REPRESENTING ONLINE PRESENCE FOR GROUPS

• US 20080183814A1
• Filed: 01/29/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanghavi, Mehul Kirtikant
• Application Number:
  US11/668,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20080183814A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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

Methods and apparatus are described for communicating an online presence of a group in a network. The group includes at least one member associated with the network. Each member of the group has an independent online status. A group presence indicator corresponding to the group is presented in a first interface in the network. The group presence indicator represents an online status of the group as being online or offline. The online status of each member of the group is not apparent from the group presence indicator.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for communicating an online presence of a group in a network, the group comprising at least one member associated with the network, each member of the group having an independent online status, the method comprising presenting a group presence indicator corresponding to the group in a first interface in the network, the group presence indicator representing an online status of the group as being online or offline, the online status of each member of the group not being apparent from the group presence indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to selection of the group presence indicator in the first interface, facilitating messaging between a first user associated with the first interface and at least one member of the group.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein facilitating messaging comprises facilitating one or more of text messaging, SMS messaging, MMS messaging, electronic mail messaging, voice messaging, video messaging, photo sharing, file sharing, web browsing, launch of a messaging interface associated with a messaging application, or storage of at least one message from the first user for the at least one member of the group.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining the online status of the group with reference to the online statuses of the members of the group.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein determining the online status of the group comprises determining a logical combination of the online statuses of the members of the group.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the group presence indicator is configured to represent the online status of the group without reference to the online statuses of the members of the group.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first interface comprises any of a contacts list, a messaging interface, a web page, a phone interface, and a directory interface.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one member comprises any of a human, an automated process, and a subgroup having at least one member.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding the group presence indicator to a contacts list associated with a first user associated with the first interface, the contacts list being associated with a messaging application.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein each member of the group has an individual presence indicator representing the online presence associated with the corresponding member.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the group presence indicator is operable to represent a plurality of online states each of which represents availability for the group when the online status of the group indicates that the group is online.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

15. A network comprising at least one network device which is operable to communicate an online presence of a group in a network, the group comprising at least one member associated with the network, each member of the group having an independent online status, the at least one network device being operable to present a group presence indicator corresponding to the group in a first interface in the network, the group presence indicator representing an online status of the group as being online or offline, the online status of each member of the group not being apparent from the group presence indicator.

16. The network of claim 15 wherein the at least one network device is further operable to facilitate messaging between a first user associated with the first interface and at least one member of the group in response to selection of the group presence indicator in the first interface.

17. The network of claim 16 wherein the at least one network device is operable to facilitate messaging by facilitating one or more of text messaging, SMS messaging, MMS messaging, electronic mail messaging, voice messaging, video messaging, photo sharing, file sharing, web browsing, or launch of a messaging interface associated with a messaging application.

19. The network of claim 15 wherein the at least one network device is further operable to determine the online status of the group with reference to the online statuses of the members of the group.

20. The network of claim 19 wherein the at least one network device is operable to determine the online status of the group by determining a logical combination of the online statuses of the members of the group.

21. The network of claim 15 wherein the group presence indicator is configured to represent the online status of the group without reference to the online statuses of the members of the group.

22. The network of claim 15 wherein the at least one member comprises any of a human, an automated process, and a subgroup having at least one member.

23. The network of claim 15 wherein each member of the group has an individual presence indicator representing the online presence associated with the corresponding member.

25. The network of claim 15 wherein the group presence indicator is operable to represent a plurality of online states each of which represents availability for the group when the online status of the group indicates that the group is online.

18. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

26. A device with which a first user may communicate with other users in a network including the device, the device comprising a display, a processor, memory, and an interface to the network, the processor being operable in conjunction with computer program instructions stored in the network to communicate an online presence of a group in a network, the group comprising at least one member associated with the network, each member of the group having an independent online status, the processor being operable in conjunction with the computer program instructions to present a group presence indicator corresponding to the group in a first interface on the display, the group presence indicator representing an online status of the group as being online or offline, the online status of each member of the group not being apparent from the group presence indicator.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the processor is further operable in conjunction with the computer program instructions to facilitate messaging between the first user and at least one member of the group in response to selection of the group presence indicator in the first interface.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein the processor is operable to facilitate messaging by facilitating one or more of text messaging, SMS messaging, MMS messaging, electronic mail messaging, voice messaging, video messaging, photo sharing, file sharing, web browsing, or launch of a messaging interface associated with a messaging application.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein the first interface comprises any of a contacts list, a messaging interface, a web page, a phone interface, and a directory interface.

31. The device of claim 26 wherein the processor is further operable in conjunction with the computer program instructions to add the group presence indicator to a contacts list associated with the first user, the contacts list being associated with a messaging application.

29. (canceled)