Collaboration hub for group-based communication systems

Abstract

Computer-readable media, methods, and systems for generating a collaboration center for display in a graphical user interface of a group-based communication system. The collaboration center includes a list of recommended active users, a list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions, and a feed of recommended asynchronous collaboration threads, so that relevant activities within the group-based communication system can be viewed and accessed by users of the group-based communication system.

Description

[0001] Related Applications

[0002] This application shares certain common subject matter with U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 064,344, filed on October 6, 2020, entitled “AMBIENT, AD HOC, MULTIMEDIA COLLABORATION IN A GROUP-BASED COMMUNICATION SYSTEM,” U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 064,161, filed on October 6, 2020, entitled “SNIPPET(S) OF CONTENT ASSOCIATED WITH A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM,” and U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application No. 17 / 320,620, filed on May 14, 2021, entitled “ASYNCHRONOUS COLLABORATION IN A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM,” which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Technical Field

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to multimedia communications, and more particularly, to a virtual multimedia collaboration content hub for a group-based communication system. Background Art

[0004] Traditionally, non-face-to-face collaboration has been divided into asynchronous communication (e.g., email and group-based messaging), where the recipient may not view a message until minutes, days, or months after the sender sends it, and synchronous communication (e.g., phone calls and video conferences), which occurs in real time but must be scheduled in advance. None of these formats can replicate the type of serendipitous conversations that occur naturally in a physical office. In addition, users currently have no way to view content related to multimedia collaboration for both asynchronous and synchronous communications in one place. Summary of the invention

[0005] Embodiments of the present invention solve the above problems by providing computer-readable media, systems and methods that generate a collaboration center for display in a graphical user interface of a group-based communication system. The collaboration center includes information related to recommended active users, recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions and recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration threads.

[0006] A first embodiment of the present invention relates to one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor, perform a method for generating virtual content associated with a group-based communication system, the method comprising: generating a collaboration center for display in a graphical user interface of the group-based communication system, the collaboration center comprising: a list of recommended active users; a plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to respective users in the list of recommended active users, wherein the plurality of actuatable controls are configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session or a multimedia communication session with the respective users; a list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and a feed of recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration sessions.

[0007] A second embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for generating virtual content associated with a group-based communication system, the method comprising: generating a collaboration center for display in a graphical user interface of the group-based communication system, the collaboration center comprising: a list of recommended active users; a plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to respective users in the list of recommended active users, wherein the plurality of actuatable controls are configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session or a multimedia communication session with the respective users; a list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and a feed of recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration sessions.

[0008] A third embodiment of the present invention relates to a system for generating virtual content associated with a group-based communication system, the system comprising: a data storage device storing information associated with the group-based communication system; a processor programmed to: generate a collaboration center for display in a graphical user interface of the group-based communication system, the collaboration center comprising: a list of recommended active users; a plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to respective users in the list of recommended active users, wherein the plurality of actuatable controls are configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session or a multimedia communication session with the respective users; a list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and a feed of recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration sessions.

[0009] Other embodiments of the present invention are directed to generating a session preview for display in a graphical user interface of a group-based communication system. The session preview indicates information of a session, the information including at least one of a number of users in the session, user activity in the session, and a set of actuatable controls related to the session.

[0010] A further embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for initiating a synchronous multimedia collaboration session in a group-based communication system. A multimedia collaboration session is generated, and other users are invited to join the multimedia collaboration session using a session invitation interface generated for display in a graphical user interface associated with the group-based communication system.

[0011] Summary of the invention is provided in a simplified form to introduce some concepts, which will be further elaborated in the detailed description below. Summary of the invention is not intended to determine the key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0013] Figure 1A An exemplary hardware platform for certain embodiments of the present invention is described;

[0014] Figure 1B describes a system diagram showing elements of a system for implementing an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 2A A user interface including a collaboration center is described in connection with certain embodiments of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2B A user interface for a channel with an active multimedia collaboration session is described in connection with certain embodiments of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2C Describes a user interface after joining an active multimedia collaboration session related to certain embodiments of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 A user interface for an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session related to certain embodiments of the present invention is described;

[0019] Figure 4 Methods for generating a collaboration center within a group-based communication system are described in connection with certain embodiments of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 Methods for initiating a synchronous multimedia collaboration session within a group-based communication system are described in connection with certain embodiments of the present invention; and

[0021] Figure 6 Methods for conducting asynchronous multimedia collaboration sessions within a group-based communication system are described in connection with certain embodiments of the present invention.

[0022] The drawings do not limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed and described herein. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be implemented. These embodiments are intended to describe the various aspects of the present invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to implement the present invention. Other embodiments may also be used and may be modified without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined solely by the appended claims and the full range of equivalents to which these claims are entitled.

[0024] When referring to "one embodiment", "an embodiment" or "multiple embodiments" herein, it means that the one or more features mentioned are included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. "One embodiment", "an embodiment" or "multiple embodiments" mentioned herein, respectively, do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, and are not mutually exclusive unless otherwise specified and / or expected to be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the specification. For example, features, structures, behaviors, etc. described in one embodiment may also be included in other embodiments, but are not necessarily included. Therefore, the technology can include various combinations and / or integrations of the embodiments described herein.

