Contact controls
First Claim
1. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:
- an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;
an act of receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and
upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
One or more contact controls associated with one or more corresponding contacts are displayed by a computing system at a display device. The contact controls can be hosted by any number of third party applications. The contact controls may include static and/or animated images associated with the contact to reflect a desired behavior, emotion, status or action. The contact controls are linked to contact information, such that a selection of the contact controls enables a user to access the contact information and data sources associated with the contact. A communicative action can also be initiated with the contact control by dragging and dropping the contact control onto an icon or object associated with the communication application.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:
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an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;
an act of receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and
upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:
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an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;
an act of the third party application receiving a user input that involves the contact control;
an act of initiating a communicative action with the contact when the user input further involves a communication application; and
an act of accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact when the user input includes making a selection of the contact control. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A computer program product for a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions for implementing a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method including:
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an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;
an act of the third party application receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and
upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:
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an act of providing a contact control that is associated with a corresponding contact and that can be utilized to both initiate a communicative action with the contact and to access contact information associated with the corresponding contact, wherein the contact control is configured to be hosted by a third party application, such that the third party application can designate how and where the contact control is to be displayed;
an act of displaying a contact control at the display device as specified by the third party application;
an act of receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and
upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification