IM contact list entry as a game in progress designate

• US 9,266,024 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Wormald, Christopher R., Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Zinn, Ronald Scotte, Fahmy, Samer
• Primary Examiner(s): Riegler, Patrick
• Application Number:
  US13/615,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,258 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/50 Controlling the output signals based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

A method and apparatus for using a contact-list entry of an IM contact-list interface to designate an IM game in progress to facilitate switching between an IM conversation and an IM game.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, in a screen for a mobile device, a game application interface for a game in progress;

enabling game moves to be executed in the game application interface;

enabling a command to be selected from a menu displayed in the screen to invoke a messaging interface for conducting an instant messaging conversation with an opposing player in the game in progress; and

displaying the messaging interface in response to the command being selected, the messaging interface presenting a contact list to a user of the mobile device, the contact list comprising a set of contacts including the opposing player and a plurality of list items, wherein a first list item in the plurality of list items identifies a number of conversations between the user and the set of contacts, and a second list item in the plurality of list items identifies a number of games currently being played by the user, and

wherein the messaging interface displays a graphical indicator designating the game in progress with the opposing player.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a field for entering instant messages in the messaging interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the contact list is part of a conversation screen of the messaging interface, the conversation screen grouping contacts based on instant messaging conversations associated with the contacts.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game application interface is associated with an instant message contact list entry in the contact list.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising presenting a notification of a new move for the game in progress in the game application interface.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying new instant messages over top of the game application interface.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one contact in the set of contacts is presented under at least one of the first list item, the second list item, or a combination thereof.

7. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions for:

displaying in a screen for a mobile device, a game application interface for a game in progress;

enabling game moves to be executed in the game application interface;

enabling a command to be selected from a menu displayed in the screen to invoke a messaging interface for conducting an instant messaging conversation with an opposing player in the game in progress; and

displaying the messaging interface in response to the command being selected, the messaging interface presenting a contact list to a user of the mobile device, the contact list comprising a set of contacts including the opposing player and a plurality of list items, wherein a first list item in the plurality of list items identifies a number of conversations between the user and the set of contacts, and a second list item in the plurality of list items identifies a number of games currently being played by the user, and

wherein the messaging interface displays a graphical indicator designating the game in progress with the opposing player.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, further comprising instructions for providing a field for entering instant messages in the messaging interface.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the contact list is part of a conversation screen of the messaging interface, the conversation screen grouping contacts based on instant messaging conversations associated with the contacts.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the game application interface is associated with an instant message contact list entry in the contact list.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, further comprising instructions for presenting a notification of a new move for the game in progress in the game application interface.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 7, further comprising instructions for displaying new instant messages over top of the game application interface.

13. A mobile device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing computer executable instructions which when executed by the processor configure the processor to;

display in a screen for a mobile device, a game application interface for a game in progress;

enable game moves to be executed in the game application interface;

enable a command to be selected from a menu displayed in the screen to invoke a messaging interface for conducting an instant messaging conversation with an opposing player in the game in progress; and

display the messaging interface in response to the command being selected, the messaging interface presenting a contact list to a user of the mobile device, the contact list comprising a set of contacts including the opposing player and a plurality of list items, wherein a first list item in the plurality of list items identifies a number of conversations between the user and the set of contacts, and a second list item in the plurality of list items identifies a number of games currently being played by the user, and

wherein the messaging interface displays a graphical indicator designating the game in progress with the opposing player.

14. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to provide a field for entering instant messages in the messaging interface.

15. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the contact list is part of a conversation screen of the messaging interface, the conversation screen grouping contacts based on instant messaging conversations associated with the contacts.

16. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the game application interface is associated with an instant message contact list entry in the contact list.

17. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to present a notification of a new move for the game in progress in the game application interface.

18. The mobile device according to claim 13, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to display new instant messages over top of the game application interface.