US7185290B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
User interface for a system and process for providing dynamic communication access and information awareness in an interactive peripheral display
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
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Filing: 2001-06-08
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Granted: 2007-02-27
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Expires: 2021-06-08
Abstract
Abstract The system and method of the present invention provides a user interface for providing peripheral awareness of information to a user. The information to be provided is either determined automatically, or specified by the user. Once the information to be provided is determined or specified, it is automatically tracked or watched via at least one conventional communications interface. Current information is then automatically dynamically provided in an interactive peripheral display which minimizes any potential distraction to the user. Determining or specifying, tracking or watching, and providing the information is accomplished using at least one customizable dynamic encapsulated object, a “ticket,” that when paired with a “viewer,” provides peripheral awareness of information to the user. Further, in one embodiment, the tickets are sharable among users, and may be copied, cut, pasted, saved, transmitted, dragged and dropped from web pages, etc., like any other electronic file using conventional techniques.
Inventors
- 👤 Jonathan J. Cadiz
- 👤 Anoop Gupta
- 👤 Gavin Jancke
- 👤 Gina Venolia
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 20:31
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06Q10/107
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 65
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for providing peripheral awareness of a contact availability status for at least one entity, said computer executable instructions comprising: providing a user interface through which a user specifies each entity whose contact availability is to be determined; accepting contact availability data representing at least one contact method for each entity from at least one electronic information source; dynamically determining a real-time availability status of each entity for each contact method; and graphically representing the real-time availability status of each entity via a peripheral awareness display area having a persistent window rendered on at least one display device, wherein graphically representing the real-time availability of each entity comprises displaying a graphical representation of each entity using a dynamic thumbnail, and wherein each dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of a ticket which defines the entity and a viewer for displaying the ticket.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for providing peripheral awareness of a contact availability status for at least one entity, said computer executable instructions comprising: providing a user interface through which a user specifies each entity whose contact availability is to be determined; accepting contact availability data representing at least one contact method for each entity from at least one electronic information source; dynamically determining a real-time availability status of each entity for each contact method; and graphically representing the real-time availability status of each entity via a peripheral awareness display area having a persistent window rendered on at least one display device, wherein graphically representing the real-time availability of each entity comprises displaying a graphical representation of each entity using a dynamic thumbnail, and wherein each dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of a ticket which defines the entity and a viewer for displaying the ticket.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one entity is specified automatically.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein graphically representing the real-time availability of each entity comprises using a graphical representation of eye contact for each entity to provide a social cue for indicating whether each entity is available.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the persistent window further comprises at least one container within which the graphical representation of the real-time availability status of each entity is provided.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the container further includes at least one thumbnail for representing information other than contact availability status for an entity.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
28 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 5 wherein the information other than contact availability status for an entity includes any information accessible via at least one electronic information source.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
11 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the container is resizable.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
12 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the container is automatically resized.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the container is resized via the user interface.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the dynamic thumbnails within the container are automatically resized as the container is resized.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein information provided by the dynamic thumbnails within the container are automatically changed to accommodate the size of the automatically resized thumbnail as the container is resized.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein accepting contact availability data comprises pulling the data from at least one of the electronic information sources.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein accepting contact availability data comprises receiving contact data that is pushed from at least one of the electronic information sources.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
43 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein accepting contact availability data comprises both pulling contact availability data from at least one of the electronic information sources and receiving contact availability data that is pushed from at least one of the electronic information sources.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
11 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each thumbnail is sharable.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
34 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least two thumbnails are aggregated into at least one recursively nested group, each group, and each thumbnail within each group, being accessible via the user interface.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein each recursively nested group is represented by a group thumbnail.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
29 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 17 wherein each group thumbnail displays a summary of any thumbnails and groups aggregated within the recursively nested group represented by the group thumbnail.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
