Abstract: Techniques for muting participants in a communication session are described. A communication session, such as a teleconference or a video conference, may be established between a plurality of participants using devices. Each participant engaged in the communication session may be authorized to mute or un-mute other participants. Information related to the communication session may be provided to some of the participants, including but are not limited to, indications of when a participant is muted or unmuted, indications of which participant initiated a muting or un-muting, indications of volume of a participant, or indications of types of sounds in a communication session. Social controls, utilized through transparency (e.g., providing identifying indications), may reduce the chance of misuse of the muting functionality.

Abstract: Techniques presented herein provide techniques for integrating one or more documents for a communication session in a calendar application. In one example, a computing device retrieves a meeting appointment in a calendar application executed by the computing device for a meeting via a communication session, wherein the meeting appointment includes identifying information of one or more invitees and for the communication session, wherein the communication session enables communication between different computing devices. At least one document associated with the communication session is identified. The document is linked with the meeting appointment such that a centralized version of the at least one document is accessible to the one or more invitees via the meeting appointment, wherein authorization is granted to each of the one or more invitees to the communication session defining permission levels for each of the one or more invitees to access the at least one document.

Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments present systems and methods for improving improve audio and video quality in a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection including that includes both audio and video. Particularly, different audio and video codecs may be used and parameters assigned based upon the context in which the communication occurs. For example, audio quality may take precedence to video quality when discussing a matter in a chatroom. Conversely, video quality may take precedence to audio quality when playing a collaborative video game. VP9 may be used to encode video while a combination of ISAC and SPEEX may be used to encode audio. Bandwidth determinations for each channel may also influence the respective codec selections.

Abstract: Techniques presented herein may allow an invitee to a communication session to receive a callback at a selected device in order to join the communication session. In one example, a first computing device retrieves a meeting appointment including at least one invitee and a meeting start time for a meeting using a calendar application executed by the first computing device, wherein the meeting appointment is associated with a communication session, and wherein the meeting appointment identifies a second computing device associated with the at least one invitee. The first computing device signals the second computing device to output a network link in a meeting notification provided by the second computing device, wherein the network link enables the second computing device to submit a callback request to the first computing device. The first computing device invites a selected computing device to join the communication session in accordance with the callback request.

Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments improve the initial codec selection in a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection. Particularly, rather than select an initial codec for the connection arbitrarily or based on data measured during the connection, embodiments analyze attributes of data exchanged prior to connection establishment to identify the appropriate initial codec. Attributes of the offer message transmission and acknowledgement may be used to infer channel quality. Signal strength, the existence of a WiFi connection, previous codecs used, etc., may also be taken into consideration. Latency measurements may be used as a proxy for measuring available bandwidth. Based on these factors, a codec having appropriate attributes may be selected. Traditional rate shaping methods may be applied subsequent to the initial codec selection.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for chat-enabling a social circle in response to user input provided by a first user, the social circle being defined by the first user and including one or more contacts, the one or more contacts including a second user, for each of the one or more contacts, issuing a chat service subscription request, determining that a subscription request associated with the second user is fulfilled, and in response to determining that the subscription request associated with the second user is fulfilled, adding the second user as a chat contact of the first user and adding the first user as a chat contact of the second user.

Abstract: A mapping system determines points of interest that are related to a selected point of interest within a digital map displayed at a client computing device. The system receives a request for mapping system data from a client computing device. The request indicates a selected point of interest (POI) that is displayed at a geographic location within the digital map. The selected POI corresponds to a list of words describing characteristics of the selected POI, and each word corresponding to the selected POI word includes a base score describing an importance of the word compared to a list of all words corresponding to displayable POIs. The system determines POIs that are related to the selected POI by comparing base scores of the selected POI words to base scores of related POI words, where the related POIs each include at least one word in common with the selected POI.

Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments present systems and methods for improving improve audio and video quality in a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection including that includes both audio and video. Particularly, different audio and video codecs may be used and parameters assigned based upon the context in which the communication occurs. For example, audio quality may take precedence to video quality when discussing a matter in a chatroom. Conversely, video quality may take precedence to audio quality when playing a collaborative video game. VP9 may be used to encode video while a combination of ISAC and SPEEX may be used to encode audio. Bandwidth determinations for each channel may also influence the respective codec selections.

Abstract: Various of the disclosed embodiments improve the initial codec selection in a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) connection. Particularly, rather than select an initial codec for the connection arbitrarily or based on data measured during the connection, embodiments analyze attributes of data exchanged prior to connection establishment to identify the appropriate initial codec. Attributes of the offer message transmission and acknowledgement may be used to infer channel quality. Signal strength, the existence of a WiFi connection, previous codecs used, etc., may also be taken into consideration. Latency measurements may be used as a proxy for measuring available bandwidth. Based on these factors, a codec having appropriate attributes may be selected. Traditional rate shaping methods may be applied subsequent to the initial codec selection.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for selecting a subset of participants to display on a display device of a computing device from a plurality of participants in a video conference. In one example, a method includes determining a participation rating for each of a plurality of participants in a video conference, wherein the participation rating is based on one or more conversation properties for each of the two or more participants. The method also includes selecting two or more participants based on the participation rating of each of the two or more participants. The method further includes displaying image data associated with the two or more selected participants on a display device of a computing device.

Abstract: A mapping system determines points of interest that are related to a selected point of interest within a digital map displayed at a client computing device. The system receives a request for mapping system data from a client computing device. The request indicates a selected point of interest (POI) that is displayed at a geographic location within the digital map. The selected POI corresponds to a list of words describing characteristics of the selected POI, and each word corresponding to the selected POI word includes a base score describing an importance of the word compared to a list of all words corresponding to displayable POIs. The system determines POIs that are related to the selected POI by comparing base scores of the selected POI words to base scores of related POI words, where the related POIs each include at least one word in common with the selected POI.

Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for providing access to one or more shared objects to a user participating in a collaboration session, including receiving a request from a user to receive access to one of one or more shared objects within a collaboration session, each shared object having a corresponding access control list including one or more authorized users having access to the shared object, determining whether the user has access to the one of the one or more shared objects by referencing the access control list in response to receiving the request and adding the user as an authorized user within the access control list for each of the one or more shared objects when it is determined that the user does not have access to the one of the one or more shared objects, such that the user is provided access to the one or more shared objects.

Abstract: In general, this disclosure describes techniques for muting participants in a communication session. A communication session, such as a teleconference or a video conference, may be established between a plurality of participants using devices. Each participant engaged in the communication session may be authorized to mute or un-mute other participants. Information related to the communication session may be provided to some of the participants, including but are not limited to, indications of when a participant is muted or un-muted, indications of which participant initiated a muting or un-muting, indications of volume of a participant, or indications of types of sounds in a communication session. Social controls, utilized through transparency (e.g., providing identifying indications), may reduce the chance of misuse of the muting functionality.