| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090100145 | METHOD FOR INTERNET-BASED APPLICATIONS TO ENABLE INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS TO SPECIFY LOCATION CONTEXT - A client computing device accesses a communications network via a network service provider, including exercising to at least one other user using a network-based service. A request for location context is provided, destined to the network-based service via the network service provider. The network service provider intercepts the location context request and provides the location context to the client computing device, which is then provided to the at least one other user using the network-based service (such as a status message of an instant messaging service). | 04-16-2009 |
| 20100057857 | CHAT MATCHING - Techniques for communicating via an instant messaging service are provided. In one technique, a user of an instant messaging application selects a particular status that indicates that the user wants to chat. In response to the selection, the instant messaging application displays a list of references to other users that have also selected the particular status. In another technique, the user selects a topic about which the user wishes to discuss. References to other users that have selected the same or similar topic are displayed to the user. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100070585 | PRESENCE INDICATION CONFIGURATION METHODOLOGY - A presence model is maintained for a messaging system to message among a plurality of computing device users. A permission is maintained for providing to a first computing device a presence indication for a user of a second computing device. Based on an indication of a user of the first computing device not being in a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, the permission is maintained to provide only a basic presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device. From the first computing device, a message is caused to be sent to the second computing device. Based on the maintained permission, the basic presence indication for the user of the second computing device is provided to the first computing device and a user interface element is provided via which the user of the first computing device can be added to a messaging list for the user of the second computing device. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100153854 | PRESENCE INDICATION CONFIGURATION METHODOLOGY - A presence model is maintained for a messaging system to message among a plurality of computing device users. A permission is maintained for providing to a first computing device a presence indication for a user of a second computing device. Based on an indication of a user of the first computing device not being in a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, the permission is maintained to provide only a basic presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device. From the first computing device, a message is caused to be sent to the second computing device. Based on the maintained permission, the basic presence indication for the user of the second computing device is provided to the first computing device and a user interface element is provided via which the user of the first computing device can be added to a messaging list for the user of the second computing device. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100306066 | TECHNIQUES FOR DISPLAYING AN ADVERTISEMENT ACROSS MULTIPLE PAGES - Techniques for persisting an advertisement across multiple web pages served from page-view based websites. The advertisement is persisted across multiple pages served from page-view based websites without creating new advertisement impressions. This reduces the number of advertisement impressions and also extends the amount of time that a particular advertisement can be shown to a user even as the user navigates across multiple web pages. | 12-02-2010 |
| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080250322 | EXPANDING A SOCIAL NETWORK BY THE ACTION OF A SINGLE USER - Techniques for creating a social network are provided. Private relationships that are established (e.g., in the context of instant messaging) may become public by the action of a single user. Each user determines whether they want to be “social” to (or discoverable by) friends of the user's friends. For example, user A is a friend of (i.e., has established a relationship with) user B and user B is a friend of user C, but user A and user C are not friends of each other (i.e., user A and user C have not established a relationship with each other). If user C unilaterally takes an action, then user A is able to see that user C is a friend of user B. User A may then take further actions to attempt to establish a relationship with user C or otherwise contact user C. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20090019117 | SUPER-EMOTICONS - Techniques are described for generating and displaying “super-emoticons”. Super-emoticons are similar to smileys in that they may be generated in response to a participant in a textual conversation entering a specific sequence of textual characters. However, super-emoticons differ from smileys in that super-emoticons are programmed to demonstrate more sophisticated behaviors, including but not limited to: moving out of the text insertion location, interacting with other display elements, interacting with users, changing appearance based on context, exhibiting randomly selected behaviors, and making use of information from services. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090024463 | TECHNIQUES FOR IMPROVING USER ENGAGEMENT WITH ADVERTISEMENTS - Methods and apparatus are described for stimulating user engagement with advertising content. Presentation of an interface in a display for viewing by a user is facilitated. The interface includes a content window occupying a substantially fixed location in the interface. Presentation of a sequence of units of content in the content window, some of which are advertisements is facilitated. Various techniques are described to encourage user engagement and interaction with the content window. | 01-22-2009 |
