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EP-4052420-B1 - TELECONFERENCING INTERFACES AND CONTROLS FOR PAIRED USER COMPUTING DEVICES

EP4052420B1EP 4052420 B1EP4052420 B1EP 4052420B1EP-4052420-B1

Inventors

  • PONNUSAMY, KRUTHIKA
  • PRABHAKAR, SHIVARAM
  • MEHTA, ASHISH
  • GHANAIE-SICHANIE, ARASH
  • GUPTA, SAMARTH

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20201014

Claims (15)

  1. A system (100) for providing pairing between user computing devices, the system comprising: a pairing service (150); a first user computing device (130) configured to interact with the pairing service; and a second user computing device (132) configured to interact with the pairing service, wherein the pairing service is configured to: determine (1810) that the first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with the second user computing device; determine (1820) that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device at a first time that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are both authenticated for a same user service account; determine (1830) that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in a first actively paired set at the first time based on the determination that the first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with the second user computing device and the determination that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device; receive (1840), at the first time, a first indication of an actuation of a first user interface control associated with a teleconferencing session and presented by the first user computing device; and cause (1850), in response to receipt of the first indication and the determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set at the first time, a first real-time component of the teleconferencing session to be rendered by the second user computing device while a first user associated with the user service account is joined to the teleconferencing session as a first participant, the second user computing device (132) operating as a centre of focus for the active teleconferencing session (253) while leaving the first user computing device (130) free for other activities.
  2. The system of claim 1, the pairing service further configured to: receive a second indication that a casting component (514) of the teleconferencing session is active; and cause, in response to receiving the second indication and a determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set, the first user computing device (130) to render the casting component (514) of the teleconferencing session at a same time that the real-time component of the teleconferencing session is being rendered by the second user computing device (132).
  3. The system of claim 1, the pairing service further configured to: determine that the first user's attention is directed to the first user computing device (130) during the teleconferencing session; cause, in response to the determination that the first user's attention is directed to the first user computing device, the second user computing device (132) to stop presenting a second real-time component of the teleconferencing session; and cause, in response to the determination that the first user's attention is directed to the first user computing device, the first user computing device (130) to begin presenting the second real-time component of the teleconferencing session.
  4. The system of claim 1, the pairing service further configured to: determine that the first user's attention (610, 612, 614) has changed from the second user computing device (132) to the first user computing device (130) during the teleconferencing session; cause, in response to the determination that the first user's attention has changed from the second user computing device to the first user computing device, the second user computing device (132) to stop transmitting a real-time media stream of the first user captured by the second user computing device (132); and cause, in response to the determination that the first user's attention has changed from the second user computing device to the first user computing device, the first user computing device to begin transmitting a real-time media stream of the first user captured by the first user computing device (130).
  5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a third user computing device, the pairing service further configured to: determine that a third user computing device (134) is included in the first actively paired set during the teleconferencing session; cause, in response to the determination that the third user computing device is included in the first actively paired set, the third user computing device (134) to present a second user interface element for providing a media item from the third user computing device to the teleconferencing session; receive a first media item submitted via the second user interface element; and cause, in response to the receipt of the first media item, the first media item to be rendered by the first user computing device or the second user computing device.
  6. The system of claim 1, the pairing service further configured to: cause, in response to the receipt of the first indication, the first user to be joined to the teleconferencing session as the first participant, wherein: the first user is not joined to the teleconferencing session at the first time, and the real-time component of the teleconferencing session is a real-time media stream for a second participant of the teleconferencing session.
  7. The system of claim 1, the pairing service further configured to: determine that the first user computing device is a casting-capable device; cause, in response to the determination that the first user computing device is a casting-capable device and a determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set, the second user computing device to present a second user interface control; receive a second indication of an actuation of the second user interface control; and cause, in response to the second indication, the first user computing device to begin casting an electronic content via a casting component of the teleconferencing session.
  8. A method (1800) of providing a unified user interface among actively paired user computing devices in a system comprising a pairing service and first and second computing devices, the method comprising: determining (1810) that the first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with the second user computing device; determining (1820) that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device at a first time that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are both authenticated for a same user service account; determining (1830) that the first user computing device (130) and the second user computing device (132) are included together in a first actively paired set at the first time based on the determination that the first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with the second user computing device and the determination that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device; receiving (1840) at the first time, a first indication of an actuation of a first user interface control associated with a teleconferencing session and presented by the first user computing device; and causing (1850), in response the receipt of the first indication and the determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set at the first time a first real-time component of the teleconferencing session to be rendered by the second user computing device while a first user associated with the user service account is joined to the teleconferencing session as a first participant, the second user computing device operating as a centre of focus for the active teleconferencing session while leaving the first user computing device free for other activities.
  9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: causing, in response to the receipt of the first indication, the first user to be joined to the teleconferencing session as the first participant, wherein: the first user is not previously joined to the teleconferencing session at the first time, and the real-time component of the teleconferencing session is a real-time media stream for a second participant of the teleconferencing session.
  10. The method of claim 8, further comprising: in response to a determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set: causing the first user computing device (130) to present a first UI control for controlling the teleconferencing session while the teleconferencing session is active; and causing the first user computing device (130) to present a second UI control for controlling the teleconferencing session while the teleconferencing session is active.
  11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving a second indication that a casting component of the teleconferencing session is active; and causing, in response to receiving the second indication and a determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set, the first user computing device (130) to render the casting component of the teleconferencing session at a same time that the real-time component of the teleconferencing session is being rendered by the second user computing device (132).
  12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining that the first user computing device (130) is a casting-capable device; causing, in response to the determination that the first user computing device is a casting-capable device and a determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set, the second user computing device (132) to present a second user interface control; receiving a second indication of an actuation of the second user interface control; and causing, in response to the second indication, the first user computing device (130) to begin casting an electronic content via a casting component of the teleconferencing session.
  13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining that a third user computing device (134) is included in the first actively paired set during the teleconferencing session; causing, in response to the determination that the third user computing device is included in the first actively paired set, the third user computing device (134) to present a second user interface element for issuing an invitation to a first contact to join the teleconferencing session; and issuing, in response to an actuation of the second user interface element, an invitation to the first contact to join the teleconferencing session.
  14. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining that the first user computing device and a third user computing device (134) are included together in the first actively paired set during the teleconferencing session; causing, in response, the third user computing device (134) to present a second user interface for identifying an electronic content for casting; receiving an identification of a first electronic content identified via the second user interface; and causing, in response, the first user computing device (130) to begin casting the first electronic content via a casting component of the teleconferencing session.
  15. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining that the first user computing device (130) and the second user computing device (132) are included together in the first actively paired set at a further time during the teleconferencing session; causing, in response to the determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set at the further time, the second user computing device to present a second user interface control for generating an electronic mail including a first electronic content generated in the teleconferencing session; receiving a second indication of an actuation of the second user interface control; and causing, in response to the receipt of the second indication, the first user computing device (130) to present a draft email message including the first electronic content for transmission by an electronic mail application executing on the first user computing device (130).