[0025] Figure 1AAn exemplary hardware platform for certain embodiments of the present invention is shown. Computer 102 may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a server computer, a mobile device such as a smart phone or a tablet computer, or any other form of general or special computing device. For illustration purposes, several components are described together with computer 102. In some embodiments, some components may be arranged in different ways or not exist. Other components may also exist. Computer 102 includes a system bus 104, through which other components of computer 102 can communicate with each other. In some embodiments, there may be multiple buses, or components can communicate directly. Connected to system bus 104 is a central processing unit (CPU) 106. Also connected to system bus 104 is one or more random access memory (RAM) modules 108. Also connected to system bus 104 is a graphics card 110. In some embodiments, graphics card 104 may not be a physically independent card, but integrated into the motherboard or CPU 106. In some embodiments, graphics card 110 has an independent graphics processing unit (GPU) 112, which can be used for graphics processing or general computing (GPGPU). Also on the graphics card 110 is GPU memory 114. Connected to the graphics card 110 (directly or indirectly) is a display 116 for user interaction. In some embodiments, there is no display, while in other embodiments, the display is integrated into the computer 102. Similarly, peripherals such as a keyboard 118 and a mouse 120 are also connected to the system bus 104. Like the display 116, these peripherals may be integrated into the computer 102 or may not be present. In some embodiments, other peripherals such as a microphone or a camera may also be present and connected to the system 104. In some embodiments, these peripherals may be removably connected to the computer 102 via a wired or wireless connection. In other embodiments, such as a tablet or smartphone, these peripherals are integrated into the computer 102. Also connected to the system bus 104 is a local memory 122, which may be any form of computer-readable media and may be internally installed in the computer 102 or removably connected externally.

[0026] Computer-readable media include volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media, and expected media that can be read by a database. For example, computer-readable media include (but are not limited to) RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other storage technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile discs (DVD), holographic media or other optical disk storage, cassettes, magnetic tapes, magnetic disk storage and other magnetic storage devices. These technologies can store data temporarily or permanently. However, unless otherwise expressly specified, the term "computer-readable medium" should not be understood to include physical but transient forms of signal transmission, such as radio broadcasts, electrical signals through wires, or light pulses through optical fibers. Examples of stored information include computer-usable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data representations.

[0027] Finally, a network interface card (NIC) 124 is also connected to the system bus 104, allowing the computer 102 to communicate over a network (e.g., network 126). The NIC 124 can be any form of network interface known in the art, such as Ethernet, ATM, fiber optic, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi (i.e., the IEEE 802.11 family of standards). The NIC 124 connects the computer 102 to a local network 126, which can also include one or more other computers (e.g., computer 128) and network storage (e.g., data storage 130). In general, a data storage (e.g., data storage 130) can be any repository that can store information and retrieve information as needed. Examples of data storage include relational or object-oriented databases, spreadsheets, file systems, flat files, directory services (e.g., LDAP and Active Directory), or email storage systems. The data storage can be accessed through a complex API (e.g., structured query language), a simple API that only provides read, write, and find operations, or any level of complexity in between. Some data storages can also provide management functions such as backup or version management for the data sets stored therein. The data storage may be local to a single computer (e.g., computer 128), may be accessible via a local network (e.g., local network 126), or may be remotely accessible via the Internet 132. The local network 126 is in turn connected to the Internet 132, which in turn connects many networks, such as the local network 126, remote networks 134, or directly connected computers (e.g., computer 136). In some embodiments, the computer 102 itself may be directly connected to the Internet 132.

[0028] Figure 1BElements of a system 150 for implementing an embodiment of the present invention are shown. System 150 includes any number of client devices, for example, client device 152, client device 154, and client device 156 associated with user 158, user 160, and user 162, respectively. Although system 150 is depicted as having one client device per user, a single user may use multiple client devices to connect to the group-based communication system simultaneously or sequentially. Likewise, in some embodiments, multiple users may share a client device to access the group-based communication system (simultaneously or sequentially). Figure 1B As shown, the client device can be the Figure 1A The group-based communication system may be any form of computing device as discussed. Specifically, a user may access the group-based communication system using a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a mobile device. The group-based communication system may be accessed via dedicated software on a client device or a web browser on a client device. In some embodiments, the channel administrator may access the management functions via any client device. In other embodiments, the management functions may only be accessible via a limited subset of client devices (e.g., only via client device 152). In some embodiments, the group-based communication system is a channel-based messaging platform.

[0029] The group-based communication system is hosted by a group-based communication system server 164. The group-based communication system server 164 may be a dedicated server, a shared server, a virtual machine instance in a cloud computing environment, or a virtual machine instance in a cloud computing environment. Figure 1A Any other form of computing device discussed. Although a single group-based communication system server 164 is depicted, embodiments with multiple such group-based communication system servers are also contemplated to provide scale, redundancy, and / or isolation between different instances of a group-based communication system. For example, for security reasons, a software development company may not want its group-based communication system to be hosted on the same server as a competitor's group-based communication system. Server 164 is communicatively coupled to client devices 152, 154, and 156 via a network 166. Network 166 may be a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a virtual private network (VPN), or the Internet. Broadly speaking, any type of network that provides communication between the various components of system 150 may be considered. Group-based communication system server 164 may provide network server functionality to support network-based clients, or may provide non-network server functionality to support clients using dedicated applications. Alternatively, both network-based clients and dedicated application clients may use a single network server, or the network server may be a gateway that provides network-based access to a dedicated application server. Other technologies may also be considered to enable communication between various client applications.

[0030] The group-based communication system data storage 168 is communicatively connected to the group-based communication system server 164. As shown, the group-based communication system data storage 168 is directly connected to the group-based communication system server 164; however, any form of communication connection (e.g., network attached storage (NAS), network file system (NFS) or cloud-based storage) may also be used. In a broad sense, the group-based communication system data storage 168 stores all persistent information used by the group-based communication system server 164. For example, the group-based communication system data storage 168 may store all of the messages and their associated channels, documents and images uploaded to a particular channel, channel member information, and / or user information. In some embodiments, the collaborative session may be archived and stored on the group-based communication system data storage 168 for subsequent retrieval. As previously described, there may be multiple group-based communication system servers in the system 150. In such an embodiment, each group-based communication system server may have its own copy of the group-based communication system data storage 168. Alternatively, multiple group-based communication system servers may share a network-attached group-based communication system data storage. Alternatively or additionally, in any of the above embodiments, data may be shared among multiple group-based communication system data stores.

[0031] The real-time media server 170 is also communicatively coupled to the group-based communication system server 164 and the client devices 152, 154, and 156. The real-time media server manages the multimedia aspects of the real-time multimedia collaboration session between users of the group-based communication system, as described in detail below. For the sake of brevity, the term "multimedia" is used herein; however, it should be understood that the term used herein includes pure audio streams, pure video streams, audio / video streams, or any other combination of one or more media streams.

