Temporary contact alias system

• US 7,555,525 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Atlassian US, Inc. (Atlassian Corporation), Microsoft Corporation
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DUONG, OANH L
• Application Number:
  US11/422,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20060227803A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/223, 709/250, 709/245, 715/758, 715/752, 715/753
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system for providing temporary contact aliases is provided. A representative system includes a database system operable to store at least one resource list comprising a plurality of contacts associated with at least one user. The plurality of contacts comprising at least one temporary contact at the instruction of said at least one user, stored in said at least one resource list associated with said at least one user. The system further includes a network interface operable to communicate with a plurality of users, including said at least one user, over a network which is operable to provide a communication medium between the plurality of users. Methods and other systems for temporary contact alias are also provided.

Claims

1. A system embedded in one or more computer readable storage mediums for providing a temporary contact alias, the system comprising:

a database system operable to store at least one resource list comprising a plurality of contacts associated with at least one user, the plurality of contacts comprising at least one temporary contact at the instruction of said at least one user stored in said at least one resource list associated with said at least one user and at least one non-temporary contact, the at least one temporary contact being assigned an expiration period as the at least one temporary contact is added to the resource list and the at least one non-temporary contact not having an expiration period;

a network interface operable to communicate with a plurality of users, including said at least one user, over a network which is operable to provide a communication medium between the plurality of users;

a service manager component operable to notify the at least one user associated with the resource list of an accessibility of each of the plurality of contacts on the resource list;

the service manager component operable to provide the at least one user an option of converting the at least one temporary contact to a permanent contact not having the expiration period upon the expiration of the at least one temporary contact, but prior to removing of the at least temporary contact.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the service manager component is operable to remove said at least one temporary contact from said at least one resource list after an expiration date of said at least one temporary contact.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the expiration date is a default time period.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the expiration date is set by said at least one user with whom said at least one resource list is associated.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the expiration date is set by a pre-determined period of non-use by said at least user with whom said at least one resource list is associated.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the service manager component is operable to add or remove said at least one temporary contact from said at least one resource list upon the occurrence of an event stimulus, the event stimulus comprising at least one of accepting a file transfer, closing of a service ticket, client logout, beginning of a chat session, and ending of a chat session.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the service manager component is operable to remove said at least one temporary contact from said at least one resource list associated with the first user after an expiration date of said at least one temporary contact and confirmation with said at least one user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the service manager component is further operable to extend the expiration date of said at least one temporary contact until confirmation of removal is received from said at least one user.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a means for removing said at least one temporary contact from said at least one resource list after expiration of said at least one temporary contact.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the network is used by the plurality of users to communicate with other users.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a one resource list is operable to connect said at least one user associated with said at least one resource list to a second user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the connection between said at least one user and a second user is facilitated by a chat application.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the database system is operable to store a unique identification associated with each of the plurality of contacts.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the unique identification is an e-mail address, the e-mail address being associated with one of the plurality of contacts.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the unique identification is a Jabber identification.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the accessibility of a contact is updated in response to a change in a presence status on the network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the accessibility of a contact is further updated in response to a change in an availability status on the network.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the network interface is further operable to receive a request from a second user to add the second user to said at least one resource list associated with said at least one user, and add the second user to said at least one resource list associated with said at least one user.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the second user is added to said at least one resource list associated with the first user upon approval from the first user.

20. A computer implemented method for storing temporary contacts, comprising:

receiving, by a communication manager, a request from a user to add a temporary contact to a network resource list including a plurality of contact associated with the user, the network resource list further comprising at least one non-temporary contact;

storing, by a database system, the temporary contact in the network resource list; and

providing the user an option of converting the temporary contact having an expiration period to a permanent contact not having an expiration period upon the expiration of the temporary contact, but prior to removing of the temporary contact, the temporary contact being assigned the expiration period as the temporary contact is added to the network resource list and the at least one non-temporary contact not having an expiration;

checking the accessibility of the plurality of contacts; and

notifying the user associated with the network resource list about accessibility of the contacts.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

prompting the user associated with the network resource list to enter an expiration for the temporary contact; and

removing the temporary contact in response to the expiration.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

removing the temporary contact from the network resource list upon expiration of a pre-set period of time.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

removing the temporary contact from the network resource list upon a pre-determined period of non-use by a user associated with the resource list.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving a request to add a temporary contact comprises:

sensing an event stimulus; and

initiating a request upon sensing the event stimulus, the event stimulus comprising at least one of accepting a file transfer, closing of a service ticket, client logout, beginning of a chat session, and ending of a chat session.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

removing the temporary contact from the network resource list upon occurrence of a pre-determined event.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

connecting a chat session between a first user associated with the network resource list and a second user upon the first user selecting the second user from the network resource list.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the temporary contact comprises a handle and a unique identifier.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the unique identifier comprises an e-mail address.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the unique identifier comprises a Jabber identification.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein accessibility is determined in response to the presence of a contact on the network.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein accessibility is further determined in response to the availability of a contact on the network.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the request is prompted by a first user requesting to add the first user to the network resource list of a second user.

33. A computer implemented method for creating temporary contacts, comprising:

sending, by a client on a computer, a request to a database system to create a temporary contact on a network resource list, the network resource list further comprising at least one non-temporary contact;

providing a set of details about the temporary contact, the set of details comprising an expiration period assigned to the temporary contact as the temporary contact is added to the network resource list, wherein the at least one non-temporary contact does not have an expiration period;

requesting an accessibility status of a plurality of contacts on the network resource list; and

providing a user an option of converting the temporary contact having the expiration period to a permanent contact not having the expiration period upon the expiration of the temporary contact, but prior to removing of the temporary contact.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the set of details further comprises a unique identification of the temporary contact.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the unique identification is the e-mail address of the temporary contact.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the set of details further comprises a handle associated with the temporary contact.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein the accessibility status depends upon a presence status of a user on a network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the accessibility status further depends upon an availability status of the user on the network.

39. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

selecting a contact from the plurality of contacts; and

using a network to chat with the contact.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

using an instant messaging client to facilitate chatting with the contact.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the request is initiated when a user clicks on an icon and drags and drops the icon into a temporary group folder.

42. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

using an event stimulus to initiate a request to add the temporary contact, the event stimulus comprising at least one of accepting a file transfer and beginning of a chat session.

43. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

using an event stimulus to remove the temporary contact, the event stimulus comprising at least one of closing of a service ticket, client logout, and ending of a chat session.