Visibility profile

• US 20050114783A1
• Filed: 01/09/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Szeto, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/747
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• 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

Abstract

Visibility profiles associated with a substantially real time messaging environment are disclosed. Additionally, techniques for managing visibility profiles are disclosed, which include automatically associating a first profile with a first situation, automatically associating a second profile with a second situation, and where the first and second profiles are associated with visibility. Visibility profiles may be used to manage the appearance of a user to other users/friends for communication using applications such as instant messaging, electronic mail, web-based mail programs, or other types of data communication exchange applications.

Claims

1. A method for managing visibility associated with a substantially real time messaging environment, comprising:

automatically associating a first profile with a first situation;

automatically associating a second profile with a second situation; and

wherein the first and second profiles are associated with visibility.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further including providing an invisible state to a first target.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further including:

providing an invisible state to a first target; and

providing an visible state to a second target.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further including:

providing an invisible state to a first target;

providing a visible state to a second target; and

providing an invisible state to a third target.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further including:

providing an invisible state to a first target;

providing a visible state to a second target;

providing an invisible state to a third target; and

providing a visible state to a fourth target.

6. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the third and fourth targets are associated with a second situation.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first profile is associated with a first situation.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the first profile is associated with an invisible state associated with a first target.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the second profile is associated with a visible state associated with a second target.

10. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the third profile is associated with an invisible state associated with the third target.

11. A method as recited in claim 5 wherein the fourth profile is associated with a visible state associated with the fourth target.

12. A method for managing a visibility profile comprising:

selecting the visibility profile based on a visibility status;

sending a request to a server to retrieve a first list and a second list associated with the visibility profile;

creating a comparison filter for the second list using the first list, a mode and the visibility profile;

performing an action associated with the visibility profile; and

broadcasting an update after performing the action.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising performing an action associated with the visibility profile.

14. The method recited in claim 12 wherein performing the action includes creating a second visibility profile.

15. The method recited in claim 12 wherein performing the action further comprises:

creating a second visibility profile by adding an entry to a table; and

installing a third and fourth list in the second visibility profile.

16. The method recited in claim 12 wherein performing the action further includes modifying the visibility profile.

17. The method recited in claim 12 wherein performing the action further includes deleting the visibility profile.

18. The method recited in claim 12 wherein broadcasting an update after performing the action further includes saving the update to the visibility profile.

19. The method recited in claim 12 wherein the second list is a selected visibility list.

20. The method recited in claim 12 wherein the first list is a selected invisibility list.

21. The method recited in claim 12 wherein the second list is a reverse friend list.

22. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein broadcasting an update further includes:

retrieving the first list and the second list;

comparing the first list to the second list; and

broadcasting an availability status.

23. A system for managing a visibility profile comprising:

a processor configured to select the visibility profile based on a visibility status and to send a request to a server to retrieve a first list and a second list associated with the visibility profile; and

a server configured to create a comparison filter for the second list using the first list, a mode and the visibility profile, to perform an action associated with the visibility profile, and to broadcast an update after performing the action.

24. A computer program product for managing a visibility profile, the computer program product being embodied in a computer readable medium and comprising computer instructions for:

selecting the visibility profile based on a visibility status;

sending a request to a server to retrieve a first list and a second list associated with the visibility profile;

creating a comparison filter for the second list using the first list, a mode and the visibility profile;

performing an action associated with the visibility profile; and

broadcasting an update after performing the action.

25. A data signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

instructions for selecting the visibility profile based on a visibility status;

instruction for sending a request to a server to retrieve a first list and a second list associated with the visibility profile;

instructions for creating a comparison filter for the second list using the first list, a mode and the visibility profile;

instructions for performing an action associated with the visibility profile; and

instructions for broadcasting an update after performing the action.