Displaying Images for People Associated with a Message Item

• US 20090327433A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Stroupe, Autumn Lee, Dean, Andrew T., Popp, Adriana Cristina, Comertoglu, Can Mehmet, Braun, Owen
• Granted Patent: US 8,539,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/063 Content adaptation, e.g. replacement of unsuitable content

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for displaying a list of people associated with a message item along with images and other personal context information in a PIM application. The people associated with the message item are identified and a list is generated containing a name, an image, and other personal context information for each. The list of people associated with the message item is displayed in a window of the PIM along with the information regarding the message item.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a list of people associated with a message item in a personal information manager (PIM) application, the method comprising:

identifying one or more people associated with the message item;

generating a list of people comprising a list entry for each of the one or more people, each list entry comprising a name and an image associated with a corresponding person; and

displaying the list of people in a window of the PIM.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

upon identifying the one or more people associated with the message item, accessing a local storage of the PIM to determine whether an image associated with each of the one or more people is contained in the local storage;

in response to determining that an image associated with one of the one or more people is contained in the local storage, retrieving the image associated with the person from the local storage;

in response to determining that an image associated with the person is not contained in the local storage, determining whether an image associated with the person is contained in an organization directory;

in response to determining that an image associated with the person is contained in the organization directory, retrieving the image associated with the person from the organization directory; and

in response to determining that an image associated with the person is not contained in the organization directory, causing a placeholder image to be displayed in the list entry for the person.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each list entry further comprises a user interface (UI) control, the UI control configured to cause an audio recording associated with the corresponding person to be played through a speaker connected to a computer executing the PIM when the UI control is selected by a user of the computer.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

upon identifying the one or more people associated with the message item, accessing a local storage of the PIM to determine whether an audio recording associated with each of the one or more people is contained in the local storage;

in response to determining that a name recoding associated with one of the one or more people is contained in the local storage, causing the UI control to be displayed in the list entry for the person;

in response to determining that an audio recording associated with the person is not contained in the local storage, determining whether an audio recording associated with the person is contained in an organization directory;

in response to determining that an audio recording associated with the person is contained in the organization directory, causing the UI control to be displayed in the list entry for the person; and

in response to determining that an audio recording associated with the person is not contained in the organization directory, causing the UI control not to be displayed in the list entry for the person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the message item comprises a meeting and the one or more people associated with the message item comprise attendees of the meeting.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the message item comprises an email message and the one or more people associated with the message item comprises recipients of the email message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each list entry further comprises additional personal information associated with the corresponding person.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional personal information comprises a title.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional personal information is retrieved from an organization directory.

10. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

identify one or more attendees of a meeting in a PIM;

generate a list of people comprising a list entry for each of the one or more attendees, each list entry comprising a name and an image associated with a corresponding attendee, and a UI control; and

display the list of people in a window of the PIM.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 10, having further computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

upon identifying the one or more attendees of the meeting, access a local storage of the PIM to determine whether an image associated with each of the one or more attendees is contained in the local storage;

in response to determining that an image associated with one of the one or more attendees is contained in the local storage, retrieve the image associated with the attendee from the local storage;

in response to determining that an image associated with the attendee is not contained in the local storage, determine whether an image associated with the attendee is contained in an organization directory;

in response to determining that an image associated with the attendee is contained in the organization directory, retrieve the image associated with the attendee from the organization directory; and

in response to determining that an image associated with the attendee is not contained in the organization directory, cause a placeholder image to be displayed in the list entry for the attendee.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 10, having further computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

detect that a user of the computer has selected the UI control of a list entry for a corresponding attendee of the meeting;

upon detecting that the user has selected the UI control, determine whether an audio recording associated with the corresponding attendee is contained in a local storage of the PIM;

in response to determining that an audio recording associated with the corresponding attendee is contained in the local storage, retrieve the audio recording from the local storage and play the audio recording through a speaker connected to the computer;

in response to determining that an audio recording associated with the corresponding attendee is not contained in the local storage, determine whether an audio recording associated with the corresponding attendee is contained in an organization directory; and

in response to determining that an audio recording associated with the corresponding attendee is contained in the organization directory, retrieve the audio recording from the organization directory and play the audio recording through the speaker.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 10, wherein each list entry further comprises additional personal information associated with the corresponding attendee.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the additional personal information comprises a title.

15. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein the additional personal information is retrieved from an organization directory.

16. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

identify one or more recipients of an email message in a PIM;

generate a list of people comprising a list entry for each of the one or more recipients, each list entry comprising a name, an image, and additional personal information associated with a corresponding recipient; and

display the list of people in a window of the PIM.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 16, having further computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

upon identifying the one or more recipients of the email message, access a local storage of the PIM to determine whether an image associated with each of the one or more recipients is contained in the local storage;

in response to determining that an image associated with one of the one or more recipients is contained in the local storage, retrieve the image associated with the recipient from the local storage;

in response to determining that an image associated with the recipient is not contained in the local storage, determine whether an image associated with the recipient is contained in an organization directory;

in response to determining that an image associated with the recipient is contained in the organization directory, retrieve the image associated with the recipient from the organization directory; and

in response to determining that an image associated with the recipient is not contained in the organization directory, causing a placeholder image to be displayed in the list entry for the recipient.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, having further computer executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

upon identifying the one or more recipients of the email message, access a local storage of the PIM to determine whether the additional personal information associated with each of the one or more recipients is contained in the local storage;

in response to determining that the additional personal information associated with the recipient is contained in the local storage, retrieve the additional personal information associated with the recipient from the local storage; and

in response to determining that the additional personal information associated with the recipient is not contained in the local storage, retrieve the additional personal information associated with the recipient from an organization directory.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the additional personal information is configurable to contain any information for a recipient contained in the organization directory.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the additional personal information comprises a title.