Relationship user interface

• US 20050055639A1
• Filed: 09/09/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian J. Fogg
• Original Assignee: Brian J. Fogg
• Inventors: Fogg, Brian J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,213,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/262
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A user interface having a user icon and associate icons to visualize an interpersonal relationship and to communicate in order to nurture the relationship. In one embodiment of the invention, the user icon represents a user and the associate icons represent numerous associates. The associate icons are positioned radially about the user icon on the user interface to visualize a relationship between the user and each associate.

Claims

1. A user interface comprising:

a user icon representing a user; and

an associate icon representing an associate, wherein the position of the associate icon relative to the user icon illustrates a relationship between the user and the associate.

2. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the distance between the user icon and the associate icon represents an importance of the relationship.

3. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the associate icon is capable of being repositioned by the user via an input device.

4. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the associate icon is a digital image of the associate.

5. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a voice communication tool to transmit a voice communication from the user to the associate upon selecting the associate icon.

6. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the selecting the associate icon includes applying a single-click to the associate icon via an input device.

7. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the voice communication tool includes an associate icon section to display an image of the associate.

8. The user interface of claim 5, wherein the voice communication tool includes a communication section to visualize previous communications between the user and the associate.

9. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a communication tool to enable the user to communicate with the associate, wherein the communication tool is to be displayed upon selecting the associate icon.

10. The user interface of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission component to transmit digital content to the associate upon dropping the digital content onto the associate icon.

11. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user is capable of selectively indicating an availability to communication to the associate via the user interface.

12. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the relative position of the associate icon to the user icon varies automatically based on a perceived change in the relationship.

13. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the associate icon is to perform an action upon a happening of an event.

14. The user interface of claim 13, wherein the action includes animating the associate icon upon receiving a communication from the associate associated with the associate icon.

15. The user interface of claim 1, wherein the user icon is to perform an action upon a happening of an event.

16. A method for visualizing interpersonal relationships comprising:

displaying a user icon representing a user on a user interface; and

displaying one or more associate icons on the user interface, wherein the one or more associate icons represent one or more associates, wherein the one or more associate icons are positioned radially about the user icon, wherein each of the one or more associate icons are positioned on the user interface to visualize a relationship between the user and the one or more associates.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the position of the associate icons relative to the user icon represents the importance of each relationship between the user and each associate.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein each associate icon is capable of being repositioned by the user.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

activating a voice communication tool to transmit a voice communication between the user and one of the associates upon selecting the one of the associate icons.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the selecting includes performing a single click on the one of the associate icons via an input device.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

initiating a transmission of digital content to one of the associates upon dropping the digital content onto one of the associate icons.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

attaching the digital content to a communication when the communication is initiated within a predetermined amount of time of initiating the transmission of the digital content; and

transmitting the communication with the attached digital content.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

enabling a composition of a communication to one of the associates upon selecting the associate icon related to the one of the associates.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the communication is a voice communication.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the voice communication includes background music.

26. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more associate icons are to perform an action upon a happening of an event.

27. The method of claim 16, wherein the user icon is to perform an action upon a happening of an event.

28. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

rearranging the position of the one or more associate icons based on a perceived change in the relationship between the user and each of the associates associated with each of the associate icons.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the perceived change in the relationship is based on a number of communications between the user and the associate associated with each of the one or more associate icons.

30. A method of exchanging information comprising:

dropping a user icon on a first user interface onto a first associate icon, the user icon representing a user, the associate icon representing an associate;

automatically sending user information associated with the user icon to the associate; and

displaying a second associate icon associated with the user on a second user interface associated with the associate.

31. A method of exchanging information comprising:

dropping a first associate icon on a first user interface onto a second associate icon, the first associate icon representing a first associate, the second associate icon representing a second associate;

automatically sending associate information associated with the first associate icon to the second associate; and

displaying a third associate icon associated with the first associate on a second user interface associated with the first associate.

32. A method of exchanging information comprising:

dropping a first associate icon on a first user interface onto an introduction area, the first associate icon representing a first associate, the first associate icon including first associate information associated with the first associate;

dropping a second associate icon on the first user interface onto the introduction area, the second associate icon representing a second associate, the second associate icon including second associate information associated with the second associate;

automatically sending the first associate information to the second associate;

automatically sending the second associate information to the first associate;

displaying a third associate icon associated with the first associate on a second user interface associated with the second associate; and

displaying a fourth associate icon associated with the second associate on a third user interface associated with the first associate.

33. A method to generate a slide show comprising:

displaying a list of slide show templates;

receiving an indication of a selected slide show template from the list of available slide show templates;

receiving template information, wherein the template information is associated with an associate; and

generating a slide show based on the selected slide template and the template information.

34. A user interface comprising:

an associate information section having associate information associated with an associate and a digital image of the associate; and

an associate communications section being capable of facilitating a communication by a user and the associate.

35. The user interface of claim 34, wherein the associate communication section facilitates electronic mail communications between the user and the associate.

36. The user interface of claim 34, wherein the associate communication section facilitates voice communications between the user and the associate.

37. The user interface of claim 34, wherein the associate communication section facilitates the listening of a voice mail communication from the associate.

38. The user interface of claim 34, wherein the associate communication section facilitates instant messaging communications between the user and the associate.

39. The user interface of claim 34, wherein the associate communication section facilitates network chat communications between the user and the associate.

40. The user interface of claim 34, wherein the digital image of the associate is to exhibit a characteristic to visualize a relationship between the user and the associate.