Integrated contact card communication

• US 9,407,753 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Howard, Gregory Alan, King, Joseph Spencer, Aiwazian, Yili, Todd, Ian Hunter, Frijlink, Naud, Davis, Shawna Julie, Garbis, Christer
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, THANH T
• Application Number:
  US13/082,413
• Publication Number:
  US 20120260189A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57

Abstract

Embodiments provide integrated reply functionality within the context of a contact card or panel. Contact information is provided for display in the contact card (e.g., a portion of a user interface of a computing device). The contact information is associated with a contact. The contact information identifies one or more transport modes for communication with the contact. In some embodiments, the computing device receives a request from a user to communicate with the contact via at least one selected transport mode. Based on the received request, the computing device provides an input field within the contact card. In other embodiments, the transport mode is automatically selected and the input field is displayed. Data from the user is received into the input field for communication to the contact. The computing device sends the data received into the input field to the contact via the selected transport mode. The integrated reply functionality is accessible from a conversation history displayed in the contact card.

Claims

1. A system for integrated messaging within a contact card of a user interface, said system comprising:

a memory area associated with a mobile computing device, said memory area storing contact information elements associated with a contact, said contact information elements identifying a plurality of transport modes for communication with the contact, said memory area further storing presence information associated with the contact; and

a processor programmed to;

display, within a user interface, a first contact information element of the contact information elements and a second contact information element of the contact information elements;

display, in the user interface, the presence information stored in the memory area;

display, in a first input field within the user interface, a communication received by the mobile computing device via a first transport mode of the plurality of transport modes, the first transport mode using a first protocol to transfer the communication, the first transport mode associated with the first contact information element;

receive a request from a user of the mobile computing device to communicate with the contact via a second transport mode of the one more transport modes, the second transport mode using a second protocol associated with the second contact information element, the second protocol being different from the first protocol, the second transport mode being selected by the user based at least in part on the presence information displayed in the user interface;

based on the received request, create a second input field within the user interface;

receive, into the second input field, data from the user to communicate to the contact using the second transport mode; and

send the data received into the second input field to the contact via the second transport mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed further to create the second input field by creating a type of input field based on the second transport mode selected by the user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to execute an address book application to:

display the contact information elements;

create at least one of the first input field and the second input field;

receive the data from the user; and

send the data to the contact.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

display the contact information elements;

create at least one of the first input field and the second input field;

receive the data from the user; and

send the data to the contact without executing an application separate from the address book application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to integrate a reply functionality within the portion of the user interface displaying the contact information elements.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to provide the first input field within the user interface displaying the contact information elements to enable the user to initiate communication with the contact from therewithin.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first input field and the second input field are displayed simultaneously in the user interface.

8. A method comprising:

providing contact information for display in a user interface of a computing device, said contact information being associated with a contact, said contact information including a plurality of transport modes;

based on the provided contact information, providing, within the user interface, a first input field to display a communication received by the computing device by a first transport mode of the plurality of transport modes, the first transport mode using a first protocol to transfer the communication;

receiving, into a second input field within the user interface, data from the user for communication to the contact; and

sending, by the computing device, the data received into the second input field to the contact via a second transport mode of the plurality of transport modes, the second transport mode using a second protocol, the second protocol being different from the first protocol.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the contact information comprises providing contact information collected from a plurality of contact information directories.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising selecting said at least one of the transport modes based on one or more of the following:

a presence status of the user, previous interactions between the user and the contact, and sensors in the computing device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the contact information for display in the user interface comprises providing the contact information for display in one or more of the following user interface elements:

a frame, a panel, a bubble, and a popup.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the computing device executes an address book application to provide at least one of the first input field and the second input field, receive the data into at least one of the first input field and the second input field, and send the data to the contact.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing device provides the at least one of the first input field and the second input field, receives the data into the at least one of the first input field and the second input field, and sends the data to the contact without executing an application separate from the address book application.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the contact information displayed in the user interface represents an address book card for the contact, and wherein the computing device provides the first input field and the second input field, receives the data into the first input field and the second input field, and sends the data to the contact within the context of the address book card for the contact.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a conversation history for display in the user interface of the computing device, said conversation history corresponding to a set of previous communications between the user and the contact.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device, and further comprising displaying one or more communications from the set of previous communications on a home screen of the mobile computing device.

17. One or more computer-readable storage media embodying computer-executable components, said components comprising:

a contact panel component that upon execution causes at least one processor to display contact information in a contact panel of a user interface of a computing device, said contact information being associated with a contact, said contact information including a conversation history and a plurality of transport modes, the conversation history describing a communication received from the contact via a first transport mode of the plurality of transport modes, the first transport mode using a first protocol to transfer the communication;

a user interface component that upon execution causes at least one processor to receive a request from a user to communicate with the contact by a second transport mode of the plurality of transport modes, the second transport mode using a second protocol, the second protocol being different from the first protocol, said second transport mode being selected by the user based at least in part on the conversation history displayed in the contact panel of the user interface, the user interface component providing a first input panel within the user interface to display communication received by the computing device via the first transport mode,the user interface component further providing, based on the received request, a second input panel within the user interface to display communication received by the computing device via the second transport mode.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the conversation history describes a plurality of interactions between the user and the contact via a plurality of the transport modes.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 18, wherein the contact panel component displays the plurality of interactions sorted in chronological order.

20. The computer-readable media of claim 17, further comprising a communications interface component that upon execution causes at least one processor to send the data received into the second input panel to the contact by the second transport mode.