Mood-based organization and display of instant messenger buddy lists

• US 8,443,290 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2011
• Issued: 05/14/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bill, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadeese
• Assistant Examiner(s): ULRICH, NICHOLAS S
• Application Number:
  US13/077,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20110239137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/637 Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialization, adaptation or distribution
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/639 using playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/68 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A mood state may be modeled using mood information for a content selection (e.g., a digitally-encoded song) and/or by using mood information determined by how a user is interacting with a media player. For example, a playlist engine on a host may determine that a particular song is associated with an uplifting mood, thus determining that a user who has selected that particular song currently is in an uplifting mood, and correspondingly may select additional songs and advertisements consistent with, or responsive to, the uplifting mood. Mood information also may be used to present a mood state of users (e.g., co-users) in a network for display in a graphical user interface (GUI). For example, a user'"'"'s screen name appearing in an America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger'"'"'s Buddy List may indicate a determined user'"'"'s mood, such as “happy”, “sad”, “silly”, or “angry.”

Claims

1. A method for rendering information on a display, the method comprising:

rendering one or more co-user elements, each co-user element including an identity element, the identity element providing a basis to enable a user to perceive a co-user identity;

rendering one or more mood elements structured and arranged to enable a user to perceive a mood associated with the co-user identity;

calculating a mood value associated with the co-user identity, the mood value providing a basis to arrange the one or more co-user elements; and

arranging more than one co-user elements in a hierarchical manner based on at least one of the mood value and a non-mood attribute,

wherein calculating the mood value comprises calculating the mood value using metadata associated with content currently accessed by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the mood value to a list of moods; and

determining the mood associated with the co-user identity based on the mood value.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

representing the mood value associated with the co-user identity as a multidimensional rating, whereby each rating is associated with a particular aspect of the mood associated with the mood value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

representing the mood value by changes in a font used to display the one or more co-user elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more mood elements is configured to represent a combination of two or more moods.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more mood elements is configured to represent a combination of mood and non-mood information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the mood value in a three dimensional space.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the three dimensional space comprises three axes, each axis corresponding to a particular aspect of the mood associated with the mood value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-mood attribute comprises a relationship associated with the user and one or more co-users.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a computer program instructions that when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for rendering information on a display, the method comprising:

rendering one or more co-user elements, each co-user element including an identity element, the identity element providing a basis to enable a user to perceive a co-user identity;

rendering one or more mood elements structured and arranged to enable a user to perceive a mood associated with the co-user identity;

calculating a mood value associated with the co-user identity, the mood value providing a basis to arrange the one or more co-user elements; and

arranging more than one co-user elements in a hierarchical manner based on at least one of the mood value and a non-mood attribute,

wherein the mood value is calculated using metadata associated with content currently accessed by the user.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising computer program instructions executed by the processor for:

comparing the mood value to a list of moods; and

determining the mood associated with the co-user identity based on the mood value.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising computer program instructions executed by the processor for:

representing the mood value associated with the co-user identity as a multidimensional rating, whereby each rating is associated with a particular aspect of the mood associated with the mood value.

13. An apparatus for displaying information about co-users, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to render one or more co-user elements, each co-user element including an identity element, the identity element providing a basis to enable a user to perceive a co-user identity; and

a display coupled to the processor and configured to

render one or more mood elements structured and arranged to enable a user to perceive a mood associated with the co-user identity, and

render a user feedback element structured and arranged to receive user feedback regarding accuracy of the mood determined and associated with the co-user identity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor s further configured to calculate a mood value associated with a perceived mood using metadata associated with content currently accessed by the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more mood elements is configured to represent a combination of two or more moods.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more mood elements is configured to represent a combination of mood and non-mood information.