Automatically populating recipients in an instant messaging or other computer communication system
US8423905B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 17, 2008 |
| Grant date | Apr 16, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 7, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M1/72436
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A system and a method for automatically populating chat recipients in an instant messaging system in which chat recipients are automatically populated from external data sources, e.g. clipboard, spreadsheet, document, database, directory, etc., and a chat session started with the click of a single user interface button or the like. A pop-up window is generated that allows the user to select a data source from which the chat recipients are to be obtained. The data source may be scanned to identify candidate names matching a predetermined name format, or the user is prompted to provide at least a portion of a search string. The user can then select which of the returned names are to be used in initiating the chat session. The disclosed system then generates a user interface object allowing the initiating user to perform an action with the selected recipients, including initiating a chat session.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.