CN101443727A - Method, apparatus and computer program product providing graphical user interface that facilitates management of multiple simultaneous communication sessions - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention discloses a user interface device, method and software used in and in conjunction with a communication terminal, wherein the user interface includes at least one of a first view and a second view, for providing the user with at least the following items A visual representation of: a type of at least one ongoing communication, participants within the at least one ongoing communication, and whether content is being shared with the at least one ongoing communication participant. Compared with the prior art, the use of the present invention can make it easier to manage multiple simultaneous communication sessions.

Description

Method, apparatus and computer program product for providing a graphical user interface that facilitates management of multiple simultaneous communication sessions

technical field

Example embodiments of the present invention relate generally to user interface (UI) technologies, and more particularly to graphical user interface (GUI) devices, methods and software for use in and in conjunction with communication terminals.

Background technique

In a traditional communication terminal such as a mobile phone, there is no single UI location capable of displaying all active ongoing communications at a glance. While individual applications can display their respective statuses, such as active IM conversations in an instant messaging (IM) application, the user is not provided with a coherent view of all active communication sessions. Furthermore, in traditional practice, any switching between communication sessions is done through the respective applications.

Due to these deficiencies, managing multiple simultaneous communication sessions is difficult for users because communication management is fragmented into pieces. Also, it is not possible to change the mode in a session through the current control. Also, as new communication modes and technologies advance, it is expected that they will be able to support multiple simultaneous communication sessions. However, these communication sessions may vary widely in their nature, such as long-term static with minimal user activity frequency, or short-term requiring more frequent user interaction. The different nature of the potential communications only complicates the problem of managing multiple simultaneous communications.

Contents of the invention

The foregoing and other problems are overcome, and other advantages are realized, in accordance with example embodiments of the present invention.

In one aspect of the present invention, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a user interface of a communication terminal, the user interface including at least one of a first view and a second view for providing a user with a visual representation of at least the following items: A type of at least one ongoing communication, a participant in the at least one ongoing communication, and whether content is being shared with the at least one ongoing communication participant.

In another aspect of the present invention, an example embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus comprising a data processor coupled to a user interface and operable to establish at least one of a workspace and a session view One for providing a user with a visual representation of at least the type of at least one ongoing communication, participants in the at least one ongoing communication, and whether content is being shared with the at least one ongoing communication participant.

In another aspect of the present invention, example embodiments of the present invention provide a computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium, comprising program instructions executable by a data processor. The program instructions are operable to cause the data processor to manage user interface functions and establish at least one of a workspace view and a session view for providing a visual representation of at least one of the types of communications in progress, the At least one participant in the ongoing communication and whether content is being shared with the at least one participant in the ongoing communication.

In another aspect of the present invention, example embodiments of the present invention provide a terminal having processor means coupled to user interface means and operable to provide a user with a visualization of at least Indicates: a type of at least one ongoing communication, a participant in the at least one ongoing communication, and whether content is being shared with the at least one ongoing communication participant.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention further provide a method operable through user interface functionality, the method comprising: establishing at least one of a first view and a second view to provide a visual representation of at least the following: at least one the type of communication in progress, the at least one participant in the communication in progress, and whether content is being shared with the at least one participant in the communication in progress; at least one of; and, an operation to manage at least one ongoing communication in response to user activation of the at least one control.

