FOCUS STEALING PREVENTION

• US 20110107257A1
• Filed: 01/03/2011
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Odell, James A., Heikes, Brian Dean
• Application Number:
  US12/983,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107257A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/802
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages

Abstract

One implementation provides monitoring a user'"'"'s activity within a first window that is visible to the user in a graphical user interface (GUI), receiving notification of an incoming message intended for the user, and, upon receipt, opening a second window that is visible to the user in the GUI, the second window being distinct from any other window currently open in the GUI. When a predetermined condition is satisfied based upon the user'"'"'s activity being monitored in the first window, the implementation further provides deactivating the first window in the GUI and activating the second window to provide the user with notification of the incoming message.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A computer-implemented method comprising:

monitoring activity of a user;

receiving a notification of an incoming message addressed to the user;

determining, based on an identity associated with a sender of the incoming message, whether to interrupt the activity of the user in view of the incoming message from the sender; and

if it is determined, based on the identity associated with the sender of the incoming message, that the activity of the user is to be interrupted in view of the incoming message from the sender, notifying the user of the incoming message.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26, wherein notifying the user of the incoming message comprises automatically causing a window to become active and presenting the incoming message in the window.

28. The computer-implement method of claim 27, wherein the method is performed by a client-side application.

29. The computer-implement method of claim 27, wherein the method is performed by a web application.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 27, wherein the window comprises a browser window.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method comprising:

monitoring activity of a user;

receiving a notification of an incoming message addressed to the user;

determining, based on an identity associated with a sender of the incoming message, whether to interrupt the activity of the user in view of the incoming message from the sender; and

if it is determined, based on the identity associated with the sender of the incoming message, that the activity of the user is to be interrupted in view of the incoming message from the sender, notifying the user of the incoming message.

32. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein notifying the user of the incoming message comprises automatically causing a window to become active and presenting the incoming message in the window.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method is performed by a client-side application.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the method is performed by a web application.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the window comprises a browser window.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein monitoring the activity of the user comprises monitoring a user'"'"'s activity within a first window in a graphical user interface (GUI).

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein notifying the user of the incoming message comprises:

determining if the user'"'"'s activity in the first window in the GUI satisfies a predetermined condition, and

when it is determined that the user'"'"'s activity in the first window in the GUI has satisfied the predetermined condition;

automatically causing the first window in the GUI to transition from being active to being inactive, and

automatically causing a second window to become active in the GUI to provide the user with a notification of the incoming message.

38. The non-transitory computer-medium of claim 37, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the user'"'"'s activity in the first window in the GUI satisfies the predetermined condition if there has been no user activity in the first window for a predetermined amount of time.

39. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a notification of an incoming message that is intended for a user and that is from another user;

determining that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since receiving the notification of the incoming message without a predetermined condition having been satisfied; and

in response to determining that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed since receiving the notification of the incoming message without the predetermined condition having been satisfied, automatically providing an indication to the another user that the user has not yet received notification of the incoming message.

40. The computer-implement method of claim 39, wherein the method is performed by a client-side application.

41. The computer-implement method of claim 39, wherein the method is performed by a web application.

42. The computer-implemented method of claim 39, wherein the window comprises a browser window.

43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a notification of an incoming message that is intended for a user and that is from another user;

determining that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed since receiving the notification of the incoming message without a predetermined condition having been satisfied; and

in response to determining that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed since receiving the notification of the incoming message without the predetermined condition having been satisfied, automatically providing an indication to the another user that the user has not yet received notification of the incoming message.

44. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43 wherein the method further comprises:

determining that a first window that is visible to the user in a graphical user interface (GUI) is active; and

after receiving the notification of the incoming message, delaying notification of the incoming message until the user'"'"'s interaction with the presently active first window satisfies the predetermined condition.

45. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 44 wherein the method further comprises:

monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the presently active first window;

after providing the indication to the another user that the user has not yet received notification of the incoming message and based on monitoring the user'"'"'s interaction with the presently active first window, determining that the user'"'"'s interaction with the presently active first window has satisfied the predetermined condition; and

in response to determining that the user'"'"'s interaction with the presently active first window has satisfied the predetermined condition;

automatically causing the presently active first window to transition from being active to being inactive, and

automatically causing a second window to become active in the GUI to provide the user with notification of the incoming message.

46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the method is performed by a client-side application.

47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the method is performed by a web application.

48. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 43, wherein the window comprises a browser window.