Account linking
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method comprising:
- receiving, from a user, login information to a communications service for a first account of the user;
in response to receiving the login information to the communications service for the first account of the user, and using at least one processor, logging the user in to the first account and a second account of the user using only the received login information for the first account, wherein the second account differs from the first account;
using a graphical user interface to enable selection, by the user from among the first account and the second account, of a particular source account from which to initiate an electronic communication;
sending, the electronic communication to a second user; and
identifying the electronic communication sent to the second user as having been sent from the particular source account selected by the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Linking multiple identities from a single service includes for a user of a single service having multiple identities within the single service, authenticating a primary identity having a first buddy list associated with an account, authenticating a secondary identity having a second buddy list associated with the account, and creating an association between the primary identity and the secondary identity, where the primary identity and the secondary identity simultaneously share a common graphical user interface such that the primary identity interacts with the first buddy list and the secondary identity interacts with the second buddy list using the common graphical user interface.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving, from a user, login information to a communications service for a first account of the user; in response to receiving the login information to the communications service for the first account of the user, and using at least one processor, logging the user in to the first account and a second account of the user using only the received login information for the first account, wherein the second account differs from the first account; using a graphical user interface to enable selection, by the user from among the first account and the second account, of a particular source account from which to initiate an electronic communication; sending, the electronic communication to a second user; and identifying the electronic communication sent to the second user as having been sent from the particular source account selected by the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A graphical user interface comprising:
one or more window interfaces that are structured and arranged, using at least one processor, to enable; a sign on of a secondary account of a user in response to a sign on of a primary account of the user, the sign on of the secondary account of the user using only login information for the primary account of the user; a display portion configured to make perceivable the primary account of the user and the secondary account of the user; one or more visual indicators that are configured to display the current logon status of other users associated with the primary and secondary accounts of the user; and wherein at least a first user associated with the primary account of the user and represented by a first screen name is selectable as an intended recipient of a message from the user, and wherein at least a second user associated with the secondary account of the user and represented by a second screen name is selectable as an intended recipient of a message from the user. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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maintaining, for a user who has multiple accounts that are hosted by a single communications service provider for use in communicating electronically with other users, a first contacts list corresponding to a first account of the user, the first contacts list including screen names that each represent another account hosted by the single communications service provider and correspond to another user, and the first contacts list enabling the user to communicate electronically with the other users corresponding to the screen names included within the first contacts list; maintaining, for the user, a second contacts list corresponding to a second account of the user, the second contacts list being separate from the first contacts list and including additional screen names that each represent an additional account hosted by the single communications service provider and correspond to an additional user, and the second contacts list enabling the user to communicate electronically with the additional users corresponding to the additional screen names included within the second contacts list, wherein a particular screen name representing a particular account hosted by the single communications service provider and corresponding a particular user is listed in both the first contacts list corresponding to the first account of the user and the second contacts list corresponding to the second account of the user; receiving, from the user, login information to the single communications service for the first account of the user; in response to receiving the login information to the single communications service for the first account of the user, using at least one processor, logging the user in to the first account and the second account of the user using only the received login information for the first account, wherein the second account differs from the first account; and creating an association between the first account of the user and the second account of the user, wherein the association between the first account of the user and the second account of the user triggers display of a single graphical user interface for both the first account of the user and the second account of the user in response to authentication of both the first account of the user and the second account of the user, the single graphical user interface being configured to display the first contacts list corresponding to the first account of the user separately from the second contacts list corresponding to the second account of the user such that; the first contacts list includes a contiguous listing of the screen names representing the other accounts hosted by the single communications service provider and corresponding to the other users and the second contacts list includes a contiguous listing of the screen names representing the additional accounts hosted by the single communications service provider and corresponding to the additional users, and the single graphical user interface enables the user to interact with the first contacts list to communicate with the other users using the first account of the user and to interact with the second contacts list to communicate with the additional users using the second account of the user. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
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receiving, from a user, login information to a service provider for a first account of the user; in response to receiving the login information for the first account of the user, logging the user in to the first account and a second account of the user using only the received login information for the first account, wherein the second account differs from the first account; displaying, using at least one processor, to the user a graphical user interface that comprises; a first contacts list that corresponds to the first account of the user and that comprises a first contiguous listing of screen names, each of the screen names included in the first contiguous listing representing, an account also hosted by the service provider, and a second contacts list that is separated from the first contacts list, that corresponds to the second account of the user, and that comprises a second contiguous listing of screen names, each of the screen names included in the second contiguous listing representing an account also hosted by the service provider; receiving an indication of a selection by the user from within the graphical user interface of a particular screen name from the first contacts list; in response to receiving the indication of the selection of the particular screen name from the first contacts list, enabling the user to compose a first electronic communication to the particular screen name; and based on the selection of the particular screen name from the first contacts list that corresponds to the first account of the user, sending the first electronic communication composed by the user to the particular screen name in a manner that identifies the first electronic communication as having been sent from the first account. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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Specification