Patents by Inventor Jason Thomas Faulkner

Jason Thomas Faulkner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10616150
    Abstract: Techniques for indication of communication across applications are described. According to various implementations, a graphical user interface (GUI) for a first application is presented. The GUI for the first application, for instance, enables a first user to communicate with a second user via the first application. An indication of communication between the first user and the second user via a second application is presented within the GUI for the first application. In at least one implementation, the first application and the second application enable communication via different respective modalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Casey James Baker
  • Patent number: 10600420
    Abstract: Described herein is a system configured to determine when burst activity (e.g., an activity hotspot) occurs in a conference session, and to associate the burst activity with a speaker that is speaking at a time when the burst activity occurs. Burst activity occurs when a threshold number of notable events (e.g., five, ten, fifty, one hundred, one thousand, etc.) occur within a threshold time period (e.g., ten seconds, thirty seconds, one minute, etc.). In various examples, the thresholds can be established relative to a number of participants in a conference session and/or a duration of a conference session (e.g., a scheduled duration). The system can then communicate data indicating that a threshold number of events occurred while an individual speaker is speaking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Sonu Arora, Santhosh Kumar Misro
  • Patent number: 10558827
    Abstract: Implementations may provide contextually-aware expertise or decision-making assistance for meeting participants. A system may include a computerized or automated assistant to help participants of a communication session to identify individuals having expertise related to a topic discussed during the communication session. The system, through the use of an agent-assisted response intelligence observing the communication session, may identify that meeting participants require assistance or expertise on a discussed topic. The agent-assisted response intelligence may reach out to individuals to ascertain if they have the expertise related to the discussed topic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Casey James Baker
  • Publication number: 20200036941
    Abstract: Systems and methods for hosting a teleconference session are presented. One or more streams are received from a plurality of client computing devices at a server. The streams are combined to generate teleconference data. The teleconference data may be configured to display a first user interface arrangement in which a primary stream display area dominates a display with a secondary stream display area overlaid on the primary stream display area. The secondary stream display area may disappear after a period of time. The teleconference data may also be configured to display a second user interface arrangement in which the primary stream display area and secondary stream display area are displayed concurrently. A view control switch may be triggered to switch between the first and second user interface arrangement views.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Ruchir Astavans, Kevin D. Morrison, Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Patent number: 10547654
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques to enable a user to concurrently engage with live content and/or chat conversations of multiple conference sessions at the same time. The concurrent engagement is enabled within a single user interface. The user interface is configured to enable the concurrent engagement with live content and/or chat conversations of multiple conference sessions via an adjacent view (e.g., side-by-side, top and bottom, etc.) or a tabbed view. The live content can be configured for display in a first display region of the user interface. The chat conversations can be configured for display in a second display region of the user interface that is adjacent to the first display region. Consequently, a user is able to manage levels of engagement with live content and chat conversations of multiple conference sessions, and switch the levels of engagement to view and/or hear activity amongst the multiple conference sessions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Publication number: 20190384485
    Abstract: System and techniques to implement a control bar on a display device for a communication session are described herein. A user interface is provided for the communication session to display on the display device. Here, the user interface includes a control bar and a session display area that provides a view of the communication session. In response to the number of users participating in the communication session increasing beyond a predefined criterion, the displayed user interface is updated by applying a modification to the control bar that includes moving the control bar from a current location to one of several pre-defined locations on the display device or reducing a size of the control bar. The session display area can then be expanded to occupy a space on the display device that was previously occupied by the control bar before the modification was applied to the control bar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2018
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventor: Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Patent number: 10511643
    Abstract: Disclosed techniques provide for the management of immersion levels and notifications of conference activities that are of interest to a user. In some embodiments, a system can monitor a conference session, that a user is not attending, on the user's behalf to determine when activity that is of interest to the user occurs during the conference session. The system can then send a notification to the user to inform her of the identified activity. In some embodiments, the notification may enable the user to control her immersion level with respect to the conference session. For example, the notification may include user interface element(s) that the user may select to observe or even join the conference session. In some embodiments, the notification may enable the user to directly share content with attendees of the conference session without having to observe or join the conference session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Mark Robert Swift
