Method and system for providing contact management to chat session participants
First Claim
1. A method for providing contact list management in a chat session, comprising:
- providing access to a first contact list by a second chat session participant, said first contact list associated with a first chat session participant and said second chat session participant associated with a second contact list; and
providing access to said second contact list by said first chat session participant.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides a method and system for providing contact management to participants engaged in a communication session. The invention permits chat session participants to a communication session to determine common contacts that exists between the chat session participants. Dependent on the accessibility of the particular chat session participants'"'"' contact list, other chat session participants to the communication session can view the information located in the contact list. Moreover, a particular chat session participant to the communication session can give either a particular chat session participant or all the chat session participants to the communication session permission to modify their contact list. Permission to access or modify contact lists for chat session participants can be defined prior to establishment of the communication session and/or changed during the communication session. Changes relating to whether a particular contact list is accessible and/or modifiable can be initiated by the chat session participant associated with the contact list. Additionally, such changes can be initiated by a request from a chat session participants to modify the contact records in a particular contact list. The invention can be applicable to systems which can include, but is not limited to, chat rooms, instant messaging, and call conferencing.
278 Citations
62 Claims
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1. A method for providing contact list management in a chat session, comprising:
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providing access to a first contact list by a second chat session participant, said first contact list associated with a first chat session participant and said second chat session participant associated with a second contact list; and
providing access to said second contact list by said first chat session participant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for providing contact management to parties engaged in a chat communication session, the method comprising:
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providing access for a first contact list having contact records to a second participant to the communication session, said first contact list associated with a first participant to the communication session, said second participant having an associated second contact list with contact records;
identifying similar contacts between contact records located in said first contact list and contact records located in said second contact list; and
adding selected dissimilar contact records located in said first contact list to said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. In a chat session having a plurality of communicating chat session participants, a contact management method comprising:
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assembling and displaying a contact list in a GUI associated with one of the chat session participants; and
accepting modifications to said contact list by another chat session participant.
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24. A method for providing contact management in a chat session, comprising:
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sending a token of introduction originated by a first chat session participant having a first contact list, to a second chat session participant having a second contact list, said token of introduction providing a recommendation for said second chat session participant;
transferring said token of introduction to a third chat session participant who is known to said first chat session participant, said third chat session participant having a third contact list; and
if said third chat session participant accepts said token of introduction, modifying said third contact list with contact information for said second chat session participant. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for providing contact management, comprising:
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a first contact list, said first contact list associated with a first chat session participant;
a second contact list, said second contact list associated with a second chat session participant, said second chat session participant engaged in a chat session with said first chat session participant; and
a computing application program facilitating said chat session, said application program permitting said second chat session participant to modify said first contact list and permitting said first chat session participant to modify said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
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31. A GUI for providing contact management for chat session participants, comprising:
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a chat display window for displaying a first chat session participant and a second chat session participant engaged in a chat session; and
at least one contact window for displaying contact information for at least one chat session participant engaged in said chat session. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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providing access to a first contact list associated with a first chat session participant by a second chat session participant associated with a second contact list, said providing step facilitating contact management for a chat session; and
providing access to said second contact list by said first chat session participant. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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providing access to a first contact list for a first participant to a communication session to a second participant to the communication session, said second participant having a second contact list, said providing step facilitating contact management for parties engaged in a chat communication session, said first and said second contact list having contact records;
identifying similar contacts between contact records located in said first contact list and contact records located in said second contact list; and
adding selected dissimilar contact records located in said first contact list to said second contact list. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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58. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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assembling and displaying a contact list in a GUI associated with a chat session participant, said chat session participant engaged in a chat session having a plurality of communicating chat session participants; and
accepting modifications to said contact list by another chat session participant.
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59. A machine readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:
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sending a token of introduction originated by a first chat session participant having a first contact list, to a second chat session participant having a second contact list, said token of introduction providing a recommendation for said second chat session participant, said sending step for providing contact management in a chat session;
transferring said token of introduction to a third chat session participant who is known to said first chat session participant, said third chat session participant having a third contact list; and
if said third chat session participant accepts said token of introduction, modifying said third contact list with contact information for said second chat session participant. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62)
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Specification