[0032] As shown, the communication between the real-time media servers is carried out through network 166. However, in some embodiments, the connection of partial or all communication coupling is carried out through different networks, which can better meet the real-time of the collaborative session. For example, a specific client device can be connected to a group-based communication system server 164 usually through a cellular data connection, but when a multimedia collaborative session begins, it can be switched to a WiFi connection to meet the additional demand for bandwidth. In some embodiments, the client device can use a hub-and-spoke configuration to transmit multimedia collaborative data to each other through a real-time media server 170. In other embodiments, the client device can use point-to-point or super node architecture to directly communicate with each other. In other embodiments, the client devices on the same network can use multicast network protocols (e.g., IP multicast) to communicate with each other. In other embodiments, the media communication between the client devices can be carried out by a scaling content distribution network based on the edge.

[0033] Figure 2A An exemplary user interface 200A is shown, including a collaboration center 202 and a sidebar pane 204. In some such embodiments, the user interface 200A can be a graphical user interface (GUI) associated with a group-based communication system. In addition, the user interface 200A can be generated so as to be displayed on one of the client devices 152, 154 and 156 to an instant user operating one of the client devices. The collaboration center 202 can include at least one of a recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session list 206, a recommended active user list 208 and an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session or conference feed including a multimedia or video thread 210. In some embodiments, the synchronous multimedia collaboration session includes synchronous forms of multimedia communication, such as video chat, audio chat, screen sharing, collaborative work, and other forms of synchronous communication between two or more users. Alternatively, an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session or conference includes asynchronous communication forms, such as asynchronously viewable published videos and text-based message communications. Additional details associated with asynchronous communication forms (e.g., video messaging) are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 064,161, filed Oct. 6, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In some examples, video replies to an asynchronous collaboration session can be strung together to create a video thread and / or feed, as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 320,620, filed May 14, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0034] The list 206 of synchronized multimedia collaboration sessions may include one or more active collaboration sessions selected for recommendation on the collaboration center 202. For example, a collaboration session may be selected from a plurality of collaboration sessions displayed in the user interface 200A because the collaboration sessions are currently active when the instant user views the collaboration center 202. In addition, the selection of the collaboration session may be based in part on the user's interaction with the session or some association of the instant user with the session. For example, the recommended collaboration session may be displayed in the collaboration center 202 based in part on the instant user being a member of the corresponding collaboration session or being invited to participate in the corresponding collaboration session. The recommended collaboration session may be displayed based on the instant user's association with other users belonging to the active collaboration session. In some examples, the collaboration center 202 may display the collaboration session based on the user's organization, attributes of the user's profile, topics and projects that the user may be associated with, projects associated with the user, channels associated with the user, and other factors.

[0035] The recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session list 206 may also include an actuable join session button 212 for joining each session in the listed recommended sessions. In some embodiments, the join session button 212 may be an actuable link to join the corresponding multimedia collaboration session. For example, the join session button 212 may be selected from the user interface 200A by clicking or tapping the button 212. Once the join session button 212 is actuated, the instant user is added to the multimedia collaboration session associated with the join session button 212. In some embodiments, the recommended active multimedia collaboration session list 206 also includes other information for each corresponding session. For example, as shown, the list 206 may include at least one of an indication of the user in the session, an indication of the number of users in the session, and an indication of a group-based communication channel associated with the session. In some embodiments, the list of active sessions may include an actuable control for creating a new session, thereby adding the newly created session to the list of active sessions. Alternatively or additionally, if the collaboration session includes a video component (e.g., video, screen sharing, or collaborative work of one or more users), a thumbnail describing the video component may be displayed. In some embodiments, the thumbnail may be static. In other embodiments, the thumbnails may be fully dynamic or may be a series of animated thumbnails to reduce bandwidth consumption. In addition, the name of the session, the subject of the session, the active time of the session, the number of participants in the session, and other session-related information may be included on the collaboration center 202. In some embodiments, each multimedia collaboration session may be associated with a channel of a group-based communication system. In some embodiments, a synchronous multimedia collaboration session may be associated with a user who is a member of a group message or a direct message that is not associated with a channel. In some embodiments, the session preview 248 is used to show the session preview as shown in FIG. Figure 2CIn some embodiments, the synchronous collaboration session includes a session topic 238 indicating the topic of the session. The session topic 238 can be any topic defined by the user or can be selected from a pre-populated list of topics (e.g., a list of commonly used topics can be provided for user convenience). The user can add any topic to the session by typing in the topic input field. In some embodiments, the preview includes a screen sharing preview, which can include a notification indicating that screen sharing is in progress and an indication of which user is doing the screen sharing.

[0036] In some embodiments, a user can only join one active synchronous collaboration session at any one time. Therefore, joining a second active synchronous collaboration session will cause the user to leave the first active synchronous collaboration session. In some embodiments, a user can be part of multiple active synchronous collaboration sessions.

[0037] In some embodiments, the recommended active user list 208 may include multiple group-based communication system users recommended based on at least one of user activity, user interaction, and other user information. For example, the recommended active user list 208 may be selected from multiple users based on the user's activity status in a group-based communication system, historical, recent or frequent user interaction (e.g., a user communicates in a group-based communication channel) or a certain similarity between users (e.g., determining that a certain user has a common membership in a channel with another user). The recommended active user list 208 may include user information for each corresponding user. For example, as shown in the figure, the user's status information 214 may be depicted on the collaboration center 202. The status information may include one or more of an indication that the user is active in a group-based communication system, an indication that the user is currently in a collaboration session, an indication that the user is in a scheduled meeting, an indication that the user is on vacation, an indication that the user is working remotely, and an indication that the user is sick at home. In some embodiments, the status indication includes presence information, such as whether the user is active, idle, or offline. It should be understood that other types of status information are also considered in some embodiments.

