User definable on-line co-user lists

• US 6,677,968 B1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/835,378
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: 345/733, 345/753, 345/751, 345/759, 345/765, 345/744, 345/853, 709/201, 709/210, 709/213
• US Class Current: 715/853
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• 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 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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

A real time notification system that tracks, for each user, the logon status of selected co-users of an on-line or network system and displays that information in real time to the tracking user in a unique graphical interface. The invention provides user definable on-line co-user lists, or “buddy lists”, that track specific co-users in real-time automatically. A user can create many separate buddy lists of co-users, either with intersecting or disjoint lists of users, and label these buddy lists according to the user'"'"'s preference. The user can update a buddy list or create new buddy lists whenever necessary. When a user logs on to a system, the user'"'"'s set of buddy lists is presented to the buddy list system. The buddy list system attempts to match co-users currently logged into the system with the entries on the user'"'"'s buddy list. Any matches are displayed to the user. As co-users logon and logoff, a user'"'"'s buddy list is updated to reflect these changes. An indication can also be added to show that a co-user just logged on or just left the system.

Claims

1. An electronic network system that enables a user of the electronic network system to define and to perceive one or more user-created co-user lists and to track a current logon status of co-users in the co-user lists in substantially real-time, comprising:

a communications network;

a user device that is structured and arranged to communicate using the communications network and that receives the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists in substantially real-time, the user device including a graphical user interface having one or more window interfaces structured and arranged to enable;

designation by the user of one or more co-users including at least one of creating, labeling, and defining the co-user lists using the graphical user interface, wherein the co-user lists include one or more intersecting or disjoint lists of co-users;

modification by the user of the co-user lists including addition or removal of co-users from the co-user lists using the graphical user interface;

a display of the co-user lists that includes a visual indication of the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists, wherein at least one particular co-user list can be minimized independent of other co-user lists and the one or more windows of the graphical user interface to prevent a display of the co-users in the particular co-user list;

selection by the user of a co-user from one of the displayed co-user lists as a recipient of an instant message from the user;

designation by the user of one or more selected co-users to be prevented from receiving a current logon status of the user, and

selection of sounds by the user that are related to current logon status; and

a logon system, remote from the user device, that monitors the logon status of the co-users and that uses the communications network to make the logon status of the co-users accessible to the user device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the co-user lists is structured and arranged to display only currently logged on co-users.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the co-user lists is structured and arranged to visually distinguish currently logged on co-users from other co-users.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the co-user lists is structured and arranged to receive updates and to reflect changes in the logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the co-user lists includes a visual indication to reflect a newly logged-on co-user.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the co-user lists includes a visual indication to reflect a newly logged-off co-user.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is structured and arranged to enable a visual indication of a number of currently logged on co-users out of a total number of co-users defined for a particular co-user list.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is structured and arranged to enable a visual indication of a most recent co-user to log on.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is structured and arranged to enable designation by the user of all co-users to be prevented from adding the user to co-user lists maintained by all the co-users.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is structured and arranged to enable designation by the user of one or more co-users, wherein only the designated co-users are able to add the user to co-user lists maintained by the designated co-users.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the co-user lists includes the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists as an integrated part of the co-user lists.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the display of the co-user lists incorporates the current logon status of the co-users as a part of the co-user lists.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the user selectable sounds include selection by the user of a first sound to indicate a logon of a co-user.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the user selectable sounds include selection by the user of a second sound that is different from the first sound to indicate a logoff of a co-user.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the graphical user interface is structured and arranged to enable designation by the user of one or more selected co-users to be prevented from adding the user to a co-user list maintained by the selected co-user.

16. A method that enables a user of an electronic network system to define and to perceive one or more user-created co-user lists and to track a current logon status of co-users in the co-user lists in substantially real-time, the method comprising:

receiving, at a user device, the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists in substantially real-time;

using a graphical user interface having one or more window interfaces to enable;

designation by the user of one or more co-users including at least one of creating, labeling, and defining the co-user lists using the graphical user interface, wherein the co-user lists include one or more intersecting or disjoint lists of co-users;

modification by the user of the co-user lists including addition or removal of co-users from the co-user lists using the graphical user interface;

a display of the co-user lists that includes a visual indication of the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists, wherein at least one particular co-user list can be minimized independent of other co-user lists and the one or more windows of the graphical user interface to prevent a display of the co-users in the particular co-user list;

selection by the user of a co-user from one of the displayed co-user lists as a recipient of an instant message from the user;

designation by the user of one or more selected co-users to be prevented from receiving a current logon status of the user, and

selection of sounds by the user that are related to current logon status; and

monitoring the logon status of the co-users at a logon system that is remote from the user device and making the logon status of the co-users accessible to the user device.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein the graphical user interface is further used to enable the display of only currently logged on co-users in the co-user lists.

18. The method as in claim 16 wherein using the graphical user interface is further used to enable a visual indication of a number of currently logged on co-users out of a total number of co-users defined for a particular co-user list.

19. The method as in claim 16 wherein the graphical user interface is further used to enable designation by the user of one or more co-users, wherein only the designated co-users are able to add the user to co-user lists maintained by the designated co-users.

20. The method as in claim 16 wherein the graphical user interface is further used to enable designation by the user of one or more selected co-users to be prevented from adding the user to a co-user list maintained by the selected co-user.

21. A system that enables a user of an electronic network system to define and to perceive one or more user-created co-user lists and to track a current logon status of co-users in the co-user lists in substantially real-time, comprising:

means for receiving, at a user device, the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists in substantially real-time;

means for using a graphical user interface having one or more window interfaces to enable;

designation by the user of one or more co-users including at least one of creating, labeling, and defining the co-user lists using the graphical user interface, wherein the co-user lists include one or more intersecting or disjoint lists of co-users;

modification by the user of the co-user lists including addition or removal of co-users from the co-user lists using the graphical user interface;

a display of the co-user lists that includes a visual indication of the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user lists, wherein at least one particular co-user list can be minimized independent of other co-user lists and the one or more windows of the graphical user interface to prevent a display of the co-users in the particular co-user list;

selection by the user of a co-user from one of the displayed co-user lists as a recipient of an instant message from the user;

designation by the user of one or more selected co-users to be prevented from receiving a current logon status of the user, and

selection of sounds by the user that are related to current logon status; and

means for monitoring the logon status of the co-users at a logon system that is remote from the user device and for making the logon status of the co-users accessible to the user device.