Method, system, and graphical user interface for meeting-spot-related introductions

• US 8,756,501 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2007
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Karam, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Amy
• Assistant Examiner(s): STITT, ERIK V
• Application Number:
  US11/759,848
• Time in Patent Office: 2,567 Days
• Field of Search: 715/739, 715/738, 715/700, 715/810, 707/102, 455/567, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 715/700
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

One aspect of the invention involves a computer-implemented method in which a client device associated with a first user: receives from a server computer information about a plurality of other users associated with a meeting spot; displays an identifier for the meeting spot and at least some of the information for the plurality of other users; receives from the first user a selection of information that corresponds to a second user associated with the meeting spot; displays information about a third user, wherein the third user is associated with the first user and is also associated with the second user; receives from the first user a request to communicate with the third user; sends a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a server computer, comprising a processor and memory;

associating a first user, who is currently online and active, with a meeting spot;

identifying a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the meeting spot;

sending information about at least some of the plurality of other users to a client device associated with the first user;

receiving information that corresponds to a second user of the plurality of other users from the client device associated with the first user;

identifying a third user who is online, active, associated with the first user and also associated with the second user; and

sending information about the third user to the client device associated with the first user, wherein the client device associated with the first user;

displays at least some of the information about the third user;

receives from the first user a request to communicate with the third user;

sends a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and

participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the third user comprises identifying a third user that is in a contact list of the first user and is also in a contact list of the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, including identifying an online status of the third user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information about the third user includes online status information about the third user.

5. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a server computer, comprising a processor and memory;

associating a first user, who is currently online and active, with a meeting spot;

identifying a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the meeting spot; and

sending information about at least some of the plurality of other users to a client device associated with the first user, wherein the sent information includes, for a respective other user, information about a respective third user, who is currently online, active, and associated with both the respective other user and the first user;

wherein the client device associated with the first user;

receives from the first user a selection of a second user in the plurality of other users;

displays information about the third user who is associated with the first user and is also associated with the second user;

receives from the first user a request to communicate with the third user;

sends a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and

participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first user is associated with the meeting spot by a reference to the meeting spot in a record for the first user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the reference to the meeting spot is added to the record for the first user when the first user activates an icon corresponding to the meeting spot.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the icon corresponding to the meeting spot is displayed on a digital geographic map.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the icon corresponding to the meeting spot is displayed in a contact list.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the information about the other users includes online status information about the other users.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

at a client device associated with a first user who is currently online and active, the client device comprising a processor and memory;

receiving from a server computer information about a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the meeting spot;

displaying an identifier for the meeting spot and at least some of the information for the plurality of other users associated with the meeting spot;

receiving from the first user a selection of a second user in the plurality of other users;

displaying information about a third user who is online, active, associated with the first user and also associated with the second user;

receiving from the first user a request to communicate with the third user;

sending a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and

participating in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first user is associated with the meeting spot.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier for the meeting spot is displayed on a digital geographic map.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identifier for the meeting spot is displayed in a contact list.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the selection of the second user from the first user comprises detecting activation of a link or icon corresponding to the second user.

16. The method of claim 11, including:

sending information that corresponds to the selected second user to a server computer; and

receiving from the server computer information about the third user.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving from the first user a request to communicate with the third user comprises detecting activation of a link in the information about the third user that initiates communication to a client associated with the third user.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the communication to a client associated with the third user is an online communication.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication that is sent to the client device associated with the third user includes a request for the third user to introduce the first user to the second user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the request is generated without human intervention.

21. A graphical user interface on a client device associated with a first user who is currently online and active, the client device comprising a processor and memory, the graphical user interface comprising:

an icon and/or an identifier for a meeting spot;

information about a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the meeting spot, including information about a second user associated with the meeting spot; and

information about a third user who is currently online and active;

wherein;

the third user is associated with the first user and is also associated with the second user;

in response to receiving a selection of the second user from the first user, the information about the third user is displayed; and

in response to receiving from the first user a request to communicate with the third user, a communication is sent to a client device associated with the third user and the client device associated with the first user participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

22. The graphical user interface of claim 21, wherein the identifier is a name or logo for the meeting spot.

23. A server, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including;

instructions for associating a first user, who is currently online and active, with a meeting spot;

instructions for identifying a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected the meeting spot; and

instructions for sending information about at least some of the plurality of other users to a client device associated with the first user, wherein the sent information includes, for a respective other user, information about a respective third user, who is currently online, active, and associated with both the respective other user and the first user;

wherein the client device associated with the first user;

receives from the first user a selection of a second user in the plurality of other users;

displays information about the third user who is associated with the first user and is also associated with the second user;

receives from the first user a request to communicate with the third user;

sends a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and

participates in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

24. A client device associated with a first user who is currently online and active, comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

a program, wherein the program is stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the program including;

instructions for receiving from a server computer information about a plurality of other users, who are currently online and active, that have currently selected a meeting spot;

instructions for displaying an identifier for the meeting spot and at least some of the information for the plurality of other users associated with the meeting spot;

instructions for receiving from the first user a selection of a second user in the plurality of other users;

instructions for displaying information about a third user, who is currently online, active, associated with the first user, and also associated with the second user;

instructions for receiving from the first user a request to communicate with the third user;

instructions for sending a communication to a client device associated with the third user; and

instructions for participating in an online communication with the client device associated with the third user and a client device associated with the second user.

25. The client device of claim 24, wherein the instructions for identifying the third user comprise instructions for identifying a third user that is in a contact list of the first user and is also in a contact list of the second user.

26. The client device of claim 24, the program further including instructions for identifying an online status of the third user.

27. The client device of claim 24, wherein the information about the third user includes online status information about the third user.