel, and wherein the request comprises the session identifier;

store an association between the first channel and the first user account, the second channel and the second user account, and the session identifier; and

based at least in part on receiving the command and the request, relay communication from the first cross-channel account originating from the first user account via the first channel to the second cross-channel account destined for the second user account via the second channel based on the stored association.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more electronic processors are further configured to:

identify a third channel associated with a user associated with at least one of a first client device or a second client device, based at least in part on user account data; and

relay communication between the first channel and the second channel to the third channel.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the command includes a first command and a conversation name, and wherein the request includes a second command and the conversation name.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more electronic processors are further configured to:

store the conversation name;

store user account data associated with a first user associated with the first channel;

store user account data associated with a second user associated with the second channel; and

store identifiers of the first channel and the second channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the user account data includes a username or user identifier and is free of user account credentials.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more electronic processors are further configured to select a third channel to which to relay communication based at least in part on one or more of:

an indicated user preference of the third channel,

metadata related to channel use, or

message content or metadata.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more electronic processors are further configured to:

based at least in part on selecting the third channel, discontinue communication via the first channel or the second channel; and

relay communication between a remaining one of the first channel or the second channel and the third channel.

16. A computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions, the stored instructions comprising:

instructions to receive, from a first cross-channel account associated with a first channel, a command to initiate a cross-channel communication session, wherein the first cross-channel account receives the command via the first channel and from a first user account associated with the first channel;

instructions to generate a session identifier based on the command;

instructions to receive, from a second, different cross-channel account associated with a second channel, a request to join the cross-channel communication session, the second channel being different than the first channel, wherein the second account receives the request via the second channel and from a second user account associated with the second channel, and wherein the request comprises the session identifier;

instructions to store an association between the first channel and the first user account, the second channel and the second user account, and the session identifier; and

instructions to, based at least in part on receiving the command and the request, relay communication from the first cross-channel account originating from the first user account via the first channel to the second cross-channel account destined for the second user account via the second channel based on the stored association.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the instructions further comprise:

instructions to identify a third channel associated with a user associated with at least one of a first client device or a second client device, based at least in part on user account data; and

instructions to relay communication between the first channel and the second channel to the third channel.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 16, wherein the command includes a first command and a conversation name, and wherein the request includes a second command and the conversation name.