Application-Specific Group Listing

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for providing active contents between applications activated by a plurality of computer systems are provided. A list of one or more remote users is created. A determination is made whether a first application and a second application are being executed by the at least one or more remote users. The list is updated in response to determining a change in a status of the second application being executed by the one or more remote users using at least one communications feature associated with the first application.

1 .- 45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . A method, comprising:
 creating a first list of one or more remote users;   determining whether a first application and a second application are being executed by the at least one or more remote users;   creating a second list of the one or more remote users based at least upon the second application; and   updating the second list in response to determining a change in a status of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users using at least one communications feature associated with said first application.   
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein determining whether said first application is being executed further comprises determining whether an instant messaging application is being executed. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein determining whether said second application is being executed further comprises determining whether at least one of a word processing application, a graphics application, a photo-editing application, a game application, a database application, a presentation application, an organizer application, and a drawing application, is being executed. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein creating at least one of the first list or the second list of one or more remote users further comprises creating a buddy list of one or more remote users logged onto a computer network comprising at least one of a sever centric system or a peer to peer system. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein determining whether said first and second applications are being executed further comprises providing communications between said second application associated with a first user and said second application associated with a second user through said first application. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein determining whether said first and second applications are being executed further comprises informing said first user of a status associated with said second application associated with said second user. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein providing communications between said second application associated with said first user and said second application associated with said second user through said first application further comprises providing said communications through an instant messaging program. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein updating said second list in response to determining said change in said status of one of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users further comprises updating a buddy list associated with an instant messaging program. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , wherein updating said second list in response to determining said change in said status of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users further comprises indicating at least one of an activation, deactivation, exit, and termination of said application, on said buddy list. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , further comprising:
 determining if an activation of said first application by said first user is to be published;   informing said second user of said activation of said first application by said first user in response to said determination that said activation of said application is to be published;   monitoring for data relating to said activation of said second application by said second user, said second application being similar to said first application;   updating said second list based upon said activation of at least one of said first and second applications by at least one of said first user and said second user; and   providing communications between said first user and said second user in the context of said first and second applications through an instant messaging program.   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein determining if said activation of said first application by said first user is to be published further comprises determining if said activation is to be published based upon at least one of a predetermined setting in said instant messaging program or a predetermined setting within said application. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 55 , wherein providing communications between said first user and said second user in the context of said application through an instant messaging program further comprising providing communications relating to an active content relating to said application, between said first and second users. 
     
     
         58 . A computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a processing device, perform a method, the method comprising:
 creating a first list of one or more remote users;   determining whether a first application and a second application are being executed by the at least one or more remote users;   creating a second list of the one or more remote users based at least upon the second application; and   updating the second list in response to determining a change in a status of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users using at least one communications feature associated with said first application.   
     
     
         59 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 58 , wherein determining whether said first application is being executed further comprises determining whether an instant messaging application is being executed. 
     
     
         60 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 58 , wherein determining whether said second application is being executed further comprises determining whether at least one of a word processing application, a graphics application, a photo-editing application, a game application, a database application, a presentation application, an organizer application, and a drawing application, is being executed. 
     
     
         61 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 58 , wherein creating at least one of the first list or the second list of one or more remote users further comprises creating a buddy list of one or more remote users logged onto a computer network comprising at least one of a sever centric system or a peer to peer system. 
     
     
         62 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 60 , wherein determining whether said first and second applications are being executed further comprises providing communications between said second application associated with a first user and said second application associated with a second user through said first application. 
     
     
         63 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 62 , wherein determining whether said first and second applications are being executed further comprises informing said first user of a status associated with said second application associated with said second user. 
     
     
         64 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 62 , wherein providing communications between said second application associated with said first user and said second application associated with said second user through said first application further comprises providing said communications through an instant messaging program. 
     
     
         65 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 60 , wherein updating said second list in response to determining said change in said status of one of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users further comprises updating a buddy list associated with an instant messaging program. 
     
     
         66 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 65 , wherein updating said second list in response to determining said change in said status of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users further comprises indicating at least one of an activation, deactivation, exit, and termination of said application, on said buddy list. 
     
     
         67 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 62 , further comprising:
 determining if an activation of said first application by said first user is to be published;   informing said second user of said activation of said first application by said first user in response to said determination that said activation of said application is to be published;   monitoring for data relating to said activation of said second application by said second user, said second application being similar to said first application;   updating said second list based upon said activation of at least one of said first and second applications by at least one of said first user and said second user; and   providing communications between said first user and said second user in the context of said first and second applications through an instant messaging program.   
     
     
         68 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 67 , wherein determining if said activation of said first application by said first user is to be published further comprises determining if said activation is to be published based upon at least one of a predetermined setting in said instant messaging program or a predetermined setting within said application. 
     
     
         69 . The computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method of  claim 67 , wherein providing communications between said first user and said second user in the context of said application through an instant messaging program further comprising providing communications relating to an active content relating to said application, between said first and second users. 
     
     
         70 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a storage unit for storing a list of one or more remote users;   a determination unit for determining whether a first application and a second application are being executed by the at least one or more remote users;   a communication unit for transmitting data between the one or more remote users; and   an updating unit for updating the list in response to determining a change in a status of said second application being executed by the one or more remote users using at least one communications feature associated with said first application.   
     
     
         71 . The apparatus of  claim 70 , wherein said storage unit, said determination unit, said communication unit and said updating unit comprise a server computer. 
     
     
         72 . The apparatus of  claim 71 , wherein said server computer is part of a network system. 
     
     
         73 . The apparatus of  claim 70 , wherein said communication unit is adapted to transmitting data between two or more remote users. 
     
     
         74 . The apparatus of  claim 73 , wherein said communication unit is adapted to transmitting data between said two or more remote users using an instant messaging application. 
     
     
         75 . The apparatus of  claim 70 , wherein said communication unit is adapted to transmitting data between said one or more remote users in at least one of real-time or near real-time.