Patent ID: 7360172

Claim:
In a computing system that is connected with a display device, and that is configured to display one or more contact controls at the display device, wherein the one or more contact controls are hosted by one or more third-party application programs where at least one of which can control the display and interactivity of a contact control, a method for executing actions with or between the one or more third-party application programs utilizing the one or more contact controls displayed at the display device, the method comprising: an act of a third party application hosting the contact control displayed at the display device, the contact control being associated with a corresponding contact and with one or more external data sources that are independent of the third party application, such that the data sources can be retrieved from the one or more external data sources when the contact control is selected, the data sources comprising contact information; an act of receiving a user input that involves the contact control, wherein the user input comprises dragging the contact control onto a third party application icon, dragging a third party application icon onto the contact control, dragging a file icon onto the contact control, or dragging the contact control onto a file icon; upon receiving the user input, an act of accessing contact information associated with the corresponding contact from the one or more data sources; determining, based at least in part upon the received user input, an action to be initiated involving at least the corresponding contact; determining, based at least in part upon the received user input, which contact information is most accurate and appropriate; and also upon receiving the user input, an act including at least one of initiating a communicative action with the contact and accessing one or more data sources associated with the contact.