Description of drawings

The foregoing and other aspects of example embodiments of this invention will be more apparent when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a non-limiting example of a UI workspace view;

Figure 2 shows a non-limiting example of a UI session view;

Figure 3 shows a representation of a centralized forum for sharing content;

Fig. 4 A and Fig. 4B are collectively referred to as Fig. 4, have shown the process that the user selects the content (video) for sharing with the participants during the PoC communication between the user and some participants;

5A and FIG. 5B are collectively referred to as FIG. 5, which shows a process in which the user selects video content for sharing with participants during the PoC communication between the user and several participants;

Figure 6 shows an example representation of a workspace combined with a session view, which together represent a coherent UI space to provide quick access to and switching between all possible communication devices, and to provide content/communication augmentation;

Figure 7 shows an example of the use of the workspace concept;

Figure 8 shows the process of upgrading an individual call to a group call;

Figure 9 illustrates the process of initiating a chat/IM session with a participant of the group call shown in Figure 8;

Figure 10 shows an example of initiating a second group communication session during an ongoing first group communication session;

11A and 11B, collectively referred to as FIG. 11 , illustrate a process for sharing video content with participants of a second group communication session;

Figure 12 shows the UI where the call of the first group communication session is terminated, leaving only the chat session in progress;

13 is a block diagram of a terminal including a UI and a controller operable to implement an example embodiment of the present invention; and

Figures 14A and 14B, collectively referred to as Figure 14, show an example of a display representation showing the concept of a workspace view, a session view, and a dialog and how the different views are logically related to each other.

Detailed ways

By way of illustration, it may be noted that as the functionality of mobile terminals increases, it becomes important to add expansion units to a communication session. However, current separate communication applications of conventional mobile terminals do not support smooth switching between the main communication session and the expansion unit. Switching between the main communication session and the expansion unit should be faster and more intuitive than traditional application switching.

Furthermore, there is currently no function of adding an extension unit to a communication session, even for a communication terminal capable of creating extended content such as creating images or downloading extended content such as music files. In many cases, an incentive to share content may arise during communication, so a means to fluently share content within a session should be easily accessible and operable by a user.

As will be apparent from what follows, any previous functionality to add content to an IM conversation differs significantly from the teachings of the present invention, at least because the previous functionality only applies to one mode of communication, and also because there is no central point for managing shared content The reason for the location.

The assumption made in the implementation of the teachings of the present invention is that a user wishes to have multiple simultaneously active/ongoing communication sessions. For example, the introduction of Instant Messaging (IM), Intercom over Cellular (PoC, also known as Push to Talk (PTT) and Push to Talk Over Cellular), video telephony, and other modes and methods of communication has increased To meet the need to provide different communication methods for the same participant.

Referring first to FIG. 13 , a block diagram of a terminal 100 is shown. The terminal 100 includes a UI 102 including a display 104 and an input device 106 which may include a touch-sensitive portion of the display 104 and/or a keypad or keyboard. If the display is touch sensitive, the keypad/keyboard may be a virtual (displayed) keypad/keyboard. Speech recognition and/or handwriting recognition may also constitute all or part of the input device 106 . One or more physical or virtual soft keys 108 may be provided and used to implement controls to access and initiate the various UI functions described above. As non-limiting examples, softkeys 108 provide controls for initiating sharing content with participants of an ongoing communication during an ongoing communication, controls for adding participants to an ongoing communication during an ongoing communication, A control for initiating a new type of communication with a participant during an ongoing communication, a control for initiating a new communication with at least one other participant during an ongoing communication, and a control for switching between communications. UI 102 is coupled to data processor 110 , which in turn is coupled to memory 111 , which includes program memory 112 and data memory 114 . The program memory 112 stores one or more computer programs for enabling the data processor 110 to implement the UI functions shown in FIGS. 1-12 and described above. The terminal 100 also includes wireless communication circuitry 120, such as a cellular transceiver 122, and in some embodiments, a short-range RF and/or IR wireless communication transceiver 124 (eg, a Bluetooth ^™ interface). If present, both cellular transceiver 122 and short-range transceiver 124 may be activated simultaneously, wherein (as one non-limiting example) cellular transceiver 122 is used for communication of a telephone call by a cellular operator, and short-range transceiver 124 is used for communication by a cellular operator. The IM chat session is communicated over a wireless local area network (WLAN) interface that is coupled to the Internet and to IM chat participants through one or more Internet service providers. The terminal 100 may include a digital image capture device 130 for generating shareable digital images and possibly video as described above, and also for generating shareable camera viewfinder content. Microphone 132 may be used to generate audio content. These various types of content, including music content, may be stored in data storage 114, preferably in file system 116 under the control of an operating system (OS) 118 executed by data processor 110, such as the Symbian ^™ operating system. . In practice, data processor 110 may include multiple data processors, such as a first data processor for executing OS 118 and managing UI 102, and implemented as a digital signal processor (DSP) for managing wireless communication circuitry 120 or an equivalent high-speed logic second data processor.

