Virtual position based management of collaboration sessions

Abstract

Improved virtual collaboration environments allow participants in a primary collaboration session to initiate side conversations with fellow participants based on virtual locations of each participant within a virtual collaboration layout. The virtual collaboration layout defines virtual locations of each participant in the collaboration session. If a virtual distance between two participants a below a threshold, the participants are able to engage in a side conversation. Management information is provided to a collaboration session host. The management information indicates, for example, a volume or frequency of communication occurring on each side conversation, or an elapsed time since the side conversation was initiated. The host is also provided with controls that allow the host to issue a warning to side conversation participants, to mute the side conversation, or to change a participant's position within the virtual collaboration layout, thus changing the participant's eligibility to participate in the side conversation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 establishing a plurality of communication sessions with a plurality of client devices;   establishing a first collaboration session that integrates first communications of the plurality of communication sessions;   obtaining data defining relative positions of a plurality of icons to be presented on displays of the plurality of client devices, each of the plurality of icons associated with a respective one of the plurality of communication sessions;   designating one of the plurality of icons as a host icon, the host icon associated with a host communication session of the plurality of communication sessions;   selectively enabling an establishment of a second collaboration session that integrates second communications of two or more communication sessions of the plurality of communication sessions based on relative positions of the icons associated with the two or more communication sessions;   establishing the second collaboration session;   integrating the first communications of the first collaboration session into the second collaboration session; and   causing display, within the host communication session, of management information indicating how the second collaboration session is being used.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing display of the management information within the host communication session comprises:
 causing presentation, via the host communication session, of a host interface that displays the management information indicating how the second collaboration session is being used,   wherein the host interface enables management, monitoring, and control of the second collaboration session within the first collaboration session based at least in part on the management information.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein causing presentation of the host interface via the host communication session comprises:
 causing display of the management information as visual status indications that indicate levels of activity in the second collaboration session.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein causing display of the management information within the host communication session further comprises:
 causing presentation, via the host communication session, of a visual indicator that groups icons associated with the two or more communication sessions, and provides different visual cues to represent different levels of activity.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 determining an elapsed time since establishment of the second collaboration session, an amount of communication within the second collaboration session, a frequency of communication within the second collaboration session, or a combination thereof,   wherein causing display of the management information within the host communication session includes causing presentation of a visual indication of the elapsed time, the amount of communication, the frequency of communication, or the combination thereof.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 obtaining input, via the host communication session, indicating at least one of a warning operation, a mute operation, or a combination thereof; and   based on the input, performing at least one of:
 causing display, via each of the two or more communication sessions, of a warning in response to the input indicating the warning operation; and/or 
 muting the second collaboration session within the first collaboration session in response to the input indicating the mute operation. 
   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 obtaining input, via the host communication session, indicating at least one of a terminate operation, a disable operation, or a combination thereof for the second collaboration session; and   based on the input, performing at least one of:
 disconnecting the second collaboration session in response to the input indicating the terminate operation; and/or 
 preventing two or more client devices associated with the two or more communication sessions from reinitiating the second collaboration session in response to the input indicating the disable operation. 
   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the host interface enables a host associated with the host communication session to selectively join the second collaboration session, view a video stream of an active participant in the second collaboration session, or inject voice instructions into the second collaboration session for participants associated with the two or more communication sessions. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 obtaining input, via the host communication session, indicating a change in relative position of one of the icons associated with the two or more communication sessions;   removing a corresponding one of the two or more communication sessions from the second collaboration session based on the change in relative position; and   rendering a corresponding participant ineligible from rejoining the second collaboration session or reinitiating another collaboration session with other participants of the second collaboration session.   
     
     
         10 . An apparatus comprising:
 a network interface configured to enable network communications;   one or more processors; and   one or more memories storing instructions that when executed configure the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a plurality of communication sessions with a plurality of client devices; 
 establishing a first collaboration session that integrates first communications of the plurality of communication sessions; 
 obtaining data defining relative positions of a plurality of icons to be presented on displays of the plurality of client devices, each of the plurality of icons associated with a respective one of the plurality of communication sessions; 
 designating one of the plurality of icons as a host icon, the host icon associated with a host communication session of the plurality of communication sessions; 
 selectively enabling an establishment of a second collaboration session that integrates second communications of two or more communication sessions of the plurality of communication sessions based on relative positions of the icons associated with the two or more communication sessions; 
 establishing the second collaboration session; 
 integrating the first communications of the first collaboration session into the second collaboration session; and 
 causing display, within the host communication session, of management information indicating how the second collaboration session is being used. 
   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 causing presentation, via the host communication session, of a host interface that displays the management information indicating how the second collaboration session is being used,   wherein the host interface enables management, monitoring, and control of the second collaboration session within the first collaboration session based at least in part on the management information.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 causing display of the management information as visual status indications that indicate levels of activity in the second collaboration session.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
 causing presentation, via the host communication session, of a visual indicator that groups icons associated with the two or more communication sessions, and provides different visual cues to represent different levels of activity.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising:
 determining an elapsed time since establishment of the second collaboration session, an amount of communication within the second collaboration session, a frequency of communication within the second collaboration session, or a combination thereof,   wherein causing display of the management information within the host communication session includes causing presentation of a visual indication of the elapsed time, the amount of communication, the frequency of communication, or the combination thereof.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 obtaining input, via the host communication session, indicating at least one of a warning operation, a mute operation, or a combination thereof; and   based on the input, performing at least one of:
 causing display, via each of the two or more communication sessions, of a warning in response to the input indicating the warning operation; and/or 
 muting the second collaboration session within the first collaboration session in response to the input indicating the mute operation. 
   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , the operations further comprising:
 obtaining input, via the host communication session, indicating at least one of a terminate operation, a disable operation, or a combination thereof for the second collaboration session; and   based on the input, performing at least one of:
 disconnecting the second collaboration session in response to the input indicating the terminate operation; and/or 
 preventing two or more client devices associated with the two or more communication sessions from reinitiating the second collaboration session in response to the input indicating the disable operation. 
   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 wherein the host interface enables a host associated with the host communication session to selectively join the second collaboration session, view a video stream of an active participant in the second collaboration session, or inject voice instructions into the second collaboration session for participants associated with the two or more communication sessions.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , the operations further comprising:
 obtaining input, via the host communication session, indicating a change in relative position of one of the icons associated with the two or more communication sessions;   removing a corresponding one of the two or more communication sessions from the second collaboration session based on the change in relative position; and   rendering a corresponding participant ineligible from rejoining the second collaboration session or reinitiating another collaboration session with other participants of the second collaboration session.   
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed configure one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
 establishing a plurality of communication sessions with a plurality of client devices;   establishing a first collaboration session that integrates first communications of the plurality of communication sessions;   obtaining data defining relative positions of a plurality of icons to be presented on displays of the plurality of client devices, each of the plurality of icons associated with a respective one of the plurality of communication sessions;   designating one of the plurality of icons as a host icon, the host icon associated with a host communication session of the plurality of communication sessions;   selectively enabling an establishment of a second collaboration session that integrates second communications of two or more communication sessions of the plurality of communication sessions based on relative positions of the icons associated with the two or more communication sessions;   establishing the second collaboration session;   integrating the first communications of the first collaboration session into the second collaboration session; and   causing display, within the host communication session, of management information indicating how the second collaboration session is being used.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 19 , the operations further comprising:
 causing presentation, via the host communication session, of a host interface that displays the management information indicating how the second collaboration session is being used,   wherein the host interface enables management, monitoring, and control of the second collaboration session within the first collaboration session based at least in part on the management information.