Collaborative multimedia communication
A method includes, within a Graphical User Interface (GUI), displaying a contact list and a conversation container to a user, the contact list including a plurality of contact objects, the conversation container being an active object used to represent an ongoing conversation, receiving input from a user through the GUI, the input instructing the client computing system to move a first contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container and drop the first contact object into the conversation container, in response to dropping the first contact object into the conversation container, instructing a server to open a first communication session between the client system and a first device associated with the one of the contact objects, the first communication session being of a first media type, and engaging in communication through the first communication session with the first device.
1. A method performed by a client computing system in a communications network, the method comprising:
within a Graphical User Interface (GUI), displaying a contact list and a conversation container to a user, the contact list including a plurality of contact objects, the conversation container being an active object used to represent an ongoing conversation;
receiving input from a user through the GUI, the input instructing the client computing system to move a first contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container and drop the first contact object into the conversation container;
in response to dropping the first contact object into the conversation container, instructing a server to open a first communication session between the client system and a first device associated with the one of the contact objects, the first communication session being of a voice-only media type;
engaging in communication through the first communication session with the first device; and
receiving input from a user indicating a request to add a second communication session of a video media type, the video media type using a different communication protocol than the voice-only media type.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, receiving input from a user to move a second contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container and drop the second contact object into the conversation container.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, in response to dropping the second contact object into the conversation container, instructing the server to open a second communication session between the client system and a second device associated with the second contact object to create a multi-party communication session between the client computing system, the first device, and the second device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is received through a user selection of an icon in the conversation container.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input is received through a user selection of an object in a toolbar adjacent the conversation container.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the request, instructing the server to open a second communication session between the client computing system and the first device, the second communication session being of the video media type.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, within the conversation container, displaying a first active interface object representing the first communication session.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to user input, instructing the server to put the first communication session on hold; and
instructing the server to establish a second communication session between the client system and a second device.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, displaying a second active interface object representing the second communication session.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, in response to user input, instructing the server to put the second communication session on hold and reactivate the first communication session.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to the request to add the second communication session, instructing a server to open the second communication system between the client system and the first device associated with the one of the contact objects.
12. A client computing system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory comprising machine readable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the system to:
render a Graphical User Interface (GUI), the GUI being configured to display a conversation container and a plurality of contact objects, the conversation container comprising an active object that represents a conversation;
receive a first input from a user to move a first contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container;
receive a second input from the user to drop the contact object into the conversation container;
in response to the second input, instruct a server to open a first communication session between the client system and a first device associated with the one of the contact objects, the first communication session being of a voice-only media type;
in response to a third input, instruct the server to open a second communication session between the client system and the first device, the second communication session being of a video media type and using a different communication protocol than the first communication session; and
transmit media data to the first device via the first communication session and the second communication session.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is further to:
receive a fourth input from a user to move a second contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container and drop the contact object into the conversation container; and
in response to dropping the second contact object into the conversation container, instruct the server to open a second communication session between the client system and a second device associated with the second contact object to create a multi-party communication session between the client computing system, the first device, and the second device.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is further to:
display a first active interface object representing the first communication session within the conversation container;
in response to a fourth input, instruct the server to put the first communication session on hold; and
instruct the server to establish a second communication session between the client system and a second device.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the system is further to display a second active interface object representing the second communication session; and
in response to a fifth input, instructing the server to put the second communication session on hold and reactivate the first communication session.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is further to:
after the first contact object is dropped into the conversation container, display a conversation object within the conversation container, the conversation object being associated with a contact associated with the first contact object.
17. The client computing system of claim 12 , wherein the system is to communicate with the first device over both the first communication session and the second communication session.
18. A computer program product comprising machine readable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the machine readable instructions comprising code to:
render a conversation container within a Graphical User Interface (GUI), the conversation container being an active object within the GUI, the active object being used to represent ongoing conversations;
provide a contact list within the GUI, the contact list including a plurality of contact objects;
receive input from a user to move one of the contact objects from the contact list to the conversation container;
in response to moving the one of the contact objects into the conversation container, instruct a server to open a first communication session between the client system and a first device associated with the one of the contact objects, the first communication session being of a voice-only media type; and
receive input from a user indicating a request to add a second communication session of a video media type, the video media type using a different communication protocol than the voice-only media type.
19. The computer program product of claim 18 , further comprising machine readable code to:
receive input from a user to move a second contact object from the plurality of contact objects over the conversation container; and
in response to dropping the second contact object into the conversation container, instruct the server to open a second communication session between the client system and a second device associated with the second contact object to create a multi-party communication session between the client computing system, the first device, and the second device.
20. The computer program product of claim 18 , further comprising code to cause the client system to communicate with the first device over both the first communication session and the second communication session.