Method and system for sharing information in an instant messaging environment

• US 7,120,672 B1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Snap, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Szeto, Christopher Tzann-en, Everett-Church, Justin, Bergman, Stephanie
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US10/729,818
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-207, 709227-228, 709246-247, 707/3, 707/10, 707/104.1, 455518-519, 715751-753, 715/758, 715/761
• US Class Current: 709/206
• 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: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A technique for providing a wish list is disclosed. The technique comprises displaying the wish list, modifying the wish list, and sending substantially in real-time information associated with the wish list.

Claims

1. A method of sharing information in an instant messaging environment, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

providing an instant messaging interface for a first instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the first instant messaging application includes a first region and a second region;

providing an instant messaging interface for a second instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the second instant messaging application includes a third region and a fourth region;

wherein all content entered in the second region is displayed in substantially real-time in the fourth region;

wherein all content entered in the fourth region is displayed in substantially real-time in the second region;

wherein content in the first region is not automatically displayed in the instant messaging interface for the second instant messaging application;

maintaining a list of items for a user of the first instant messaging application;

receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application;

wherein the content displayed in the first region includes a set of items;

wherein the portion selected by the user input includes a subset of items from the first set of items;

in response to said receiving, storing data that reflects said selected portion of content;

wherein the step of storing data includes updating said list of items to include the subset of items; and

without affecting content displayed in said second and fourth regions, causing information to be displayed in said third region based on said stored data, wherein said data displayed in said third region is related to said portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in the third region includes information relating to each item in said list of items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing data that reflects said selected portion of content further includes storing data locally on a device running the first instant messaging application.

3. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the step of:

displaying search results in the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application based on search information entered by a user of the first instant messaging application.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region comprises receiving input from the user that selects all of the displayed search results.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region comprises receiving input from the user that selects a portion of the displayed search results.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of storing data that reflects said selected portion of content further includes storing the search information entered by the user.

7. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising sending a notification from the first instant messaging application to the second instant messaging application in response to storing the data that reflects said selected portion of content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of storing data that reflects said selected portion of content further includes storing data that indicates online purchasing information related to the selected portion of content.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the set of items of the content in the first region includes a list of categories.

10. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the first instant messaging application receiving a list of users permitted to share content, wherein the user of the second instant messaging application is in the list of users.

11. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising the steps of:

providing an instant messaging interface for a third instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the third instant messaging application includes a fifth region and a sixth region, wherein all content entered in the second region is displayed in substantially real-time in the sixth region, and wherein all content entered in the sixth region is displayed in substantially real-time in the second region; and

without affecting content displayed in said second and sixth regions, causing information to be displayed in the fifth region based on said stored data, wherein said data displayed in said fifth region is related to said portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in said fifth region includes information relating to each item in said list of items.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected portion of content is first selected portion of content, the subset of items is a first subset, and the stored data is first stored data, additionally comprising the steps of:

receiving user input that selects a second portion of content displayed within the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application;

wherein the second portion selected by the user input includes a second subset of items from the first set of items;

in response to said receiving the selection of the second portion, storing data that reflects said selected second portion of content;

wherein the step of storing data that reflects the selected second portion includes updating said list of items to include the second subset of items; and

without affecting content displayed in said second and fourth regions, causing second information to be displayed in said third region based on said stored data that reflects said selected second portion, wherein said second information displayed in said third region is related to said second portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in the third region includes information relating to each item in said list of items;

wherein the second portion of content is different from the first portion of content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the maintaining a list of items for a user of the first instant messaging application comprises maintaining a data structure of said list of items.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data structure comprises a table.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data structure comprises a tree.

