Buddy list-based calendaring
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for extending electronic invitations to a calendar event, comprising:
- enabling access to a buddy list user interface that displays user-identified online identities and real time presence information for at least some of those online identities;
receiving, from a user through interaction with the buddy list user interface, a selection of multiple of the user-identified online entities from among the displayed user-identified online identities, the selected multiple user identified online identities being selected by the user as participants to whom invitations will be extended for the calendar event;
in response to the selection of the multiple user-identified online identities by the user, enabling the user to perceive a display that indicates the selection of the multiple user identified online identities and with which the user can interact to concurrently initiate communication of invitations to the selected participants whether or not the multiple user identified online identities are offline;
generating invitations to be communicated to the selected participants in response to interaction by the user with the display;
extending at least one of the invitations by sending an instant messaging communication;
detecting that a selected participant is presently offline;
storing an invitation to the event in an instant message delivery queue for the selected participant, the invitation to the event indicating a time at which the event will take place;
determining a time at which the selected participant comes online;
if the time at which the selected participant comes online is prior to the time at which the event will take place, delivering the invitation to the event as an instant message to the selected participant; and
if the time at which the selected participant comes online is subsequent to the time at which the event will take place, removing the invitation to the event from the instant message delivery queue such that the invitation to the event is not delivered to the selected participant.
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Abstract
Instant messaging (IM) entities may be invited to an electronic calendar event using an instant message. Selecting the IM entities as invitees to the event may include dragging and dropping names of the IM entities from a buddy list of an IM application to an event from an electronic calendar application, or vice versa. A method of inviting an entity to a calendar event includes providing a calendar event from a calendar application and recognizing, by the calendar application, an IM entity as an invitee to the event.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A method for extending electronic invitations to a calendar event, comprising:
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enabling access to a buddy list user interface that displays user-identified online identities and real time presence information for at least some of those online identities; receiving, from a user through interaction with the buddy list user interface, a selection of multiple of the user-identified online entities from among the displayed user-identified online identities, the selected multiple user identified online identities being selected by the user as participants to whom invitations will be extended for the calendar event; in response to the selection of the multiple user-identified online identities by the user, enabling the user to perceive a display that indicates the selection of the multiple user identified online identities and with which the user can interact to concurrently initiate communication of invitations to the selected participants whether or not the multiple user identified online identities are offline; generating invitations to be communicated to the selected participants in response to interaction by the user with the display; extending at least one of the invitations by sending an instant messaging communication; detecting that a selected participant is presently offline; storing an invitation to the event in an instant message delivery queue for the selected participant, the invitation to the event indicating a time at which the event will take place; determining a time at which the selected participant comes online; if the time at which the selected participant comes online is prior to the time at which the event will take place, delivering the invitation to the event as an instant message to the selected participant; and if the time at which the selected participant comes online is subsequent to the time at which the event will take place, removing the invitation to the event from the instant message delivery queue such that the invitation to the event is not delivered to the selected participant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A computer system capable of extending electronic invitations to a calendar event, comprising:
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one or more processors executing the following modules; an access module configured to enable access to a buddy list user interface that displays user-identified online identities and real time presence information for at least some of those online identities; a selection module configured to receive, from a user through interaction with the buddy list interface, a selection of multiple of the user-identified online identities from among the displayed user-identified online identities, the selected multiple user identified online identities being selected by the user as participants to whom invitations will be extended for the calendar event; a display module configured to, in response to the selection of the multiple user-identified online identities by the user, enable the user to perceive a display that indicates the selection of the multiple user-identified online identities and with which the user can interact to concurrently initiate communication of invitations to the selected participants whether or not the multiple user identified online identities are offline; an invitation module configured to generate invitations to be communicated to the selected participants in response to interaction by the user with the display; a communications module configured to extend at least one of the invitations by sending an instant messaging communication; and one or more modules configured to; detect that a selected participant is presently offline; store an invitation to the event in the invitation module in an instant message delivery queue for the selected participant, the invitation to the event indicating a time at which the event will take place; determine a time at which the selected participant comes online; if the time at which the selected participant comes online is prior to the time at which the event will take place, deliver the invitation as an instant message to the selected participant; and if the time at which the selected participant comes online is subsequent to the time at which the event will take place, remove the invitation to the event from the instant message delivery queue such that the invitation to the event is not delivered to the selected participant. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. An apparatus for extending electronic invitations to a calendar event, comprising:
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access means for enabling access to a buddy list user interface that displays user-identified online identities and real time presence information for at least some of those online identities; selection means for receiving, from a user through interaction with the buddy list user interface, a selection of multiple of the user-identified online identities from among the displayed user-identified online identities, the selected multiple user identified online identities being selected by the user as participants to whom invitations will be extended for the calendar event; display means for in response to the selection of the multiple user-identified online identities by the user, enabling the user to perceive a display that indicates the selection of the multiple user-identified online identities and with which the user can interact to concurrently initiate communication of invitations to the selected participants whether or not the multiple user identified online identities are offline; invitation means for generating invitations to be communicated to the selected participants in response to interaction by the user with the display; and communications means for extending at least one of the invitations by sending an instant messaging communication detecting means for detecting that a selected participant is presently offline; storing means for storing an invitation to the event in an instant message delivery queue for the selected participant, the invitation to the event indicating a time at which the event will take place; means for determining a time at which the selected participant comes online; means for delivering the invitation as an instant message to the selected participant if the time at which the selected participant comes online is prior to the time at which the event will take place; and means for removing the invitation to the event from the instant message delivery queue such that the invitation to the event is not delivered to the selected participant if the time at which the selected participant comes online is subsequent to the time at which the event will take place.
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Specification