Google Inc.

Saynow Corporation

Ujjwal Singh

Nikhyl P Singhal

Benjamin David Eidelson

Janahan Vivekanandan

Param Reddappagari

Peter Ng

Randall Sarafa

Peter Michal Pawlowski

Christopher Paul David Johnson

Richard Eugene Fulcher

Mayur Kamat

Evan Stephen Millar

Heradon Douglas

Brian Laird

Robert David Cleveland

Rhett Robinson

Eric Barndoller

David Scrymgeour Bennett

Marcelo Enrique Stockl Cortes

This disclosure describes techniques in which one or more computing devices receive a signal from a first client computing device. The signal indicates that the first client computing device is available for participation in a communication session that enables communication between the first client computing device and one or more other client computing devices. The one or more computing devices determine a context for a topic of discussion associated with the communication session. The context is associated with a content item capable of being outputted by the first client computing device. Responsive to receiving the signal, the one or more computing devices initiate the communication session and send an invitation to at least one of the one or more other client computing devices to join the communication session. The invitation indicates the context of the communication session to at least one of the one or more other client computing devices.

Initiating a communication session based on an associated content item

Systems, methods and computer readable media for persistent conversations are described. In some implementations, a method can include receiving a communication message sent from a first user to at least one other user, and generating a persistent conversation object having a conversation content section and conversation state information. The method can also include storing the communication message in the conversation content section of the persistent conversation object, and forwarding the communication message to the at least one other user. The method can further include updating the conversation state information to reflect the receiving, storing and forwarding of the communication message.

Persistent conversations

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for initiating a communication session when a user indicates she or he is available to participate in the communication session. In one example, a method includes receiving, by a first communication device, an indication that a user is available to participate in a communication session that enables communication between different communication devices. Responsive to receiving the at least one signal, the communication session may be initiated in an inactive mode at the first communication device. The first communication device may receive a request from a second communication device to participate in the communication session. Responsive to receiving the request, the communication session may be switched from the inactive mode to an active mode.

Ambient communication session

Implementations generally relate to configuring presence and notifications in persistent conversations. In one implementation, a method includes receiving a presence state associated with a user and causing the presence state to be selectively displayed to one or more target users. The method also includes determining that an event has occurred for which a notification is to be sent to the user, and selectively delivering the notification to the user based on the configured presence state.

Configuring presence and notifications in persistent conversations

A method of transmitting audio content over a communication network includes generating a predetermined audio content in a format capable of being transmitted to members in the publisher's network; receiving a request for the predetermined audio content from the members interested in receiving the audio content; embedding advertisements into the predetermined audio content selected according to details describing each of the members and transmitting to each of the members the predetermined audio content embedded with the advertisements selected specifically for each member. Additionally, a communication method selectively transmits messages between a publisher and members of a publisher's network. The communication method includes receiving a request from a member of the publisher's network to communicate with the publisher, ordering the request to communicate from the member according to a queuing scheme that serializes the request with other requests from other members of the publisher's network, determining if a response to the request from the member should be made through a synchronous interactive communication channel rather than the queuing scheme and an asynchronous communication channel, ordering a response from the publisher responsive to the determination and according to a queuing scheme that serializes the response to the request along with other responses to other requests over the asynchronous communication channel from other members and establishing the synchronous interactive communication channel responsive to the determination that circumvents the queuing scheme and is capable of delivering a response to the request directly to the member making the request.

Conditional audio content delivery method and system

A system for endpoint device-specific stream control for multimedia conferencing may include one or more processors and memory. The one or more processors may perform steps of providing a hosted multimedia conference to participant devices, determining whether each participant device is capable of providing a video stream transmission and providing, to each participant device, video stream controls that provide for controlling video streams of exclusively the other participant devices that are determined to be capable of providing video stream transmissions. The steps may further include receiving a selection of a first video stream control corresponding to a first participant device from second and third participant devices, receiving a video stream from the first participant device, and providing the video stream to the second and third participant devices based at least in part on the received selections of the first video stream control by the second and third participant devices.

Endpoint device-specific stream control for multimedia conferencing

In general, this disclosure describes techniques for a for indicating user availability comprising providing for display at a first client device, graphical representations associated with one or more users available to participate in a synchronous communication session that enables communication between different client devices, receiving, from the first client device, a selection of the graphical representations to engage with at least one second client device corresponding to the selected graphical representations in the synchronous communication session, and responsive to receiving the selection of the graphical representations, coupling the first client device to the synchronous communication session, wherein coupling the first client device to the synchronous communication session allows the first client device to communicate with at least the second client device associated with the at least one selected graphical representations, wherein at least the second client device is coupled to the synchronous communication session.

Indicating availability for participation in communication session

Aspects of the present disclosure provide techniques that may optimize a virtual collaboration session for mobile computing devices. In one example, a method includes receiving, using one or more computing devices, a first video stream sent from a first client device using a communication session, and receiving a second video stream sent from a second client device using the communication session. The method may also include receiving a request sent from the first client device using the communication session to select the first video stream as a primary video, and providing a third video stream based at least on the primary video stream and the secondary video stream to the first client device using the communication session, wherein the third video stream includes the primary video stream.

Growing community of inventors

Palo Alto, CA, United States of America

Ujjwal Singh