Multi-modal participant lists

• US 9,584,448 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2014
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Edmund J., Eichler, Allen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHINGLES, KRISTIE D
• Application Number:
  US14/449,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20150026605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

An instant messaging user may use a buddy list that includes a user-selected list of potential instant messaging recipients (“buddies”) to identify another instant messaging user with whom instant messages are to be exchanged. An instant messaging user also may use a buddy list for other purposes, such as to initiate playing of an on-line game or to invite participants to play an on-line game. Techniques are provided to transform a buddy list from one messaging-mode to another messaging-mode. The transformation may include, for example, substitution or re-ordering of groups of buddies, substitution of buddy icons associated with buddies, substitution of information displayed about buddies, and substitution of controls for directing operation of the buddy list.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for switching a participant list of potential message recipients from a first messaging mode to a second messaging mode, the method comprising:

displaying a participant list in a first messaging mode to a user, the participant list including communication participants selected by the user from participants with whom the user exchanges one or more messages in the first messaging mode and categories of communication participants;

receiving, from the user, an indication to switch to a participant list in a second messaging mode, the participant list in the second messaging mode including communication participants selected by the user from participants with whom the user exchanges one or more messages in the second messaging mode;

transforming the participant list from the first messaging mode to the second messaging mode in response to the received indication, such that the participant list displayed in the second messaging mode only includes categories of communication participants that are not included in the participant list displayed in the first messaging mode, and one or more participant identifiers associated with the categories in the participant list displayed in the second messaging mode is a participant that is not associated with one of the categories in the participant list displayed in the first messaging mode, and different information about participants is provided in the second messaging mode;

activating, in response to the transformation, a control related to the second messaging mode that enables the user to initiate communication associated with participants of the participant list in the second messaging mode; and

displaying the participant list in the second messaging mode to the user.

2. A computer-implemented method for switching a participant list of potential message recipients from a first messaging mode to a second messaging mode, the method comprising:

displaying a participant list in a first messaging mode to a user, the participant list including communication participants selected by the user from participants with whom the user exchanges one or more messages in the first messaging mode and categories of communication participants;

receiving, from the user, an indication to switch to a participant list in a second messaging mode, the participant list in the second messaging mode including communication participants selected by the user from participants with whom the user exchanges one or more messages in the second messaging mode;

transforming the participant list from the first messaging mode to the second messaging mode in response to the received indication, such that the participant list displayed in the second messaging mode includes at least one category of communication participant that is not included in the participant list displayed in the first messaging mode;

activating, in response to the transformation, a control related to the second messaging mode that enables the user to initiate communication associated with participants of the participant list in the second messaging mode; and

displaying the participant list in the second messaging mode to the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list in the first messaging mode is configured for communicating via instant messaging.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is configured for communicating via a communication system other than instant messaging.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is configured for communicating via e-mail communication.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is disjoint from the participant list in the first messaging mode.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is a subset of the participant list in the first messaging mode.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list in the first messaging mode is a subset of the participant list in the second messaging mode.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list in the first messaging mode is configured for communicating with text messaging.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein different information about participants is provided in the second messaging mode.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode are gaming participants.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for switching a participant list of potential message recipients from a first messaging mode to a second messaging mode, the computer program comprising instructions for:

displaying a participant list in a first messaging mode to a user, the participant list including communication participants selected by the user from participants with whom the user exchanges one or more messages in the first messaging mode and categories of communication participants;

receiving, from the user, an indication to switch to a participant list in a second messaging mode, the participant list in the second messaging mode including communication participants selected by the user from participants with whom the user exchanges one or more messages in the second messaging mode;

transforming the participant list from the first messaging mode to the second messaging mode in response to the received indication, such that the participant list displayed in the second messaging mode includes at least one category of communication participant that is not included in the participant list displayed in the first messaging mode;

activating, in response to the transformation, a control related to the second messaging mode that enables the user to initiate communication associated with participants of the participant list in the second messaging mode; and

displaying the participant list in the second messaging mode to the user.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the participant list in the first messaging mode is configured for communicating via instant messaging.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is configured for communicating with a communication system other than instant messaging.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is configured for communicating via e-mail communication.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is disjoint from the participant list in the first messaging mode.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the participant list in the second messaging mode is a subset of the participant list in the first messaging mode.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the participant list in the first messaging mode is a subset of the participant list in the second messaging mode.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the participant list in the first messaging mode is configured for communicating with text messaging.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein different information about participants is provided in the second messaging mode.