It should be appreciated that terminal 100 is an example of a wide range of devices in which the present invention may be implemented and/or practiced.

Generally, various embodiments of the terminal 100 may include, but are not limited to, cellular phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) with wireless communication capabilities, portable computers with wireless communication capabilities, image acquisition devices with wireless communication capabilities such as digital cameras, Game devices with wireless communication functions, music storage and playback devices with wireless communication functions, Internet devices that allow wireless Internet access and browsing, and portable units or terminals that include combinations of these functions.

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention may be implemented by computer software executable by a data processor of the terminal 100 such as the processor 110, or by hardware, or by a combination of software and hardware.

The memories 112, 114 may be any type of memory suitable for the local technical environment and may be implemented using any suitable data storage technology, such as semiconductor based memory devices, magnetic memory devices and systems, optical memory devices and systems, fixed memory and removable storage. The data processor 110 may be any type of processor suitable for the local technical environment, and may include one or more general-purpose computers, special-purpose computers, microprocessors, digital signal processors (DSPs), and processors based on multi-core processor architectures. devices, these are given as non-limiting examples.

In general, various embodiments may be implemented in hardware or special purpose circuits, software, logic or a combination thereof. For example, some aspects could be implemented as hardware, while other aspects could be implemented as firmware or software that could be executed by a controller, microprocessor or other computing device, although the invention is not limited thereto. While various aspects of the present invention are shown and described as block diagrams, flowcharts, and other diagrams representing the steps of methods and the operation of processes, or using some other graphical representation, it should be understood that, by way of non-limiting example, the These components, devices, systems, techniques or methods can be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, special purpose circuits or logic, general hardware or controllers or other computing devices, or some combination thereof.

A workspace as employed herein is considered a coherent UI space that provides immediate access to a set of communication devices as well as extensions (eg, shared devices) of a particular communication session. Although communication initiation may occur from different locations (such as contacts or logs in legacy terminals), after initiation of communication, the workspace functions as the main space. Through the workspace concept, other modes of communication become available immediately after being activated by the user.

As a non-limiting example, a workspace may include various tabs, where each tab may represent a different area and communication mode. Non-limiting examples of tags include: Details/Participants, where a user can easily view the network's available features and recipients; IM; PoC; Call; and Share. In other embodiments, this can be accomplished using a toolbar, as another non-limiting example.

Figure 1 shows a non-limiting example of a workspace view with different tabs representing Participants, IM, Call, PTT, and Share, where the Share tab supports file sharing between call participants, communication terminal digital camera viewfinder Sharing (shown in Figure 1 as real-time video sharing), application sharing (such as music) and whiteboard sharing. Sharing is initiated by selecting "Share now" on the UI of the communication terminal when the user is in the desired state.

One advantage of using the workspace view is that information traditionally distributed in separate applications within the terminal is presented visually in a single and coherent location, where the user can also manage extensions (eg shares) fluently. Also, the user can quickly switch between different communication devices and change the device with which the same participant communicates.

Another non-limiting aspect of the present invention is the session view, which collects all active communication sessions such as calls, IM, PoC, video calls and shared information. Session view enables users to view all collected information in a single and coherent UI location. In addition to visualization of communication sessions, users are supported to perform session management related tasks such as but not limited to terminating communication, switching listening channels, and adding ad-hoc participants.

