Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Jason Thomas Faulkner

Kevin D Morrison

Casey Baker

Ruchir Astavans

Shalendra Chhabra

Sonu Arora

Eric Randall Sexauer

Chad A Voss

Jose Alberto Rodriguez

Mark Robert Swift

Riley Frambes

Ewin Davis Kannuthottiyil

Christopher Welsh

Timur Aleshin

Amey Parandekar

Thaddeus Adam Scott

Michael Howard Hill

Han-Yi Shaw

Gregory J Hollobaugh

Brandon V Taylor

Austin Seungmin Lee

Edward Sean Lloyd Rintel

Marcelo Daniel Truffat

Mansoor A Malik

Kenton O'Hara

Anthony Arnold Wieser

Albert Robles

Sandhya Rajendra Rao

Ekaterina Bassova

Timothy Michael Cleary

Matthew Benjamin Blank

Yingying Geng

Santhosh Kumar Misro

Robert Corish

Shawn Crispin Wright

Kathleen Patricia Mulcahy

Joseph McLaughlin

Ryan S Menezes

Henry Yao-Tsu Chen

Thomas S Bouchard

Mansoor Jafry

Timothy J Brookins

Timothy David Kviz

Xonatia Ravelle Lee

Bofan Hsu

Rajiv Ramaiah

Devi Brunsch

Arney Parandekar

Joshua George

Marek Cais

Bogdan Berg

Tiphanie Lau

Kevin Daniel Morrison

The disclosed techniques provide systems that automate visual indicators to show active speakers of a communication session who are displayed as 3D representations. Some participants of a communication session can be displayed in a user interface using 3D representations, e.g., avatars, that are each positioned within a 3D environment. The user interface may also include and number of renderings of 2D images of other participants displayed in a gallery, e.g., a display region that is designated for active speakers. When a user who is displayed as a 3D representation starts to speak, the system can detect the speaker's activity via a detection of an audio signal from the user's device. In response to the detection, the system can then automatically add a complementary image of the user to the gallery. The complementary image can help viewers navigate through complex user interface arrangements that display a large number of avatars.

Automation of visual indicators for distinguishing active speakers of users displayed as three-dimensional representations

A system provides adaptive adjustments of perspective views for improving detail awareness for users associated with target entities of a virtual environment. A system can generate customized three-dimensional 3D views for each individual user participating in a communication session. The system can generate customized three-dimensional views for each individual user without making modifications to a 3D model of a virtual environment so a 3D environment can be maintained while each participant may have adjusted angles and positions for various virtual objects. The system can adaptively adjust an angle or position for entities in a viewing perspective or change a dimension of a perspective view for a target entity. The adjustments can be according to each viewer's point of view to maximize detail awareness for each participant of a communication session. These adjustments can be made while at the same time, maintaining attendees arranged in a specific spatial relationship without changes.

Adaptive adjustments of perspective views for improving detail awareness for users associated with target entities of a virtual environment

The techniques disclosed herein provide promotion of meeting engagement by transitioning viewing perspectives to a temporary viewing perspective showing group activity. A system can show each person a view of a large virtual environment, e.g., in a stadium full of representations of meeting attendees. Each person sees the virtual environment from a point of view originating from each person's representation, e.g., a first-person avatar view. When a group activity meets one or more conditions, the system generates a new virtual environment model that shows detailed view of all people in a group, without showing members of other teams that may be intermingled with the group in an original environment. The system may transition each group member's view from the first-person view to a temporary view of the newly generated model that only includes group members. The temporary view can remain until the group activity drops below a threshold.

Promotion of meeting engagement by transitioning viewing perspectives to a temporary viewing perspective showing group activity

The techniques disclosed herein enable systems to guide a user's attention to relevant activity of a communication session displayed in a 3D environment. The system can control a viewing perspective of a 3D environment to focus on specific avatars that are relevant to a user viewing the activity. The system can also control audio signals from remote users of a communication session to enable the viewer to focus on relevant discussions and other audio content. For example, when a particular group of remote users control their avatars to look at the user's avatar or name the user in a conversation, the system can obscure a view of other avatars to bring focus on that particular group of remote users. By directing visual and audio perspectives, a system can help the user navigate through activity of large groups of participants using 3D representatives of a 3D environment to communicate.

Automation of audio and viewing perspectives for bringing focus to relevant activity of a communication session

The disclosed techniques provide promotion of engagement by transitioning viewing perspectives to a temporary viewing perspective showing clusters of group activity. A system shows each person a view of a large virtual environment, e.g., in a stadium full of representations of meeting attendees. Each person sees the virtual environment from a point of view originating from each person's representation, e.g., a first-person avatar view. When a group activity meets one or more conditions, the system determines parameters of a temporary perspective view from a point-of-view of a virtual camera based on the positions of people in a cluster of representations. The parameters of the temporary perspective view can be selected to show a threshold number of representations found in a cluster in a virtual environment. The system can then transition the view of each member of the group from a first-person perspective to the point-of-view of the virtual camera.

Transitioning of meeting engagement by transitioning viewing perspectives to a temporary viewing perspective showing clusters of group activity

Systems for transitioning a user interface arrangement from a display of a two-dimensional image of a user to a rendering of a three-dimensional representation of the user is provided. A system can start with a UI including a rendering of a user that is based on a 2D image file. The system can receive an input that is configured to cause the system to transition the display of the rendering of the 2D image of the select user to a rendering of the three-dimensional representation of the select user. To display the rendering of the 3D representation of the select user, the system uses permission data and a three-dimensional model defining a position and orientation to display the 3D representation of the user. The system allows users to switch between viewing modes to allow users to interact with content using the most effective type of hardware.

