Organizing entries in participant lists based on communications strengths
First Claim
1. A method for organizing a participant list, the method comprising:
- maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system, the participant list including a first group of users of the electronic communications system and a second group of users of the electronic communications system that is different from the first group of users;
determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users;
determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
determining an order in which to list the users in the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; and
causing a visual display of the participant list including;
the first group of users listed in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; and
the second group of users listed in the order determined for the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users,wherein;
determining the communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes;
determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, if a contact list maintained on behalf of the user lists the first user as an entry,determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, if a contact list maintained on behalf of the first user lists the user as an entry, andcalculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether contact lists maintained on behalf of each of the users included in the first group of users list the first user as an entry and whether the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user lists users included in the first group of users as entries; and
determining the order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
wherein;
calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether contact lists maintained on behalf of each of the users included in the first group of users list the first user as an entry and whether the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user lists users included in the first group of users as entries includes assigning the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf list the first user as an entry and who are listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user higher communications strengths than the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf do not list the first user as an entry and who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user; and
ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf list the first user as an entry and who are listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user before the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf do not list the first user as an entry and who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Organizing a participant list includes maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system. Communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the participant list are determined. The users included in the participant list are organized based on the corresponding communications strengths. Communications strengths may be determined for users included in a group within the participant list, and the users within the group may be organized within the group based on communications strength. An additional group in the participant list in which some or all of the users included in the participant list are organized based on communications strength may be provided.
270 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for organizing a participant list, the method comprising:
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maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system, the participant list including a first group of users of the electronic communications system and a second group of users of the electronic communications system that is different from the first group of users; determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; determining an order in which to list the users in the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; and causing a visual display of the participant list including; the first group of users listed in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; and the second group of users listed in the order determined for the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users, wherein; determining the communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes; determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, if a contact list maintained on behalf of the user lists the first user as an entry, determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, if a contact list maintained on behalf of the first user lists the user as an entry, and calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether contact lists maintained on behalf of each of the users included in the first group of users list the first user as an entry and whether the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user lists users included in the first group of users as entries; and determining the order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; wherein; calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether contact lists maintained on behalf of each of the users included in the first group of users list the first user as an entry and whether the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user lists users included in the first group of users as entries includes assigning the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf list the first user as an entry and who are listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user higher communications strengths than the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf do not list the first user as an entry and who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user; and ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf list the first user as an entry and who are listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user before the users in the first group of users for whom contact lists maintained on their behalf do not list the first user as an entry and who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained on behalf of the first user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for or organizing a participant list, the method comprising:
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maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system, the participant list including a first group of users of the electronic communications system and a second group of users of the electronic communications system that is different from the first group of users; determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; determining an order in which to list the users in the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; and causing a visual display of the participant list including; the first group of users listed in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; and the second group of users listed in the order determined for the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users, wherein; determining the communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes; determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, whether the first user subscribes to contact information published by the user such that changes made to the contact information by the user automatically are propagated to the first user, determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, whether the user subscribes to contact information published by the first user such that changes made to the contact information by the first user automatically are propagated to the user, and calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether the first user subscribes to contact information published by each of the users included in the first group of users and whether each of the users in the first group of users subscribes to contact information published by the first user; and determining the order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths includes ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
wherein;calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether the first user subscribes to contact information published by each of the users included in the first group of users and whether each of the users included in the first group of users subscribes to contact information published by the first user includes assigning the users in the first group of users who subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user subscribes higher communications strengths than the users in the first group of users who do not subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user does not subscribe; and ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users who subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user subscribes before the users in the first group of users who do not subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user does not subscribe. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for or organizing a participant list, the method comprising:
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maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system, the participant list including a first group of users of the electronic communications system and a second group of users of the electronic communications system that is different from the first group of users; determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; determining an order in which to list the users in the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users; and causing a visual display of the participant list including; the first group of users listed in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users; and the second group of users listed in the order determined for the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users, wherein; determining the communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes; determining, for each of the users in the first group of users, a number of contact addresses stored for the user in an electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user, and calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on the determined number of contact addresses stored for the user in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user; and determining the order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths includes ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
wherein;calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on the determined number of contact addresses stored for the user in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user includes assigning the users included in the first group of users for whom relatively large numbers of contact addresses are stored in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user higher communications strengths than the users included in the first group of users for whom relatively small numbers of contact addresses are stored in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user; and ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users in order of decreasing numbers of contact addresses stored in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user.
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Specification