Buddy lists for information vehicles

• US 8,108,444 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2004
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Clearinghouse LLC (RPX Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Rockstar Bidco LP (Rockstar Consortium Inc.)
• Inventors: Edholm, Philip, Yoakum, John H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lu, Kuen S
• Application Number:
  US10/866,482
• Time in Patent Office: 2,789 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/10, 707/104.1, 707/803, 707/202, 709/202
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

The present invention creates a buddy list in association with an information vehicle, such as a word processing document, presentation document, or email. The buddy list is created from contacts associated with the information vehicle, and includes communication information such as directory numbers or communication addresses, which are sufficient to establish communications with the contacts. Accordingly, the buddy list may be displayed to a user, and upon the selection of one or more contacts, communication sessions may be established with the selected contact or contacts. Presence information bearing on the relative availability of the contacts may be supported in the buddy list, such that the user can readily determine whether a particular contact is available or determine the best way in which to communicate with the particular contact by viewing the buddy list. The presence information may be periodically updated or may be updated when a particular contact is selected.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a) a user interface;

b) a control system associated with the user interface and adapted to;

i) identify contacts associated with an information vehicle, wherein the information vehicle is a product of a productivity application where at least two contacts collaboratively share the product and the information vehicle is one of the group comprising a word processing document, presentation document, spreadsheet document, email, and productivity document where the computing device runs the information vehicle; and

ii) create a buddy list from the contacts, the buddy list comprising communication information to allow for initiation and establishment of a communication session between the computing device and a remote device associated with one contact of the contacts, wherein the communication information is one of the group comprising a directory number and an address where the buddy list indicates an availability of the one contact and the buddy list is created when the information vehicle is opened and the control system is further adapted to clear the buddy list when the information vehicle is closed.

2. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

iii) detect selection of at least one contact; and

iv) establish communications with the at least one contact.

3. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to obtain the communication information for each of the contacts.

4. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the contacts are identified within the information vehicle.

5. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the contacts are identified outside of the information vehicle.

6. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to detect when the information vehicle is opened prior to creating the buddy list.

7. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the buddy list further comprises presence information for at least one of the contacts.

8. The computing device of claim 7 wherein the control system is further adapted to obtain the presence information for the at least one of the contacts.

9. The computing device of claim 8 wherein the presence information is obtained for a given contact of the at least one of the contacts when the given contact is selected by a user.

10. The computing device of claim 8 wherein the presence information is obtained on a periodic basis.

11. The computing device of claim 7 wherein the communication information for a given contact is based on the presence information.

12. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to display the buddy list in association with the information vehicle.

13. The computing device of claim 12 wherein the buddy list is displayed in a window of an application supporting the information vehicle.

14. The computing device of claim 12 wherein the buddy list is displayed outside of a window of an application supporting the information vehicle.

15. The computing device of claim 14 wherein the buddy list is displayed on a device other than one running the application.

16. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the contacts are divided into a plurality of groups and a plurality of buddy lists are created for each of the groups, each of the buddy lists comprising communication information sufficient to establish communications with the contacts for a given one of the buddy lists.

17. The computing device of claim 1 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

iii) detect selection of a plurality of contacts; and

iv) establish communications with the plurality of contacts to form a conference.

18. A system comprising:

a) at least one communication interface;

b) a user interface; and

c) a control system associated with the at least one communication interface and the user interface and adapted to;

i) identify contacts associated with an information vehicle, wherein the information vehicle is a product of a productivity application where at least two contacts collaboratively share the product and the information vehicle is one of the group comprising a word processing document, presentation document, spreadsheet document, email, and productivity document where the system runs the information vehicle; and

ii) create a buddy list from the contacts, the buddy list comprising communication information to allow for initiation and establishment of a communication session between the system and a remote device associated with one contact of the contacts, wherein the communication information is one of the group comprising a directory number and an address where the buddy list indicates an availability of the one contact and the buddy list is created when the information vehicle is opened and the control system is further adapted to clear the buddy list when the information vehicle is closed.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) detect selection of at least one contact; and

b) initiate communications with the at least one contact.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to obtain the communication information for each of the contacts.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the contacts are identified within the information vehicle.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the contacts are identified outside of the information vehicle.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to detect when the information vehicle is opened prior to creating the buddy list.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the buddy list further comprises presence information for at least one of the contacts.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein the control system is further adapted to obtain the presence information for the at least one of the contacts.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the presence information is obtained for a given contact of the at least one of the contacts when the given contact is selected by a user.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the presence information is obtained on a periodic basis.

28. The system of claim 24 wherein the communication information for a given contact is based on the presence information.

29. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to display the buddy list in association with the information vehicle.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the buddy list is displayed in a window of an application supporting the information vehicle.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the buddy list is displayed outside of a window of an application supporting the information vehicle.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the buddy list is displayed on a device other than one running the application.

33. The system of claim 18 wherein the contacts are divided into a plurality of groups and a plurality of buddy lists are created for each of the groups, each of the buddy lists comprising communication information sufficient to establish communications with the contacts for a given one of the buddy lists.

34. The system of claim 18 wherein the control system is further adapted to:

a) detect selection of a plurality of contacts; and

b) establish communications with the plurality of contacts to form a conference.