[0038] In some embodiments, the recommended active user list 208 also includes a plurality of actuable buttons 216 corresponding to the corresponding listed active users. For example, the actuable button 216 can be configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session and a multimedia communication session when selected. In some embodiments, two corresponding actuable buttons 216 may appear for each listed active user, as shown in the figure, the first button is used to initiate a synchronous multimedia collaboration session, and the second button is used to initiate a text-based communication session. In some embodiments, the user can initiate an asynchronous conference by clicking the second button and starting an asynchronous video thread. In some embodiments, initiating a text-based communication session can include redirecting the user interface 200A of the group-based communication system to a direct (person-to-person) message channel shared by the listed recommended users associated with the corresponding actuable button.

[0039] In some embodiments, one or more recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration sessions or conferences 210 are displayed in the asynchronous conference section 210. In some embodiments, the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session is an asynchronous conference, where a topic is posted in a message at the beginning of the conference thread, and the conference participants can reply by posting a message or a video reply. In some embodiments, the replies are aggregated into a video thread corresponding to the conference. In some embodiments, a preview of a subset of video replies can be displayed in the asynchronous collaboration session or thread. In some embodiments, each asynchronous collaboration session displayed by the collaboration center is interactive, where a user can post a reply directly to the asynchronous collaboration session or view the video reply of a specific asynchronous collaboration session. In some embodiments, clicking on a video thread causes the entire thread associated with the asynchronous conference to be opened in a separate thread pane. In certain embodiments, the user can interact with each posted message in the thread pane. In some embodiments, a preview can be generated for each asynchronous collaboration session for display on the collaboration center 202, and the collaboration center includes one or more asynchronous playable videos 218, a reply button 220, a text-based communication button 222, and an add user button 224. The asynchronous playable video 218 can be a video shared by other users within the asynchronous collaboration session thread. In some embodiments, selecting a preview of an asynchronous collaboration session may display the complete thread in more detail, or display a partial view of the most recently posted thread in a new pane. In some embodiments, each collaboration session may be associated with a channel of a group-based communication system. For example, an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session may be hosted in an announcement channel of a group-based communication system, as shown. Thus, the channel name may be displayed with the thread of the asynchronous collaboration session.

[0040] Each asynchronous collaboration session or a subset of asynchronous collaboration sessions may include a reply button 220, allowing the user to record or otherwise publish a multimedia or text communication reply to the asynchronous collaboration session. For example, when the user actuates the reply button 220 by clicking or tapping the button, the user may begin recording a video reply and add it to the thread associated with the asynchronous collaboration session. In addition, each asynchronous collaboration session may also include a text-based communication button 222, allowing the user to create a text message communication to be shared within the corresponding thread. In some embodiments, an add user button 224 may be displayed with the asynchronous conference, allowing the user to be added to the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session. For example, the user may click or tap the add user button 224, thereby generating an "add user" modality, which is displayed on the user interface 200A. The "add user modality" may include multiple users, based on a user directory or a set of recommended users for the session, for selection to be added to the collaboration session. In some embodiments, any user associated with a channel, direct message, or group message associated with the asynchronous collaboration session may post a reply. In some embodiments, adding a user to an asynchronous conference specifically mentions the added user in the body of the conference message. In some embodiments, mentioning a user causes a notification or alert to be sent to the mentioned user, informing that there is an asynchronous collaboration session. In some embodiments, adding a user can enable the added user to reply to the asynchronous collaboration meeting, even if the user did not have viewing permissions before.

[0041] The sidebar pane 204 includes a channel section 280 and a direct message section 282, wherein the channel section 280 lists multiple channels of a group-based communication system and the direct message section 282 lists multiple direct messages with other users in the group-based communication system. In some embodiments, group messages between multiple users may also be listed in the direct message section. In some embodiments, only channels accessible to the user (or channels of which the user is a member) are included. These channels may include any combination of direct message channels, public channels, and dedicated channels. In addition, in some embodiments, if the channel is associated with an active synchronous multimedia collaboration session, a session indicator 226 may be included next to the channel name, indicating that a session is currently being hosted on the channel. In addition, the session indicator 226 may also display the number of users currently joining the session, as shown.

[0042] Figure 2BA user interface 200B is shown with a channel 228 of an active synchronous multimedia collaboration session before a user joins the session. The user interface 200B includes a sidebar pane 204, the sidebar pane including the channel 228, wherein the channel has a session indicator 226 that displays the number of participants in the session. In addition, the sidebar pane 204 may also display a selected channel 228, wherein the channel name is highlighted, outlined, displayed in a different color or font, or represented in some way to indicate that a particular channel is currently selected and opened in the group-based communication system. In addition to the sidebar pane 204, the user interface 200B also includes a channel communication pane 230. The channel communication pane 230 includes multiple communications shared in the selected channel. For example, a channel member may post multiple messages 232 in the channel. The user interface 200B may also include a communication input field 234 for sharing messages, attachments, and other communications within the channel.

[0043] In some embodiments, if the selected channel includes a currently active synchronous collaboration session, a session preview 236 may be generated for display on the user interface 200B. In some embodiments, the session preview 236 is generated when the synchronous collaboration session indicator 226 is clicked from the sidebar pane 204. In some embodiments, the active session indicator may be displayed in the channel title, and clicking the active session indicator causes the session preview 236 to be displayed. The session preview 236 may include an indication of the session topic 238, an indication of one or more users 240 in the session, an indication of the audio status 242 of each user in the one or more users 240, a join button 244, and / or a mute join button 246. The audio status 242 may indicate whether the corresponding user is muted, unmuted, or talking in the multimedia collaboration session. In some embodiments, each indication 240 of a user in the session is a static image, such as a profile picture or a user name. In other embodiments, each indication is a video thumbnail of a live video feed from a user. In other embodiments, some users are represented by static images, while other users are represented by video thumbnails. Thus, the session preview 236 allows the user to view whether a multimedia collaboration session is currently ongoing in the channel, which users are in the multimedia collaboration session, and the audio status of each user in the session before joining the session. The join button 244 is an actuatable button that automatically joins the user to the multimedia collaboration session when clicked or tapped. Similarly, the mute join button 246 allows the user to join the session with the microphone muted. In some embodiments, it is preferable to include the mute join button 246 so that the user can quietly join the session without disrupting the flow of the session. In addition, a user may wish to join a session just to listen to the voices of other users rather than actively communicating in the session.

