Google Inc.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Deepak Menon

Jesse Clay Satterfield

Jensen Michael Harris

Roland Radtke

Kevin C Zatloukal

Mark A Peters

Mark R Ligameri

Justin Russell Uberti

Ashish Raniwala

Reza Behforooz

Scott Ludwig

Wesley Carr

Dudley Carr

Mark A Ligameri

Qi Ke

Terry Lucas

Theo Vassilakis

Michael Jazayeri

A floating command object is provided for offering a set of commonly or frequently used commands in close proximity to a selected text, data or other object in a document. When a given object is selected for editing, the floating object automatically displays near the object to allow easy selection of relevant commands such as formatting property commands. The object remains displayed to allow multiple command selections until it is closed by user action. If a mouse or touchpad pointer is moved away from the displayed object, the displayed object becomes increasingly translucent to visually deemphasize the relevance of the object to the new position of the pointer.

Floating command object

While using an online application, information received or selected by a user is associated with a context. For example, a search query is received from a user and the search query is associated with a context. The user is provided with a recommendation to join a discussion forum that corresponds to the context, thereby dynamically aggregating users. The recommendation may be provided conditionally, if predefined criteria are satisfied. Alternately, in some embodiments a recommendation may be made unconditionally.

Dynamic aggregation of users

In one embodiment, a computer network-based live chat having three or more participants is hosted. A record of the live chat is archived in a central location accessible by each participant. The archived record is provided to a requesting participant after completion of and/or during the live chat. The requesting participant may be, for example, any one of the three or more participants. The requesting participant may make the request from any remote location in communication with the central location. In another embodiment, a system for enabling access to a multi-user chat archive includes a multi-user instant messaging (IM) server, a state manager, an archive database, and an archive manager. The archive database is configured to store an archived record of the live chat in a central location. In this embodiment, the central location is accessible by each of the chat participants from any remote location in communication with the central location.

Multi-user chat search and access to chat archive

Systems and methods for viewing media content in instant messaging are provided. In an embodiment, a first IM server that manages instant messaging of a first IM client receives a chat message having a media address from a second IM client whose instant messaging is managed by a second IM server. A first media recognizer associated with the first IM server recognizes the media address in the chat message. In response to the recognition, the first IM server provides the chat message and a media instruction to the first IM client. In another embodiment, the first IM server obtains media associated with the recognized media address and provides the chat message and the obtained media to the first IM client. In a further embodiment, a system for viewing media content based on presence information in instant messaging is provided.

Systems and methods for viewing media content in instant messaging

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Deepak Menon