Methods and systems for visually deemphasizing a displayed persona

1. A method carried out by a user-interface-management device, the method comprising:

identifying, on a user interface, a persona-region location of a persona region of a displayed persona, wherein the displayed persona is representative of a presenter in an online data communication;

identifying, on the user interface, a user-interface-focus location;

making a persona-deemphasize determination based on a display distance between the identified persona-region location and the identified user-interface-focus location; and

in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, visually deemphasizing the displayed persona.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination is further based on a determination that the display distance is less than a proximity threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified persona-region location is a location within the persona region that is closest to the identified user-interface-focus location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of the persona region.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the persona region.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a determination that the identified user-interface-focus location is within a deemphasize region of the persona region.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a mouse-pointer location.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a stylus location.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location of a user-interface region.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user-interface region is a focus-window region of a focus window.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the focus window is a selected window.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the selected window is a moved window.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location within the user-interface region that is closest to the identified persona-region location.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of the user-interface region.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the user-interface region.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a partial-overlap determination that the user-interface region at least partially overlaps the persona region.

17. The method of claim 9 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a total-overlap determination that the user-interface region totally overlaps the persona region.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing an opacity of the displayed persona.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing a display size of the displayed persona.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting a user-interface-adjustment menu in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, wherein the user-interface-adjustment menu (i) at least partially overlaps the persona region and (ii) comprises a set of one or more user-interface-adjustment-menu options that are associated with respective user-interface-adjustment functions.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises muting an audio presentation associated with the displayed persona.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises hiding the displayed persona.

23. A user-interface-management device comprising:

a communication interface;

a processor; and

data storage containing instructions executable by the processor for causing the user-interface-management device to carry out a set of functions, the set of functions including:

identifying, on a user interface, a persona-region location of a persona region of a displayed persona, wherein the displayed persona is representative of a presenter in an online data communication;

identifying, on the user interface, a user-interface-focus location;

making a persona-deemphasize determination based on a display distance between the identified persona-region location and the identified user-interface-focus location; and

in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, visually deemphasizing the displayed persona.

24. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination is further based on a determination that the display distance is less than a proximity threshold.

25. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the identified persona-region location is a location within the persona region that is closest to the identified user-interface-focus location.

26. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of the persona region.

27. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the identified persona-region location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the persona region.

28. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination is based on comprises a determination that the identified user-interface-focus location is within a deemphasize region of the persona region.

29. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a mouse-pointer location.

30. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a stylus location.

31. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location of a user-interface region.

32. The user-interface-management device of claim 31 , wherein the user-interface region is a focus-window region of a focus window.

33. The user-interface-management device of claim 32 , wherein the focus window is a selected window.

34. The user-interface-management device of claim 33 , wherein the selected window is a moved window.

35. The user-interface-management device of claim 31 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a location within the user-interface region that is closest to the identified persona-region location.

36. The user-interface-management device of claim 31 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of the user-interface region.

37. The user-interface-management device of claim 31 , wherein the identified user-interface-focus location is a centroid of a minimum-bounding box that encloses the user-interface region.

38. The user-interface-management device of claim 31 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a partial-overlap determination that the user-interface region at least partially overlaps the persona region.

39. The user-interface-management device of claim 31 , wherein the persona-deemphasize determination comprises a total-overlap determination that the user-interface region totally overlaps the persona region.

40. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing an opacity of the displayed persona.

41. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein visually deemphasizing the displayed persona comprises decreasing a display size of the displayed persona.

42. The user-interface-management device of claim 23 , wherein the set of functions further includes presenting a user-interface-adjustment menu in response to making the persona-deemphasize determination, wherein the user-interface-adjustment menu (i) at least partially overlaps the persona region and (ii) comprises a set of one or more user-interface-adjustment-menu options that are associated with respective user-interface-adjustment functions.

43. The user-interface-management device of claim 42 , wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises muting an audio presentation associated with the displayed persona.

44. The user-interface-management device of claim 42 , wherein one of the respective user-interface-adjustment functions comprises hiding the displayed persona.