[0044] In some embodiments, the conversation preview 236 can be displayed as a pop-up window, covering a portion of the channel communication pane 230. In addition, in some embodiments, the conversation preview 236 is movable so that the user can drag the conversation preview 236 to adjust the positioning in the user interface 200B. In addition, in some embodiments, the conversation preview 236 automatically scales with the overall size of the user interface 200B so that the conversation preview 236 never covers the communication input field 234. For example, if the user reduces the window size of the user interface 200B by clicking and dragging the window edge of the user interface 200B, the size of the conversation preview 236 will automatically adjust according to the change in the window size of the user interface 200B. In some such embodiments, it is preferable to automatically adjust the size of the conversation preview 236 so that the communication input field 234 is always visible and the user can still enter message communications while viewing the conversation preview 236 at the same time. In addition, in some embodiments, the user can also manually adjust the size of the conversation preview 236. In some embodiments, the conversation preview 248 is displayed at the bottom of the sidebar pane 204 of the user interface 200B, such as Figure 2C In some embodiments, the session preview pane can be freely moved by the user within the user interface.

[0045] Figure 2C 200C shows a user interface of an active synchronous multimedia collaboration session after a user joins the session. Thus, the session preview 236 can be compressed into a compressed session preview 248. In some embodiments, the session preview 248 can be Figure 2A 240 ); a mute button 252 that can be used to mute the instant user's microphone in the session; a share screen button 254 that can be used to share the instant user's screen in the session; an add user button 256 that can be used to add other users to the session; and an exit button 258. In some embodiments, the exit button 258 can be used to close the compressed session preview 248. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the exit button 258 can exit the session, thereby removing the instant user from the session.

[0046] In some embodiments, the synchronous collaboration session includes other features that can add multimedia to the session, such as video, audio, collaboration tools (e.g., whiteboards or blackboards), third-party application plug-ins, source code editors, document editors, web browsers, spreadsheets, presentation software, games, photo or video editing software, command line terminals or file browsers, and / or other collaborative work tools. For example, users in a synchronous multimedia collaboration session can communicate using any of text, video, audio, file attachments, and other forms of media. In some embodiments, multiple media forms can be streamed simultaneously. For example, a user can speak on a video call while posting a text-based message or image on a whiteboard associated with the session. In some embodiments, each user of a synchronous multimedia collaboration session can see a whiteboard that includes text and image content, so that users can freely use various forms of media simultaneously for real-time collaboration.

[0047] In one example of user interfaces 200B and 200C, a first user posts a message in a discussion channel of a group-based communication system, including a meeting agenda for a scheduled meeting to be conducted using a synchronous multimedia collaboration session. The first user initiates multimedia collaboration in the discussion channel and sets a session topic "10am meeting" for the initiated session, which appears on the session preview 236. In addition, the session preview 236 also displays the users in the session and their microphone status.

[0048] For users who have not yet joined the discussion channel, a join button 244 and a mute join button 246 are additionally displayed on the discussion channel preview 236 to allow the above users to join the discussion channel. For example, the fifth user is a member of the discussion channel and selects the join button 244 to join the discussion channel. In response to the fifth user joining the discussion channel, the discussion channel preview 236 is compressed into a compressed discussion channel preview 248, such as Figure 2C Thus, the fifth user can view who is speaking in the conversation and other conversation related information. Figure 2C As shown, the fifth user can traverse the graphical user interface to view another channel while viewing the compressed conversation preview in the sidebar of the graphical user interface. Thus, the fifth user can use the communication input field 234 to draft a text message to interact with the user in the announcement channel while still participating in the conversation in the discussion channel.

[0049] In addition, the user interface 200C also includes a selected channel indication 228 and a session indication 226 indicating an active session. In addition, the user interface 200C also includes a channel communication pane 230. In some embodiments, a user can browse a group-based communication system while participating in a multimedia collaboration session. For example, as shown in the figure, when a user participates in a session hosted on the "Discussion" channel, the "Announcement" channel can be considered as the selected channel. It should be understood that the "Discussion" and "Announcement" channels are only examples of group-based communication channels, and for various applications of embodiments of the present invention, any number of channels with any kind of channel names can be included.

[0050] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2C As shown, the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session 260 can be hosted within a channel of a group-based communication system, as shown. In other embodiments, the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session 260 can be initiated from a direct message or a multi-person direct message of a group-based communication system. Here, as shown, the multimedia collaboration session can include one or more video and text message communication replies posted in a corresponding thread. Alternatively or additionally, Figure 2A The "Collaboration Center" in the channel can describe the representation of the thread. For example, a user can post a playable video in the channel to initiate or reply to a multimedia collaboration session. In addition, the channel communication pane 230 may include text replies and video replies to the playable video 218. In some embodiments, a text reply to the playable video 218 may be generated in response to a user clicking a text-based communication button 222 adjacent to the original playable video 218 posted in the channel. Similarly, a video reply may also be generated in response to a user clicking a reply button 220. For example, a video reply may include video data recorded in response to a user clicking the reply button 220.

[0051] As shown, an asynchronous multimedia collaboration conversation thread 260 may appear in a channel communication pane 230. In some embodiments, the asynchronous multimedia collaboration conversation thread 260 includes a conversation topic 262, which includes a description of the thread 260 selected by the user, and in some embodiments, as shown, the thread is a video thread. In addition, the asynchronous multimedia collaboration conversation thread 260 also includes a reply indication 264, as shown, indicating the number of replies in the thread. The reply may include a video reply or a text reply. In some embodiments, a thread extension button 266 is included, and when the user selects, as shown, the button extends the thread by displaying the reply in the thread in the extended thread pane 270. Therefore, the extended thread pane 270 includes a first playable video 272, a second playable video 274, and a third playable video 276. In some embodiments, the first playable video 272 is the original playable video 218 of the thread, and the second and third playable videos 274, 276 are video replies that are subsequently released. It should be understood that other forms of media content may be considered to be released in the thread, for example, pure audio media, text media, and file attachments.

