User-selectable environments for mobile communications devices

• US 10,206,057 B2
• Filed: 11/28/2017
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Flynn, Donna K., Lovejoy, Tracey N., Medlock, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Donado, Frank E
• Application Number:
  US15/824,653
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184237A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

At a mobile communications device, a communication is received from a communication source. An indication of an environment type associated with the communication source is obtained, and a check is made as to whether the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches a current environment type of the mobile communications device. An initial notification (and optionally a leave-behind notification) of the communication is presented only if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a first setting of the mobile communications device that selects a current environment type of the mobile communications device from two or more different mobile communications device environment types, the first setting comprising an environment type in which interruptions are not permitted;

receiving a communication from a communication source;

obtaining an identifier of the communication source;

comparing the identifier of the communication source to the current environment type of the mobile communications device;

based on comparing the identifier of the communication source to the current environment type,

preventing presentation of a notification of the communication,

maintaining a record of the communication, including the identifier of the communication source, received at the mobile communications device as a missed communication,

receiving a second setting changing the current environment type of the mobile communications device from the environment type in which interruptions are not permitted to an environment type in which interruptions are permitted, and

after receiving the second setting that changes the current environment;

presenting a leave-behind notification for the communication, the leave-behind notification including an indication that the notification of the communication was previously received; and

changing a manner in which information is presented on the mobile communications device by at least accessing an information store that maintains indications of how the information is to be displayed for each of the two or more different mobile communications environment types.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type of the mobile communications device is indicated by user-selection of a switch of the mobile communications device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting the leave-behind notification of the communication only if the identifier of the communication source satisfies the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a voice call.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining the identifier of the communication source comprises obtaining the identifier from a remote contact list of a user of the mobile communications device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type of the mobile communications device is determined based on a current time for the mobile communications device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type of the mobile communications device is determined based on a current location of the mobile communications device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the current environment type of the mobile communications device, information to be displayed; and

displaying the identified information.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the current environment type of the mobile communications device, a manner in which information is to be displayed; and

displaying the information in the identified manner.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the two or more different mobile communications device environment types further comprise a work environment and a personal environment.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising, when the identifier of the communication source from which a communication is received cannot be obtained, associating a default identifier with the communication source.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the default identifier is user-selectable.

13. A mobile communications device comprising:

a current environment indicator identifying a current environment type, the current environment type being selectable by user input from two or more different environment types including an environment type in which interruptions are not permitted and an environment type in which interruptions are permitted;

a contact list identifying multiple communication sources from which communications can be received, and for each communication source identifying an environment type associated with the communication source;

a decision module operable to obtain the current environment type of the mobile communications device and an identifier of a communication source from which a communication is received, compare the identifier of the communication source from which the communication is received to the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used, and based on comparing, output a notification decision; and

a notification module operable to receive the notification decision, and based on the notification decision, when the notification decision indicates that the current environment type of the mobile communications device is not satisfied by the identifier of the communication source from which the communication is received, prevent presentation of a notification of the communication via a user interface module, and maintain a record of the communication, including the identifier of the communication source from which the communication is received, as a missed communication, and

when the current environment type of the mobile communications device is changed from the environment type in which interruptions are not permitted to an environment type in which interruptions are permitted,

notify the user interface module to present a leave-behind notification for the communication, the leave-behind notification including an indication that the communication was previously received, and

change a manner in which information is presented on the mobile communications device by at least accessing an information store that maintains indications of how the information is to be displayed for each of the two or more different mobile communications environment types.

14. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a switch, and wherein the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used is indicated by user-selection of the switch.

15. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the user interface module is further operable to:

identify, based on the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used, information to be displayed; and

display the identified information.

16. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 15, wherein the user interface module is further operable to:

identify, based on the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used, a manner in which the identified information is to be displayed; and

display the identified information in the identified manner.

17. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the two or more different environment types further comprise a work environment and a personal environment.

18. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the decision module is further operable to obtain a default identifier for the communication when the identifier of the communication source cannot be obtained.

19. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 18, wherein the default identifier is selectable by user input.

20. One or more computer readable storage media not consisting of transitory signals and having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile communications device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a first setting of the mobile communications device that selects a current environment type of the mobile communications device from two or more different mobile communications device environment types, the first setting comprising an environment type in which interruptions are not permitted;

receive a communication from a communication source;

obtain an identifier of the communication source;

compare the identifier of the communication source to the current environment type of the mobile communications device;

based on comparing the identifier of the communication source to the current environment type,

prevent presentation of a notification of the communication,

maintain a record of the communication, including the identifier of the communication source, received at the mobile communications device as a missed communication,

receive a second setting changing the current environment type of the mobile communications device from the environment type in which interruptions are not permitted to an environment type in which interruptions are permitted, and

after receiving the second setting that changes the current environment;

present a leave-behind notification for the communication, the leave-behind notification including an indication that the notification of the communication was previously received; and

change a manner in which information is presented on the mobile communications device by at least accessing an information store that maintains indications of how the information is to be displayed for each of the two or more different mobile communications environment types.