Persona menu

• US 7,634,732 B1
• Filed: 06/26/2003
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: White, Chris, Hall, Gabe, Blaha, Karel, Benoit, Joseph III, Blocksom, Todd, Blagsvedt, Sean, Gupta, Mitika, Berker, Ilan
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US10/606,578
• Time in Patent Office: 2,364 Days
• Field of Search: 715/751, 715/712, 715/714, 715/715, 707/10
• US Class Current: 715/712
• 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: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

Methods and systems provide for aggregating person-centric data from one or more data sources and for providing the aggregated data to a user via a computer-displayed user interface that is keyed on or otherwise associated with an identified name in electronically presented text or data. A name in the text or data of an electronic document is identified and is associated with a unique identification, such as an electronic mail address. The unique identification is used by a persona menu application to obtain person-centric data from a variety of data sources. Example data sources include electronic mail contact files, electronic mail and calendaring system free/busy status files, directories of person-centric data related to persons associated with a distributed computing network, and instant messaging files. A data structure is populated with the returned data. Upon user selection, a user interface containing aggregated data associated with the identified name is displayed to the user to provide the user helpful information and actions associated with the identified name.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating person-centric information for displaying in a user interface, comprising:

accessing a client-side application of the client device to obtain a client manipulative electronic document on the client side application;

parsing the text of the electronic document, by a persona menu application located on the client device, for a person name, wherein the persona menu application is separate from the client-side application and is configured as a dynamically linked library for accessing a plurality of different data sources related to a suite of applications;

querying, by the persona menu application, at least one user contact data source of the plurality of different data sources containing person-centric data to identify person-centric data associated with the person name;

obtaining, at the persona menu application, person-centric data associated with the person name from the at least one user contact data source;

querying, by the persona menu application, at least one subsequent data source of the plurality of different data sources containing person-centric data to identify additional person-centric data based on the person name and the person-centric data obtained from the query of the at least one user contact data source;

obtaining, at the persona menu application, the additional person-centric data from the at least one subsequent data source, wherein a communication application for communicating with a user identified by the person name is associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source;

populating, in the client-side application of the client, a data structure for the person name with the person-centric data obtained from the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source; and

providing a graphical user interface, of the separate persona menu application, in the client-side application of the client device, wherein the graphical user interface displays the person-centric data and the additional person-centric data adjacent to the person name in the electronic document of the client-side application, wherein the graphical user interface of the separate persona menu application includes action items for facilitating communication with the user identified by the person name according to the communication application associated with the at least one member of a group comprising;

the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source.

2. The method of claim 1, whereby parsing an electronic document for a person name includes obtaining unique identifying information associated with the person name.

3. The method of claim 2, whereby obtaining unique identifying information associated with the person name includes obtaining data associated with the person name for identifying the person name.

4. The method of claim 3, whereby obtaining unique identifying information associated with the person name includes obtaining an electronic mail address for the person name.

5. The method of claim 1, prior to populating a data structure for the person name with the person-centric data, building a data structure having data properties corresponding to person-centric data obtainable from the at least one user contact data source.

6. The method of claim 1, prior to providing a graphical user interface for displaying the person-centric data, labeling the person name in the electronic document to indicate available functionality.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing an icon in the electronic document adjacent to the person name for selectively displaying the graphical user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, whereby the person-centric data includes online/offline status for the person name.

9. The method of claim 1, whereby the person-centric data includes free/busy status information for the person name.

10. The method of claim 1, whereby the person-centric data includes office location information for the person name.

11. The method of claim 1, whereby the person-centric data includes telephone numbers for the person name.

12. The method of claim 1, whereby the person-centric data includes information related to additional person names associated with the person name.

13. The method of claim 1, whereby at least one subsequent data source includes a contacts database.

14. The method of claim 1, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes an instant messaging database.

15. The method of claim 1, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes a distributed computing environment directory services database.

