System and method for facilitating integrated social group instant messaging
First Claim
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
- providing for display a plurality of selectable group icons, each selectable group icon representing a respective group of contacts;
receiving a user selection of a first group icon of the plurality of selectable group icons;
in response to receiving the user selection of the first group icon, expanding the first group icon from a first size to a larger second size to reveal within the expanded first group icon a first group of contacts represented by the selected first group icon, wherein each contact in the first group of contacts is graphically represented within the expanded first group icon;
receiving a user selection, within the first group icon, of one or more contacts in the first group of contacts and a user request to engage in instant messaging with the selected one or more contacts; and
in response to the user request to engage in instant messaging, initiating an instant messaging communication session with the selected one or more contacts.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and machine-implemented method for providing integrated instant messaging functionality in a social networking service, the method including receiving a request from a user having a first user account at a social networking service to view contacts belonging to a social group associated with the first user account, wherein the social group is maintained at the social networking service, identifying one or more contacts belonging to the social group in response to the request, determining a status associated with a user account for each of the identified one or more contacts, the status indicating whether each of the one or more contacts is available for instant messaging communication and providing a listing including the identified one or more contacts and the status associated with each of the identified one or more contacts for display to the user at a social networking site of the social networking service.
18 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
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providing for display a plurality of selectable group icons, each selectable group icon representing a respective group of contacts; receiving a user selection of a first group icon of the plurality of selectable group icons; in response to receiving the user selection of the first group icon, expanding the first group icon from a first size to a larger second size to reveal within the expanded first group icon a first group of contacts represented by the selected first group icon, wherein each contact in the first group of contacts is graphically represented within the expanded first group icon; receiving a user selection, within the first group icon, of one or more contacts in the first group of contacts and a user request to engage in instant messaging with the selected one or more contacts; and in response to the user request to engage in instant messaging, initiating an instant messaging communication session with the selected one or more contacts. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A system comprising:
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one or more processors; and a machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by the processors, cause the processors to perform a method comprising; providing for display a plurality of selectable group icons, each selectable group icon representing a respective group of contacts; receiving a user selection of a first group icon of the plurality of selectable group icons; in response to receiving the user selection of the first group icon, expanding the first group icon from a first size to a larger second size to reveal within the expanded first group icon a first group of contacts represented by the selected first group icon, wherein each contact in the first group of contacts is graphically represented within the expanded first group icon; providing for display a messaging status for each of the contacts in the first group of contacts; receiving a user selection, within the first group icon, of one or more contacts in the first group of contacts and a user request to engage in instant messaging with the selected one or more contacts; and in response to the user request to engage in instant messaging, initiating an instant messaging communication session with the selected one or more contacts. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
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providing for display a plurality of selectable group icons, each selectable group icon representing a respective group of contacts; receiving a user selection of a first group icon of the plurality of selectable group icons; in response to receiving the user selection of the first group icon, expanding the first group icon from a first size to a larger second size to reveal within the expanded first group icon a first group of contacts represented by the selected first group icon, wherein each contact in the first group of contacts is graphically represented within the expanded first group icon; receiving a user selection, within the first group icon, of one or more contacts in the first group of contacts; providing a graphical communication button for display; receiving, via the graphical communication button, a user request to engage in instant messaging with the selected one or more contacts; and in response to the user request to engage in instant messaging, initiating an instant messaging communication session with the selected one or more contacts. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification