Contact controls

• US 20040119758A1
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Published: 06/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Grossman, Joel K., Perlow, Jonathan D., van Dok, Cornelis K., Park, Vivien, Blagsvedt, Sean O., Weissman, Debra L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/839
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

One or more contact controls associated with one or more corresponding contacts are displayed by a computing system at a display device. The contact controls can be hosted by any number of third party applications. The contact controls may include static and/or animated images associated with the contact to reflect a desired behavior, emotion, status or action. The contact controls are linked to contact information, such that a selection of the contact controls enables a user to access the contact information and data sources associated with the contact. A communicative action can also be initiated with the contact control by dragging and dropping the contact control onto an icon or object associated with the communication application.

Claims

1. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:

an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;

an act of receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and

upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact control includes an image associated with the contact, the image including at least one of a static image and an animated image.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the contact control includes a link to one or more data sources associated with the contact, such that when the contact control is selected at the display device, the selection of the contact enables a user to access the one or more data sources associated with the contact.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein accessing the one or more data sources associated with the contact includes displaying one or more database entries associated with the contact at the display device.

5. A method as recited in claim 4, wherein the one or more data sources include one or more database entries comprising contact information of the contact.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communicative action includes at least one of an instant message, an email, an electronic file transmission, a facsimile, a video feed, a video teleconference, a telephony call, and a telephone call.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the communicative action is initiated when either the contact control is dragged and dropped onto an application launch object and when the application launch object is dragged and dropped onto the contact control.

8. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the application launch object includes an icon of the application.

9. A method as recited in claim 7, wherein the application launch object includes an icon of a file that is utilized by the application.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further including an act of displaying one or more of an emotional state and a status associated with the contact proximate the contact control.

11. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more emotional state and status associated with the contact are displayed as one or more non-verbal images.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the one or more non-verbal images include one or more of a flag, lips, an animated face, a heart, a clock, a telephone, a beverage, a food item, and a game icon.

13. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more non-verbal images are animated to exhibit one or more of a desired behavior and a desired action.

14. A method as recited in claim 10, wherein the one or more emotional state and status are determined by data received from the contact.

15. A method as recited in claim 14, wherein the one or more emotional state and status include a status of having sent a correspondence to a user.

16. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:

an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;

an act of the third party application receiving a user input that involves the contact control;

an act of initiating a communicative action with the contact when the user input further involves a communication application; and

an act of accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact when the user input includes making a selection of the contact control.

17. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the contact control includes one or more of a static image and an animated image associated with the contact.

18. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein accessing the one or more data sources associated with the contact includes displaying database entries associated with the contact at the display device.

19. A method as recited in claim 18, wherein the one or more data sources include a database entry comprising contact information of the contact, the contact information including one or more of a name, an email address, a telephone number, a postal address, and an instant messaging address.

20. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the communicative action includes at least one of an instant message, an email, an electronic file transmission, a facsimile, a video feed, a video teleconference, a telephony call, and a telephone call.

21. A method as recited in claim 20, wherein the communicative action is initiated when either the contact control is dragged and dropped onto an application launch object and when the application launch object is dragged and dropped onto the contact control.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application launch object includes an icon of the communication application.

23. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the application launch object includes an icon of a file that is utilized by the communication application.

24. A method as recited in claim 16, further including an act of overlaying the contact control with one or more non-verbal images reflecting an emotional state associated with the contact.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the one or more non-verbal images include one or more of an image of lips, an animated face, and an image of a heart.

26. A method as recited in claim 16, wherein the one or more non-verbal images are animated to exhibit one or more of a desired behavior and a desired action.

27. A method as recited in claim 16, further including an act of overlaying the contact control with one or more non-verbal images reflecting a status associated with the contact.

28. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the one or more non-verbal images include one or more of a flag, a clock, a telephone, a beverage, a food item, and a game icon.

29. A method as recited in claim 27, wherein the status associated with the contact includes one or more of a network connectivity status, an application activity status, a location status, and a schedule status.

30. A computer program product for a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, the computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable media having stored thereon computer executable instructions for implementing a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method including:

an act of a third party application displaying a contact control at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact;

an act of the third party application receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and

upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact.

31. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein the one or more computer-readable media include physical storage media.

32. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein the contact control includes an image associated with the contact.

33. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein accessing the one or more data sources associated with the contact includes displaying one or more database entries associated with the contact at the display device.

34. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein the communicative action includes at least one of an instant message, an email, an electronic file transmission, a facsimile, a video feed, a video teleconference, a telephony call, and a telephone call.

35. A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the communicative action is initiated when either the contact control is dragged and dropped onto an application launch object and when the application launch object is dragged and dropped onto the contact control.

36. A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the application launch object includes an icon of the communication application.

37. A computer program product as recited in claim 34, wherein the application launch object includes an icon of a file that is utilized by the communication application.

38. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, further including an act of overlaying the contact control with one or more non-verbal images reflecting an emotional state associated with the contact.

39. A computer program product as recited in claim 38, wherein the one or more non-verbal images include one or more of an image of lips, an animated face, and an image of a heart.

40. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, further including an act of overlaying the contact control with one or more non-verbal images reflecting a status associated with the contact.

41. A computer program product as recited in claim 40, wherein the one or more non-verbal images include one or more of a flag, a clock, a telephone, a beverage, a food item, and a game icon.

42. A computer program product as recited in claim 30, wherein the method includes the act of initiating a communicative action with the contact when the user input further involves a communication application, and wherein the method includes the act of accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact when the user input includes making a selection of the contact control.

43. In a computing system that is connected with a display device and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, a method for utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising:

an act of providing a contact control that is associated with a corresponding contact and that can be utilized to both initiate a communicative action with the contact and to access contact information associated with the corresponding contact,

wherein the contact control is configured to be hosted by a third party application, such that the third party application can designate how and where the contact control is to be displayed;

an act of displaying a contact control at the display device as specified by the third party application;

an act of receiving a user input that involves the contact control; and

upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact.

44. A method as recited in claim 43, wherein the contact control includes a static image associated with the corresponding contact.

45. A method as recited in claim 44, wherein the third party application can control and edit the display of the static image.

46. A method as recited in claim 43, wherein the contact control includes an animated image configured to exhibit one of a non-verbal communication and a non-verbal action.

47. A method as recited in claim 46, wherein the third party application can control and edit the display of the animated image.