  • Patent number: 10509964
    Abstract: Systems and methods for hosting a teleconference session. Media data is received from a plurality of client computing devices at a server. The media data is combined into a teleconference stream configured to display a selected teleconference session view. The teleconference stream is transmitted to a client computing device having a display. The teleconference stream is displayed according to the teleconference session view, which includes a primary section displaying a first graphic element and at least one secondary section each including a user interface element having a toggle view function. The teleconference session view changes the display in the primary section to a second graphic element when a toggle actuation is detected at the user interface element of one of the secondary sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ruchir Astavans, Jason Thomas Faulkner, Kevin D Morrison, Michael H Hill
  • Publication number: 20190377586
    Abstract: The disclosed system generates a customized layout based on an analysis of characteristics of graphical items to be displayed. The graphical items can include user interface (UI) control elements (e.g., buttons, a menu, menu options, etc.) streamed content (e.g., video feeds), file content of different types (e.g., text, images, etc.), or other items that can be displayed to a user. The system can analyze preferred characteristics that are based on previously selected graphical items and previously used layouts. The system can then configure a customized layout that includes one or more display areas. Each display area contains at least one graphical item. The preferred characteristics can be used to automatically select graphical items that have a characteristic that correlates with a characteristic of a previously selected graphical item. The customized layout can then be presented to a user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Thomas FAULKNER, Sonu ARORA, Santhosh Kumar MISRO, Joshua GEORGE
  • Patent number: 10506195
    Abstract: Described herein are techniques to display live content of a teleconference session and recorded content of a teleconference session concurrently, in the same user interface. The recorded content and the live content can be part of the same teleconference session. Consequently, if a user joins the teleconference session late, the use can catch-up on missed activity of the teleconference session by viewing the recorded content while also staying engaged with the live content of the teleconference session as the teleconference session progresses. Alternatively, the recorded content and the live content can be part of different teleconference sessions. For instance, while viewing the live content of a live teleconference session, a user can view recorded content of a completed teleconference session. Consequently, the user is enabled to multi-task by viewing recorded content of a completed teleconference session that she or he missed (e.g., previous team meetings pertinent to the current meeting).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Publication number: 20190369836
    Abstract: An improved human-computer interface for placing and sizing virtual objects in a three-dimensional (ā€œ3Dā€) representation of a real-world environment is disclosed herein. The disclosed HCI can determine a location, size, and orientation of virtual objects in a 3D representation of a real-world environment based on simplified user gestures. In some embodiments, based on the timing and direction of an input gesture, a computing device can utilize (1) an automated mode that determines a position and orientation of a virtual object or utilize (2) a manual mode that determines position, orientation, and size of the virtual object. A computing device capable of 3D spatial mapping generates mesh data defining a 3D representation of a real-world environment and images of the real-world environment. The size of the virtual object can be based on a computed depth of real-world objects related to the virtual object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Thomas FAULKNER, Sandhya Rajendra RAO, Kathleen Patricia MULCAHY, Timothy David KVIZ, Bogdan BERG
  • Patent number: 10491859
    Abstract: In a communication event between a first user and one or more second users via a communication network. A plurality of video streams is received via the network at a computer connected to the network. Each of the streams carries a respective moving image of at least one respective user. The computer causes the respective moving image of a first of the video streams to be displayed at a user device of the first user for a first time interval. The computer detects, in the respective moving image of a second of the video streams that is not displayed at the user device in the first time interval, a change in the visual content thereof. In response to detecting said change in the visual content, the computer causes at least the second video stream to be displayed at the user device for a second time interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Publication number: 20190268385
    Abstract: Implementations may provide contextually-aware consensus assistance for meeting participants. A system may include a computerized or automated assistant that can help a team come to an accurate consensus even when team members are not present in a meeting. The accuracy of a decision can be improved by reaching out to relevant voters who may be absent. A meeting and a decision process can proceed even when a meeting does not meet the requirements of a quorum. For example, if ten people are required to make a decision, and only seven show up to a meeting, the meeting can still move forward, and voting can still be conducted using the disclosed techniques.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Casey James Baker
  • Publication number: 20190266238