[0052] In some embodiments, a thread input field 278 is included below the expanded thread pane 270. The thread input field 278 allows a user to directly enter a reply to the thread 260. In some embodiments, the thread input field 278 is similar to the communication input field 234, allowing a user to create and edit text message communications and add multimedia file attachments.

[0053] As shown in the above example, Figure 2A The collaboration center 202 shown recommends relevant forms of collaboration based on the user's activities in the group-based communication system, thereby providing a unique experience for the user. Therefore, the user can quickly view and access synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions, asynchronous multimedia collaboration threads, and communications with individual users from a single interface. In addition, the collaboration center 202 also includes previews and other information to inform the user of various details in the group-based communication system, such as which users are currently active, what the active users are doing, and the number of users in each active session. In some embodiments, the collaboration center 202 can also notify the user of the participants in each session. In addition, the embodiments of the present invention also provide users with the ability to freely perform multiple tasks in a group-based communication system. For example, a user can post a message or video and comment on a thread in one channel while actively participating in a synchronous multimedia collaboration session in another channel. Therefore, by providing a variety of synchronous and asynchronous forms of communication and collaboration options, the productivity of users in a group-based communication system is improved.

[0054] Figure 3An asynchronous session interface 300 is shown for recording and generating a playable video for an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session in a group-based communication system. The asynchronous session interface 300 can be generated for display on a screen of one of the client devices 152, 154, 156. In some embodiments, the asynchronous session interface 300 can be displayed to the user after the user actuates a control to post a video in the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session. In some embodiments, the asynchronous session interface 300 is displayed in response to the user initiating an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session within the group-based communication system or after the user selects the reply button 220.

[0055] In one example, the recording user has just finished recording a playable video, which includes a video clip of the recording user speaking in response to a previous video or other content posted in the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session. Therefore, in some embodiments, a preview of the playable video can be generated to be displayed in the background of the asynchronous session interface 300. Alternatively, in another example, the asynchronous session interface 300 can be displayed while the recording user is actively recording the playable video, thereby displaying a real-time stream of video data on the asynchronous session interface 300.

[0056] The asynchronous conversation interface 300 includes a theme notification 302, which notifies the recording user to set a theme for the playable video, as shown in the figure. In some embodiments, the theme notification 302 is generated after the recording is completed. In addition, a theme input field 304 can also be included for the recording user to type or enter the theme of the recorded video. In some embodiments, the theme input field 304 can include a text input field, allowing the user to type a user-defined theme for the recorded video. It should be understood that in some embodiments, the theme input field 304 also allows image input or emoticons to be added to the theme. Therefore, it is contemplated to use the theme input field 304 to generate an embodiment of a user-defined theme containing emoticons and text descriptions.

[0057] In some embodiments, as shown in the figure, the asynchronous conversation interface 300 also includes multiple topic recommendations 306. The topic recommendation 306 includes an example topic that the recording user can select as the topic of the recorded video. In some embodiments, the topic recommendation 306 is generated at least in part based on the previous video topic added by the user or other users in the group-based communication system. For example, in some embodiments, multiple topics 306 include topics that the recording user used for previously playable videos. Alternatively or additionally, multiple topic recommendations 306 may include one or more default topics for the user to select. In some embodiments, when the user selects one of the multiple topic recommendations 306, the selected topic is automatically generated in the topic input field 304 for the user to accept the topic or use the topic input field 304 to further edit the topic, for example, by adding text or changing the topic emoticon.

[0058] In some embodiments, the asynchronous session interface 300 also includes a plurality of actuable video controls, including a record video button 308, a share screen button 310, and an upload video button 312. In some embodiments, the record video button 308 can be switched to a stop recording button or a pause recording button (not shown) when actuated. In some embodiments, the video controls 308, 310, and 312 are included on the asynchronous session interface 300 only when the user is recording a video, so that the video controls are not displayed or changed after the video recording is completed. In this case, the stop video button that replaces the record video button 308 can be selected to stop the video recording. In some embodiments, the stop video button will additionally complete the recording of the video. When the user selects the share screen button 310, the video recording switches from recording the video data of the user's camera or webcam to recording the video data of the screen of the user's device. In some embodiments, the screen sharing button 310 records the entire screen of the user's device. Alternatively, the user is allowed to select a portion of the screen to be recorded, including a portion related to a specific application running on the user's device.

[0059] When the upload video button 312 is selected, the upload video button 312 uploads the previously recorded video to the group-based communication system. In some embodiments, the upload video button 312 automatically publishes the previously recorded video as a playable video to the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session. For example, Figure 2C The playable video 218 shown. In some embodiments, other video controls are also included, for example, a pause video button may be included to temporarily stop recording the video so that the user can continue recording by pressing the record button later. In addition, in some embodiments, after the video is recorded, a play video button may also be included on the asynchronous session interface 300 so that the recording user can view the recorded video before uploading the video.

[0060] In one example, in response to a first user selecting a reply button 220 from a previously posted video in an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session, an asynchronous session interface 300 is generated for display on the first user's user device. The first user may then operate the asynchronous session interface 300 to initiate recording of a video reply. Thus, a video control option is generated for display while the video is being recorded. Here, video and audio data are recorded from the first user's webcam and microphone, respectively. The first user may then select a share screen button 310 to begin recording video data from the first user's screen. For example, the first user may perform screen sharing to discuss a particular document or content from another application during the video.

[0061] Figure 4A method 400 of generating a collaboration hub in a group-based communication system is shown. In some embodiments, the collaboration hub can be generated on a user-specific basis such that each user of the group-based communication system receives a unique collaboration hub based at least in part on the user's preferences, activities, and related information in the group-based communication system. For example, the content displayed by a first user's collaboration hub may be different from the content displayed by a second user's collaboration hub.

