Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Onur Cinar

Daniel James Chastney

Ran Mokady

Vijay Chandrasekaran

Nikolai Pavlov

Session history horizon control techniques are described in which participants in a communication session are able to selectively control how much history of the communication session is shown to individuals added into the session. A representation of a session record (e.g., a message thread) may be exposed for rendering by communication modules used by participants for the communication session. Responsive to addition of participants, the communication module(s) may be configured to expose a history control element in conjunction with the session record to enable control over portions of the session record exposed to people added into the session. The history control element for a particular participant is configured to visually identify portions within the session record that are accessible to the particular participant. The history control element may also be positioned in different locations in the session record to modify exposure of the messages to the particular participant.

Session history horizon control

Various embodiments enable a video messaging experience which permits the exchange of short video messages in an asynchronous manner. The video messaging experience preserves the video intimacy and experience of synchronous-type video communications, while at the same time provides the convenience of SMS-type message exchange.

Automatic camera selection

Highlighting unread messages

A user terminal associated with a first user, the user terminal comprising a communication client application for managing communications with at least one further user terminal over a first network, the communication client application being configured to: determine with respect to at least one incoming call whether a further user terminal at the call origin point comprises the communication client application; and manage the reception of the call based on the determination of whether the further user terminal at the call origin point comprises the communication client application.

Managing communication events

A user terminal comprising: a network interface; a touchscreen configured to receive a pattern traced by a user; a first camera configured to capture images, wherein the user terminal is configured to transmit said captured images from the first camera to at least one further user terminal via the network interface as part of a video call; a second camera; a memory configured to store information relating to at least one pattern; a detection module configured to detect, using said stored information, one of said at least one pattern traced on an area of the touchscreen of said user terminal; and a control module configured to, in response to the detection by the detection module, switch from the first camera to the second camera so as to capture images using the second camera, the control module causing the said captured images from the second camera to be transmitted via the network interface to said at least one further user device.

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Onur Cinar