    Abstract: Implementations may provide contextually-aware expertise or decision-making assistance for meeting participants. A system may include a computerized or automated assistant to help participants of a communication session to identify individuals having expertise related to a topic discussed during the communication session. The system, through the use of an agent-assisted response intelligence observing the communication session, may identify that meeting participants require assistance or expertise on a discussed topic. The agent-assisted response intelligence may reach out to individuals to ascertain if they have the expertise related to the discussed topic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Thomas FAULKNER, Casey James BAKER
  • Patent number: 10389974
    Abstract: Systems and methods for hosting a teleconference session are presented. One or more streams are received from a plurality of client computing devices at a server. The streams are combined to generate teleconference data. The teleconference data may be configured to display a first user interface arrangement in which a primary stream display area dominates a display with a secondary stream display area overlaid on the primary stream display area. The secondary stream display area may disappear after a period of time. The teleconference data may also be configured to display a second user interface arrangement in which the primary stream display area and secondary stream display area are displayed concurrently. A view control switch may be triggered to switch between the first and second user interface arrangement views.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Ruchir Astavans, Kevin D. Morrison, Jason Thomas Faulkner
  • Publication number: 20190230310
    Abstract: A communication system may provide a user interface that includes sections or areas populated with video feeds and/or still images associated with a communication session. A first of the sections may be populated with a video feed or still image of a presenter in the communication session. A second of the sections may be populated with a video feed or still image of an audience member of the video conference that is interacting with the presenter. The communication system may arrange the video feeds or still images to properly represent an interaction between the audience member and the presenter in the communication session, or the communication system may adjust an orientation of one or more of the video feeds or still images to properly represent the interaction between the audience member and the presenter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 24, 2018
    Publication date: July 25, 2019
    Inventor: Jason Thomas FAULKNER
  • Publication number: 20190222892
    Abstract: The disclosed system implements techniques to identify activity in which attendees to a communication session likely have a greater interest. Prior to commencement of a communication session or during the communication session, the techniques enable a list of attendees to a communication session to be designated as a group for which detected activity has a priority with respect to being displayed. The designated list of attendees is a subset of a total number of attendees to the communication session. The system monitors streams associated with individual attendees on the list to detect an occurrence of a preset target event. The system configures a portion of a graphical user interface of the communication session to accentuate the stream that includes the occurrence of the preset target event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Publication date: July 18, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Thomas FAULKNER, Sonu ARORA, Santhosh Kumar MISRO, Joshua GEORGE, Kevin Daniel MORRISON
  • Publication number: 20190141290
    Abstract: In a communication event between a first user and one or more second users via a communication network. A plurality of video streams is received via the network at a computer connected to the network. Each of the streams carries a respective moving image of at least one respective user. The computer causes the respective moving image of a first of the video streams to be displayed at a user device of the first user for a first time interval. The computer detects, in the respective moving image of a second of the video streams that is not displayed at the user device in the first time interval, a change in the visual content thereof. In response to detecting said change in the visual content, the computer causes at least the second video stream to be displayed at the user device for a second time interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventor: Jason Thomas FAULKNER
  • Publication number: 20190132368
    Abstract: Described herein is a system that generates and displays an interactive timeline for a teleconference session, where the interactive timeline includes a representation of supplemental recorded content that has been added after a live viewing of the teleconference session has ended. The system can inject the supplemental recorded content into previously recorded content or append the supplemental recorded content to the interactive timeline. Moreover, the system can cause the supplemental recorded content to subsequently be displayed in one of multiple different views. Furthermore, the system can generate and/or distribute a notification of the supplemental recorded content so that participants to the teleconference session can be made aware of additional activity contributed to the teleconference session (e.g., by someone who missed the live viewing of the teleconference session).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Jose A. RODRIGUEZ, Jason Thomas FAULKNER, Casey BAKER, Sonu ARORA, Christopher WELSH, Kevin D. MORRISON
  • Publication number: 20190123925
    Abstract: Described herein is a system that generates and displays a timeline for communication content. The system determines events that occur in association with the communication content (e.g., a video conference, a chat or messaging conversation, etc.). The system adds a representation of an event to the timeline in association with a time at which the event occurs. Moreover, the system enables user interaction with the representation so that the user can view information associated with an event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventors: Jason Thomas Faulkner, Jose Rodriguez, Casey Baker, Sonu Arora, Christopher Welsh, Kevin D. Morrison