16. A computer readable medium comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

providing an instant messaging interface for a first instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the first instant messaging application includes a first region and a second region;

providing an instant messaging interface for a second instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the second instant messaging application includes a third region and a fourth region;

wherein all content entered in the second region is displayed in substantially real-time in the fourth region;

wherein all content entered in the fourth region is displayed in substantially real-time in the second region;

wherein content in the first region is not automatically displayed in the instant messaging interface for the second instant messaging application;

maintaining a list of items for a user of the first instant messaging application;

receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application;

wherein the content displayed in the first region includes a set of items;

wherein the portion selected by the user input includes a subset of items from the first set of items;

in response to said receiving, storing data that reflects said selected portion of content;

wherein the step of storing data includes updating said list of items to include the subset of items; and

without affecting content displayed in said second and fourth regions, causing information to be displayed in said third region based on said stored data, wherein said data displayed in said third region is related to said portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in the third region includes information relating to each item in said list of items.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the step of storing data that reflects said selected portion of content further includes storing data locally on a device running the first instant messaging application.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, additionally comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

displaying search results in the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application based on search information entered by a user of the first instant messaging application.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region comprises receiving input from the user that selects all of the displayed search results.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region comprises receiving input from the user that selects a portion of the displayed search results.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the step of storing data that reflects said selected portion of content further includes storing the search information entered by the user.

22. The computer readable medium of claim 16, additionally comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of sending a notification from the first instant messaging application to the second instant messaging application in response to storing the data that reflects said selected portion of content.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the step of storing data that reflects said selected portion of content further includes storing data that indicates online purchasing information related to the selected portion of content.

24. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the content displayed in the first region is a list of categories.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 16, additionally comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of the first instant messaging application receiving a list of users permitted to share content, wherein the user of the second instant messaging application is in the list of users.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 16, additionally comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

providing an instant messaging interface for a third instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the third instant messaging application includes a fifth region and a sixth region, wherein all content entered in the second region is displayed in substantially real-time in the sixth region, and wherein all content entered in the sixth region is displayed in substantially real-time in the second region; and

without affecting content displayed in said second and sixth regions, causing information to be displayed in the fifth region based on said stored data, wherein said data displayed in said fifth region is related to said portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in said fifth region includes information relating to each item in said list of items.

27. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the selected portion of content is first selected portion of content, the subset of items is a first subset, and the stored data is first stored data, and additionally comprising one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving user input that selects a second portion of content displayed within the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application;

wherein the second portion selected by the user input includes a second subset of items from the first set of items;

in response to said receiving the selection of the second portion, storing data that reflects said selected second portion of content;

wherein the step of storing data that reflects the selected second portion includes updating said list of items to include the second subset of items; and

without affecting content displayed in said second and fourth regions, causing second information to be displayed in said third region based on said stored data that reflects said selected second portion, wherein said second information displayed in said third region is related to said second portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in the third region includes information relating to each item in said list of items;

wherein the second portion of content is different from the first portion of content.

28. An apparatus for sharing information in an instant messaging environment, comprising:

means for providing an instant messaging interface for a first instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the first instant messaging application includes a first region and a second region;

means for providing an instant messaging interface for a second instant messaging application, wherein the instant messaging interface for the second instant messaging application includes a third region and a fourth region;

wherein all content entered in the second region is displayed in substantially real-time in the fourth region;

wherein all content entered in the fourth region is displayed in substantially real-time in the second region;

wherein content in the first region is not automatically displayed in the instant messaging interface for the second instant messaging application;

means for maintaining a list of items for a user of the first instant messaging application;

means for receiving user input that selects a portion of content displayed within the first region of the instant messaging interface of the first instant messaging application;

wherein the content displayed in the first region includes a set of items;

wherein the portion selected by the user input includes a subset of items from the first set of items;

means for storing data that reflects said selected portion of content in response to said receiving user input; and

wherein the step of storing data includes updating said list of items to include the subset of items;

means for causing information to be displayed in said third region based on said stored data without affecting content displayed in said second and fourth regions, wherein said information displayed in said third region is related to said portion of content selected in said first region;

wherein said data displayed in the third region includes information relating to each item in said list of items.