IM contact list entry as a game in progress designate

• US 9,272,210 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• 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:
  US13/615,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007632A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751
• 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, on a screen of a mobile device, a game application interface of a game in progress;

receiving, from a user of the mobile device, a selection of an option within the game application interface;

enabling, based on receiving the selection of the option, an instant messaging conversation to occur between players associated with the game in progress, the enabling comprising at least

presenting a messaging interface to the user over the top of the game application interface, the messaging interface presenting a contact list to a user of the mobile device, wherein the contact list comprises a set of contacts including at least one opposing player of the game in progress 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 the user, each of the contacts in the set of contacts being selectable to initiate an instant messaging conversation therewith, and wherein the messaging interface displays a graphical indicator designating the game in progress with the opposing player;

receiving at least one new instant message as the user is participating in the game in progress; and

displaying, in response to receiving the at least one new instant message, the at least one new instant message within a portion of the messaging interface over top of the game application interface.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one new instant message is displayed over top of the game application interface for a limited period of time.

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

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

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the game application interface visualizes results of game moves.

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

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

receiving, from a user of the mobile device, a selection of an option within the game application interface;

enabling, based on receiving the selection of the option, an instant messaging conversation to occur between players associated with the game in progress, the enabling comprising at least

presenting a messaging interface to the user a over the top of the game application interface, the messaging interface presenting a contact list to a user of the mobile device, wherein the contact list comprises a set of contacts including at least one opposing player of the game in progress 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, each of the contacts in the set of contacts being selectable to initiate an instant messaging conversation therewith, and wherein the messaging interface displays a graphical indicator designating the game in progress with the opposing player;

receiving at least one new instant message as the user is participating in the game in progress; and

displaying, in response to receiving the at least one new instant message, the at least one new instant message within a portion of the messaging interface over top of the game application interface.

7. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the at least one new instant message is displayed over top of the game application interface for a limited period of time.

8. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the game application interface is associated with an instant messaging contact list entry in the contact list.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, further comprising instructions for presenting a notification of a new move for the game in progress.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium according to claim 6, wherein the game application interface visualizes results of game moves.

11. 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;

on a screen of a mobile device, a game application interface of a game in progress;

receive, from a user of the mobile device, a selection of an option within the game application interface;

enable, based on receiving the selection of the option, an instant messaging conversation to occur between players associated with the game in progress, the enabling comprising at least

presenting a messaging interface to the user over the top of the game application interface, the messaging interface presenting a contact list to a user of the mobile device, wherein the contact list comprises a set of contacts including at least one opposing player of the game in progress 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, wherein each of the contacts in the set of contacts is selectable to initiate an instant messaging conversation therewith, and

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

display new instant messages within a portion of the messaging interface over top of the game application interface.

12. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the new instant messages are displayed over top of the game application interface for a limited period of time.

13. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the game application interface is associated with an instant messaging contact list entry in the contact list.

14. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises instructions executable by the processor to present a notification of a new move for the game in progress.

15. The mobile device according to claim 11, wherein the game application interface visualizes results of game moves.