Enhanced buddy list interface

• US 9,391,941 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2015
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Green, Mitchell Chapin, Chickering, Roger, Gang, David
• Primary Examiner(s): SALOMON, PHENUEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/802,923
• Publication Number:
  US 20150358271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• 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 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4594 Address books, i.e. directories containing contact information about correspondents telephone directories in user terminals H04M1/27453
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/45 related to voicemail messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A graphical user interface between a user of a computer service and the computer service includes a list of other users of the computer service selected by the user as significant to the user and an icon associated with one of the other listed users indicating that a communication has occurred between the user and the other user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing message notifications to a user, the method comprising the following operations performed with one or more processors:

displaying, to a user of an instant messaging system, a graphical user interface comprising a window that includes a contacts list listing identifiers corresponding to multiple co-users of an instant messaging service;

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying, within the window that includes the contacts list and in association with the identifier corresponding to the first co-user, a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, in response to selection of the graphical element by the user, an indication of the number of messages of a different type that remain unattended by the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating, in response to selection of the graphical element by the user, an application to attend to the one or more unattended messages.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the different types of messages include at least one type selected from the group consisting of email message, voicemail message, telephone call, and calendar event.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when an email message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of email messages sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more email messages have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a voicemail message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of voicemail messages received by the user from the first co-user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more voicemail messages have been received by the user from the first co-user and remain unattended by the user.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a telephone call is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of telephone calls received by the user from the first co-user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more telephone calls have been received by the user from the first co-user and remain unattended by the user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a calendar event is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of calendar events sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more calendar events have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

9. A system for providing message notifications to a user, comprising:

a memory that stores instructions;

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured with the instructions to;

display, to a user of an instant messaging system, a graphical user interface comprising a window that includes a contacts list listing identifiers corresponding to multiple co-users of an instant messaging service;

monitor when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determine a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

display, within the window that includes the contacts list and in association with the identifier corresponding to the first co-user, a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

display, in response to selection of the graphical element by the user, an indication of the number of messages of a different type that remain unattended by the user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

activate, in response to selection of the graphical element by the user, an application to attend to the one or more unattended messages.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the different types of messages include at least one type selected from the group consisting of email message, voicemail message, telephone call, and calendar event.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when an email message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of email messages sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more email messages have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a voicemail message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of voicemail messages received by the user from the first co-user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more voicemail messages have been received by the user from the first co-user and remain unattended by the user.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a telephone call is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of telephone calls received by the user from the first co-user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more telephone calls have been received by the user from the first co-user and remain unattended by the user.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a calendar event is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of calendar events sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more calendar events have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium including instructions that are executed by at least one processor, to cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

displaying, to a user of an instant messaging system, a graphical user interface comprising a window that includes a contacts list listing identifiers corresponding to multiple co-users of an instant messaging service;

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying, within the window that includes the contacts list and in association with the identifier corresponding to the first co-user, a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

display, in response to selection of the graphical element by the user, an indication of the number of messages of a different type that remain unattended by the user.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:

activate, in response to selection of the graphical element by the user, an application to attend to the one or more unattended messages.

20. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the different types of messages include at least one type selected from the group consisting of email message, voicemail message, telephone call, and calendar event.

21. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when an email message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of email messages sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more email messages have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.

22. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a voicemail message is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of voicemail messages received by the user from the first co-user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more voicemail messages have been received by the user from the first co-user and remain unattended by the user.

23. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a telephone call is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of telephone calls received by the user from the first co-user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more telephone calls have been received by the user from the first co-user and remain unattended by the user.

24. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein:

monitoring when a message of type different from an instant message is received from a first one of the co-users comprises monitoring when a calendar event is received from a first one of the co-users;

determining a total number of messages of a different type sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended comprises determining a total number of calendar events sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unattended by the user; and

displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more unattended messages of a different type have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user comprises displaying a graphical element that indicates that one or more calendar events have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unattended by the user.