User definable on-line co-user lists

• US 7,539,942 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US10/866,304
• Time in Patent Office: 1,807 Days
• Field of Search: 715733-738, 715/853, 715/758, 715/750, 715/743, 715763-765
• US Class Current: 715/733
• 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. A method for enabling a user to perceive online presence of co-users in an electronic network system, the method comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface to a user of an electronic network system for perceiving presence of co-users on the electronic network system;

enabling the user to create multiple user-definable co-user lists within a single window of the graphical user interface, wherein the user-definable co-user lists enable perception of the presence of the co-users on the electronic network system; and

enabling the user to add a co-user to a first user-definable co-user list and to add the same co-user to a second user-definable co-user list that is different from the first user-definable co-user list to enable perception of the presence of the co-user in both the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list, wherein the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list are presented in the single window of the graphical user interface.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to create a label to name each of the multiple user-definable co-user lists.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the multiple user-definable co-user lists are intersecting.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to select a co-user from one of the user-definable co-user lists and to initiate an electronic message to the selected co-user.

5. The method as in claim 4 wherein the electronic message is an instant message.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising enabling the user to minimize one or more of the multiple user-definable co-user lists independently.

7. The method as in claim 1 further comprising displaying in the graphical user interface only co-users defined in the co-user lists who are currently logged on to the electronic network system.

8. A graphical user interface for enabling a user to perceive online presence of co-users in an electronic network system, comprising:

multiple user-definable co-user lists created by a user that enable the user of an electronic network system to perceive presence of co-users on the electronic network system, wherein each of the multiple user-definable co-user lists are presented in a single window of the graphical user interface and the multiple user-definable co-user lists presented in the single window of the graphical user interface include;

a first user-definable co-user list that lists a co-user, and

a second user-definable co-user list that is different from the first user-definable co-user list and that lists the same co-user, wherein presence of the co-user is perceptible in both the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list; and

an indicator that indicates which co-users on the user-definable co-user lists are currently present on the electronic network system.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8 further comprising a label for each of the user-definable co-user lists.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the multiple user-definable co-user lists are intersecting.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein one or more of the multiple user-definable co-user lists are enabled to be minimized independently by the user.

12. A computer program product embodied in a tangible computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when accessed, result in a computer performing operations comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface to a user of an electronic network system for perceiving presence of co-users on the electronic network system;

enabling the user to create multiple user-definable co-user lists within a single window of the graphical user interface, wherein the user-definable co-user lists enable perception of the presence of the co-users on the electronic network system; and

enabling the user to add a co-user to a first user-definable co-user list and to add the same co-user to a second user-definable co-user list that is different from the first user-definable co-user list to enable perception of the presence of the co-user in both the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list, wherein the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list are presented in the single window of the graphical user interface.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, the computer program further including instructions that, when accessed, result in a computer enabling the user to create a label to name each of the multiple user-definable co-user lists.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the multiple user-definable co-user lists are intersecting.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, the computer program further including instructions that, when accessed, result in a computer enabling the user to select a co-user from one of the user-definable co-user lists and to initiate an electronic message to the selected co-user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the electronic message is an instant message.

17. The computer program product of claim 12, the computer program further including instructions that, when accessed, result in a computer enabling the user to minimize one or more of the multiple user-definable co-user lists independently.

18. The computer program product of claim 12, the computer program further including instructions that, when accessed, result in a computer displaying in the graphical user interface only co-users defined in the co-user lists who are currently logged on to the electronic network system.

19. A system for enabling a user to perceive online presence of co-users in an electronic network system, comprising:

means for presenting a graphical user interface to a user of an electronic network system for perceiving presence of co-users on the electronic network system;

means for enabling the user to create multiple user-definable co-user lists within a single window of the graphical user interface, wherein the user-definable co-user lists enable perception of the presence of the co-users on the electronic network system; and

means for enabling the user to add a co-user to a first user-definable co-user list and to add the same co-user to a second user-definable co-user list that is different from the first user-definable co-user list to enable perception of the presence of the co-user in both the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list, wherein the first user-definable co-user list and the second user-definable co-user list are presented in the single window of the graphical user interface.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for enabling the user to create a label to name each of the multiple user-definable co-user lists.

21. The system of claim 19 further comprising means for enabling the user to minimize one or more of the multiple user-definable co-user lists independently.

22. A method for enabling a user of an electronic network system to compose and send an instant message to another user of the electronic network system, the method comprising:

presenting, to a user of an electronic network system, a graphical user interface that includes a user-definable co-user list that enables perception of indications of co-users'"'"' presence on the electronic network system, the user-definable co-user list including an indication that a particular co-user presently is logged into the electronic network system;

enabling the user to control perception, by co-users, of an indication of the user'"'"'s presence on the electronic network system by selectively blocking co-users from perceiving the indication of the user'"'"'s presence on the co-users'"'"' own user-definable co-user lists;

receiving an indication of a selection of the particular co-user from the user-definable co-user list; and

in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the particular co-user from the user-definable co-user list, presenting, to the user of the electronic network system, an instant message window that is configured to enable the user to compose and send an instant message to the particular user.

23. A computer program product embodied in a tangible computer-readable medium, the computer program product including instructions that, when accessed, result in a computer performing operations comprising:

presenting, to a user of an electronic network system, a graphical user interface that includes a user-definable co-user list that enables perception of indications of co-users'"'"' presence on the electronic network system, the user-definable co-user list including an indication that a particular co-user presently is logged into the electronic network system;

enabling the user to control perception, by co-users, of an indication of the user'"'"'s presence on the electronic network system by selectively blocking co-users from perceiving the indication of the user'"'"'s presence on the co-users'"'"' own user-definable co-user lists;

receiving an indication of a selection of the particular co-user from the user-definable co-user list; and

in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the particular co-user from the user-definable co-user list, presenting, to the user of the electronic network system, an instant message window that is configured to enable the user to compose and send an instant message to the particular user.

24. A system for enabling a user of an electronic network system to compose and send an instant message to another user of the electronic network system, the system comprising:

a memory storage component; and

a processor configured to;

present, to a user of an electronic network system, a graphical user interface that includes a user-definable co-user list that enables perception of indications of co-users'"'"' presence on the electronic network system, the user-definable co-user list including an indication that a particular co-user presently is logged into the electronic network system;

enable the user to control perception, by co-users, of an indication of the user'"'"'s presence on the electronic network system by selectively blocking co-users from perceiving the indication of the user'"'"'s presence on the co-users'"'"' own user-definable co-user lists;

receive an indication of a selection of the particular co-user from the user-definable co-user list; and

in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the particular co-user from the user-definable co-user list, present, to the user of the electronic network system, an instant message window that is configured to enable the user to compose and send an instant message to the particular user.