Automatically populating recipients in an instant messaging or other computer communication system
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- generating, by a communication application, a user interface including a communication initiation display object;
in response to selection of said communication initiation display object by a local user, generating, by said communication application, a data source selection display object, said data source selection display object displaying a plurality of data sources, wherein said plurality of data sources includes a hierarchical organization of names external to said communication application;
in response to selection of said hierarchical organization of names by said local user, searching said hierarchical organization of names for names matching a name selection criteria;
displaying, by said communication application, names from said hierarchical organization of names that match said name selection criteria to said local user;
in response to selection of a selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria by said local user, displaying a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to a user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria; and
in response to selection of said command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria, automatically initiating a chat communication through said communication application with said persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and a method for automatically populating chat recipients in an instant messaging system in which chat recipients are automatically populated from external data sources, e.g. clipboard, spreadsheet, document, database, directory, etc., and a chat session started with the click of a single user interface button or the like. A pop-up window is generated that allows the user to select a data source from which the chat recipients are to be obtained. The data source may be scanned to identify candidate names matching a predetermined name format, or the user is prompted to provide at least a portion of a search string. The user can then select which of the returned names are to be used in initiating the chat session. The disclosed system then generates a user interface object allowing the initiating user to perform an action with the selected recipients, including initiating a chat session.
30 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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generating, by a communication application, a user interface including a communication initiation display object; in response to selection of said communication initiation display object by a local user, generating, by said communication application, a data source selection display object, said data source selection display object displaying a plurality of data sources, wherein said plurality of data sources includes a hierarchical organization of names external to said communication application; in response to selection of said hierarchical organization of names by said local user, searching said hierarchical organization of names for names matching a name selection criteria; displaying, by said communication application, names from said hierarchical organization of names that match said name selection criteria to said local user; in response to selection of a selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria by said local user, displaying a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to a user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria; and in response to selection of said command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria, automatically initiating a chat communication through said communication application with said persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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at least one processor; program storage having communication application program code stored thereon, said communication application program code for execution on said at least one processor to generate a user interface including a communication initiation display object, in response to selection of said communication initiation display object by a local user, generate a data source selection display object, said data source selection display object displaying a plurality of data sources, wherein said plurality of data sources includes a hierarchical organization of names external to said communication application, in response to selection of said hierarchical organization of name by said local user, search said hierarchical organization of names for names matching a name selection criteria, display names from said hierarchical organization of names that match said name selection criteria to said local user, in response to selection of a selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria by said local user, display a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to a user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria; and in response to selection of said command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria, automatically initiate a chat communication through said communication application with said persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.
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18. A computer program product comprising:
non-transitory storage media having communication application program code stored thereon, said communication application program code including program code for generating a user interface including a communication initiation display object, program code for, in response to selection of said communication initiation display object by a local user, generating a data source selection display object, said data source selection display object displaying a plurality of data sources, wherein at least one of said plurality of data sources includes a hierarchical organization of names external to said communication application, program code for, in response to selection of said hierarchical organization of names by said local user, searching said hierarchical organization of names for names matching a name selection criteria, program code for displaying names from said hierarchical organization of names that match said name selection criteria to said local user, program code for, in response to selection of a selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria by said local user, displaying a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to a user corresponding to said selected one of said names that match said name selection criteria; and program code for, in response to selection of said command to initiate a chat communication with all persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected on of said names that match said name selection criteria, initiating a chat communication through said communication application with said persons reporting to said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.
Specification