Description

BACKGROUND Many user computing devices are in portable form factors such as, but not limited to, laptop computers, notebook computers, smartphones, and tablet computers. For many, work can involve use and interaction with multiple different computing devices, including multitasking across devices. Additionally, work environments have become more dynamic. For example, there are increasing amounts of work done across homes, coffee shops, airports, conference rooms, and individual workspaces, and on-demand workspace allocation, where an individual may work at different locations from one day to the next, is increasingly common. New and improved approaches for improving user interactions with, and more fully realizing the capabilities offered by, these varied devices and work environments is desirable. WO 2016 149294 discloses a technique in which a device receives a stream from a proximate device. SUMMARY There is provided a system according to claim 1. There is further provided a method according to claim 8. A system adapted to provide a unified user interface among actively paired user computing devices, in accord with a first aspect of this disclosure, includes one or more processors and machine-readable media including instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, may cause the one or more processors to determining that a first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with a second user computing device. The instructions may also cause the one or more processors to determine that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device at a first time that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are both authenticated for a same user service account. Furthermore, the instructions may cause the one or more processors to determine that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in a first actively paired set at the first time based on the determination that the first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with the second user computing device and the determination that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device. The instructions also cause the one or more processors to receive, at the first time, a first indication of an actuation of a first user interface control associated with a teleconferencing session and presented by the first user computing device. Also, the instructions cause the one or more processors to cause, in response the receipt of the first indication and the determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set at the first time, a real-time component of the teleconferencing session to be rendered by the second user computing device while a first user associated with the user service account is joined to the teleconferencing session as a first participant A method of providing a unified user interface among actively paired user computing devices, in accord with a second aspect of this disclosure, may include determining that a first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with a second user computing device. The method may also include determining that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device at a first time that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are both authenticated for a same user service account. The method may further include determining that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in a first actively paired set at the first time based on the determination that the first user computing device is eligible to be actively paired with the second user computing device and the determination that the first user computing device is in physical proximity to the second user computing device. In addition, the method includes receiving, at the first time, a first indication of an actuation of a first user interface control associated with a teleconferencing session and presented by the first user computing device. Also, the method includes causing, in response the receipt of the first indication and the determination that the first user computing device and the second user computing device are included together in the first actively paired set at the first time, a real-time component of the teleconferencing session to be rendered by the second user computing device while a first user associated with the user service account is joined to the teleconferencing session as a first participant. This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it int