Customized and consolidated bookmarks

• US 20060265381A1
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Published: 11/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ravi, Kumar, Silveyra, Manuel, Altaf, Faheem, Rybczynski, Eric S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,548,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product are provided for customizing and consolidating bookmarks into folders in an Instant Messaging (IM) environment as well as an Internet browser. An IM GUI is provided that contains IM contacts and online information for those IM contacts, such as Web searches or bookmarks, which can be accessed by the user. Sorting of the IM contacts by a specific subject matter or category is provided as well as prioritizing of IM contacts based on subject matter expertise or frequently visited bookmarks. Searching of information contained in the IM environment as well as the Internet is also provided.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for customizing and consolidating bookmarks, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user to add a set of contacts to a local agent;

in response to receiving the request, determining that the set of contacts is authorized to be added to the local agent;

in response to determining that the set of contacts is authorized, providing a plurality of bookmarks associated with the set of contacts to the user;

receiving a selection of a set of bookmarks from the plurality of bookmarks associated with the set of contacts; and

adding the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to the local agent.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prompting the user for a category in which to add the set of contacts and selection of the set of bookmarks;

determining if the category is an existing category; and

in response to the category already existing, adding the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to category.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

in response to the category being a new category, creating the new category; and

adding the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to new category.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of contacts, the set of bookmarks, and category are stored as stored information in a user'"'"'s data structure at the local agent and a master agent.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein initialization of the local agent synchronizes the stored information at the local agent with the stored information at the master agent.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the local agent sorts and displays the stored information based on the category, wherein the local agent displays the set of contacts associated with the set of bookmarks, wherein the local agent displays the rating the set of contacts has associated with the set of bookmarks, and wherein the local agent displays a rating for the user'"'"'s access to the set of bookmarks.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the local agent stores the set of contacts, set of bookmarks, and the category in a data structure, and wherein an Internet browser uses the stored information to display the set of bookmarks in the Internet browser.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the set of contacts is unauthorized, prompting the set of contacts to authorize access;

receiving an authorization or denial from the set of contacts; and

in response to receiving a denial, sending an error message to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the set of contacts is authorized to be added to the local agent comprises:

searching a data structure for authorization information;

determining if the user is recorded in the data structure;

in response to the user being recorded in the data structure, determining if the user is blocked from authorization based on information in the data structure; and

in response to the user being unblocked, granting authorization to add the set of contacts.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user to search for a particular subject matter;

searching the local agent for first subject matter results related to the requested particular subject matter; and

returning the first subject matter results to the user.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

prompting the user for first user input to determine if the first subject matter results provide sufficient information;

in response to the first subject matter results providing insufficient information, searching a remote source for second subject matter results related to the requested particular subject matter; and

returning the second subject matter results to the user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

prompting the user to determine if the second subject matter results provide sufficient information;

in response to the second subject matter results providing sufficient information, determining if the user has privileges to access the second subject matter; and

in response to the user have insufficient privileges to access the second subject matter, requesting access from the owner of the second subject matter.

13. A data processing system comprising:

a bus system;

a communications system connected to the bus system;

a memory connected to the bus system, wherein the memory includes a set of instructions;

an instruction execution unit; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to receive a request from a user to add a set of contacts to a local agent;

determine that the set of contacts is authorized to be added to the local agent in response to receiving the request;

provide a plurality of bookmarks associated with the set of contacts to the user in response to determining that the set of contacts is authorized;

receive a selection of a set of bookmarks from the plurality of bookmarks associated with the set of contacts; and

add the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to the local agent.

14. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit further executes a set of instructions to prompt the user for a category in which to add the set of contacts and selection of the set of bookmarks;

determine if the category is an existing category; and

adding the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to category in response to the category already existing.

15. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit further executes a set of instructions to prompt the set of contacts to authorize access in response to determining that the set of contacts is unauthorized;

receive an authorization or denial from the set of contacts; and

sending an error message to the user in response to receiving a denial.

16. The data processing system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit further executes a set of instructions to receive a request from the user to search for a particular subject matter;

search the local agent for first subject matter results related to the requested particular subject matter; and

return the first subject matter results to the user.

17. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for customizing and consolidating bookmarks, said computer program product including;

computer usable program code for receiving a request from a user to add a set of contacts to a local agent;

computer usable program code for determining that the set of contacts is authorized to be added to the local agent in response to receiving the request;

computer usable program code for providing a plurality of bookmarks associated with the set of contacts to the user in response to determining that the set of contacts is authorized;

computer usable program code for receiving a selection of a set of bookmarks from the plurality of bookmarks associated with the set of contacts; and

computer usable program code for adding the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to the local agent.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer usable program code for prompting the user for a category in which to add the set of contacts and selection of the set of bookmarks;

computer usable program code for determining if the category is an existing category; and

computer usable program code for adding the set of contacts and the selection of the set of bookmarks to category in response to the category already existing.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer usable program code for prompting the set of contacts to authorize access in response to determining that the set of contacts is unauthorized;

computer usable program code for receiving an authorization or denial from the set of contacts; and

computer usable program code for sending an error message to the user in response to receiving a denial.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving a request from the user to search for a particular subject matter;

computer usable program code for searching the local agent for first subject matter results related to the requested particular subject matter; and

computer usable program code for returning the first subject matter results to the user.