Providing supplemental contact information corresponding to a referenced individual

• US 10,158,588 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2016
• Issued: 12/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, HIEN LUONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US15/237,883
• Publication Number:
  US 20160380934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• 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 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments

Abstract

Providing supplemental contact information for an individual referenced in an electronic message typically includes receiving an electronic message, examining the electronic message, detecting an identifier for a referenced individual contained in the electronic message, and making supplemental contact information for the referenced individual available to a recipient of the electronic message. The supplemental contact information may include information that is in addition to information contained in the electronic message. The supplemental contact information may include at least one of an e-mail address, a screen name, a telephone number, a facsimile number, and a mailing address, each of which is associated with the referenced individual.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a reference to an individual in a first electronic message of a first message type displayed in a messaging interface for a communication system;

providing a user interface element associated with the referenced individual;

determining, using at least one processor, a messaging capability of the referenced individual for a second message type different from the first message type, wherein determining the messaging capability of the referenced individual comprises;

identifying a first user name associated with the first message type corresponding to the referenced individual in the first electronic message; and

determining that the first user name matches a second user name associated with a registered account of a messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type;

providing, in response to determining the messaging capability of the referenced individual, an indication corresponding to the determined messaging capability of the referenced individual;

determining, using at least one processor, that the user interface element has been selected; and

based on determining that the first user name matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type and in response to determining that the user interface element has been selected, providing an interface including a first option to send a second electronic message to the referenced individual using the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first option; and

providing, responsive to the selection of the first option, a messaging interface corresponding to a communications scheme for composing a second electronic message to the individual using the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the first option; and

providing, responsive to the selection of the first option, an indication that the second electronic message will be delivered to the individual using the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging capability is a real-time messaging capability.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication comprises an icon.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first user name matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type:

removing a domain from an address of a registered account corresponding to the first user name; and

determining that the address of the registered account stripped of the domain matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface comprises a second option to add the referenced individual to a contact list for a messaging account associated with the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first message type comprises an email message type; and

the second message type comprises an instant message type.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user name and the second user name are associated with different domains.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first message type and the second message type are associated with different communication types.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of references to a plurality of additional individuals in the first electronic message;

providing a corresponding user interface element for each of the plurality of additional individuals;

determining a messaging capability for each of the referenced additional individuals for the second message type; and

providing, in response to determining the messaging capability for each of the referenced additional individuals, the indication corresponding to the determined messaging capability of the referenced additional individuals.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing the indication comprises, for any of the plurality of additional individuals determined to have a capability to send and receive messages of the second type, providing an icon that indicates the determined messaging capability.

13. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to;

identify a reference to an individual in a first electronic message of a first message type displayed in a messaging interface for a communication system;

provide a user interface element associated with the referenced individual;

determine a messaging capability of the referenced individual for a second message type different from the first message type, wherein determining the messaging capability of the referenced individual comprises;

identifying a first user name associated with the first message type corresponding to the referenced individual in the first electronic message; and

determining that the first user name matches a second user name associated with a registered account of a messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type;

provide, in response to determining the messaging capability of the referenced individual, an indication corresponding to the determined messaging capability of the referenced individual;

determine that the user interface element has been selected; and

based on determining that the first user name matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type and in response to determining that the user interface element has been selected, provide an interface including a first option to send a second electronic message to the referenced individual using the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive a selection of the first option; and

provide, responsive to the selection of the first option, a messaging interface corresponding to the communications scheme for composing a second electronic message to the individual using the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium has further instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

receive a selection of the first option; and

provide, responsive to the selection of the first option, an indication that the second electronic message will be delivered to the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the:

the first message type comprises an email message type; and

the second message type comprises an instant message type.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein determining that the first user name matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type comprises:

removing a domain from an address of a registered account corresponding to the first user name; and

determining that the address of the registered account stripped of the domain matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computer system to:

identify a reference to an individual in a first electronic message of a first message type displayed in a messaging interface for a communication system;

provide a user interface element associated with the referenced individual;

determine a messaging capability of the referenced individual for a second message type different from the first message type, wherein determining the messaging capability of the referenced individual comprises;

identifying a first user name associated with the first message type corresponding to the referenced individual in the first electronic message; and

determining that the first user name matches a second user name associated with a registered account of a messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type;

provide, in response to determining the messaging capability of the referenced individual, an indication corresponding to the determined messaging capability of the referenced individual;

determine that the user interface element has been selected; and

based on determining that the first user name matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type and in response to determining that the user interface element has been selected, provide an interface including a first option to send a second electronic message to the referenced individual using the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computer system to:

receive a selection of the first option; and

provide, responsive to the selection of the first option, a messaging interface corresponding to a communications scheme for composing a second electronic message to the individual using the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein determining that the first user name matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type comprises:

removing a domain from an address of a registered account corresponding to the first user name; and

determining that the address of the registered account stripped of the domain matches the second user name associated with the registered account of the messaging system for sending and receiving messages of the second message type.