System and method for updating user availability for wireless communication applications

• US 10,148,986 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikan, Jeffrey, McNamara, Justin, Cenciarelli, Fulvio, Kefalas, Anastasios
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold, Marsha D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cosme, Natasha W
• Application Number:
  US14/824,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20150350127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 725 9- 14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring and updating user availability based upon presence and television viewing behavior are described herein. In one embodiment, a presence system is used to detect a user'"'"'s presence to update the user'"'"'s availability status. The availability status is then used to update a contact list, voicemail message, and/or busy message. In further embodiments, user preferences are used in combination with presence data to update the user'"'"'s availability status. In still further embodiments, a user'"'"'s television viewing behavior is used in combination with the presence data, user preferences, or both to update the user'"'"'s availability status. Alternative embodiments provide systems and methods in accordance with the present invention for other interactive devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a presence device;

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

obtaining, from a provider, a television signal that corresponds to a television show,

detecting, using the presence device, a presence of a user in a proximity of the presence device, wherein the user is associated with a mobile communications device,

in response to detecting the presence of the user, obtaining information that relates to the television show, wherein the information that relates to the television show is obtained from the provider and indicates a time until a commercial,

determining an availability status associated with the user, wherein the availability status is based on the presence and the information that relates to the television show, wherein the availability status indicates if communications are to be accepted by the mobile communications device during the television show, wherein the availability status indicates that the user is unavailable, and wherein the availability status further indicates an amount of time until the user is available, and

transmitting the availability status to a communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a facial recognition device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

detecting a facial expression of the user using the facial recognition device; and

determining an emotional state of the user based on the facial expression.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein detecting the facial expression comprises:

obtaining, using a camera, an image of a face of the user; and

comparing the image to a base image of the user to determine the facial expression.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the television signal is obtained from the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein determining the availability status comprises:

obtaining preferences associated with the user; and

determining the availability status based upon the preferences associated with the user, the presence, and the information that relates to the television show.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a voice recognition device comprising a microphone, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining an emotional state of the user based on sounds obtained using the microphone.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the sounds comprise a vocal response.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a microphone, and wherein the presence of the user is determined by comparing, with a voiceprint associated with the user, sounds obtained using the microphone.

9. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a device comprising a presence device and a processor, a television signal that corresponds to a television show, wherein the television signal is obtained from a provider;

detecting, by the device and using the presence device, a presence of a user in a proximity of the presence device, wherein the user is associated with a mobile communications device;

in response to detecting the presence of the user, obtaining, by the device, information that relates to the television show, wherein the information that relates to the television show is obtained from the provider and indicates a time until a commercial;

determining, by the device, an availability status associated with the user, wherein the availability status is based on the presence and the information that relates to the television show, wherein the availability status indicates if communications are to be accepted by the mobile communications device during the television show, wherein the availability status indicates that the user is unavailable, and wherein the availability status further indicates an amount of time until the user is available; and

transmitting, by the device, the availability status to a communications network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining, by the device, an emotional state of the user, wherein the presence device comprises a facial recognition device, and wherein determining the emotional state of the user comprises

detecting a facial expression of the user using the facial recognition device, and

determining the emotional state of the user based on the facial expression.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting the facial expression comprises:

obtaining, using a camera, an image of a face of the user; and

comparing the image to a base image of the user to determine the facial expression.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the availability status comprises:

obtaining preferences associated with the user; and

determining the availability status based upon the preferences associated with the user, the presence, and the information that relates to the television show.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining an emotional state of the user based on sounds obtained by a microphone, and wherein the presence device comprises the microphone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sounds comprise a vocal response.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the presence device comprises a microphone, and wherein the presence of the user is determined by comparing, with a voiceprint associated with the user, sounds obtained using the microphone.

16. A device comprising:

a presence device;

a processor; and

a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising

obtaining, from a provider, a television signal that corresponds to a television show,

detecting, using the presence device, a presence of a user in a proximity of the presence device, wherein the user is associated with a mobile communications device,

in response to detecting the presence of the user, obtaining information that relates to the television show, wherein the information that relates to the television show is obtained from the provider and indicates a time until a commercial,

determining an availability status associated with the user, wherein the availability status is based on the presence and the information, and wherein the availability status indicates if communications are to be accepted by the mobile communications device during the television show, wherein the availability status indicates that the user is unavailable, and wherein the availability status further indicates an amount of time until the user is available, and

transmitting the availability status to a communications network.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the presence device comprises a facial recognition device, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

detecting a facial expression of the user using the facial recognition device; and

determining an emotional state of the user based on the facial expression.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein determining the availability status comprises:

obtaining preferences associated with the user; and

determining the availability status based upon the preferences associated with the user, the presence, and the information that relates to the television show.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the presence device comprises a voice recognition device comprising a microphone, and wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations further comprising:

determining an emotional state of the user based on a vocal response that is obtained via the microphone.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the presence device comprises a microphone, and wherein the presence of the user is determined by comparing, to a voiceprint associated with the user, sounds obtained using the microphone.