21 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the user interface further includes a manager for providing user interaction with each thumbnail.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each thumbnail includes a visibility flag for either hiding or displaying each thumbnail.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
13 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the visibility flag is set automatically.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
16 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the visibility flag is set via the user interface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each thumbnail is timed, and wherein each thumbnails is automatically displayed at predetermined times.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 23 wherein displays of the automatically displayed thumbnails are automatically terminated at predetermined times.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
44 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each thumbnail is selectable via the user interface, and wherein a person window fur providing detailed information for an entity represented by one of the thumbnails is automatically opened by selecting that thumbnail via the user interface.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
26 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein each person window further comprises a list of actionable communication access points fur the entity represented by the thumbnail.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 26 wherein each person window further comprises a view of a calendar schedule for the entity represented by the thumbnail.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
20 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein a best available communication access point is automatically identified within the person window.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 25 wherein each person window further comprises a view of an historical availability of the entity represented by the thumbnail.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein each ticket is shamble between a first user and at least one additional user by sending each shamble ticket as an email attachment.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
31 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one ticket is provided by dragging and dropping the ticket from a remote web site to at least one user display device.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 further comprising a network accessible database of tickets for allowing a user to access the tickets via any network accessible device.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the user interface provides a capability fur performing any of copying, cutting pasting, deleting adding, editing, and creating tickets via the user interface.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
16 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the tickets is created automatically.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
32 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein at least one of the tickets is created by dragging and dropping a link to a contact onto a graphic representation of the user interface.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
36 words
The computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein each ticket is a dynamic encapsulation structure comprising: a control identifying the information for display in the thumbnail; and information identifying the viewer corresponding to the ticket.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computer readable medium of claim 36 , wherein the ticket comprises an extensible markup language structure.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
150 words
A computer system for representing contact availability status for an entity, comprising: a component that receives from a user a selection of at least one entity out of a plurality of entities whose contact availability is to be represented; a component that receives contact availability data representing at least one contact method for each of the selected entities from at least one electronic information source; a component that determines a contact availability status of each selected entity for each contact method based on the received contact availability data; and a component that displays within a peripheral awareness display area the contact availability status of each selected entity, wherein displaying the availability status of each selected entity comprises displaying a graphical representation of each entity using a dynamic thumbnail, and wherein each dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of a ticket which defines the entity and a viewer for displaying the ticket.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
150 words
A computer system for representing contact availability status for an entity, comprising: a component that receives from a user a selection of at least one entity out of a plurality of entities whose contact availability is to be represented; a component that receives contact availability data representing at least one contact method for each of the selected entities from at least one electronic information source; a component that determines a contact availability status of each selected entity for each contact method based on the received contact availability data; and a component that displays within a peripheral awareness display area the contact availability status of each selected entity, wherein displaying the availability status of each selected entity comprises displaying a graphical representation of each entity using a dynamic thumbnail, and wherein each dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of a ticket which defines the entity and a viewer for displaying the ticket.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
25 words
The computer system of claim 38 wherein the component that determines a contact availability status for an entity does so based on multiple contact methods.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
16 words
The computer system of claim 38 wherein the peripheral awareness display area is a persistent window.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer system of claim 40 wherein the peripheral awareness display area is a sidebar.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
27 words
The computer system of claim 38 wherein the user can select an entity in the peripheral awareness display area to open a person-centric view of that entity.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
14 words
The computer system of claim 38 wherein the contact availability status is determined dynamically.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
35 words
The computer system of claim 38 including a component that displays a list of actionable communication access points fix an entity when the user selects an indication of the contact availability status for the entity.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
22 words
The computer system of claim 44 wherein the dynamic thumbnail is dynamically updated as the contact availability status of the entity changes.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
