Interface overlay

• US 10,055,082 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Cortright, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hashem, Lisa
• Application Number:
  US14/227,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,608 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 455519, 4555562, 455566, 379 671, 379 8817, 37920201
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04804 Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing a user interface overlay. In one embodiment, a toolbar remains visible and can be selected at any time to activate the interface overlay. The interface overlay provides an easily visible list computing options, such as contacts, that overlays the entire display area. The background of the overlay may be semi-transparent so that underlying windows are still visible, but the list is highlighted. The list includes selectable display elements with display characteristics, such as size or color, that indicate one or more attributes associated with the corresponding computing options, such as a frequency of interaction with certain contacts. In one embodiment, groups of contacts can be sorted or filtered by the attributes before display. Each selectable display element identifies a contact and may indicate a current availability. A user selects a display element to initiate communication, such as an instant messaging chat session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, in a messaging system on a display in communication with a processor, an overlaying messaging toolbar overlaying a portion of the display;

detecting, by the processor, a request to initiate a messaging session;

accessing, by the processor, contacts data of a contact associated with a user, the contacts data comprising a geographic distance between the contact and the messaging system;

determining, by the processor, a respective display characteristic for each contact based on the contacts data, the display characteristic for each contact comprising a visibly displayable interface element that has attributes associated with a frequency value that indicates a frequency with which the each contact has engaged in communications with the messaging system; and

displaying, on the display, an overlay window of contacts, each contact in the window displayed in accordance with its respective display characteristic that is displayed along with said respective contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging session comprises a new email.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging session comprises a voice call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging session comprises an instant messaging session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the display characteristic comprises a size at which a contact will be displayed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the display characteristic comprises a color for a contact to be displayed with.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display characteristic comprises an order relative to other contacts at which a contact will be displayed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the display characteristic for each contact comprising a screen location at which each contact will be displayed.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the display characteristic comprises a status indicator symbol for a contact to be displayed with.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the display characteristic comprises a graphic for a contact to be displayed with.

11. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

first display logic executed by the processor for displaying, in a messaging system on a display, an overlaying messaging toolbar overlaying a portion of the display;

detecting logic executed by the processor for detecting a request to initiate a messaging session;

accessing logic executed by the processor for accessing contacts data of a contact associated with a user, the contacts data comprising a geographic distance between the contact and the messaging system;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a respective display characteristic for each contact based on the contacts data, the display characteristic for each contact comprising a visibly displayable interface element that has attributes associated with a frequency value that indicates a frequency with which the each contact has engaged in communications with the messaging system; and

second display logic executed by the processor for displaying, on the display, an overlay window of contacts, each contact in the window displayed in accordance with its respective display characteristic that is displayed along with said respective contact.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the messaging session comprises a new email.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the messaging session comprises a voice call.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the messaging session comprises an instant messaging session.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the display characteristic comprises a size at which a contact will be displayed.

16. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code in the medium for causing a processor to execute computer instructions, the instructions comprising:

displaying, in a messaging system on a display in communication with the processor, an overlaying messaging toolbar overlaying a portion of the display;

detecting, by the processor, a request to initiate a messaging session;

accessing, by the processor, contacts data of a contact associated with a user, the contacts data comprising a geographic distance between the contact and the messaging system;

determining, by the processor, a respective display characteristic for each contact based on the contacts data, the display characteristic for each contact comprising a visibly displayable interface element that has attributes associated with a frequency value that indicates a frequency with which the each contact has engaged in communications with the messaging system; and

displaying, on the display, an overlay window of contacts, each contact in the window displayed in accordance with its respective display characteristic that is displayed along with said respective contact.