Referring to Figure 14, there is shown an example of a display 104 representation showing the concept of a workspace view, a session view, and a dialog, how the different views are logically related to each other, and how communication management functionality is provided. It can be seen that the Session 1 call screen is presented by the user selecting the Group 1 view from the My Conversations screen using the input device 106, and a chat session is initiated by beginning to enter text in this instant messaging situation. Communication can be added to the current conversation or sharing initiated by the user by moving between tabs. For example, Emilia can start speaking in a Push-to-Talk screen, and can also share images or videos between participants. As three non-limiting examples, a session may be initiated from, for example, a contacts screen, or a display grid of available applications, or from a log. Additionally, the user is supported to switch between two or more ongoing sessions (eg, session 1 and session 2 in this non-limiting example).

It should be noted that the specific names of these UI spaces and views, namely workspace and session, are provided introductory and generally descriptive, but should not be read or understood in a limiting manner when practicing and implementing the present invention. For example, these UI views may be called different names, or simply "first view" and "second view," or "view A" and "view B," which are non-limiting examples.

Referring to FIG. 2, a list entry shown as a "bubble" for convenience and not by way of limitation represents a session. A "bubble" may be considered a delineated area of display 104 that is defined for presenting information about a particular communication session, and is not limited to any particular shape, color, and/or other presentation attributes. All sessions can be considered to be of equal importance. Conversation participants (groups or individuals) and an indication of the mode of communication may be shown in "bubbles" associated with each conversation. If a particular group does not have a saved name (e.g. an ad-hoc group), then the phone number/name, group name (e.g. football team) or at least a subset of the participants can be displayed in that conversation's "bubble" . UI focus indicates selected "bubbles", for example by color, or by de-emphasizing the brightness of non-selected "bubbles". Users can scroll between "bubbles". If an event occurs within the session, eg the user receives a new IM, this event is indicated within the affected "bubble", but preferably the (spatial) order of the "bubble" is not changed.

When a particular conversation is focused, that is, when a particular "bubble" is selected, the user can, for example, activate (eg if the call is on hold), open that "bubble" to view additional details, or the user can terminate the communication.

In other embodiments, the "bubble" function may be implemented using a tool bar as another non-limiting example.

The above-mentioned sharing function is now described in more detail.

The sharing-related aspect of the present invention provides a UI implementation to support sharing user-generated content and other content residing within the communication terminal 100 within a communication session in a centralized, fast and user-friendly manner within a communication session, or Content that the user may otherwise share (such as content that resides in other devices but that the user has the ability to control, at least for sharing purposes).

In an example embodiment of the invention, each session has its own centralized dedicated forum for sharing so that users can track what they are sharing and with whom. This task support forum for sharing any type of communication also supports repurposing of shared content.

Figure 3 shows a representation of a centralized forum for sharing forming part of a rich call convergence UI/workspace. The centralized forum supports sharing of, for example, pictures, videos, music and other audio files, camera viewfinders, applications, and whiteboards. As non-limiting examples, communication sessions during which sharing may take place may include call, PoC, and IM. Note that a share can also exist on its own. In the example shown in Figure 3, the user chooses to share a video taken in a park, and when turned on, the video clip is delivered to and can be viewed by other session participants (e.g. call or PoC session participants) . Note that this sharing can be done by streaming from the terminal 100 (where control and ownership of the file is maintained by the sender) or by sending the file.

One advantage of using this aspect of the invention is that it benefits the end user significantly, since the need to share content usually occurs during communication. Thus, technology is provided for users to start sharing content without disrupting the main task (eg, text or voice communication). A solution according to an example embodiment of the present invention provides a fluid technique to control sharing through a centralized sharing forum parallel to ongoing online communication, and thereby supports unified collaboration among communication participants. Control of both the main task (communication) and subtasks (sharing) becomes immediately available.