2D and 3D transitions for renderings of users participating in communication sessions

A system provides automated transitions between presenters of a communication session. During a meeting, a system can provide a user interface that includes a primary presenter region configured to display a rendering of a presenter and the presenter's shared content. The user interface can also provide an audience region, which may include a number of individual video streams of audience members arranged in virtual environment. When the system determines that an individual audience member raises their hand, the system generates a graphical notification indicating that the person raised their hand. The system can also automatically add that individual audience member to a presenter queue. When the first presenter completes their presentation, the system can automatically transition the user listed in the presenter queue to the primary presenter region or a secondary presenter region. The system can also automatically change permissions for users that initiate a transition to a presenter role.

Automated UI and permission transitions between presenters of a communication session

The techniques disclosed herein provide a system that generates a summary for a communication session. A topic for a summary can be selected in response to detection of a high priority source of information. For instance, if a user's manager makes a comment during a meeting, that comment can be interpreted and selected as a topic for a summary. The system can select such content based on a user's relationship with a source. Information provided by teammates or a manager or other entities having a threshold level of relevancy can be indicated as a high-priority topic for a summary. The system improves the user's interaction with a computer by providing an adaptable summaries of information. The adaptable summaries allow users to readily identify topics, content sources, and high-priority content for meetings.

Dynamically generated summaries with adaptive associations between participants of a communication session

The disclosed techniques enable systems to provide agenda driven control of user interface environments. A conference system can perform a contextual determination and automatically select and apply a suitable corresponding 2D or 3D user interface construct for the conference participants. The system can also cause client endpoints to switch display between 2D and 3D settings using different user interface constructs. A system can perform contextual determination utilizing a meeting agenda and identify a meeting type based on agenda items such as: a Financial Report, a Brainstorming Session, and a Social Gathering. In response, the system automatically applies proper 2D and 3D constructs with scenes suitable for each agenda item: a conference hall with large presentation screens for the Report, a virtual room with a whiteboard for the Brainstorming Session, and a virtual room with a party theme for the Social Gathering.

Agenda driven control of user interface environments

The disclosed techniques provide controlled delivery of stimulus notifications for promotion of user engagement of select users in communication sessions. A system delivers stimulus notifications targeting less-engaged attendees who is already in an event, such as a meeting. The stimulus notifications can be regarding happenings from different corners of the event that match the attendee's profile. For example, if the attendee has a profile that indicates they are interested in viewing their team members in an event where they are participating in an activity related to a predetermined sentiment, e.g., a positive sentiment such as performing a cheering gesture or generating specific emojis, the system will send that attendee stimulus notifications when that attendee has a low engagement level.

Controlled delivery of activity signals for promotion of user engagement of select users in communication sessions

The techniques disclosed herein provide dynamic curation of sequence events for communication sessions. A system can utilize smart filtering techniques to generate and select sequence events that are designed to optimize user engagement. The system can collect contextual data associated with a communication session, which can be in the form of a private chat session, a multi-user editing session, a group meeting, a live broadcast, etc. The system can utilize the contextual data, and other input data defining user activity, to customize sequence events defining contextually-relevant user interface (UI) layouts, volume levels, camera angles, special effects, and other parameters controlling aspects of the communication session.

Dynamic curation of sequence events for communication sessions

The disclosed techniques optimize the use of computing resources and user engagement by controlling a user interface that displays renderings of meeting participants concurrently with two presentation areas. The participants can include one group of users or multiple groups of users. The two presentation areas are each reserved for content that can be controlled by different users or a single user. In some embodiments, a system can allow users to control the content, e.g., change the content, change a display of a particular page, etc. In some embodiments, individual groups of users can each control specific content in a respective display area. By displaying at least two display areas that each can be independently controlled by one person or multiple people, a system can improve user engagement and improved efficiencies with respect to computing resources.

Concurrent display of multiple content views during a communication session

The techniques disclosed herein improve existing systems by providing a system that receives a settings profile associated with a first application. The settings profile is stored. When it is determined that a second application has unconfigured settings, the stored settings profile is accessed and based on the stored settings profile, the unconfigured settings are automatically configured.

Automatic enrollment and intelligent assignment of settings

The techniques disclosed herein improve the efficiency of a system by providing intelligent agents for managing data associated with objects that are displayed within mixed-reality and virtual-reality collaboration environments and facilitating communication between the agents and computing devices associated with the collaboration environments. Individual agents are configured to collect, analyze, and store data associated with individual objects in a database associated with the agent. The agents are further configured to receive queries from the computing devices regarding an individual object. Agents can respond to queries by presenting relevant information collected by the agent with a view of the queried object of interest In addition, the data stored by the agents can be shared between different collaboration environments without requiring users to manually store and present a collection of content for each object. The intelligent agents can also persist across multiple collaboration environments to enhance user engagement and improve productivity.

Intelligent agents for managing data associated with three-dimensional objects

The techniques disclosed herein improve existing systems by providing a system that automatically generates a scalable summary with adaptable graphical associations between people and content. The system can select a level of detail that can be applied to a process for generating a summary of content. The level of detail can be based on a user's engagement with respect to one or more events. The system can improve the usability of the summary by selecting a level of detail that is optimized for the user's contextual status. The system also improves the user's interaction with a computer by providing an adaptable layout of information indicating a source of content. The adaptable layout allows users to readily identify topics, content sources, and high-priority summary sections regardless of the level of detail that is selected for the summary.

Dynamically scalable summaries with adaptive graphical associations between people and content

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Jason Thomas Faulkner