AUTOMATIC BUDDY MANAGEMENT

• US 20100125580A1
• Filed: 11/04/2008
• Published: 05/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: de Filippis, Pierre, Wood, Justin, Westen, Peter T.
• Application Number:
  US12/264,900
• Publication Number:
  US 20100125580A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/737
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/24575 using context
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of methods and apparatuses to provide automatic buddy management are described. One or more tags associated with a user on an instant messaging (IM) network are determined. One or more groups are organized based on the one or more tags associated with the user. The one or more tags associated with the user are communicated to the IM network. The one or more groups associated with the user may be displayed on a display. One or more tags associated with one or more other users on the IM network may be received. The one or more other users may be included into the one or more groups. One or more new groups may be created based on the one or more tags associated with one or more other users.

Claims

1. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

determining one or more first tags associated with a user on an instant messaging (IN) network; and

organizing one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

2. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the one or more first tags to the IM network.

3. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the organizing includes

creating the one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

4. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the organizing includes

including the user into the one or more first groups.

5. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the one or more first groups on a display.

6. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the determining includes

assigning the one or more first tags to the user.

7. The machine-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving one or more second tags from one or more second users on the IM network; and

including the one or more second users into the one or more first groups if the one or more second tags are similar to the one or more first tags; and

creating one or more second groups based on the one or more second tags if the one or more second tags are not similar to the one or more first tags.

8. A machine-implemented method, comprising

receiving one or more tags associated with a user on an instant messaging network;

and

organizing one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

9. The machine-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the organizing comprises

including the user into the one or more groups.

10. The machine-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the organizing comprises:

creating the one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

11. The machine-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the one or more tags is similar to an existing tag.

12. The machine-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the one or more tags needs to be filtered.

13. A machine-implemented method, comprising:

communicating a first set of tags to an instant messaging (IM) network, the first set of tags is associated with a first identity of a user;

receiving a selection of a second identity of the user; and

communicating a second set of tags to the IM network in response to the selection.

14. The machine-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

removing the user from one or more groups associated with the first set of tags.

15. The machine-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

organizing a second set of groups based on the second set of tags.

16. The machine-implemented method of claim 15, further comprising:

displaying the second set of groups on a display.

17. The machine-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

organizing a first set of groups based on the first set of tags.

18. A machine-readable medium storing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:

determining one or more first tags associated with a user on an instant messaging (IM) network; and

organizing one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

19. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising communicating the one or more first tags to the IM network.

20. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the organizing includes creating the one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the organizing includes including the user into the one or more first groups.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

displaying the one or more first groups on a display.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the determining includes

assigning the one or more first tags to the user.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 18, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more second tags from one or more second users on the IM network;

including the one or more second users into the one or more first groups if the one or more second tags are similar to the one or more first tags; and

creating one or more second groups based on the one or more second tags if the one or more second tags are not similar to the one or more first tags.

25. A machine-readable medium storing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving one or more tags associated with a user on an instant messaging network; and

organizing one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

26. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the organizing comprises:

including the user into the one or more groups.

27. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the organizing comprises:

creating the one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

28. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the one or more tags is similar to an existing tag.

29. The machine-readable medium of claim 25, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

determining whether the one or more tags needs to be filtered.

30. A machine-readable medium storing executable program instructions which cause a data processing system to perform operations comprising:

communicating a first set of tags to an instant messaging (IM) network, the first set of tags is associated with a first identity of a user;

receiving a selection of a second identity of the user; and

communicating a second set of tags to the IM network in response to the selection.

31. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

removing the user from one or more groups associated with the first set of tags.

32. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

organizing a second set of groups based on the second set of tags.

33. The machine-implemented method of claim 32, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

displaying the second set of groups on a display.

34. The machine-readable medium of claim 30, further including data that cause the data processing system to perform operations comprising:

organizing a first set of groups based on the first set of tags.

35. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor, and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to determine one or more first tags associated with a user on an instant messaging (IM) network; and

to organize one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

36. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the processor is further configured to communicate the one or more first tags to the IM network.

37. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the organizing includes

creating the one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

38. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the organizing includes

including the user into the one or more first groups.

39. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the processor is further configured to display the one or more first groups on a display.

40. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the determining includes

assigning the one or more first tags to the user.

41. The data processing system of claim 35, wherein the processor is further configured to

receive one or more second tags from one or more second users on the IM network;

include the one or more second users into the one or more first groups if the one or more second tags are similar to the one or more first tags; and

create one or more second groups based on the one or more second tags if the one or more second tags are not similar to the one or more first tags.

42. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor, and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to receive one or more tags associated with a user on an instant messaging network; and

to organize one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

43. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the organizing comprises

including the user into the one or more groups.

44. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the organizing comprises:

creating the one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

45. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine whether the one or more tags is similar to an existing tag.

46. The data processing system of claim 42, wherein the processor is further configured to

determine whether the one or more tags needs to be filtered.

47. A data processing system, comprising:

a processor, and

a memory, coupled to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to communicate a first set of tags to an instant messaging (IM) network, the first set of tags is associated with a first identity of a user;

to receive a selection of a second identity of the user;

and to communicate a second set of tags to the IM network in response to the selection.

48. The data processing system of claim 47, wherein the processor is further configured to remove the user from one or more groups associated with the first set of tags.

49. The data processing system of claim 47, wherein the processor is further configured to

organize a second set of groups based on the second set of tags.

50. The data processing system of claim 49, wherein the processor is further configured to

display the second set of groups on a display.

51. The data processing system of claim 47, wherein the processor is further configured to

organize a first set of groups based on the first set of tags.

52. A data processing system, comprising:

means for determining one or more first tags associated with a user on an instant messaging (IM) network; and

means for organizing one or more first groups based on the one or more first tags.

53. A data processing system, comprising:

means for receiving one or more tags associated with a user on an instant messaging network; and

means for organizing one or more groups based on the one or more tags.

54. A data processing system, comprising:

means for communicating a first set of tags to an instant messaging (IM) network, the first set of tags is associated with a first identity of a user;

means for receiving a selection of a second identity of the user; and

means for communicating a second set of tags to the IM network in response to the selection.