Video playback in group communications

• US 10,511,891 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2017
• Issued: 12/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tang, Annie, de Boursetty, Benoit
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Anderson, Broderick C
• Application Number:
  US15/717,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20180146254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 715719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure describe video playback in group communications. A method includes receiving a request for a video from a messaging application providing a group communication comprising messages, instructing a first client device to display a graphical representation of a video in a user interface (UI) of the messaging application, the first client device associated with a first user participating in the group communication with other users, receiving first user input comprising a selection of the graphical representation of the video in the UI during the group communication, responsive to the first user input, initiating playback of the video in a video playback portion of the UI, allowing input, via the UI, of other messages for the group communication during playback of the video, and maintaining the video playback portion of the UI visible to the first user while the first user scrolls through the messages of the group communication.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request for a video from a messaging application providing a group communication comprising messages;

instructing a first client device to display a graphical representation of the video in a user interface (UI) of the messaging application during the group communication on the first client device, the first client device associated with a first user participating in the group communication with other users of a content sharing service, the graphical representation to scroll with the messages of the group communication;

receiving, from the first client device, first user input comprising a selection of the graphical representation of the video in the UI during the group communication;

responsive to the first user input, initiating playback of the video in a video playback portion of the UI, the video playback portion to scroll with the messages of the group communication;

allowing input, via the UI, of other messages for the group communication during playback of the video; and

responsive to detecting that the video playback portion is scrolled at least partially out of view of the UI in response to the input of the other messages, maintaining the video playback portion of the UI visible to the first user in a persistent position in the UI while the the messages are scrolled within the group communication separate from the video playback portion in the persistent position.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the first user input comprises a tap gesture detected with respect to the video in the UI of the group communication.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a vertical swipe up gesture or a vertical swipe down gesture detected with respect to the UI during the group communication is to cause the video playback portion and the messages to scroll together.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to the vertical swipe down gesture causing the video playback portion to be scrolled out of view at a bottom of the UI of the group communication, stopping playback of the video.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input comprising a tap gesture with respect to the video playback portion; and

responsive to the third user input, instructing the first client device to display the graphical representation of the video in the UI.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving a third user input comprising a selection of a collapse control of the video;

and

responsive to the third user input, instructing the first client device to display the graphical representation of the video.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the video playback portion comprises playback controls to allow playback of the video to be paused while keeping the video in the playback portion of the UI.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of a vertical swipe up gesture or a vertical swipe down gesture detected with respect to the persistent position of the video playback portion of the UI causes the messages to scroll while the video playback portion maintains the persistent position in the UI.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising, while the video is displayed in the persistent position and responsive to one of the messages comprising the video as originally shared in the group communication appearing fully in view in the UI during the group communication, instructing the first client device to display the graphical representation of the video.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a drop-shadow displayed under the video playback portion in the UI during the group communication indicates that the video is displayed in the persistent position.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of the video comprises a thumbnail image.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a third user input comprising a swipe down gesture with respect to the video playback portion displayed in the persistent position in the UI; and

responsive to the third user input, instructing the first client device to display the graphical representation of the video.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input comprising a selection of another video in the UI of the group communication; and

responsive to the third user input;

instructing the first client device to display the graphical representation of the video; and

instructing the first client device to begin playback of the another video in the video playback portion of the UI.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the persistent position comprises a top portion of the UI of the messaging application.

15. A mobile device comprising;

a memory; and

a processing device, coupled to the memory, to;

present, a graphical user interface (GUI) of a messaging application providing group communication between a first user and one or more other users in a group, the GUI comprising a portion to display messages shared by at least one of the first user or the one or more other users in the group communication, wherein at least one of the messages comprises a graphical representation of a video shared in the group communication, the graphical representation to scroll with the messages of the group communication;

receive, via the GUI during the group communication, a selection of the graphical representation of the video;

responsive to the selection of the video, provide playback of the video in a video playback portion of the UI, the video playback portion to scroll with the messages of the group communication;

receive, via the GUI, input of one or more other messages for the group communication during the playback of the video; and

responsive to detecting that the video playback portion is scrolled at least partially out of view of the UI in response to the input of the other messages, maintain the video playback portion of the UI visible to the first user in a persistent position in the UI while the messages are scrolled within the group communication separate from the video playback portion in the persistent position.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the video playback portion is to scroll together with the messages, and wherein at least one of a vertical swipe up gesture or a vertical swipe down gesture detected with respect to the UI during the group communication is to cause the video playback portion and the messages to scroll together.

17. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein at least one of a vertical swipe up gesture or a vertical swipe down gesture detected with respect to the persistent position of the video playback portion of the UI causes the messages to scroll while the video playback portion maintains the persistent position in the UI.

18. The mobile device of claim 17, further comprising, while the video is displayed in the persistent position and responsive to one of the messages comprising the video as originally shared in the group communication appearing fully in view in the UI during the group communication, instructing the first client device to display the graphical representation of the video.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a device comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a request for a video from a messaging application providing a group communication comprising messages;

instructing a first client device to display a graphical representation of the video in a user interface (UI) of the messaging application during the group communication on the first client device, the first client device associated with a first user participating in the group communication with other users of a content sharing service, the graphical representation to scroll with the messages of the group communication;

receiving, from the first client device, first user input comprising a selection of the graphical representation of the video in the UI during the group communication;

responsive to the first user input, initiating playback of the video in a video playback portion of the UI, the video playback portion to scroll with the messages of the group communication;

allowing input, via the UI, of other messages for the group communication during playback of the video; and

responsive to detecting that the video playback portion is scrolled at least partially out of view of the UI in response to the input of the other messages, maintaining the video playback portion of the UI visible to the first user in a persistent position in the UI while the messages are scrolled within the group communication separate from the video playback portion in the persistent position.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the video playback portion is to scroll together with the messages, and wherein at least one of a vertical swipe up gesture or a vertical swipe down gesture detected with respect to the UI during the group communication is to cause the video playback portion and the messages to scroll together.