QUEUE ORGANIZED INTERACTIVE PARTICIPATION
Systems and methods for queue-based promotion within a multiparty interaction are described, wherein a participant in the multiparty interaction can join a promotion queue by making a promotion request, then be automatically promoted from an audience area of the multiparty interaction to a presentation area of the multiparty interaction based on the participant's position in the promotion queue.
1 . A method comprising:
sending an instruction that causes a graphical user interface of a communication device to display an interaction workspace comprising a presentation area, an audience area, and a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of communication devices participating in a multiparty interaction, the plurality of icons divided between the presentation area and the audience area and comprising a first icon displayed in the audience area, the first icon corresponding to a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices;
receiving a promotion request from the first communication device;
adding the first communication device to a promotion queue in response to the promotion request;
promoting the first icon from the audience area to the presentation area;
removing the first communication device from the promotion queue in response to the promoting;
receiving a completion indication; and
returning the first icon to the audience area from the presentation area in response to the completion indication.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the promoting occurs in response to a first command from a moderator of the multiparty interaction.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the promoting occurs in response to another icon from the plurality of icons being moved from the presentation area to the audience area.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the promoting occurs in response to an indication from one of the plurality of communication devices corresponding to one of the plurality of icons that is displayed in the presentation area.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the promoting occurs only if the first communication device has been in the promotion queue longer than any other communication device currently in the promotion queue.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of communication devices is associated with priority data, and wherein the promoting occurs based on the priority data associated with the first communication device.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
unmuting a media signal of the first communication device in response to the promoting.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
muting a media signal of the first communication device in response to the returning.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the completion indication comprises an indication from the first communication device.
10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the completion indication comprises a second command from the moderator.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the completion indication comprises an expiration of a predetermined amount of time since the promoting or since the first communication device transmitted an audio communication.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first icon is highlighted while the first communication device is in the promotion queue.
13 . A collaboration server comprising:
a communication interface for communicating with a plurality of communication devices;
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
assign each of a plurality of communication devices participating in a multiparty interaction session to one of an audience area and a presentation area;
receive a first promotion request from a first communication device from among the plurality of communication devices that is assigned to the audience area;
add the first communication device to a promotion queue in response to the first promotion request;
promote the first communication device from the audience area to the presentation area;
remove the first communication device from the promotion queue in response to the promoting the first communication device;
receive a first completion indication; and
reassign the first icon to the audience area from the presentation area in response to the first completion indication.
14 . The collaboration server of claim 13 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
receive a second promotion request from a second communication device from among the plurality of communication devices that is assigned to the audience area;
add the second communication device to the promotion queue; and
promote the second communication device from the audience area to the presentation area in response to the reassigning.
15 . The collaboration server of claim 13 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
unmute a media signal of the first communication device in response to the promoting; and
mute a media signal of the first communication device in response to the reassigning.
16 . The collaboration server of claim 13 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
transmit to the plurality of communication devices, via the communication interface, information about the assignment of each of the plurality of communication devices to one of the audience area and the presentation area.
17 . The collaboration server of claim 16 , wherein the memory stores additional instructions that, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:
transmit to the plurality of communication devices, via the communication interface, information about the promotion queue, the promoting, and the reassigning.
18 . A communication device, comprising:
a communication interface;
a processor; and
a memory, the memory storing instructions for execution by the processor that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
send an instruction that causes a graphical user interface to display an interaction workspace comprising a presentation area, an audience area, and a plurality of icons corresponding to a plurality of communication devices participating in a multiparty interaction, the plurality of icons divided between the presentation area and the audience area and comprising a first icon displayed in the audience area and corresponding to a first communication device of the plurality of communication devices;
receive, via the communication interface, a promotion request from the first communication device;
add the first communication device to a promotion queue in response to the promotion request;
promote the first icon from the audience area to the presentation area;
remove the first communication device from the promotion queue in response to the promoting;
receive a completion indication via the communication interface; and
return the first icon to the audience area from the presentation area in response to the completion indication.
19 . The communication device of claim 18 , wherein the promoting comprises unmuting a media signal of the first communication device and the returning comprises muting the media signal of the first communication device.
20 . The communication device of claim 1 , wherein the communication device comprises the graphical user interface.