Contact card

• US 7,370,290 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McKelvey, Michelle D., Israeli, Gilad, Perlow, Jonathan D., van Dok, Cornelis K., Park, Vivien, Grossman, Joel K., Blagsvedt, Sean O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nunez; Jordany
• Application Number:
  US10/324,246
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10
• US Class Current: 715/864
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An interface for enabling a user to quickly access contact information and contact-centric tasks is displayed when an appropriate request for a contact card associated with a contact is received. The contact card displays contact information corresponding with the contact as well as contact-centric tasks that may be engaged in between the client computing system and the computing system of the contact. The list of contact-centric tasks is organized according to predetermined criteria, such as whether the contact-centric task is associated with an application that has provided contact information to the client computing system and whether the contact is a member of a group utilizing a contact-centric task. The contact card may also include an object comprising a type-in line for launching communication with the contact.

Claims

1. A method for displaying contact information and contact-centric tasks at a display device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a contact card;

determining contact-centric tasks enabled by an application associated with a computing device of the client, wherein the computing device of the client performs a self-diagnosis to determine communication elements of the computing device of the client;

determining contact-centric tasks enable by an application associated with a computing device of the contact, wherein determining contact-centric tasks enabled by the application associated with the computing device of the contact includes receiving a notification of performance capabilities of the computing device associated with the contact;

determining a current online internet connection status of the computing device of the contact of the contact card;

filtering the contact-centric tasks to include contact-centric tasks that are enabled by both the application associated with the computing device of the contact, the application associated with the computing device of the client, and the current online status of the communication device of the contact of the contact card; and

displaying the contact card including;

a contact information display portion located at an upper portion of the contact card, wherein the contact information display portion includes dynamically updatable contact information, wherein the dynamically updatable contact information includes a current on-line status of the contact;

a pinned task display portion located below the contact information display portion, wherein the pinned task display portion includes manually assigned contact-centric tasks, wherein the pinned task display portion includes selectable objects associated with the assigned contact-centric tasks that launch an application that causes real time online communication between the computing device of the client and the computing device of the contact of the contact card;

a frequently-used task display portion located below the pinned display portion, wherein the frequently-used task display portion includes contact-centric tasks that are frequently accessed, wherein the frequently-used task display portion are arranged in descending order of frequent use, wherein the frequently-used task display portion includes selectable objects associated with the frequently-used contact-centric tasks that launch an application that causes real time online communication between the computing device of the client and the computing device of the contact of the contact card; and

a launch object display portion located at a lower portion of the contact card, wherein the launch object display portion includes a launch object for sending a message to the contact associated with the contact information, wherein the launch object display portion includes a contact detail expansion button for viewing additional details associated with the contact of the contact card.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein third party applications control at least one contact-centric task.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact card is displayed as a fly out user interface.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact information is in-line editable.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact information includes at least one of:

a name, an email address, an address, a telephone number, a facsimile number, and an image associated with a contact.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact information includes a name, an email address, and a telephone number.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact-centric tasks are owned and controlled by a hosting application.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact-centric tasks include at least one of:

email tasks, file sharing tasks, audio/visual tasks, instant messaging tasks, and telephony tasks.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact-centric tasks include tasks added by a third party application.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact card user interface comprises a light-weight user interface that is hosted by a third-party application.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact card user interface is configured to not interfere with the third-party application.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact information is dynamically editable.

13. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact information is dynamically editable by querying remote directories for updated contact information and displaying the updated contact information from the remote directories.

14. A computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions for displaying contact information and contact-centric tasks at a display device, the instructions comprising:

receiving a request for a contact card;

determining contact-centric tasks enabled by an application associated with a computing device of the client, wherein the computing device of the client performs a self-diagnosis to determine communication elements of the computing device of the client;

determining contact-centric tasks enable by an application associated with a computing device of the contact, wherein determining contact-centric tasks enabled by the application associated with the computing device of the contact includes receiving a notification of performance capabilities of the computing device associated with the contact;

determining a current online internet connection status of the computing device of the contact of the contact card;

filtering the contact-centric tasks to include contact-centric tasks that are enabled by both the application associated with the computing device of the contact, the application associated with the computing device of the client, and the current online status of the communication device of the contact of the contact card; and

displaying the contact card including;

a contact information display portion located at an upper portion of the contact card, wherein the contact information display portion includes dynamically updatable contact information, wherein the dynamically updatable contact information includes a current on-line status of the contact;

