Organizing entries in participant lists based on communications strengths

• US 8,918,460 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry, Fish, Edmund J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tiv, Backhean
• Application Number:
  US12/765,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,706 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709205-207
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/318 Received signal strength
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading

Abstract

Organizing a participant list includes maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system. Communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the participant list are determined. The users included in the participant list are organized based on the corresponding communications strengths. Communications strengths may be determined for users included in a group within a participant list, and the users within the group may be organized within the group based on communications strength. An additional group in the participant list in which some or all of the users included in the participant list are organized based on communications strength may be provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining, on a storage device, a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system;

determining, using at least one processor, communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the participant list of users, wherein the communications strengths for a particular user is based on at least two criteria selected from;

a degree of separation between the first user and the particular user;

a determination that the particular user is a direct addressee of a message from the first user;

a determination that the particular user is an indirect addressee of a message from the first user;

an amount of time corresponding to messages exchanged between the first user and the particular user;

a frequency of messages sent between the first user and the particular user;

or a determination that the particular user both sends messages to the first user and receives messages from the first user;

identifying, using the at least one processor, a first subset of users from the participant list of users that have a threshold communications strength;

identifying, using the at least one processor, a second subset of users from the participant list that have a communications strength below the threshold communications strength;

causing a visual display of a first group of users, the first group of users comprising users in the identified first subset of users and excluding users in the identified second subset of users;

updating a previously determined communications strength for the particular user from the second subset of users based on additional information corresponding to the at least two criteria;

determining that the updated communications strength for the particular user is above the threshold communications strength;

moving the particular user from the second subset of users to the first subset of users; and

adding the particular user to the visual display of the first group of users.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising ordering the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users in the first group of users by ordering the users in the first group of users in order of decreasing communications strengths with the first user.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising removing users with a communications strength below a minimum allowable communications strength from the participant list.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list is a buddy list of an instant messaging system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list is an address book of an email system.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list is a social network of the first user.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic communications system is an instant messaging system.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic communications system is a chat system.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the electronic communications system is an e-mail system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first subset of users from the participant list of users comprises:

identifying, in the first subset of users, a first group of users who are listed as entries in a contact list maintained for the first user and who list the first user as an entry in contact lists maintained for the first group of users;

identifying, in the first subset of users, a second group of users who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained for the first user and who do not list the first user as an entry in contact lists maintained for the second group of users; and

assigning the first group of users in the first subset of users higher communications strengths than the second group of users in the first subset of users.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining, on a storage device, a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system;

determining, using at least one processor, communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the participant list, wherein the communications strengths for a particular user is based on at least two criteria selected from;

a degree of separation between the first user and the particular user;

a determination that the particular user is a direct addressee of a message from the first user;

a determination that the particular user is an indirect addressee of a message from the first user;

an amount of time corresponding to messages exchanged between the first user and the particular user;

a frequency of messages sent between the first user and the particular user;

or a determination that the particular user both sends messages to the first user and receives messages from the first user;

determining a first subset of users from the participant list of users that have a threshold communications strength;

determining, using at least one processor, a second subset of users from the participant list of users that have a communications strength below the threshold communications strength;

determining, using at least one processor, an order in which to list the users in the first subset of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first subset of users, the determining the order in which to list the users in the first subset of users includes ranking the users in the first subset of users relative to one another based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first subset of users;

causing a visual display of a first group of users list, the first group of users comprising users in the first subset of users and excluding users in the identified second subset of users;

updating a previously determined communications strength for the particular user from the second subset of users based on additional information corresponding to the at least two criteria;

determining that the updated communications strength for the particular user is above the threshold communications strength;

moving the particular user from the second subset of users to the first subset of users; and

adding the particular user to the visual display of the first group of users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a subset of users from the participant list of users that have a threshold communications strength includes comparing the determined communications strength of each user from the participant list to the threshold communications strength.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising excluding, from the first group of users, users in the first subset that are not logged into the communications system.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising including the users in the first subset that are not logged into the communications system in a second group.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein determining a first subset of users from the participant list of users comprises:

identifying, in the first subset of users, a first group of users who are listed as entries in a contact list maintained for the first user and who list the first user as an entry in contact lists maintained for the first group of users;

identifying, in the first subset of users, a second group of users who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained for the first user and who do not list the first user as an entry in contact lists maintained for the second group of users; and

assigning the first group of users in the first subset of users higher communications strengths than the second group of users in the first subset of users.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

maintaining, on a storage device, a list of users of an electronic communications system for use by a first user of the electronic communications system;

determining, using at least one processor, communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the list of users of the electronic communications system, wherein the communications strengths for a particular user is based on at least two criteria selected from;

a degree of separation between the first user and the particular user;

a determination that the particular user is a direct addressee of a message from the first user;

a determination that the particular user is an indirect addressee of a message from the first user;

an amount of time corresponding to messages exchanged between the first user and the particular user;

a frequency of messages sent between the first user and the particular user;

or

a determination that the particular user both sends messages to the first user and receives messages from the first user;

comparing the determined communications strength between the first user and another user within the list of users of the electronic communications system to a predetermined threshold value;

when the determined communications strength between the first user and the other user is more than the predetermined threshold value, placing the other user in a first subset of users of the electronic communications system;

when the determined communications strength between the first user and the other user is less than the predetermined threshold value, placing the other user in a second subset of users of the electronic communications system; and

causing a visual display of a first group of users, the first group of users comprising users in the first subset of users and excluding users in the identified second subset of users;

updating a previously determined communications strength for the particular user from the second subset of users based on additional information corresponding to the at least two criteria;

determining that the updated communications strength for the particular user is above the predetermined threshold value;

moving the particular user from the second subset of users to the first subset of users; and

adding the particular user to the visual display of the first group of users.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users belonging to the first subset of users.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising causing a visual display of a graphical user interface that includes a participant list configured to facilitate communication using the electronic communications system, including:

causing a visual display, within the participant list, of the list of users of the electronic communications system, wherein causing the visual display of the list of users within the participant list includes;

visually distinguishing the first group of users as a first discernible subgroup within the participant list, and

arranging the users belonging to the first group in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users belonging to the first subset of users.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining, within at least one additional group of users included in the participant list, an order of the users included in the at least one additional group, without regard for communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the at least one additional group.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein placing the other user in a first subset of users of the electronic communications system comprises:

identifying, in the first subset of users, a first group of users who are listed as entries in a contact list maintained for the first user and who list the first user as an entry in contact lists maintained for the first group of users;

identifying, in the first subset of users, a second group of users who are not listed as entries in the contact list maintained for the first user and who do not list the first user as an entry in contact lists maintained for the second group of users; and

assigning the first group of users in the first subset of users higher communications strengths than the second group of users in the first subset of users.