User definable on-line co-user lists

• US 6,750,881 B1
• Filed: 02/24/1997
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Appelman, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US08/803,692
• Time in Patent Office: 2,668 Days
• Field of Search: 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 395/200.34, 395/200.35, 379/204, 379/201, 379/202, 379/913
• US Class Current: 715/733
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/903 Querying for retrieval from the web G06F16/953
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A real time notification system that tracks, for each user, the logon status of selected co-users of an on-line or network system and displays that information in real time to the tracking user in a unique graphical interface. The invention provides user definable on-line co-user lists, or “buddy lists”, that track specific co-users in real-time automatically. A user can create many separate buddy lists of co-users, either with intersecting or disjoint lists of users, and label these buddy lists according to the user'"'"'s preference. The user can update a buddy list or create new buddy lists whenever necessary. When a user logs on to a system, the user'"'"'s set of buddy lists is presented to the buddy list system. The buddy list system attempts to match co-users currently logged into the system with the entries on the user'"'"'s buddy list. Any matches are displayed to the user. As co-users logon and logoff, a user'"'"'s buddy list is updated to reflect these changes. An indication can also be added to show that a co-user just logged on or just left the system.

Claims

1. In an electronic network system including a logon system for monitoring logon status of currently logged-on users, a method of enabling a user of the network system to track the logon status of co-users of the network system, the method comprising:

(a) upon initiation of an action by the user at a user device, accessing a user-defined co-user list comprising co-users designated by the user for which the user desires to track logon status;

(b) transmitting to the user device the current logon status of the co-users in the user-defined co-user list;

(c) enabling the user at the user device to track the logon status of the co-users in the co-user list automatically and substantially in real time;

(d) repeating (b) and (c) under any of the following conditions;

(1) periodically;

or

(2) upon detection by the logon system of a change in logon status of any user on the electronic network system;

or

(3) upon detection by the logon system of a change in logon status of one or more co-users in the co-user list; and

based on block selections received from the user, selectively blocking co-users from adding the user to their associated user-definable co-user lists.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-definable co-user list is stored at least in part on the user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initiation of an action corresponds to the user logging on to the electronic network system from the user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s block selections are stored in a permissions list, and the user'"'"'s permission list is stored at least in part on the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a communication to at least one selected co-user for which the user knows to be presently logged on as a result of enabling the user to automatically and simultaneously track the logon status of those co-users in the co-user list.

6. Computer software, embodied in a computer-readable medium and/or a propagated carrier signal, for enabling a user of an electronic network system, including a logon system capable of tracking logon status of currently logged-on users, to track logon status of co-users in a user-definable co-user list substantially in real time, the software comprising instructions to perform the following operation:

(a) access a user-definable co-user list upon initiation of an action by the user at a user device, the user-definable co-user list comprising co-users designated by the user for which the user desires to track logon status;

(b) transmit to the user device, by the logon system, the current logon status of the co-users in the co-user list after the co-user list is accessed;

(c) enable the user at the user device to track the logon status of co-users in the co-user list automatically and substantially in real time;

(d) repeat (b) and (c) under any of the following conditions;

(1) periodically;

or

(2) upon detection by the logon system of a change in logon status of any user whose logon status the logon system is capable of tracking;

or

(3) upon detection by the logon system of a change in logon status of one or more co-users in the co-user list; and

permit the user to selectively block co-users from adding the user to their associated user-definable co-user lists.

7. The software of claim 6, wherein the user-definable co-user list is stored at least in part on the user device.

8. The software of claim 6, wherein the initiation of an action corresponds to the user logging on to the electronic network system from the user device.

9. The software of claim 6, wherein the user'"'"'s block selections are stored in a permissions list, and the user'"'"'s permission list is stored at least in part on the user device.

10. The software of claim 6, further comprising instructions to permit the user to transmit a communication to at least one selected co-user for which the user knows to be presently logged on as a result of the enabling instruction.