Use of Communicator Application to Establish Communication with Experts
First Claim
1. A method for identifying and communicating with experts through a communicator application, the method comprising:
- causing, by a computing device, a display device to display a graphical user interface of the communicator application to a first user of the communicator application, the communicator application being an application that initiates communication sessions between the first user and one or more other users of the communicator application;
receiving, by the computing device, search input via the graphical user interface, the search input indicating a type of expertise; and
causing, by the computing device after receiving the search input, the display device to display a user identifier within the graphical user interface, the user identifier identifying a second user of the communicator application, the second user possessing the type of expertise indicated by the search input.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for using a communicator application to identify experts and to establish communication with experts. A computing device in the system causes a display device to display a graphical user interface (GUI) of the communicator application to a first user. The communicator application is an application that initiates communication sessions between users. Subsequently, the computing device receives search input via the GUI. The search input indicates a type of expertise. After the computing device receives the search input, the computing device causes the display device to display a user identifier within the GUI, the user identifier identifying a second user. The second user possesses the type of expertise indicated by the search input.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for identifying and communicating with experts through a communicator application, the method comprising:
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causing, by a computing device, a display device to display a graphical user interface of the communicator application to a first user of the communicator application, the communicator application being an application that initiates communication sessions between the first user and one or more other users of the communicator application; receiving, by the computing device, search input via the graphical user interface, the search input indicating a type of expertise; and causing, by the computing device after receiving the search input, the display device to display a user identifier within the graphical user interface, the user identifier identifying a second user of the communicator application, the second user possessing the type of expertise indicated by the search input. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computing device comprising:
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a data storage system; and a processing unit that executes software instructions stored on the data storage system, execution of the software instructions causing the computing device to; cause a display device to display a graphical user interface of the communicator application to a first user of a communication application, the communicator application including an application that initiates communication sessions between the first user and one or more other users of the communicator application; receive search input from the first user via the graphical user interface, the search input indicating a type of expertise; and cause, after receiving the search input, the display device to display a user identifier within the graphical user interface, the user identifier identifying a second user of the communicator application, the second user possessing the type of expertise indicated by the search input. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A computer-readable medium comprising software instructions that, when executed by a processing unit of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
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retrieve, from a communication server, data representing a buddy list of a first user of a communication application, the communicator application being an application that initiates real-time communication between the first user and one or more other users of the communicator application; retrieve, from the communication server, presence data for users on the buddy list of the first user; cause a display device to display a graphical user interface of the communicator application to the first user, the graphical user interface including; a first set of user identifiers, each user identifier in the first set of user identifiers identifying a user in a set of users of the communication application, each user in the first set of users being on the buddy list of the first user, and a first set of availability indicators, each availability indicator in the first set of availability indicators indicating whether a user in the first set of users is available to begin a communication session, the first set of availability indicators based on the presence data for users on the buddy list of the first user, and a search box; receive search input from the first user via the search box, the search input indicating a type of expertise; in response to receiving the search input; identify a user chain that links the first user to a second user of the communicator application, the second user possessing the type of expertise indicated by the search input, the user chain including a set of intervening users, the second user not on the buddy list of the first user; retrieve, from the communication server, presence data for users in the user chain; retrieve, from the communication server, ratings data for users in the user chain; cause the display device to display in a results area of the graphical user interface; a second set of user identifiers, each user identifier in the set of user identifiers identifying a user in the user chain, a second set of availability indicators, each availability indicator in the set of availability indicators indicating whether a user in the user chain is available to begin a communication session, the set of availability indicators based on the presence data for the users in the user chain, a set of ratings indicators, each ratings indicator in the set of ratings indicators indicating a rating of a user in the user chain, the set of ratings indicators based on the ratings data for the users in the user chain; receive an introduction request input via the graphical user interface, the introduction request input indicating to the communicator application that the first user wants the communicator application to send an introduction request to a user in the set of intervening users, the introduction request indicating that the first user wants the user in the set of intervening users to introduce the first user to either another user in the set of intervening users or the second user; receive a group communication request input via the graphical user interface, the group communication request input indicating to the communicator application that the first user wants the communicator application to send an invitation to join a group communication session to at least one user in the set of intervening users and the second user; receive feedback input via the graphical user interface, the feedback input indicating how helpful a user in the user chain was to the first user.
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Specification