Method and system for providing contact management to chat session participants
First Claim
1. A method for sharing contact list information between participants of a chat session, comprising:
- identifying a first chat session participant maintaining a first contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of said first chat session participant and identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of said second chat participant, said first chat session participant and said second chat session participant participating within a common chat session;
providing the second chat session participant with access to contact information contained within the first contact list;
selecting the first contact list;
selecting the second contact list;
comparing said first contact list and said second contact list;
identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list and said second contact list;
displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list;
determining whether said first contact list is modifiable by said second chat session participant and modifying said first contact list by said second chat session participant to include non-common contacts if said first contact list is modifiable by said second chat session participant, wherein modifying comprises the step of adding non-common contact information to said first contact list, the contact information pertaining to parties other than the first and second chat session participants; and
providing the first chat session participant with access to contact information contained within said second contact list.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and system for providing contact management to participants engaged in a communication session. The invention permits chat session participants to a communication session to determine common contacts that exists between the chat session participants. Dependent on the accessibility of the particular chat session participants'"'"' contact list, other chat session participants to the communication session can view the information located in the contact list. Moreover, a particular chat session participant to the communication session can give either a particular chat session participant or all the chat session participants to the communication session permission to modify their contact list. Permission to access or modify contact lists for chat session participants can be defined prior to establishment of the communication session and/or changed during the communication session. Changes relating to whether a particular contact list is accessible and/or modifiable can be initiated by the chat session participant associated with the contact list. Additionally, such changes can be initiated by a request from a chat session participants to modify the contact records in a particular contact list. The invention can be applicable to systems which can include, but is not limited to, chat rooms, instant messaging, and call conferencing.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method for sharing contact list information between participants of a chat session, comprising:
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identifying a first chat session participant maintaining a first contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of said first chat session participant and identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of said second chat participant, said first chat session participant and said second chat session participant participating within a common chat session; providing the second chat session participant with access to contact information contained within the first contact list; selecting the first contact list; selecting the second contact list; comparing said first contact list and said second contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list and said second contact list; displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list; determining whether said first contact list is modifiable by said second chat session participant and modifying said first contact list by said second chat session participant to include non-common contacts if said first contact list is modifiable by said second chat session participant, wherein modifying comprises the step of adding non-common contact information to said first contact list, the contact information pertaining to parties other than the first and second chat session participants; and providing the first chat session participant with access to contact information contained within said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for providing contact management to parties engaged in a chat communication session, the method comprising:
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identifying a first chat session participant selecting a first contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said first chat session participant and identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list selected by said first chat session participant containing contact records relating to contacts of said second chat participant, said first chat session participant and said second chat session participant participating within a common chat session; providing access for said first contact list to a second participant to the communication session; comparing said first contact list and second contact list; identifying similar contacts between contact records located in said first contact list and contact records located in said second contact list; presenting similar contacts in a pre-selected visual format and dissimilar contacts in a different visual format; and adding selected dissimilar contact records located in said first contact list to said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. In a chat session having a plurality of communicating chat session participants, a contact management method comprising:
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identifying a plurality of chat session participants participating within a common chat session, each chat session participant maintaining a participant specific contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said that participant; assembling and displaying a contact list in a GUI associated with one of the chat session participants, wherein said contact list includes contact records from chat session lists maintained by chat session participants other then the one participant in which the GUI is displayed, and presenting contact records similar among the chat session lists in a pre-selected visual format and dissimilar records in a different visual format, the similarity and dissimilarity based on a comparison of the chat session lists; selecting a first contact list; selecting a second contact list; comparing said first contact list and said second contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list and said second contact list; accepting modifications to said contact list by chat session participants other then the one participant in which the GUI is displayed; and responsively displaying results from said modifications within said GUI.
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22. A method for providing contact management in a chat session, comprising:
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identifying a first chat session participant maintaining a first contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said first chat session participant, identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said second chat participant, and identifying a third chat participant having a third contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said third chat participant, said first chat session participant, said second chat session participant, and said third chat session participant participating within a common chat session; sending a token of introduction originated by the first chat session participant to the second chat session participant, said token of introduction providing a recommendation for said second chat session participant; transferring said token of introduction to the third chat session participant who is known to said first chat session participant; if said third chat session participant accepts said token of introduction, modifying said third contact list with contact information for said second chat session participant; comparing said first contact list, said second contact list, and said third contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list, said second contact list, and said third contact list; and displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A system for providing contact management, comprising:
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a first contact list, said first contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of and maintained by a first chat session participant; a second contact list, said second contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of and maintained by a second chat session participant, said second chat session participant engaged in a chat session with said first chat session participant; and a computing application program facilitating said chat session, said application program permitting said second chat session participant to modify contact information contained within said first contact list and permitting said first chat session participant to modify contact information contained within said second contact list by comparing said first contact list and said second contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list and the second contact list; and displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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29. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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identifying a first chat session participant maintaining a first contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of said first chat session participant and identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list containing contact information relating to contacts of said second chat participant, said first chat session participant and said second chat session participant participating within a common chat session; providing the second chat session participant with access to contact information contained within the first contact list; selecting the first contact list; selecting the second contact list; comparing said first contact list and said second contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list and said second contact list; displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list; determining whether said first contact list is modifiable by said second chat session participant and modifying said first contact list by said second chat session participant to include non-common contacts if said first contact list is modifiable by said second chat session participant, wherein modifying comprises the step of adding non-common contact information to said first contact list, the contact information pertaining to parties other than the first and second chat session participants; and providing the first chat session participant with access to contact information contained within said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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identifying a first chat session participant selecting a first contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said first chat session participant and identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list selected by first chat session participant containing contact records relating to contacts of said second chat participant, said first chat session participant and said second chat session participant participating within a common chat session; providing access for said first contact list to a second participant to the communication session; comparing said first contact list and second contact list; identifying similar contacts between contact records located in said first contact list and contact records located in said second contact list; presenting similar contacts in a pre-selected visual format and dissimilar contacts in a different visual format; and adding selected dissimilar contact records located in said first contact list to said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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identifying a plurality of chat session participants participating within a common chat session, each chat session participant maintaining a participant specific contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said that participant; assembling and displaying a contact list in a GUI associated with one of the chat session participants, wherein said contact list includes contact records from chat session lists maintained chat session participants other then the one participant in which the GUI is displayed; selecting a first contact list; selecting a second contact list; comparing said first contact list and said second contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list and the second contact list; displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list; and accepting modifications to said contact list by chat session participants other then the one participant in which the GUI is displayed and responsively displaying results from said modifications within said GUI.
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50. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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identifying a first chat session participant maintaining a first contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said first chat session participant, identifying a second chat participant having a second contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said second chat participant, and identifying a third chat participant having a third contact list containing contact records relating to contacts of said third chat participant, said first chat session participant, said second chat session participant, and said third chat session participant participating within a common chat session; sending a token of introduction originated by the first chat session participant to the second chat session participant, said token of introduction providing a recommendation for said second chat session participant; transferring said token of introduction to the third chat session participant who is known to said first chat session participant; if said third chat session participant accepts said token of introduction, modifying said third contact list with contact information for said second chat session participant; comparing said first contact list, said second contact list, and said third contact list; identifying common and non-common contacts between said first contact list, said second contact list, and said third contact list; and displaying common contacts in a first visual list and non-common contacts in a second visual list. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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Specification