Fig. 4 shows the following process of the user during exemplary PoC communication with participants Emilia, Jere and Pekka: adopt UI 102 to select a video (in the park) stored in terminal 100, open the video, stop at a specific point, select Share the video, wait for the participant's terminal to accept the shared content, and then start sharing (Sharing ON).

Figure 5 shows an alternative process: it uses the application grid to select the gallery application, then selects the video clip file containing the video (in the park), and selects the video to have an existing conversation with group 2 (e.g. example PoC dialogue) to share.

In an example embodiment of the invention, sharing options include, but are not limited to: image sharing, camera view sharing, video sharing, music sharing, application sharing, and whiteboard sharing. For image/video/music sharing, it may be desirable but not mandatory to have a gallery view and image selection, open the image (or music file), and start sharing by pressing the UI 102 softkey 108 (Start/Cancel) or Terminate sharing. For camera view sharing, it may be desirable to open the camera view and then immediately start sharing (via video recorder controls: eg stop, record). In the first embodiment of application sharing, a dialog opens with a list of all available applications. The UI softkey 108 may be a designated option, and the joystick function may be used to select and open the application, but the sharing may not begin immediately. Instead, provide controls such as "start sharing" in the application view. In a second example embodiment of application sharing, all application views are shared, not just selected views. A dialog opens with a list of all available applications, and the UI softkey 108 can also be a designated option. The joystick function may be used to select and open the application, and in this case the sharing does not start immediately. Also place controls in the application view. In the case of whiteboard sharing, it may be desirable to open the whiteboard (embedded in the share tab) and start sharing immediately.

Sharing may occur without communication, and sharing in an application grid can be considered a shortcut. Sharing may be expected to continue when the user moves from a shared tab to another tab. A share may have an audio portion (eg, an audio portion with only music, or attached to other content such as a video).

As noted above, providing a UI 102 that handles multiple simultaneous communications preferably provides a conversation view as shown in FIG. Switch between communication devices and provide content/communication extensions for conversational "bubbles".

Figure 7 shows an example of using the workspace concept. Assume that the user selects Contacts from the application menu, then selects an individual named Matti in the contacts list, and then calls Matti. In the workspace view, the Calls tab shows a conversation "bubble" with a call to Matti, while at the same time the conversation view (although it may not be visible at the same time) shows a call to Matti.

Figure 8 shows the escalation of a call to Matti to a group call by first selecting the option in the call (or conversation) view, then selecting "Add Participant" from the list of options, which brings up the contact list, enabling the user to select Liisa, who is called and added to the list of Group 1 participants in both the Call and Conversation views (though may not be visible to the user at the same time). Also, it shows a session with both calling and IM/chat connections.

It should be noted that the session participant information in the workspace view is preferably updated to also display information about Liisa. In addition, the conversation view simultaneously updates the conversation with Matti to the conversation with the group with an additional running number indicating the number of the ad-hoc connection.

Normally, every time any changes occur in a session, these changes are reflected in the workspace and in most cases also in the session view (depending on the type of change). For example: when a session's participants change (eg, when a participant is added, or removed), the change is reflected in the workspace, but not necessarily in the session view. This is true because if the group is a saved group, the conversation preferably remains under the saved group name even though not all members may be participating. Another example is when some change related to the communication mode occurs. In this case, changes are reflected in the workspace and mostly in the conversation view: for example, adding new communication modes, deleting communication modes, activating/deactivating sharing and new IM messages are indicated in the conversation view .

As for the participant tag, it should be noted that this is a state that reflects changes that occur in the communication session participants during the session. However, the status can also contain other information. Such other information may include, as several non-limiting examples, one or more of: application-specific availability (which may also be provided in conjunction with different communication means); preferred or avoided communication means (e.g., based on online or certain configurations); and functionality, such as functionality (terminal 100 or network dependent) for participants in the different forms of communication seen here.

