Automatically populating recipients in an instant messaging or other computer communication system

• US 9,363,211 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2013
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HCL Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Li, FuYi, Devadason, Anita
• Primary Examiner(s): Long, Andrea
• Application Number:
  US13/848,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20130219002A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2748 by matching character strings
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

A system and a method for automatically populating chat recipients in an instant messaging system in which chat recipients are automatically populated from external data sources, e.g. clipboard, spreadsheet, document, database, directory, etc., and a chat session started with the click of a single user interface button or the like. A pop-up window is generated that allows the user to select a data source from which the chat recipients are to be obtained. The data source may be scanned to identify candidate names matching a predetermined name format, or the user is prompted to provide at least a portion of a search string. The user can then select which of the returned names are to be used in initiating the chat session. The disclosed system then generates a user interface object allowing the initiating user to perform an action with the selected recipients, including initiating a chat session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying, in a user interface provided by an instant messaging application, names from a hierarchical organization of names matching a name selection criteria, wherein said hierarchical organization of names is a database that is external to said instant messaging application and is selected from a plurality of data sources by a local user;

in response to selection of a selected one of said names matching said name selection criteria by said local user, displaying a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to perform a communication operation with all persons that are managers of a user corresponding to said selected one of said names, wherein said communication operation includes adding all users that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names to an instant contact list for said local user in said instant messaging application; and

in response to selection of said command to perform said communication operation with all persons that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names, automatically adding all users that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names to said instant contact list for said local user in said instant messaging application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of user selectable commands further includes a command to perform a communication operation comprising initiating a chat communication with all managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of user selectable commands further includes a command to perform a communication operation comprising broadcasting an electronic mail message to all managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of user selectable commands comprises a portion of a graphical command list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said names comprise instant messaging screen names.

6. A system comprising:

memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory, the memory storing program code which, when executed by the processing circuitry, causes the processing circuitry to;

display, in a user interface provided by an instant messaging application, names from a hierarchical organization of names matching a name selection criteria, wherein said hierarchical organization of names is a database that is external to said instant messaging application and that was selected from a plurality of data sources by a local user,

display, in response to selection of a selected one of said names matching said name selection criteria by said local user, a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to perform a communication operation with all persons that are managers of a user corresponding to said selected one of said names, wherein said communication operation includes adding all users that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names to an instant contact list for said local user in said instant messaging application, and

automatically add, in response to selection of said command to perform said communication operation with all persons that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names, all users that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names to said instant contact list for said local user in said instant messaging application.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said plurality of user selectable commands further includes a command to perform a communication operation comprising initiating a chat communication with all managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said plurality of user selectable commands further includes a command to perform a communication operation comprising broadcasting an electronic mail message to all managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein each of said plurality of user selectable commands comprises a portion of a graphical command list.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said names comprise instant messaging screen names.