Autocomplete for intergrating diverse methods of electronic communication

• US 20080222256A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Mehta, Samir B., Rosenberg, Greg A., Johnston, Kevin R.
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,763 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/274 Converting codes to words; Guess-ahead of partial word inputs

Abstract

Instant messaging, also known as chat, is integrated with electronic mail in a user interface that provides for automatic completion of recipient names or addresses, such as email addresses or chat addresses, as a user types characters of the name or address when addressing a message. The automatic completion feature displays a list of matches, which are names or addresses in, for example, the user'"'"'s online contact list, that match the characters the user types. The matches list may contain names or addresses for multiple different communication methods. The user may then select one of the names or addresses to compose a message to be sent to the selected name or address. A user interface is then provided for composing a message to be sent to the selected name or address using the communication protocol associated with the selected name or address.

Claims

1. Message composition apparatus, comprising:

input logic for receiving an input string, the input string having at least one character;

display logic for displaying a match list in response to receiving the input string,

wherein the match list includes a first match, the first match includes the input string, and

the first match is associated with a first communication method and a first communication address; and

address logic for addressing the message to the first communication address in response to selection of the first match from the match list.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

transmission logic for causing the message to be sent to the first communication address via the first communication method if the first match is selected from the match list.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first match includes the input string if the input string matches at least a portion of an identifying string associated with the first match.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the address logic is operable to address the message to the first communication address by adding the first communication address to an address attribute associated with the message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the match list includes a second match, the second match includes the input string, and the second match is associated with a second communication method and a second communication address, and

wherein the address logic is operable to address the message to the second communication address in response to selection of the second match from the match list.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second match includes the input string if the input string matches at least a portion of an identifying string associated with the first match.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising:

transmission logic for causing the message to be sent to the second communication address via the second communication method if the second match is selected from the match list.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the match list is displayed in an area on a computer screen, the area comprising a first region and a second region, and

wherein the display logic is operable to display the first match in the first region, and further operable to display the second match in the second region.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the list of matches is updated as characters of the input string are received.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication method is selected from the group consisting of email, chat, and text messaging.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first communication address is selected from an online contact list, an online address book, an online directory service, or a combination thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 5,

wherein the display logic is operable to display a first user interface configuration based upon the first communication method in response to selection of the first match from the match list,

the display logic is operable to display a second user interface configuration based upon the second communication method in response to selection of the second match from the match list, and

wherein at least one attribute received for use with the first user interface configuration is available for use with the second user interface configuration.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second user interface configuration replaces the first user interface configuration subsequent to selection of the first match.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

logic for providing a message composition user interface configuration in response to selection of the first match from the match list,

wherein the user interface configuration includes at least one input component for receiving at least one data value,

wherein the user interface configuration is based upon the first communication method,

wherein the at least one input component corresponds to an attribute of the message, wherein the attribute is to be provided to the communication method when the message is sent, and

wherein the user interface includes a send component for causing the message to be sent via the communication method in response to a user action.

8. (canceled)

16-17. -17. (canceled)

18. A computer-based method of completing a message address, the method comprising:

receiving an input string having at least one character;

displaying a list of matches in response to receiving the input string;

selecting a first address from a data source that provides addresses,

wherein the list of matches includes the first address if the input string matches at least a portion of the first address;

selecting a second address from the data source that provides addresses;

wherein the list of matches includes the second address if the input string matches at least a portion of the second address;

receiving selection of a chosen address from the list of matches; and

addressing the message to the chosen address.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the data source that provides addresses comprises an online address book, an online contact list, a list retrieved from an online service, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

providing a message composition user interface configuration,

wherein the user interface configuration includes at least one input component for receiving at least one data value,

wherein the user interface configuration is based upon a communication method associated with the chosen address,

wherein the at least one input component corresponds to at least one attribute of the message, wherein the at least one attribute is to be provided to the communication method when the message is sent, and

wherein the user interface includes a send component for causing the message to be sent via the communication method in response to a user action.

21-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A user interface for automatically completing a message recipient name, comprising:

a display component for displaying a first match in response to receiving an input string, wherein the first match is associated with a first identifying string, and the input string matches at least a portion of the first identifying string,

wherein the first match is associated with a first communication method,

wherein the display component is operable to display a second match in response to receiving the input string, wherein the second match is associated with a second identifying string, the input string matches at least a portion of the second identifying string, and

wherein the second match is associated with a second communication method; and

interface configuration logic for causing a first interface to be displayed in response to selection of the first match, wherein the first interface is operable to cause received message content to be sent via the first communication method to a first address associated with the first match, and

wherein the interface configuration logic is operable to cause a second interface to be displayed in response to selection of the second match, wherein the second interface is operable to cause received message content to be sent via the second communication method to a second address associated with the second match.

25. The user interface of claim 24, wherein the first communication method is selected from the group consisting of email, chat, and text messaging, and the second communication method is selected from the group consisting of email, chat, and text messaging.

26. A computer program product comprising program code for composing a message, the computer program product comprising:

program code operable to receive an input string, the input string having at least one character;

program code operable to display a match list in response to receiving the input string,

wherein the match list includes a first match, the first match includes the input string, and

the first match is associated with a first communication method and a first communication address; and

program code operable to address the message to the first communication address in response to selection of the first match from the match list.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

program code operable to cause the message to be sent to the first communication address via the first communication method if the first match is selected from the match list.

28. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the first match includes the input string if the input string matches at least a portion of an identifying string associated with the first match.

29. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the program code operable to address the message is further operable to address the message to the first communication address by adding the first communication address to an address attribute associated with the message.

30. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the match list includes a second match, the second match includes the input string, and the second match is associated with a second communication method and a second communication address, and

wherein the program code operable to address the message is further operable to address the message to the second communication address in response to selection of the second match from the match list.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the second match includes the input string if the input string matches at least a portion of an identifying string associated with the first match.