Figure 9 shows the start of a chat/IM session with two participants in a Group 1 call. This is achieved by scrolling from the call tab to the chat tab in the UI. Chats are started by simply entering text. The conversation view then shows Group 1's conversation "bubbles" as chat/IM and call conversations.

Figure 10 shows an example of starting a new communication session by using the push-to-talk option to contact three new participants (for new group 2). The session view then shows two communication sessions, the initial IM and call session for group 1 and the new PTT session for group 2 .

FIG. 11 shows the sharing of the "in the park" video with the three PTT participants of group 2 in the above example. Sharing is initiated by scrolling from the PTT tab of the UI to the Share tab, then selecting a video from the displayed share options, followed by video selection, waiting to accept, and beginning sharing (Share On). The session view is then updated to show that the PTT session for group 2 has been shared open. Note that accepting notification indicators is not mandatory, and preferably the user can choose to display or not display them.

Figure 12 shows the UI for the case where the call of the first session is terminated leaving only the ongoing chat session with Liisa and Matti and the simultaneous communication sharing of Group 2 with three different participants PTT on .

Based on the above description, it should be understood that one aspect of the present invention is the implementation for adding a user extension unit to the UI 102 of the communication terminal 100, and another aspect of the present invention is the UI 102 for the communication terminal 100. The UI 102 displays or otherwise illustrates a workspace view and a session view that provide the user with a visual representation of at least the following: the type of communication in progress, the participants in the communication in progress, and whether they are communicating with Participants in an ongoing communication share content.

In an exemplary, but not limiting, embodiment of the invention to the practice of the teachings of the invention, communication terminal 100 is or includes a wireless communication terminal.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the user interface may include controls for initiating sharing of content with participants of the ongoing communication during the ongoing communication.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the user interface may include controls for adding participants to an ongoing communication during the ongoing communication.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the user interface may include controls for initiating a new type of communication with a participant during an ongoing communication.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the user interface may include controls for initiating a new communication with at least one other participant during an ongoing communication.

In an example embodiment of the invention, the user interface may include a control for switching between ongoing communications.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned workspace view and session view can exist independently, that is, the workspace view does not necessarily require the session view, and vice versa. As a non-limiting example, a session view may exist and present the user with information collected from different communication applications. For example, a "bubble" may represent only one communication.

The foregoing description has provided a complete and introductory description of the invention, by way of illustration and not limitation. However, various modifications and alterations will become apparent to those skilled in the relevant arts in view of the foregoing description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. Other types of communications, other types of shared content, and other formats and layouts of UI 102 may be attempted by those skilled in the art, as some examples. However, all such and similar modifications of the teachings of this invention will still fall within the scope of the embodiments of this invention.

Furthermore, some of the features of example embodiments of this invention may be used to advantage without corresponding other features. As such, the foregoing description should be considered as illustrative of the principles, teachings and embodiments of this invention, and not in limitation thereof.

Claims (39)

