System and method for representation of user preference and policy in contact list

• US 20070118809A1
• Filed: 11/18/2005
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jachner, Jack, Ozugur, Timucin
• Granted Patent: US 7,941,752 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/776
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• 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

System and method for representing preference and policy in a contact list are described. One embodiment is a graphical user interface (“GUI”) for displaying a directory of contacts of a user. The GUI comprises a list of contacts displayed in a first window of the GUI; for each contact in the list of contacts, a preference and policy category for the contact, wherein the preference and policy category for the contact is displayed in the first window of the GUI; and for each contact in the list of contacts, a feature icon indicative of whether a feature is enabled for the contact according to the preference and policy category for the contact, wherein the feature icon is displayed in association with the contact in the first window of the GUI.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface (“

GUI”

) for displaying a directory of contacts of a user, the GUI comprising;

a list of contacts displayed in a first window of the GUI;

for each contact in the list of contacts, a preference and policy category for the contact, wherein the preference and policy category for the contact is displayed in the first window of the GUI; and

for each contact in the list of contacts, a feature icon indicative of whether a feature is enabled for the contact according to the preference and policy category for the contact, wherein the feature icon is displayed in association with the contact in the first window of the GUI.

2. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising a user preference icon indicative of a preference level selected by the user, wherein the user preference icon is displayed in the first window of the GUI.

3. The GUI of claim 2 further comprising a drop down menu associated with the user preference icon for setting a user preference level.

4. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising a contact information icon representative of current contact information for the user, wherein the contact information icon is displayed in the first window of the GUI.

5. The GUI of claim 4 further comprising a drop down menu associated with the contact information icon for setting current contact information for the user.

6. The GUI of claim 4 wherein, for each of the contacts, if the feature for the contact is enabled, an appearance of the feature icon associated with the contact is identical to an appearance of the contact information icon.

7. The GUI of claim 4 wherein, for each of the contacts, if the feature for the contact is not enabled, an appearance of the feature icon associated with the contact is different from an appearance of the contact information icon.

8. The GUI of claim 4 wherein, for each contact, an appearance of the feature icon associated with the contact is indicative of a manner in which a communications event initiated by the contact will be handled.

9. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising:

an exceptional cases icon displayed in the first window of the GUI, wherein the exceptional cases icon is indicative of an overflow option selected by a user; and

a drop down menu associated with the exceptional cases icon for selecting one of a plurality of overflow options.

10. The GUI of claim 9 wherein the overflow option selected by the user dictates how an exceptional communications event will be handled.

11. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising, for each contact, a drop down menu associated with the feature icon associated with the contact for setting a VIP level of the contact.

12. The GUI of claim 1 further comprising, for each contact, a drop down menu associated with the feature icon associated with the contact for setting a VIP option of the contact, wherein the VIP option of the contact dictates a manner in which a communications event initiated by the contact will be handled in cases in which the feature is not enabled for the contact.

13. A method of displaying a directory of contacts of a user using a graphical user interface (“

GUI”

), the method comprising;

displaying in a first window of the GUI a list of contacts;

for each contact in the list of contacts, displaying in a first window of the GUI a preference and policy category for the contact; and

for each contact in the list of contacts, displaying in a first window of the GUI a feature icon indicative of whether a feature is enabled for the contact according to the preference and policy category for the contact.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying in a first window of the GUI a user preference icon indicative of a preference level selected by the user.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising, responsive to selection of a graphical display element displayed in the first window of the GUI in association with the user preference icon, displaying a drop down menu associated with the user preference icon for setting a user preference level.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying in a first window of the GUI a contact information icon representative of current contact information for the user.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising, responsive to selection of a graphical display element displayed in the first window of the GUI in association with the contact information icon, displaying a drop down menu associated with the contact information icon for setting current contact information for the user.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein, for each of the contacts, if the feature for the contact is enabled, an appearance of the feature icon associated with the contact is identical to an appearance of the contact information icon.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein, for each of the contacts, if the feature for the contact is not enabled, an appearance of the feature icon associated with the contact is different from an appearance of the contact information icon.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein, for each contact, an appearance of the feature icon associated with the contact is indicative of a manner in which a communications event initiated by the contact will be handled.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

displaying in a first window of the GUI an exceptional cases icon, wherein the exceptional cases icon is indicative of an overflow option selected by a user; and

responsive to selection of a graphical display element displayed in the first window of the GUI in association with the exceptional cases icon, displaying a drop down menu associated with the exceptional cases icon for selecting one of a plurality of overflow options.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the overflow option selected by the user dictates how an exceptional communications event will be handled.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising, for each contact, responsive to selection of a graphical display element displayed in the first window of the GUI in association with the feature icon, displaying a drop down menu associated with the feature icon associated with the contact for setting a VIP level of the contact.

24. The method of claim 13 further comprising, for each contact, responsive to selection of a graphical display element displayed in the first window of the GUI in association, displaying a drop down menu associated with the feature icon associated with the contact for setting a VIP option of the contact, wherein the VIP option of the contact dictates a manner in which a communications event initiated by the contact will be handled in cases in which the feature is not enabled for the contact.

25. A method for organizing contact information in a directory, the method comprising:

displaying a list of contacts within a first window of a directory application;

displaying for each contact an icon associated with a preference and policy category for the contact within the first window of the directory application; and

displaying for each contact authorized actions corresponding to the preference and policy category for the contact within the first window of the directory application.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising, for each contact, selecting a VIP level for the contact via a menu associated with the contact icon, wherein the menu lists VIP levels available for selection for the contact.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising displaying within the first window of the directory application a user preference icon, the user preference icon providing a visual indication of a preference level selected by a user.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the preference level may be modified via a menu associated with the user preference icon, wherein the menu lists preference levels available for selection by the user.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein for each contact, the preference and policy category of the contact is determined by the preference level of the user and the VIP level of the contact.