User definable on-line co-user lists

• US 8,099,667 B1
• Filed: 05/20/2009
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao “Kevin”
• Application Number:
  US12/469,347
• Time in Patent Office: 972 Days
• Field of Search: 715/733, 715/853, 715751-753, 715/759, 715/765, 715/744
• 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 permitting a user of an electronic network system to track the logon status of selected co-users of the electronic network system, comprising the steps of:

(a) authenticating the user using a logon system;

(b) associating an identification list of selected co-users with the user;

(c) accessing the identification list;

(d) comparing the identification list to one or more logon records for each of the selected co-users, wherein the one or more logon records are maintained by the logon system;

(e) based on the comparison of the identification list to the one or more logon records, indicating to the user the logon status of each of the selected co-users on the identification list; and

(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) under any of the following conditions;

(1) periodically;

(2) after any change in the logon status of co-users of the system;

or

(3) after any change in the logon status of the selected co-users on the identification list;

thereby tracking the logon status of each of the selected co-users of the electronic network system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparing step is performed by the logon system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification list is stored at least in part on a local device of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the user to block at least one co-user from adding the user to an identification list associated with the at least one co-user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein an identifier associated with the at least one blocked co-user is stored in a permissions list.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the permissions list is stored on a local device of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting the user to transmit a communication to at least one selected co-user on the identification list.

8. A system for permitting a user to track the logon status of selected co-users, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

(a) authenticate the user using a logon system;

(b) associate an identification list of selected co-users with the user;

(c) access the identification list;

(d) compare the identification list to one or more logon records for each of the selected co-users, wherein the one or more logon records are maintained by the logon system;

(e) based on the comparison of the identification list to the one or more logon records, indicate to the user the logon status of each of the selected co-users on the identification list; and

(f) repeat steps (d) and (e) under any of the following conditions;

(1) periodically;

(2) after any change in the logon status of co-users of the system;

or

(3) after any change in the logon status of the selected co-users on the identification list.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to store at least a part of the identification list on a local device of the user.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to enable the user to block at least one co-user from adding the user to an identification list associated with the at least one co-user.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to store an identifier associated with the at least one blocked co-user in a permissions list.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to store the permissions list on a local device of the user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to permit the user to transmit a communication to at least one selected co-user on the identification list.

14. A computer-readable storage medium including instructions for permitting a user to track the logon status of selected co-users, the instructions being executable by at least one processor to cause the processor to perform steps comprising:

(a) authenticating the user using a logon system;

(b) associating an identification list of selected co-users with the user;

(c) accessing the identification list;

(d) comparing the identification list to one or more logon records for each of the selected co-users, wherein the one or more logon records are maintained by the logon system;

(e) based on the comparison of the identification list to the one or more logon records, providing information indicating to the user the logon status of each of the selected co-users on the identification list; and

(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) under any of the following conditions;

(1) periodically;

(2) after any change in the logon status of co-users of the system;

or

(3) after any change in the logon status of the selected co-users on the identification list.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the step of storing at least a part of the identification list on a local device of the user.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the step of enabling the user to block at least one co-user from adding the user to an identification list associated with the at least one co-user.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the step of storing an identifier associated with the at least one blocked co-user in a permissions list.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the step of storing the permissions list on a local device of the user.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the step of permitting the user to transmit a communication to at least one selected co-user on the identification list.