16. The method of claim 1, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes a free/busy status database.

17. A computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for aggregating person-centric information for displaying in a user interface, comprising:

accessing a client-side application of the client device to obtain a client manipulative electronic document on the client-side application;

parsing the text of the electronic document, by a persona menu application located on the client device, for an electronic mail address associated with a person name, wherein the persona menu application is separate from the client-side application and is configured as a dynamically linked library for accessing a plurality of different data sources related to a suite of applications;

querying, by the persona menu application, at least one user contact data source of the plurality of different data sources containing person-centric data to identify person-centric data associated with the electronic mail address;

obtaining, at the persona menu application, person-centric data associated with the person name from the at least one user contact data source;

querying, by the persona menu application, at least one subsequent data source of the plurality of different data sources containing person-centric data to identify additional person-centric data based on the person name and the person-centric data obtained from the query of the at least one user contact data source;

obtaining, at the persona menu application, the additional person-centric data associated with the person name from the at least one subsequent data source, wherein a communication application for communicating with a user identified by the person name is associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source;

populating, in the client-side application of the client device, a data structure for the person name with the person-centric data obtained from the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source;

labeling the person name in the electronic document to indicate available functionality;

upon user selection of the labeled person name, providing a graphical user interface, of the separate persona menu application, in the client-side application of the client device, wherein the graphical user interface displays the person-centric data and the additional person-centric data adjacent to the person name in the electronic document of the client-side application, wherein the graphical user interface of the separate persona menu application includes action items for facilitating communication with the user identified by the person name according to the communication application associated with the at least one member of a group comprising;

the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, prior to populating a data structure for the person name with the person-centric data, building a data structure having data properties corresponding to person-centric data obtainable from the at least one user contact data source.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising providing an icon in the electronic document adjacent to the person name for selectively displaying the graphical user interface.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, whereby the person-centric data includes online/offline status for the person name.

21. A system for aggregating person-centric information for displaying in a user interface, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer executable instructions being configured for;

accessing a client-side application of the client device to obtain a client manipulative electronic document on the client side application;

parsing the text of the electronic document, by a persona menu application, for a person name, wherein the persona menu application is separate from the client-side application and is configured as a dynamically linked library for accessing a plurality of different data sources related to a suite of applications;

querying, by the persona menu application, at least one user contact data source of the plurality of different data sources containing person-centric data to identify person-centric data associated with the person name;

obtaining, at the persona menu application, person-centric data associated with the person name from the at least one user contact data source;

querying, by the persona menu application, at least one subsequent data source of the plurality of different data sources containing person-centric data to identify additional person-centric data based on the person name and the person-centric data obtained from the query of the at least one user contact data source;

obtaining, at the persona menu application, the additional person-centric data from the at least one subsequent data source, wherein a communication application for communicating with a user identified by the person name is associated with at least one member of a group comprising;

the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source;

populating, in the client-side application of the client, a data structure for the person name with the person-centric data obtained from the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source; and

providing a graphical user interface, of the separate persona menu application, in the client-side application of the client device, wherein the graphical user interface displays the person-centric data and the additional person-centric data adjacent to the person name in the electronic document of the client-side application, wherein the graphical user interface of the separate persona menu application includes action items for facilitating communication with the user identified by the person name according to the communication application associated with the at least one member of a group comprising;

the at least one user contact data source and the at least one subsequent data source.

22. The system of claim 21, the persona menu application being further operative to provide an icon in the electronic document adjacent to the person name for selectively displaying the graphical user interface.

23. The system of claim 21, whereby the person-centric data includes online/offline status for the person name.

24. The system of claim 21, whereby the person-centric data includes free/busy status information for the person name.

25. The system of claim 21, whereby the person-centric data includes office location information for the person name.

26. The system of claim 21, whereby the person-centric data includes telephone numbers for the person name.

27. The system of claim 21, whereby the person-centric data includes information related to additional person names associated with the person name.

28. The system of claim 21, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes a contacts database.

29. The system of claim 21, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes an instant messaging database.

30. The system of claim 21, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes a distributed computing environment directory services database.

31. The system of claim 21, whereby the at least one subsequent data source includes a free/busy status database.