Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Nokia Technologies Oy

Intel Corporation

Shahil Soni

Esa Kankaanpää

Lin Zhong

Ari Liusaari

Andrew James Peacock

Juha Alakarhu

Janne Pekko Kaasalainen

Tomi Tarvainen

Tero Tapio Tiittanen

Sami Pekka Laakso

Jung Chen Hung

Marcus Carl Johan Olsson

Klaus Melakari

Roope Rainisto

Niko Eiden

Joseph Patrick Masterson

Johan Windmark

Ian Dwyer Curry

Teslim Abiodun Alabi

David Fredh

Dan Spjuth

Martin Karlsson

Malia Morioka Douglas

Hayley Lynn Steplyk

Apaar Tuli

Clea H Allington

Charles Yin-Che Lee

Cindy Kwan

Alexander Darrow

Eva Britta Karolina Burlin

Philip Zhian Loh

Jaime J Hwacinski

Andrew Winslow Brough

Manjot Singh Pal

Mikko Anttilainen

Michael J Kumar

Annina Koskinen

Andrey Moiseenko

Jukka Petteri Miettinen

Eva Britta Ka Burlin

Eungsoo Kim

Esa KankaanpÄÄ

Technologies are described for categorization of time blocks in calendars. A time block to be categorized on a user's calendar may be determined based on a direct user input or inference from user history or behavior. Next, a category to be assigned, a beginning, and an end for the time block may be determined. The time block may be the same on all work days, different on each day, etc. One or more exceptions to be processed during the categorized time block may also be determined through direct user input or inference. Then, one or more rules associated with the assigned category restricting scheduling of events on the user's calendar during the categorized time block may be implemented subject to the one or more exceptions.

Categorized time designation on calendars

An electronic mail (email) system generates an email user interface display, with a timeslot actuator, for composing an email message. Actuation of the timeslot actuator is detected and the email system accesses available timeslots from a calendar system corresponding to the user. User selectable display elements, corresponding to each available timeslot, are displayed on the email user interface display, along with message content. When a user selectable display element corresponding to an available timeslot is selected, the email message content is populated with a selectable timeslot element, corresponding to the available timeslot, that can be sent to recipients in the email message.

Electronic mail control system integrating timeslot functionality

A system and method providing an accessibility tool that enhances a graphical user interface of an online meeting application is described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method performed by an accessibility tool (), the method includes accessing (), in real-time, audio data of a session of an online meeting application (), identifying () a target user, a speaking user, and a task based on the audio data, the speaking user indicating the task assigned to the target user in the audio data, generating () a message () that identifies the speaking user, the target user, and the task, the message () including textual content, and displaying () the message () in a chat pane () of a graphical user interface () of the online meeting application () during the session.

Video conference collaboration

An electronic mail (email) system generates an email user interface display for composing an email message. A context-sensitive widget display is surfaced, on the user interface display, in-line with other message content. A widget that generates the widget display interacts with a remote data service to surface data from the remote data service, on the widget display.

Integrating an application for surfacing data on an electronic message pane

Technologies are described for categorization of time blocks in calendars. A time block to be categorized on a user's calendar may be determined based on a direct user input or inference from user history or behavior. Next, a category to be assigned, a beginning, and an end for the time block may be determined. The time block may be the same on all work days, different on each day, etc. One or more exceptions to be processed during the categorized time block may also be determined through direct user input or inference. Then, one or more rules associated with the assigned category restricting scheduling, of events on the user's calendar during the categorized time block may be implemented subject to the one or more exceptions.

An electronic mail (e-mail) system detects when a user is replying to a particular portion of content in a received message. The reply is automatically formatted to visually distinguish it over replies from other recipients to the same portion of content.

In-line collaboration in e-mail

Systems for prioritizing thumbnail previews within a message are described. A thumbnail prioritization application may automatically identify files that are most applicable and/or relevant to a message. When more than one file is applicable to a message, each file may be ranked based on its predicted relevance to the message. In this way, a subset of relevant files is identified, as well as identifying the most relevant files within the subset. Thumbnail previews may further link directly to a corresponding file within storage, enabling recipients of a message to easily and efficiently identify and directly access files that are most applicable to the message. Because relevant files are automatically identified, neither the sender nor the recipient(s) are required to search through multiple files to locate applicable files. Accordingly, user burden is reduced and user efficiency is increased, leading to a better overall user experience.

Prioritizing thumbnail previews based on message content

A server system suitable for generating calendar events based on guided hints is provided. The server system receives, from a device of a first user, an indication to create a calendar event. The server system derives, using natural language processing, guided hints for information for the calendar event, and causes presentation of the guided hints on a user interface displayed on the device of the first user. The server system receives the information in response to the guided hints presented on the device of the first user, and generates the calendar event based on the information.

Natural language event

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for assigning tasks to collaborators of a file through a contextual action. In one aspect, rendering of a file within an email application including a reading pane may be initiated. A task object may be created based on an input made with respect to the file. A reference point associated with the task object may be created within the file. The task object may be assigned to at least one collaborator of the file via the email application.

Task assignment from a file through a contextual action

Linked content is identified in a first electronic message, the linked content corresponding to a portion of a source document. A second electronic message that is associated with the first electronic message is received and includes a version of the linked content. A user interface is generated that represents the second electronic message and includes a version selection user input mechanism that is actuatable to select the version of the linked content in the second electronic message. Based on user actuation of the version selection user input mechanism, the version of the linked content in the second electronic message is selected and automatically incorporated into the source document.

Document linking in an electronic messaging system

Systems for determining and presenting consensus based on evaluating a message conversation are described. A consensus determination application may automatically parse each message of a series of messages related to a topic, using natural language processing or similar methods, to determine one or more suggestions and corresponding opinions for the one or more suggestions contained within those messages. The consensus for each of the one or more suggestions may be presented to a user. By viewing the automatically-determined consensus, the user may, without reading and evaluating all of the messages within the conversation, understand the level of consensus regarding the topic across the group of message participants. Accordingly, user burden is reduced and users may more effectively debate ideas and present suggestions with fewer misunderstandings, leading to an overall better user experience.

Determining consensus among message participants based on message content

Enriched polling user experiences are provided. In some examples, a local and/or remote search may be performed based on a top choice in an ongoing poll. The search may be performed when a threshold such as predefined duration, a predefined number of votes, and/or a percentage of received votes over a polled population. Search results may be used to enrich the user experience displaying the poll with static or interactive items such as images, graphics, textual data, links to resources, etc. If the top choice changes at some point during the poll, new search may be performed and the enriching elements revised based on the new top choice. Types and numbers of the enriching elements to be displayed may be selected based on a type of the poll or a vote distribution in the poll.

Enriched polling user experience

Integrating an application for surfacing data on an email message pane

Growing community of inventors

Seattle, WA, United States of America

Shahil Soni