a pinned task display portion located below the contact information display portion, wherein the pinned task display portion includes manually assigned contact-centric tasks, wherein the pinned task display portion includes selectable objects associated with the assigned contact-centric tasks that launch an application that causes real time online communication between the computing device of the client and the computing device of the contact of the contact card;

a frequently-used task display portion located below the pinned display portion, wherein the frequently-used task display portion includes contact-centric tasks that are frequently accessed, wherein the frequently-used task display portion are arranged in descending order of frequent use, wherein the frequently-used task display portion includes selectable objects associated with the frequently-used contact-centric tasks that launch an application that causes real time online communication between the computing device of the client and the computing device of the contact of the contact card; and

a launch object display portion located at a lower portion of the contact card, wherein the launch object display portion includes a launch object for sending a message to the contact associated with the contact information, wherein the launch object display portion includes a contact detail expansion button for viewing additional details associated with the contact of the contact card.

15. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein third party applications control at least one contact-centric task.

16. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact card is displayed as a fly out user interface.

17. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact information is in-line editable.

18. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact information includes at least one of:

a name, an email address, an address, a telephone number, a facsimile number, and an image associated with a contact.

19. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact information includes a name, an email address, and a telephone number.

20. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact-centric tasks are owned and controlled by a hosting application.

21. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact-centric tasks include at least one of:

email tasks, file sharing tasks, audio/visual tasks, instant messaging tasks, and telephony tasks.

22. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact-centric tasks include tasks added by a third party application.

23. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact card user interface comprises a light-weight user interface that is hosted by a third-party application.

24. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact card user interface is configured to not interfere with the third-party application.

25. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact information is dynamically editable.

26. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact information is dynamically editable by querying remote directories for updated contact information and displaying the updated contact information from the remote directories.

35. A system as recited in claim 14, wherein the contact-centric tasks include tasks added by a third party application.

27. A system for displaying contact information and contact-centric tasks at a display device, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising;

receiving a request for a contact card;

determining contact-centric tasks enabled by an application associated with a computing device of the client, wherein the computing device of the client performs a self-diagnosis to determine communication elements of the computing device of the client;

determining contact-centric tasks enable by an application associated with a computing device of the contact, wherein determining contact-centric tasks enabled by the application associated with the computing device of the contact includes receiving a notification of performance capabilities of the computing device associated with the contact;

determining a current online internet connection status of the computing device of the contact of the contact card;

filtering the contact-centric tasks to include contact-centric tasks that are enabled by both the application associated with the computing device of the contact, the application associated with the computing device of the client, and the current online status of the communication device of the contact of the contact card; and

displaying the contact card including;

a contact information display portion located at an upper portion of the contact card, wherein the contact information display portion includes dynamically updatable contact information, wherein the dynamically updatable contact information includes a current on-line status of the contact;

a pinned task display portion located below the contact information display portion, wherein the pinned task display portion includes manually assigned contact-centric tasks, wherein the pinned task display portion includes selectable objects associated with the assigned contact-centric tasks that launch an application that causes real time online communication between the computing device of the client and the computing device of the contact of the contact card;

a frequently-used task display portion located below the pinned display portion, wherein the frequently-used task display portion includes contact-centric tasks that are frequently accessed, wherein the frequently-used task display portion are arranged in descending order of frequent use, wherein the frequently-used task display portion includes selectable objects associated with the frequently-used contact-centric tasks that launch an application that causes real time online communication between the computing device of the client and the computing device of the contact of the contact card; and

a launch object display portion located at a lower portion of the contact card, wherein the launch object display portion includes a launch object for sending a message to the contact associated with the contact information, wherein the launch object display portion includes a contact detail expansion button for viewing additional details associated with the contact of the contact card.

28. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein third party applications control at least one contact-centric task.

29. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact card is displayed as a fly out user interface.

30. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact information is in-line editable.

31. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact information includes at least one of:

a name, an email address, an address, a telephone number, a facsimile number, and an image associated with a contact.

32. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact information includes a name, an email address, and a telephone number.

33. A computer-readable storage medium as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact-centric tasks are owned and controlled by a hosting application.

34. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact-centric tasks include at least one of:

email tasks, file sharing tasks, audio/visual tasks, instant messaging tasks, and telephony tasks.

36. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact card user interface comprises a light-weight user interface that is hosted by a third-party application.

37. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact card user interface is configured to not interfere with the third-party application.

38. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact information is dynamically editable.

39. A system as recited in claim 27, wherein the contact information is dynamically editable by querying remote directories for updated contact information and displaying the updated contact information from the remote directories.