24 words
The computer system of claim 44 wherein when the user selects a communication access point, communications between the user and the entity is enabled.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
15 words
The computer system of claim 44 wherein a best available communication access is automatically identified.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
18 words
The computer system of claim 38 including a component that displays historical contact availability status of an entity.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
128 words
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for providing a contact availability status for at least one entity, said computer executable instructions comprising: accepting contact availability data representing at least one contact method for each entity from at least one electronic information source; dynamically determining a real-time availability status of each entity for each contact method; and graphically representing the real-time availability stats of at least one entity via a display area rendered on at least one display device, wherein graphically representing the real-time availability of the at least one entity comprises displaying a graphical representation of the at least one entity using a dynamic thumbnail, and wherein each dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of a ticket which defines the entity and a viewer for displaying the ticket.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
128 words
A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for providing a contact availability status for at least one entity, said computer executable instructions comprising: accepting contact availability data representing at least one contact method for each entity from at least one electronic information source; dynamically determining a real-time availability status of each entity for each contact method; and graphically representing the real-time availability stats of at least one entity via a display area rendered on at least one display device, wherein graphically representing the real-time availability of the at least one entity comprises displaying a graphical representation of the at least one entity using a dynamic thumbnail, and wherein each dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of a ticket which defines the entity and a viewer for displaying the ticket.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 49 wherein the step of graphically representing the real-time availability stats of each entity is based on age of the availability stats of each entity.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
35 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 50 wherein graphically representing the real-time availability of an entity comprises changing one of contrast, brightness, shading or transparency of the representation based on age of availability of the entity.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
44 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 49 wherein graphically representing the real-time availability stats of each entity comprises displaying the availability status of a first entity in a first display area and displaying the availability stats of a second entity in a second display area.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
49 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 52 comprising further computer executable instructions fur executing the following steps: moving the first display area into contact with the second display area; and combining the first display area with the second display area into a common display area responsive to the moving step.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
43 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 49 comprising further computer executable steps for executing the following steps: receiving a selection of a portion of the graphical representation of the real-time availability status of an entity; and moving the selected portion of the graphical representation.
Claim 58
Dependent Claim
33 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 49 wherein graphically representing the real-time availability status of each entity comprises displaying the real-time availability of each entity in a plurality of thumbnails in the display area.
Claim 59
Dependent Claim
69 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 55 comprising further computer-executable code for executing the following steps: determining a size of each thumbnail based on a size of the display area; determining the size of at least one thumbnail as below a predetermined threshold size; dividing the display area into a plurality of display areas based on determining the size of at least one thumbnail as below the predetermined threshold size.
Claim 60
Dependent Claim
16 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 56 wherein the plurality of display areas are arranged in strips.
Claim 61
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computer-readable medium of claim 49 comprising further computer executable code fix executing the following steps: receiving a selection of at least a portion of the real-time availability status of an entity; and displaying more detailed availability information of the entity responsive to receiving the selection.
Claim 62
Dependent Claim
60 words
The computer readable medium of claim 58 further comprising computer executable code for performing the following steps: receiving a selection of at least a portion of the more detailed availability information; and displaying further extended information pertaining to the more detailed availability information responsive to receiving the selection of the at least a portion of the more detailed availability information.
Claim 63
Dependent Claim
42 words
The computer readable medium of claim 49 wherein graphically representing the real-time availability status of each entity comprises displaying the availability status of an entity at a fixed location, the displayed availability stabs remaining at a consistent location in the display area.
Claim 64
Dependent Claim
61 words
The computer readable medium of claim 49 comprising further computer executable code for receiving a command to display the availability status of an entity on a display device of the at least one display devices, wherein the step of graphically representing the real-time availability status comprises displaying the availability status of the entity on the display device responsive to the command.
Claim 65
Dependent Claim
56 words
The computer readable medium of claim 49 comprising further computer executable code for determining past patterns of use of a display device, wherein the step of graphically representing the real-time availability stabs comprises displaying the availability stabs of the entity on the display device based on the determined past patterns of use of the display device.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-02-26 | 2010-08-28 | 2011-02-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-02-26 | 2014-08-28 | 2015-02-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-02-26 | 2018-08-28 | 2019-02-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |