Automatically populating recipients in an instant messaging or other computer communication system

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
displaying, in a user interface provided by an instant messaging application, names from a hierarchical organization of names matching a name selection criteria, wherein said hierarchical organization of names is a database that is external to said instant messaging application and is selected from a plurality of data sources by a local user; in response to selection of a selected one of said names matching said name selection criteria by said local user, displaying a commands display object including a plurality of user selectable commands, said commands including a command to perform a communication operation with all persons that are managers of a user corresponding to said selected one of said names, wherein said communication operation includes adding all users that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names to an instant contact list for said local user in said instant messaging application; and in response to selection of said command to perform said communication operation with all persons that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names, automatically adding all users that are managers of said user corresponding to said selected one of said names to said instant contact list for said local user in said instant messaging application.