Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Ewin Davis Kannuthottiyil

Kevin D Morrison

Eric Randall Sexauer

Jason Thomas Faulkner

Amey Parandekar

Chad A Voss

Mira Lane

Michael Brasket

Larry Waldman

Dominic Roedel

Ruchir Astavans

Edward Sean Lloyd Rintel

Kenton O'Hara

Anthony Arnold Wieser

Philipp Steinacher

Michael Howard Hill

Robert Corish

Casey Baker

Thaddeus Adam Scott

Mark Robert Swift

The techniques disclosed herein enable participants of a teleconference session to access the functionality of a number of task-related program modules while maintaining engagement with aspects of a teleconference session within a single user interface. For example, a session participant can access files, various chat discussions, various channels, calendars, emails, an operating system desktop, and other functionality of a computing device while viewing one or more video streams of a teleconference session within a unified graphical user interface. The session participant can maintain engagement with both audio and video capabilities while performing tasks, including but not limited to, selecting, viewing, and modifying content data. In some configurations, a specialized graphical user interface allows a user to view one or more video streams of the teleconference session in predetermined positions while also providing optimal access to tools for interacting with different types of content managed by a variety of modules.

Integrated multitasking interface for communication sessions

A system provides a notification associated with joining a communication session based on trigger events other than a scheduled start time for the communication session. The notification informs the recipient user of current contextual information associated with the communication session and to provide the user with an effective and efficient way to join the communication session (a.k.a., the meeting). The contextual information may indicate that some other user has initiated the communication session (e.g., is the first to join the communication session), that a predefined user has joined the communication session (e.g., a user's manager has joined), and/or that a topic of interest has been brought up during the communication session (e.g., one or more users start speaking about the topic). As described herein, the notification(s) can be provided based on occurrences of different types of events that occur at times that are different than a scheduled start time.

Displaying notifications for starting a session at a time that is different than a scheduled start time

The present disclosure provides a number of techniques for enhancing a user's experience when joining teleconference sessions with multiple devices. When a user attempts to join a teleconference session using the same user identity for multiple devices, a system differentiates the devices as a primary device and at least one companion device. The primary device has a first control set for controlling a teleconference session and the at least one companion device has a companion control set for sharing content. In some embodiments, the primary device also has one set of selected streams, e.g., a stage view, and the companion device has a subset of those streams or other streams based on an activity level. In addition, the present disclosure provides a number of techniques for enabling users to share content using the companion devices.

Companion devices for real-time collaboration in communication sessions

A representation of a calendar view is rendered on a user interface (UI), the calendar view indicative of one or more calendar days comprising a time span including a plurality of sequential time slots. A representation of a calendar event is rendered that is indicative of a scheduled meeting in at least one of the sequential time slots. The scheduled meeting is rendered without an icon or button operative to provide an interactive control to join the scheduled meeting. In response to determining that a scheduled meeting has started, the representation is updated by adding a status indication that is indicative of a current status of the scheduled meeting. The current status is provided without joining the scheduled meeting.

Live meeting information in a calendar view

A representation of a calendar view is rendered on a user interface (UI). The calendar view is indicative of one or more calendar days comprising a time span including a plurality of sequential time slots. A representation of a scheduled meeting is rendered in at least one of the sequential time slots. The scheduled meeting is rendered without an icon or button operative to provide an interactive control to join the scheduled meeting. In response to determining that the scheduled meeting has started, the representation of the scheduled meeting is converted to a live meeting object and the representation of the scheduled meeting is replaced with the converted live meeting object. The live meeting object renders a live video or audio output of the scheduled meeting.

Live meeting object in a calendar view

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing attachments of data files in online communication sessions between participants. A participant selects a data file and is able to input text and edit the data file within a message input region. The edited data file and text is transmitted to another participant of the communication session. The other participant is able to view the text and an excerpt of the edited data file within a user interface. The other participant can select the edited data file to view the edited data file within the user interface.

Unified messaging platform for displaying attached content in-line with e-mail messages

The present disclosure provides a number of techniques for enhancing a user's experience when joining teleconference sessions. When multiple users join a teleconference session using separate devices, a system identifies devices that are co-located. The co-located devices are identified by the use of a combination of data including, but not limited to social signals, audio signal and other location data. At least one device of the co-located devices, has a first control set for controlling a teleconference session and other devices of the co-located devices have a second control set for sharing content. The at least one device also has one set of streams and the other devices see a subset of those streams or other streams based on an activity level. In addition, the present disclosure provides a number of techniques for enabling users to use multiple devices to share content.

Enhanced techniques for joining communication sessions

The techniques disclosed herein provide a notification to a user that has been invited to participate in a communication session (e.g., a virtual meeting such as a video conference). The notification informs the user of contextual information associated with a meeting and provides a mechanism for the user to efficiently join the meeting. The notification can be provided based on different types of join events signaling that the meeting may be able to start. One type of join event can occur when the first person joins the meeting. Other types of join events can occur when an organizer of the meeting joins the meeting, when a required attendee is the first required attendee to join the meeting, when an external user is the first external user to join the meeting, or when a representative from each of a plurality of different stakeholder groups has joined the meeting.

Disclosed are embodiments of a unified messaging application. In one aspects a system includes hardware processing circuitry and hardware memory comprising instructions that when executed configure the hardware processing circuitry to perform operations. The operations include receiving a message comprising a message body and an attachment, the attachment including a first portion and a second portion of content, extracting the first portion of content from the attachment, displaying the extracted first portion in the message body of the message, receiving, within the message body, an edit to the extracted first portion displayed in the message body, and synchronizing the edited first portion with the first portion of content in the attachment.

A calendar view is rendered on a user interface (UI). A scheduled meeting is rendered in a time slot of the calendar view, initially without an interactive control to join the scheduled meeting. In response to determining that a start time for the scheduled meeting is within a threshold time, the rendered scheduled meeting is updated to include an interactive control to join the scheduled meeting. The interactive control has a selectable region that is configured to indicate that the scheduled meeting is to be joined. In response to input data indicative of a selection of the interactive control, a collaboration application joins the scheduled meeting.

A calendar view is rendered on a user interface (UI). A scheduled meeting in a time slot of the calendar view, initially without an interactive control to join the scheduled meeting. In response to determining that a start time for the scheduled meeting is within a threshold time, the representation of the scheduled meeting is converted to a live meeting object within the calendar view.

A unified messaging platform is described which provides a comprehensive environment for collaboration, file sharing, and project management. In aspects, the unified messaging platform is organized based on one or more teams or projects, where each team or project is further organized by customizable categories. A user interface is provided for ready access to information related to each category (e.g., communications, files, tasks, work product, etc.), which information is automatically and seamlessly synchronized across the platform such that each team member remains abreast of the current progress and status of a project. Collaboration regarding an attached file is facilitated by extracting and providing at least a portion of the attached file within a message body. Moreover, revisions made to extracted content within the message body may be automatically synchronized and reflected in the attached file, as well as in a files tab storing files associated with a team.

Embodiments obtain a content item representing graphic content suitable for display as part of a shared media event, determine an activity metric for said content item, determine an activity metric for a participant of said shared media event, comparing the activity metric of the content item and the activity metric the participant, cause a display to render the graphic content associated with said content item, and render a representation of said participant. In at least some implementations, the relative displayed positions of said graphic content and said representation of the participant are based on the result of the comparison of the activity metric of the content item and the activity metric the participant.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Ewin Davis Kannuthottiyil