User interface for presence and geographic location notification based on group identity

• US 20040250212A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Edmund J.
• Application Number:
  US10/849,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20040250212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/752
• 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 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/222 using geographical location information, e.g. messages transmitted or received in proximity of a certain spot or area
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A user of an instant messaging system may store names of other users of the instant messaging system on a participant list (which may be referred to as a “buddy list”), and the names may be categorized into one or more groups. Similarly, a user of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone, may store contact information about people on the mobile device. Information describing the on-line presence of the user within the instant messaging system or geographic location of a mobile device, such as a mobile telephone associated with the user system, may be disseminated to users on the participant list or people on the contact list based on geographical location information that is associated with groups of users or contacts. A user interface enables a user to specify the manner of disseminating on-line presence information and/or geographic location information to groups of users or contacts.

Claims

1. A computer program product that, when executed, generates a graphical user interface on a display device for using a computer to manage geographical location information, the graphical user interface comprising:

a participant list display including categories of communications identities such that a category is associated with one or more communications identities and one or more notification indications that indicate whether the one or more communications identities are to be provided with geographical location information with respect to a user associated with the participant list display; and

a control element for managing geographical location information so as to control the categories or communications identities to whom notification indications are to be provided.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein a notification indication is associated with a category and the notification indication indicates whether communications identities included in the category are to be provided with geographical location information with respect to the user.

3. The computer program product of claim 2 wherein the notification indication comprises a notification icon that is displayed adjacent to the category.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the notification indication is directly associated with the communications identity.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the notification indication comprises a notification icon that is displayed adjacent to the communications identity.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the control element for managing geographical location information comprises a control element for modifying the one or more communications identities associated with the category of the participant display list.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface includes a messaging control element to initiate sending a communication to one of the one or more communications identities associated with the category of the participant display.

8. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the notification indication also indicates that the communications identity is to be provided with presence information with respect to the availability of the user to communicate.

9. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list display includes an indication as to whether geographical location information with respect to the user is to be transmitted between a first communications network capable of communicating with a computing device and a second communications network capable of communicating with a mobile telephone.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list display includes a temporal indication as to a temporal period during which geographical location information is be provided.

11. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list comprises a contact list for a mobile communications device capable of providing voice communications.

12. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list comprises a list of communications identities accessible using an instant message system.

13. A graphical user interface configured for presentation on a display device and comprising:

a participant list display including categories of communications identities such that a category is associated with one or more communications identities and one or more notification indications that indicate whether the one or more communications identities are to be provided with geographical location information with respect to a user associated with the participant list display; and

a control element for managing geographical location information so as to control the categories or communication identifies to who notification indications are to be provided.

14. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein a notification indication is associated with a category and the notification indication indicates whether communications identities included in the category are to be provided with geographical location information with respect to the user.

15. The graphical user interface of claim 14 wherein the notification indication comprises a notification icon that is displayed adjacent to the category.

16. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the notification indication is directly associated with the communications identity.

17. The graphical user interface of claim 16 wherein the notification indication comprises a notification icon that is displayed adjacent to the communications identity.

18. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the control element for managing geographical location information comprises a control element for modifying the one or more communications identities associated with the category of the participant display list.

19. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the graphical user interface includes a messaging control element to initiate sending a communication to one of the one or more communications identities associated with the category of the participant display.

20. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the notification indication also indicates that the communications identity is to be provided with presence information with respect to the availability of the user to communicate.

21. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the participant list display includes an indication as to whether geographical location information with respect to the user is to be transmitted between a first communications network capable of communicating with a computing device and a second communications network capable of communicating with a mobile telephone.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the participant list display includes a temporal indication as to a temporal period during which geographical location information is be provided.

23. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the participant list comprises a contact list for a mobile communications device capable of providing voice communications.

24. The graphical user interface of claim 13 wherein the participant list comprises a list of communications identities accessible using an instant message system.

25. A system for generating a graphical user interface configured for presentation on a display device and comprising:

means for generating a participant list display including categories of communications identities such that a category is associated with one or more communications identities and one or more notification indications as to whether the one or more communications identities are to be provided with geographical location information with respect to a user associated with the participant list display; and

means for generating a control element for managing geographical location information so as to control the categories or communications identities to whom notification indications are to be provided.