INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM CONFIGURED TO FACILITATE EVENT PLAN MANAGEMENT

• US 20080098079A1
• Filed: 10/18/2006
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanghavi, Mehul Kirtikant
• Granted Patent: US 7,822,822 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

An instant messaging service is operated in cooperation with an event plan manager system. Information is received regarding a planned event from an instant messaging client with which an event organizer is associated and, based thereon, information is provided indicative of the planned event to the event plan manager system. Information is received from the event plan manager system indicative of the planned event, as maintained by the event plan manager system. Invitation instant messages are caused to be provided to instant messaging clients with which invitees of the planned event are associated, wherein the invitation instant messages are correlated to the information indicative of the planned event as maintained by the event plan manager system.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of operating an instant messaging service in cooperation with an event plan manager system, the method comprising:

receiving information regarding a planned event from an instant messaging client with which an event organizer is associated and, based thereon, providing information indicative of the planned event to the event plan manager system;

receiving information from the event plan manager system indicative of the planned event, as maintained by the event plan manager system; and

causing invitation instant messages to be provided to instant messaging clients with which invitees of the planned event are associated, wherein the invitation instant messages are correlated to the information indicative of the planned event as maintained by the event plan manager system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving response instant messages from instant messaging clients with which at least some of the invitees are associated; and

providing an indication of the response instant message to the event plan manager system.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

providing an indication of the response instant messages to an instant messaging client with which the event organizer is associated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

for at least some of the invitees, causing the instant messenger client with which those invitees are associated to display an indication of the planned event in association with an indication of the event organizer, as part of an instant messenger frequent contact list.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based at least in part on receipt of an RSVP signal that one of the at least some invitees has interacted with an associated instant messenger client to indicate intended attendance at the planned event, providing to the event planning system a signal corresponding to that planned event and the one of the at least some invitees.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

causing the instant messenger client with which the one invitees is associated to display an indication of the planned event in association with an indication of the event organizer, as part of an instant messenger frequent contact list;

wherein the RSVP signal is a result of the one invitee activating the displayed indication of the planned event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically causing an indication of a response to the invitation, by the invitee, to be accessible to the event organizer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the step of causing invitation instant messages to be provided to instant messaging clients with which invitees of the planned event are associated includes causing the invitation instant messages to be provided in accordance with a theme associated with the planned event.

9. An instant messaging service configured to operate in cooperation with an event plan manager system, the service comprising:

a planned event information receiver configured to receive information regarding a planned event from an instant messaging client with which an event organizer is associated and, based thereon, provide information indicative of the planned event to the event plan manager system;

a event plan receiver configured to receive information from the event plan manager system indicative of the planned event, as maintained by the event plan manager system; and

an invitation sender configured to cause invitation instant messages to be provided to instant messaging clients with which invitees of the planned event are associated, wherein the invitation instant messages are correlated to the information indicative of the planned event as maintained by the event plan manager system.

10. The instant messaging service of claim 9, further comprising:

an instant message response receiver configured to receive responses from instant messaging clients with which at least some of the invitees are associated; and

an event plan manager response indication provider configured to provide an indication of the response instant message to the event plan manager system.

11. The instant messaging service of claim 10, further comprising:

an instant messaging client response indication provider configured to provide an indication of the response instant messages to an instant messaging client with which the event organizer is associated.

12. The instant messaging service of claim 9, further comprising:

an instant messenger frequent contact list adjuster configured to, for at least some of the invitees, cause the instant messenger client with which those invitees are associated to adjust the frequent contact list to display an indication of the planned event in association with an indication of the event organizer, as part of an instant messenger frequent contact list.

13. The instant messaging service of claim 9, further comprising:

an event planning system signal provider configured to, based at least in part on receipt of an RSVP signal that one of the at least some invitees has interacted with an associated instant messenger client to indicate intended attendance at the planned event, provide to the event planning system a signal corresponding to that planned event and the one of the at least some invitees.

14. The instant messaging service of claim 13, further comprising:

an instant messenger frequent contact list adjuster configured to, for at least some of the invitees, cause the instant messenger client with which those invitees are associated to adjust the frequent contact list to display an indication of the planned event in association with an indication of the event organizer, as part of an instant messenger frequent contact list;

wherein the RSVP signal is a result of the one invitee activating the displayed indication of the planned event.

15. The instant messaging service of claim 9, further comprising:

a response indicator configured to automatically cause an indication of a response to the invitation, by the invitee, to be accessible to the event organizer.

16. The instant messaging service of claim 9, wherein:

an invitation sender is further configured to cause the invitation instant messages to be provided in accordance with a theme associated with the planned event.

17. A computer program product configured to operate an instant messaging service in cooperation with an event plan manager system, the computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored therein which are operable to cause at least one computing device to:

receive information regarding a planned event from an instant messaging client with which an event organizer is associated and, based thereon, provide information indicative of the planned event to the event plan manager system;

receive information from the event plan manager system indicative of the planned event, as maintained by the event plan manager system; and

cause invitation instant messages to be provided to instant messaging clients with which invitees of the planned event are associated, wherein the invitation instant messages are correlated to the information indicative of the planned event as maintained by the event plan manager system.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

receive responses from instant messaging clients with which at least some of the invitees are associated; and

provide an indication of the response instant message to the event plan manager system.

19. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

provide an indication of the response instant messages to an instant messaging client with which the event organizer is associated.

20. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

for at least some of the invitees, cause the instant messenger client with which those invitees are associated to adjust the frequent contact list to display an indication of the planned event in association with an indication of the event organizer, as part of an instant messenger frequent contact list.

21. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

based at least in part on receipt of an RSVP signal that one of the at least some invitees has interacted with an associated instant messenger client to indicate intended attendance at the planned event, provide to the event planning system a signal corresponding to that planned event and the one of the at least some invitees.

22. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

for at least some of the invitees, cause the instant messenger client with which those invitees are associated to adjust the frequent contact list to display an indication of the planned event in association with an indication of the event organizer, as part of an instant messenger frequent contact list;

wherein the RSVP signal is a result of the one invitee activating the displayed indication of the planned event.

23. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

automatically cause an indication of a response to the invitation, by the invitee, to be accessible to the event organizer.

24. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the computer program instructions further include computer program instructions operable to cause the at least one computing device to:

cause the invitation instant messages to be provided in accordance with a theme associated with the planned event.