The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 18, 2010
Filed:
Jun. 18, 2002
Melora Zaner, Seattle, WA (US);
Eugene Mesgar, Seattle, WA (US);
Neel Ishwar Murarka, Seattle, WA (US);
Asta Glatzer, Redmond, WA (US);
Kathleen Mulcahy, Seattle, WA (US);
Rama Ranganath, Seattle, WA (US);
Erica Sanders, Seattle, WA (US);
Cesare John Saretto, Seattle, WA (US);
Tammy Savage, Seattle, WA (US);
John Vert, Seattle, WA (US);
Eugene Zarakhovsky, Seattle, WA (US);
Melora Zaner, Seattle, WA (US);
Eugene Mesgar, Seattle, WA (US);
Neel Ishwar Murarka, Seattle, WA (US);
Asta Glatzer, Redmond, WA (US);
Kathleen Mulcahy, Seattle, WA (US);
Rama Ranganath, Seattle, WA (US);
Erica Sanders, Seattle, WA (US);
Cesare John Saretto, Seattle, WA (US);
Tammy Savage, Seattle, WA (US);
John Vert, Seattle, WA (US);
Eugene Zarakhovsky, Seattle, WA (US);
Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);
Abstract
A communication icon represents a shared connection allowing members of an online group to interact with each other and participate in different activities together. The icon through which the group interacts resides on each group member's desktop and has many attributes including click activation modes and drag and drop functionality. The icon provides each group member with a representation of the group's shared relationship. Any group member can change the group icon and have that change propagated to the computers of the other members of the group. The icon can be activated for both non-verbal and verbal communications as well as activity sharing. Online members of the group are kept apprised of the group's status and activities via a displayed status bar.