1. A user interface of a communication terminal, comprising at least one of a first view and a second view, for providing a user with a visual representation of at least the following items: the type of at least one ongoing communication, the at least one ongoing communication participants within and whether content is being shared with the at least one ongoing communication participant. 2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the communication terminal comprises a wireless communication terminal. 3. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a control for initiating sharing content with participants of an ongoing communication during an ongoing communication. 4. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising controls for adding participants to an ongoing communication during the ongoing communication. 5. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a control for initiating a new type of communication with the participant during an ongoing communication. 6. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a control for initiating a new communication with at least one other participant during an ongoing communication. 7. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising a control for switching between ongoing communications. 8. A device comprising a data processor coupled to a user interface and operable to establish at least one of a workspace view and a session view for providing a user with a visual representation of at least one of: A type of ongoing communication, a participant within the at least one ongoing communication, and whether content is being shared with the at least one ongoing communication participant. 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, comprising a wireless communication terminal. 10. The device of claim 8, wherein the user interface further comprises a control for initiating, during an ongoing communication, sharing content with participants of the ongoing communication. 11. The device of claim 8, wherein the user interface further comprises a control for adding a participant to an ongoing communication during the ongoing communication. 12. The device of claim 8, wherein the user interface further comprises a control for initiating a new type of communication with the participant during an ongoing communication. 13. The device of claim 8, wherein the user interface further comprises a control for initiating a new communication with at least one other participant during an ongoing communication. 14. The device of claim 8, wherein the user interface further comprises a control for switching between ongoing communications. 15. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising program instructions executable by a data processor, the program instructions being operable to cause the data processor to manage user interface functions and create at least one of a workspace view and a session view for providing a visual representation of at least the type of at least one ongoing communication, the participants in the at least one ongoing communication, and whether or not the at least one ongoing communication is of participants shared content. 16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer readable medium is embodied in a wireless communication terminal. 17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface functionality includes controls for initiating, during an ongoing communication, sharing content with participants of the ongoing communication. 18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface functionality includes a control for adding a participant to an ongoing communication during the ongoing communication. 19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface functionality includes a control for initiating a new type of communication with the participant during an ongoing communication. 20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface functionality includes a control for initiating a new communication with at least one other participant during an ongoing communication. 21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the user interface functionality includes a control for switching between ongoing communications. 22. A terminal comprising processor means coupled to user interface means and operable to provide a user with a visual representation of at least the following: the type of at least one ongoing communication, the at least one ongoing communication active participants and whether content is being shared with the at least one active communicating participant. 23. A terminal according to claim 22, comprising a wireless communication terminal. 24. A terminal according to claim 22, further comprising at least one control means for at least one of: initiating sharing of content with participants of an ongoing communication during an ongoing communication; adding participation during an ongoing communication to said ongoing communication; initiating a new type of communication with said participant during an ongoing communication; initiating a new communication with at least one other participant during an ongoing communication; and switching between ongoing communications. 25. The terminal of claim 22, wherein one view comprises a workspace view comprising a user interface space for providing access to various possible communication means and to extension means for a particular communication session . 26. A terminal according to claim 25, wherein said extending means comprises means for sharing content with at least one participant in the communication. 27. The terminal of claim 22, wherein one view comprises a session view comprising a user interface space for providing information about active communication sessions, and wherein the session view further supports session management related tasks operate. 28. The terminal of claim 22, wherein information related to a communication session is presented in bubbles. 29. The terminal of claim 28, wherein the presented information includes session participants including at least one of individual names and identifications of groups of individuals. 30. A terminal according to claim 28, wherein said user interface means comprises control means for enabling a user to scroll between bubbles. 31. The terminal of claim 28, wherein the user interface means comprises means for, in response to an event occurring in a session, indicating the occurrence of the event in an associated bubble. 32. A method operable through user interface functionality, the method comprising: At least one of the first view and the second view is established to provide a visual representation of at least the following items: the type of at least one ongoing communication, the participants in the at least one ongoing communication, and whether you are communicating with the at least one ongoing communication. Participants in the communication share the content; displaying at least one of the first view and the second view to a user of the communication device; and Operation of the at least one ongoing communication is managed in response to user activation of the at least one control. 33. The method of claim 32, wherein sharing content with participants of an ongoing communication is initiated during an ongoing communication in response to user activation of a control. 34. The method of claim 32, wherein a participant is added to an ongoing communication during the ongoing communication in response to a user activating a control. 35. The method of claim 32, wherein a new type of communication with the participant is initiated during an ongoing communication in response to user activation of a control. 36. The method of claim 32, wherein a new communication with at least one other participant is initiated during an ongoing communication in response to user activation of the control. 37. The method of claim 32, wherein switching between ongoing communications is in response to user activation of a control. 38. The method of claim 32, wherein the first view comprises a workspace view, and wherein the second view comprises a session view. 39. The method of claim 32, wherein there are multiple simultaneous communications in progress.

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