BUDDY LIST- BASED CALENDARING

• US 20110258013A1
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: GROVES, Blake
• Granted Patent: US 8,655,701 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• 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

Abstract

Instant messaging (IM) entities may be invited to an electronic calendar event using an instant message. Selecting the IM entities as invitees to the event may include dragging and dropping names of the IM entities from a buddy list of an IM application to an event from an electronic calendar application, or vice versa. A method of inviting an entity to a calendar event includes providing a calendar event from a calendar application and recognizing, by the calendar application, an IM entity as an invitee to the event.

Claims

1-87. -87. (canceled)

88. A method for sending electronic invitations to a calendar event, the method comprising:

creating, by a user, an event in an electronic calendar interface, the event including event details;

determining, with a processor, a list of desired invitees based on a list of instant messaging identifiers;

selecting the instant messaging identifiers corresponding to the users on the list of desired invitees; and

sending an invitation for the created event to the list of desired invitees, wherein the sending of at least one of the invitations is via instant messaging communications.

89. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

determining which of the desired invitees are currently online; and

sending the invitations to the desired invitees that are currently online via instant messaging communications.

90. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

determining which of the desired invitees are currently online; and

enabling receipt of communications from the desired invitees who are currently online, wherein the communications include discussions regarding the availability of the desired invitees to participate in the event.

91. The method of claim 88, further comprising:

determining which of the desired invitees are currently offline; and

sending the invitations to the desired invitees that are currently offline via electronic communications other than instant messaging communications.

92. The method of claim 90, further comprising:

enabling a chat room environment, wherein each desired invitee that is currently online can enter the chat room and communicate to the user and the other desired invitees participating in the chat room.

93. The method of claim 90, further comprising:

receiving communications from the desired invitees currently online, the communications comprising requested changes to the details of the event.

94. The method of claim 93, wherein the communications comprise responding to a form made available by the user.

95. The method of claim 93, further comprising:

determining whether any changes will be made to the details of the event; and

notifying the desired invitees of the final details of the event.

96. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions capable of sending electronic invitations to a calendar event, the instructions being executable by at least one processor for performing a method, the method comprising:

creating, by a user, an event in an electronic calendar interface, the event including event details;

determining, with a processor, a list of desired invitees based on a list of instant messaging identifiers;

selecting the instant messaging identifiers corresponding to the users on the list of desired invitees; and

sending an invitation for the created event to the list of desired invitees, wherein the sending of at least one of the invitations is via instant messaging communications.

97. The computer-readable storage device of claim 96, further comprising:

determining which of the desired invitees are currently online; and

sending the invitations to the desired invitees that are currently online via instant messaging communications.

98. The computer-readable storage device of claim 96, further comprising:

determining which of the desired invitees are currently online; and

enabling receipt of communications from the desired invitees who are currently online, wherein the communications include discussions regarding the availability of the desired invitees to participate in the event.

99. The computer-readable storage device of claim 96, further comprising:

determining which of the desired invitees are currently offline; and

sending the invitations to the desired invitees that are currently offline via communications other than instant messaging communications.

100. The computer-readable storage device of claim 98, further comprising:

enabling a chat room environment, wherein each desired invitee that is currently online can enter the chat room and communicate to the user and the other desired invitees participating in the chat room.

101. The computer-readable storage device of claim 98, further comprising:

receiving communications from the desired invitees currently online, the communications comprising requested changes to the details of the event.

102. The computer-readable storage device of claim 101, wherein the communications comprise responding to a form made available by the user.

103. The computer-readable storage device of claim 101, further comprising:

determining whether any changes will be made to the details of the event; and

notifying the desired invitees of the final details of the event.

104. A apparatus for sending electronic invitations to a calendar event, comprising:

means for creating, by a user, an event in an electronic calendar interface, the event including event details;

means for determining, with a processor, a list of desired invitees based on a list of instant messaging identifiers;

means for selecting the instant messaging identifiers corresponding to the users on the list of desired invitees; and

means for sending an invitation based on the created event to the list of desired invitees, wherein the sending of at least one of the invitations is via instant messaging communications.

105. The apparatus of claim 104, further comprising:

means for determining which of the desired invitees are currently online; and

means for sending the invitations to the desired invitees that are currently online via instant messaging communications.

106. The apparatus of claim 104, further comprising:

means for determining which of the desired invitees are currently online; and

means for enabling receipt of communications from the desired invitees who are currently online, wherein the communications include discussions regarding the availability of the desired invitees to participate in the event.

107. The apparatus of claim 104, further comprising:

means for determining which of the desired invitees are currently offline; and

means for sending the invitations to the desired invitees that are currently offline via communications other than instant messaging communications.

108. The apparatus of claim 106, further comprising:

means for enabling a chat room environment, wherein each desired invitee that is currently online can enter the chat room and communicate to the user and the other desired invitees participating in the chat room.

109. The apparatus of claim 106, further comprising:

means for receiving communications from the desired invitees currently online, the communications comprising requested changes to the details of the event.

110. The apparatus of claim 109, wherein the communications comprise responding to a form made available by the user.

111. The apparatus of claim 109 further comprising:

means for determining whether any changes will be made to the details of the event; and

means for notifying the desired invitees of the final details of the event.