[0062] In step 402, determine the list of recommended active users. In some embodiments, the list of recommended active users can be selected from multiple users based at least in part on user activities in a group-based communication system. In some embodiments, users can be recommended based on the frequency of interaction between users. For example, if a first user often communicates with a second user in a group-based communication system through any one of direct messages, public channels, and dedicated channels, the second user may appear in the list of recommended active users on the collaboration center of the first user. In some embodiments, this may further depend on the state of the second user (e.g., whether the second user is currently active in a group-based communication system). In addition, in some embodiments, users can be recommended based at least in part on relevant information in a group-based communication system, for example, whether two users have similar channel memberships in a group-based communication system. For example, if the first user and the second user are both members of the first channel and the second channel, the second user will be recommended to the collaboration center of the first user based on this association.

[0063] At step 404, a list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions is determined. In some embodiments, the recommended multimedia collaboration session may be selected from a plurality of multimedia collaboration sessions in the group-based communication system. Here, the multimedia collaboration session may be recommended based on a variety of factors, including, for example, whether the session is currently active, whether the user has been previously invited to the session or has previously joined the session, whether the session is hosted on a channel of which the user is a member, and other information related to the session.

[0064] In step 406, a list of recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration threads is determined. In some embodiments, the recommended multimedia collaboration threads are selected from a plurality of multimedia collaboration threads within a group-based communication system. In some such embodiments, the multimedia collaboration thread may be selected based on a variety of factors, including, for example, whether the user has been mentioned in the thread, whether the user has previously posted communications in the thread, when the most recent communications were posted in the thread, whether the thread is hosted on a channel of which the user is a member, and other thread-related information. In some embodiments, it may be necessary to remove a thread from consideration for recommendation after it has not been used for a long period of time. For example, if no new content has been posted to a thread for more than a month, the thread will be excluded from the collaboration center. However, it should be understood that the time threshold for recommending a thread may be any suitable time period, such as (for example) two months, three months, or one year.

[0065] At step 408, the collaboration center 202 is generated for display in a graphical user interface of the group-based communication system. Figure 2A As shown, a collaboration center can be generated for display as part of the user interface 200A. However, it should be understood that in some embodiments, the appearance of the collaboration center can change, and the collaboration center 202 can be user-specific, displaying unique content for each user. In addition, the presence and arrangement of the various components of the collaboration center 202 may vary between different embodiments and between different users of the same embodiment. In some embodiments, the collaboration center 202 includes each of a recommended list of active users 206, a list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions 208, and a recommended asynchronous multimedia collaboration thread feed 210.

[0066] In some such embodiments, each of the lists 206, 208 and feed 210 is displayed based on the importance of each item. For example, if a recommended conversation is determined to be the most important, then that conversation may be displayed at the top of the recommended active conversation list 206. Here, the importance of an item may be determined based on the same criteria used to determine recommended items. For example, if a user is recommended to a list of recommended active users, then the importance of that user will be determined based on these same factors. In one example, a first user may appear at the top of the list of recommended active users because the instant user has recently communicated most frequently with the first user. Similarly, a second user, who has communicated less frequently, will appear further down the list of recommended active users 208.

[0067] In some embodiments, the collaboration center 202 also includes an actuatable control 214 for each respective user in the list 208 of recommended active users, the controls being configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session (e.g., a direct message with the respective user) and a multimedia communication session with the respective user. In some embodiments, the multimedia communication session can be conducted similarly to the synchronous multimedia collaboration session described herein.

[0068] Figure 5 A method 500 for initiating a synchronous multimedia collaboration session within a group-based communication system is shown. In step 502, user input is received to create a synchronous multimedia collaboration session. In some embodiments, the user input can be a user clicking a create session button or a start session button (e.g., session join / initiate buttons 226, 212, and 214) within the collaboration center 202 in the graphical user interface of the group-based communication system. In some embodiments, the user can also receive user input by selecting a shortcut for creating a session. In some embodiments, the session creation shortcut can be included in a single channel so that the user can initiate a session without accessing the collaboration center 202. In addition, in some embodiments, user input can be received from within a channel of the group-based communication system to associate the channel with the synchronous collaboration session. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the user can choose to associate the channel with the synchronous collaboration session after creating the session. In some embodiments, the user can start a synchronous collaboration session with one or more users without associating any channels.

[0069] At step 504, a synchronous multimedia collaboration session is initiated within a group-based communication system. Here, the initiation of the session may include generating a session identifier and any of other session information for the session. At step 506, a session invitation user interface 400 is generated for display on a user device of the initiating user. The session invitation user interface 400 includes a graphical user interface suitable for selecting users to be invited to the initiated session. In some embodiments, the session invitation user interface 400 may recommend users to be invited based on user activities or other user associations described herein.

[0070] At step 508, the session invitation user interface 400 receives user input to invite one or more users to the session. Thus, the initiating user can select to invite one or more users to the session from the session invitation user interface 400. At step 510, an invitation is sent to the one or more selected users to invite the users to the session for synchronous multimedia collaboration. Thus, users can interact and collaborate in real time using various forms of media (e.g., video and audio chat, real-time text communication, and screen sharing).

[0071] In some embodiments, a session provides multimedia data streams to users participating in the session. The multimedia data streams may include video data, audio data, or any combination thereof. For example, in some embodiments, users participating in a session may choose to share video data captured by a desktop webcam or a mobile phone camera (e.g., if the user is participating in the session using a mobile phone) of the user's user device. In addition, the user may choose not to share video data and communicate only through audio.

[0072] Figure 6 A method 600 for facilitating an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session within a group-based communication system is shown. At step 602, user input is received. In some embodiments, the user input may receive multimedia content to be published within the group-based communication system. For example, the user input may be a user publishing a playable video within a channel of the group-based communication system. In some embodiments, in addition to the multimedia content, an indication to start an asynchronous session is received from the user. At step 604, an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session is initiated within the group-based communication system. In some embodiments, for example, as described above with respect to Figure 3 The session topic of the asynchronous session is received.

