Ease of use feature for audio communications within chat conferences

Abstract

Methods and arrangements to communicate aurally during a chat conference are contemplated. Embodiments include transformations, code, state machines or other logic to communicate aurally during a chat conference by receiving through a user interface for the chat conference the designation of a participant in the chat conference, receiving through the user interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio, capturing audio, and transmitting the captured audio to the participant based upon the designation of the participant. In some embodiments, a participant may be designated by a mouse click on a name representing the participant. In some embodiments, the command to capture audio may be expressed by holding down a mouse button. In alternate embodiments, the command to capture audio may be expressed by a pop-up menu. In further embodiments, the captured audio may be stored and transmitted to additional participants.

1 . A method to communicate aurally during a chat conference, the method comprising: 
 receiving through a user interface for the chat conference a designation of a participant in the chat conference;    receiving through the user interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio;    capturing audio; and    transmitting the captured audio to the participant based upon the designation.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing the captured audio;    receiving through the user interface a command to transmit the audio to a second participant in the chat conference; and    transmitting the stored captured audio to the second participant in response to the command.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing the captured audio;    receiving through the user interface a command to transmit the stored captured audio to two or more other participants in the chat conference; and    transmitting the stored captured audio to the two or more other participants in the chat conference in response to the command.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 receiving from the participant through the interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio comprises receiving a change in state of a button on a mouse.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 receiving the designation and receiving the command comprises receiving a first change in state of a button on a mouse while a location of a pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the designation; and    receiving a second change in the state of the button represents an instruction to stop capturing audio and to transmit the captured audio to the participant.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 receiving the designation and receiving the command comprises receiving a first change in state of a button on a mouse while a location of a pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the participant;    receiving the first change in state of the button represents an instruction to start transmitting the captured audio to the participant; and    receiving a second change in the state of the button represents an instruction to stop capturing the audio.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving from the participant through the interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio comprises receiving the command through a pop-up menu.  
   
   
       8 . An apparatus to communicate aurally during a chat conference, the apparatus comprising: 
 an audio client module to transmit audio to designated participants; and    a chat conference client module to relay text messages among chat conference participants; the chat conference module comprising: 
 a chat conference user interface coupled to the audio client module to present to conference participants a list of chat conference participants and to receive commands to transmit audio to designated participants.  
   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a server to connect participants to the chat conference.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the server is operable to receive text and audio communications from the conference participants and to relay the text and audio communications to the other conference participants.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein: 
 the audio client module comprises an audio input module to capture audio from a participant in the chat conference.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the audio client module comprises storage to store the captured audio for transmission to additional participants.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the server comprises storage to store the captured audio for transmission to additional participants.  
   
   
       14 . A machine-accessible medium containing instructions to communicate aurally during a chat conference which, when the instructions are executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations, comprising: 
 receiving through a user interface for the chat conference a designation of a participant in the chat conference;    receiving through the user interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio;    capturing audio; and    transmitting the captured audio to the participant based upon to the designation.    
   
   
       15 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: 
 storing the captured audio;    receiving through the user interface a command to transmit the stored captured audio to a second participant in the chat conference; and    transmitting the stored captured audio to the second participant in response to the command.    
   
   
       16 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise: 
 storing the captured audio;    receiving through the user interface a command to transmit the stored captured audio to two or more other participants in the chat conference; and    transmitting the stored captured audio to the two or more other participants in the chat conference in response to the command.    
   
   
       17 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 14 , wherein receiving from the participant through the interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio comprises receiving a mouse command.  
   
   
       18 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 receiving the designation and receiving the command comprises receiving a first change in state of a button on a mouse while a location of a pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the designation; and    receiving a second change in the state of the button represents an instruction to stop capturing audio and to transmit the captured audio to the participant.    
   
   
       19 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 receiving the designation and receiving the command comprises receiving a first change in state of a button on a mouse while a location of a pointer driven by the mouse is associated with the designation;    receiving the first change in state of the button represents an instruction to start transmitting the captured audio to the participant; and    receiving a second change in the state of the button represents an instruction to stop capturing the audio.    
   
   
       20 . The machine-accessible medium of  claim 14 , wherein receiving from the participant through the interface for the chat conference a command to capture audio comprises receiving the command through a pop-up menu.