Enhanced buddy list interface

• US 20040172455A1
• Filed: 11/18/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chickering, Roger, Gang, David, Green, Mitchell Chapin
• Granted Patent: US 9,100,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/45 related to voicemail messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A graphical user interface between a user of a computer service and the computer service includes a list of other users of the computer service selected by the user as significant to the user and an icon associated with one of the other listed users indicating that a communication has occurred between the user and the other user.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface between a user of a computer service and the computer service, the graphical user interface comprising:

a list of other users of the computer service selected by the user as significant to the user; and

an icon associated with one of the other listed users indicating that a communication has occurred between the user and the other user.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the computer service includes an instant messaging computer service and the list reflects presence information for each of the other users selected by the user as significant to the user.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the icon is displayed only if the user selects a representation of the other user in the list of other users.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the icon indicates that an e-mail message has been exchanged between the user and the other user.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the icon indicates that an unread email message has been exchanged between the user and the other user.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the icon indicates the number of unread email messages that have been exchanged between the user and the other user.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 5, wherein the icon, when selected by the user, opens or activates an application to read the email message.

8. The graphical user interface of claim 6, wherein the icon, when selected by the user, opens or activates an application listing multiple email messages exchanged between the user and the other user.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the icon indicates that a calendar event has been scheduled by another user involving both the user and the other user.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 9, wherein the icon, when selected by the user, opens or activates an application to view the calendar event.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 1, wherein the icon indicates that a voicemail message has been received by the user from the other user.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the icon, when selected by the user, opens or activates an application to access information about the voicemail message.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 11, wherein the icon, when selected by the user, opens or activates an application to listen to the voicemail message.

14. A method comprising:

providing a computer service to a user;

displaying to the user of the computer service a list of other users of the computer service selected by the user as significant to the user; and

displaying an icon associated with one of the other users in the list indicating that a communication has occurred between the user and the other user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the computer service includes an instant messaging computer service.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the icon when the user scrolls over a representation of the other user in the list of other users.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the icon indicates that an email message has been exchanged between the user and the other user.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the icon indicates that an unread email message has been exchanged between the user and the other user.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the icon indicates the number of unread e-mail messages that have been exchanged between the user and the other user.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying the email message in response the selection of the icon by the user.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising displaying a list of multiple e-mail messages exchanged between the user and the other user in response the selection of the icon by the user.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the icon indicates that a calendar event has been scheduled by another user involving both the user and the other user.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising displaying the calendar event in response to selection of the icon by the user.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the icon indicates that a voicemail message has been received by the user from the other user.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing information about the voicemail message in response to selection of the icon by the user.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising playing the voicemail message in response to selection of the icon by the user.