Avatar-based communications launching system

• US 9,871,907 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2010
• Issued: 01/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAPANESE, WILLIAM C
• Application Number:
  US12/917,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,632 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

In one embodiment, a social networking system automatically establish a connection to a target user by selecting an avatar representing the target user, and establishing a connection by a communication channel based on current context and one or more rules configured by the target user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a first client computing device, detecting activation of an avatar by a first user, wherein the avatar represents a second user and the avatar is displayed in a graphical user interface of a first application comprising a social-networking application on the first client computing device;

by the first client computing device, in response to detecting the activation, automatically sending a request to a server computing device to select a communication channel for connecting the first user to the second user, wherein selection of the communication channel is based on contact information of the second user and current use by the second user of a second application associated with the communication channel on a second client computing device associated with the second user;

by the first client computing device, receiving from the server computing device communication-channel information for the communication channel associated with the second application that the second user is currently using on the second client computing device; and

by the first client computing device, in response to receiving the communication-channel information, automatically initiating without user input a connection between the first user and the second user by a third application on the first client computing device, wherein the third application is associated with the communication channel selected by the server for connecting the first user to the second user, and wherein the third application is synchronous to the second application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar is a graphic icon representing the second user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the avatar is a photographic picture representing the second user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the communication channel is based on a configurable rule set of the second user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a time of day of the second user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a current calendar event of the second user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on one or more current activities of the second user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a current communication mode of the second user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a current location of the second user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the server is associated with a social-networking system; and

detecting activation of the avatar comprises detecting activation of an activation link that includes domain information for the social-networking system.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting activation of the avatar comprises detecting activation of an activation link that is embedded in a structured document comprising an HTML or XML page.

12. A first client computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

detect activation of an avatar by a first user, wherein the avatar represents a second user and the avatar is displayed in a graphical user interface of a first application comprising a social-networking application on the first client computing device;

in response to detecting the activation, automatically send a request to a server to select a communication channel for connecting the first user to the second user, wherein selection of the communication channel is based on contact information of the second user and current use by the second user of a second application associated with the communication channel on a second client computing device associated with the second user;

receive from the server communication-channel information for the communication channel associated with the second application that the second user is currently using on the second client computing device; and

in response to receiving the communication-channel information from the server, automatically initiate without user input a connection between the first user of the social-networking application and the second user, the connection initiated by a third application comprising a communications application on the first client computing device, wherein the communications application is associated with the communication channel selected by the server for connecting the first user to the second user, and wherein the third application is synchronous to the second application.

13. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the avatar is a graphic icon representing the second user.

14. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the avatar is a photographic picture representing the second user.

15. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a configurable rule set of the second user.

16. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a time of day of the second user.

17. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a current calendar event of the second user.

18. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on one or more current activities of the second user.

19. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a current communication mode of the second user.

20. The client computing device of claim 12, wherein the selection of the communication channel is further based on a current location of the second user.