[0073] In step 606, other users are notified to join the conversation. In some embodiments, only a selected portion of users are notified. For example, an embodiment in which only users associated with an asynchronous conversation are notified can be considered. In some embodiments, a user can be mentioned in the original posting of the thread, thereby being associated with the conversation and notified. In addition, in some embodiments, the user who is a member of the channel that posted the original conversation communication is notified. It should be understood that embodiments in which users who are not members of the channel are notified can be considered. For example, a non-channel member user who is mentioned in a posting of a conversation thread may be notified and granted access to the conversation thread, but cannot access other content of the channel.

[0074] At step 608, replies are received from other users or, in some cases, from the original user. The replies may be any of video replies, text replies, audio-only replies, file attachments, and other forms of multimedia content posted after the original session content. At step 610, an asynchronous thread 270 is generated for the asynchronous multimedia collaboration session including the originally posted communication and the replies. In some embodiments, the asynchronous thread 270 is generated so that the user can view the original post in a user interface (e.g., Figure 2C In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. Figure 2C As shown, only a preview portion of a thread is displayed in a channel, e.g., the originally posted communication, and the thread is expanded upon user actuation of an expansion button (e.g., thread expansion button 266).

[0075] In some embodiments, an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session may be desirable when asynchronous communication is desired. For example, in some cases, users may have scheduling conflicts that prevent synchronous real-time meetings. Thus, an asynchronous multimedia collaboration session may be used to provide multimedia communications between users, where users are able to interact in their own time without requiring the constant presence of other users.

[0076] Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, it should be noted that equivalents may be employed and substitutions may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method for providing recommendations for connecting a user with one or more users in a group-based communication system, the method comprising: identifying the one or more recommended active users based on historical user activity between the user and each of the one or more recommended active users; identifying one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions comprising multimedia communications including at least audio; causing display of a collaboration center in a user interface of the group-based communication system, the collaboration center comprising: a list of the one or more recommended active users; a first plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to the respective one or more recommended active users, the first plurality of actuatable controls configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session or a multimedia communication session with the respective one or more recommended active users; a list of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and a second plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a respective recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions, configured to join the user to the respective recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session; receiving a user selection of one of the second plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a selected active synchronous multimedia collaboration session of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and In response to receiving the user selection, the user is added to the selected active synchronous multimedia collaboration session.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the collaboration center further comprises a set of user information for each recommended active user in the list of the one or more recommended active users, the user information comprising status information. 3 . The medium of claim 1 , wherein the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions are identified based on information associated with each respective synchronous multimedia collaboration session.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein each active synchronous multimedia collaboration session in the list of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions is associated with a corresponding group-based communication channel of the group-based communication system.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the collaboration center further comprises one or more user indicators for each recommended active multimedia collaboration session indicating which users are currently in the respective recommended active multimedia collaboration session. 6 . The medium of claim 1 , wherein an order of recommended active users within the list of the one or more recommended active users is determined based on a frequency of communication between the user and each respective recommended active user.

7. The medium of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a further user selection of one of the first plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a selected recommended active user among the one or more recommended active users; and In response to receiving the other user selection, a communication session is initiated between the user and the selected recommended active user.

8. A method of providing recommendations for connecting a user with one or more users in a group-based communication system, the method comprising: identifying the one or more recommended active users based on historical user activity between the user and each of the one or more recommended active users; identifying one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions comprising multimedia communications including at least audio; causing display of a collaboration center in a user interface of the group-based communication system, the collaboration center comprising: a list of the one or more recommended active users; a first plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to the respective one or more recommended active users, the first plurality of actuatable controls configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session or a multimedia communication session with the respective one or more recommended active users; a list of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and a second plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a respective recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions, configured to join the user to the respective recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session; receiving a user selection of one of the second plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a selected active synchronous multimedia collaboration session of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and In response to receiving the user selection, the user is added to the selected active synchronous multimedia collaboration session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the collaboration center further comprises a set of user information for each recommended active user in the list of the one or more recommended active users, the user information comprising status information.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions are identified based on information associated with each respective synchronous multimedia collaboration session.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein each active synchronous multimedia collaboration session in the list of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions is associated with a corresponding group-based communication channel of the group-based communication system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the collaboration center further comprises one or more user indicators for each recommended active multimedia collaboration session, indicating which users are currently in the respective recommended active multimedia collaboration session.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein an order of recommended active users within the list of the one or more recommended active users is determined based on a frequency of communication between the user and each respective recommended active user.

14. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: receiving a further user selection of one of the first plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a selected recommended active user among the one or more recommended active users; and In response to receiving the other user selection, a communication session is initiated between the user and the selected recommended active user.

15. A system for providing recommendations for connecting a user with one or more users in a group-based communication system, the system comprising: a data store storing information associated with the group-based communication system; and at least one processor programmed to: identifying the one or more recommended active users based on historical user activity between the user and each of the one or more recommended active users; identifying one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions comprising multimedia communications including at least audio; causing display of a collaboration center in a user interface of the group-based communication system, the collaboration center comprising: a list of the one or more recommended active users; a first plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to respective recommended active users, the first plurality of actuatable controls configured to initiate at least one of a text-based communication session or a multimedia communication session with the respective one or more recommended active users; a list of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and a second plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a respective recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions, configured to join the user to the respective recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration session; receiving a user selection of one of the second plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a selected active synchronous multimedia collaboration session of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions; and In response to receiving the user selection, the user is added to the selected active synchronous multimedia collaboration session.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the list of recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions is selected based on information associated with each respective synchronous multimedia collaboration session.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein each active synchronous multimedia collaboration session in the list of the one or more recommended active synchronous multimedia collaboration sessions is associated with a corresponding group-based communication channel of the group-based communication system.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the collaboration center further comprises one or more user indicators for each recommended active multimedia collaboration session, indicating which users are currently in the respective recommended active multimedia collaboration session.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein an order of recommended active users within the list of the one or more recommended active users is determined based on a frequency of communication between the user and each respective recommended active user.

20. The system of claim 15, further comprising: receiving a further user selection of one of the first plurality of actuatable controls corresponding to a selected recommended active user among the one or more recommended active users; and In response to receiving the other user selection, a communication session is initiated between the user and the selected recommended active user.

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