Creating a communication group

• US 10,154,385 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Apfel, Darren Alexander, Friedman, Jonathan David, Rowe, Keith Lindsey, Ho, Rosanna H., Vargas, Sandra I., Bernard, Peter Andrew, Von Bencke, Matthew Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Wyche, Myron K
• Application Number:
  US15/437,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20170164164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

In implementations of creating a communication group, a mobile device can receive a selection to enable communication of location information between devices that correspond to entities from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device. The mobile device can receive location information that describes a physical location or proximity of the devices that correspond to the entities, and present in a user interface on a display device, a visual representation that indicates at least one of the entities is at a location within a pre-set distance of the mobile device. A communication group can be created that includes the entities selected from the group of entities associated with the user of the mobile device. The mobile device can also communicate the location information of the mobile device to all of the devices that correspond to the entities as a group communication based on the communication group.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a display device configured to display a user interface;

a memory and a processor that are respectively configured to store and execute instructions, including instructions for causing the mobile device to perform operations,

the operations comprising;

receiving a selection to enable communication of location information between devices that correspond to one or more entities from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device;

receiving location information that describes a physical location or proximity of the devices that correspond to the one or more entities;

presenting in the user interface on the display device, a visual representation that indicates at least one of the one or more entities is at a location within a pre-set distance of the mobile device; and

creating a communication group that includes the one or more entities selected from the group of entities associated with the user of the mobile device based on the proximity of the devices that correspond to the one or more entities, at least one of the one or more entities added to the communication group when a device that corresponds to the at least one entity is within the pre-set distance of the mobile device.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

communicating the location information of the mobile device to all of the devices that correspond to the one or more entities as a group communication based on the communication group.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

presenting in the user interface on the display device, an alert responsive to a determination that one or more of the entities has reached a distance in proximity to the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

creating the communication group based on selections of the one or more entities received in the user interface to initiate adding each of the one or more entities to a visual representation of the communication group in the user interface.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

creating the communication group based on the one or more entities responding to an invitation to join the communication group, at least one of the one or more entities added to the communication group when an invitation response is received from a device that corresponds to the at least one entity.

6. A method implemented by a mobile device, the method comprising:

displaying a user interface in a display device;

receiving a selection to enable communication of location information between devices that correspond to one or more entities from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device;

receiving location information that describes a physical location or proximity of the devices that correspond to the one or more entities;

presenting in the user interface, a visual representation that indicates at least one of the one or more entities is at a location within a pre-set distance of the mobile device; and

creating a communication group that includes the one or more entities selected from the group of entities associated with the user of the mobile device, wherein said creating the communicating group is based on the proximity of the devices that correspond to the one or more entities, at least one of the one or more entities added to the communication group when a device that corresponds to the at least one entity is within the pre-set distance of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising communicating, as a group communication based on the communication group, the location information of the mobile device to all of the devices that correspond to the one or more entities.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising presenting in the user interface on the display device, an alert responsive to a determination that one or more of the entities has reached a distance in proximity to the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving selections of the one or more entities in the user interface to create the communication group by adding each of the one or more entities to a visual representation of the communication group in the user interface.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein said creating the communication group is based on the one or more entities responding to an invitation to join the communication group, at least one of the one or more entities added to the communication group when an invitation response is received from a device that corresponds to the at least one entity.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

a display device configured to display a user interface;

a processing system implemented at least partially in hardware and configured to perform operations, the operations comprising;

populating a communication group that includes one or more entities selected from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device, the communication group being automatically populated with the one or more entities based on one or more criteria of creating the communication group;

presenting in the user interface on the display device, a visual representation that indicates the one or more entities are populated into the communication group;

receiving a selection to create the communication group based on the one or more entities being populated into the communication group; and

creating the communication group that includes the one or more entities based on the received selection.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria comprises devices that correspond to the one or more entities being at a proximity within a pre-set distance of the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria comprises the one or more entities responding to an invitation to join the communication group, and invitation responses being received from devices that correspond to the one or more entities.

14. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

populating the communication group without user interaction.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria comprises communication received from devices that correspond to the one or more entities within a period of time.

16. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria comprises a designated number of communications received from devices that correspond to the one or more entities within a period of time.