Method and system for collecting and displaying aggregate presence information for mobile media players

• US 20040172481A1
• Filed: 11/07/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Varia Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Engstrom, G. Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,922 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/239
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 1/0058 provided with channel identification means arrangements for monitoring the use made of broadcast services H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H03J 2200/20 Radio receiver with possibility to choose a station with a certain program style
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/65 for using the result on users' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72442 for playing music files
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 : Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 : Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 : Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 : Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 : Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

The invention is directed to mobile device (FIG. 5, No 502) that obtains presence information for multiple users of other mobile devices (FIG. 5, No 508) and aggregating this information for display by at least one of the users. The aggregated presence information can include the physical (FIG. 5, No 516), virtual and ordinal (FIG. 5, Nos 512 and 514) locations for multiple users of the invention. Each user can opt in to, or out of, displaying at least a portion of the aggregated presence information in real time or over time (FIG. 5, No 504). Also statistics can be provided for analyzing presence information over time.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating presences for multiple users of mobile devices, comprising:

(a) determining a presence for each reporting user,

(b) aggregating the presences of the reporting users by locations;

(c) enabling at least a portion of aggregated presences by locations to be displayed on a mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a selective display by location for at least one portion of the aggregated presences.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a selective display of a statistic by location for at least one portion of the aggregated presences.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a selective display of a pal list by location for at least one portion of the aggregated presences.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence for each reporting user further comprises determining a physical location for each reporting user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence for each reporting user further comprises determining a virtual location for each reporting user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence for each reporting user further comprises determining an ordinal location for each reporting user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling at least a portion of the aggregated user presence by location to be displayed on a stationary computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling at least a portion of the aggregated presences by location to be displayed in real time.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the presence for each reporting user further comprises determining each manually entered location.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the server operates on a stationary computing device.

13. The server of claim 10, wherein aggregating the presences by location includes aggregating at least one of a physical, a virtual, an ordinal and a manual location for each reporting client.

11. A server for aggregating presences received from multiple clients on mobile devices, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing logical instructions;

(b) a network interface unit for receiving data relating to the presences of clients and sending data relating to the aggregated presences; and

(c) a processor coupled to the memory and the network interface for executing the logical instructions stored in the memory, the execution of the logical instructions causing actions to be performed, including;

(i) receiving a presence from each reporting client,

(ii) aggregating the presences by locations; and

(iii) enabling at least a portion of the aggregated presences by locations to be displayed by a requesting client on a mobile device.

14. A mobile device for displaying aggregated presences by location, comprising:

(a) a memory for storing logical instructions;

(b) a wireless interface unit for sending data relating to presence, and receiving data relating to the aggregated presences; and

(c) a processor coupled to the memory and the wireless interface unit for executing the logical instructions stored in the memory, the execution of the logical instructions causing actions to be performed, including;

(i) determining a presence for the mobile device,

(ii) providing the presence for aggregation;

(ii) receiving aggregated presences by location for a plurality of other mobile devices; and

(iii) enabling at least a portion of the aggregated presences by location to be displayed on the mobile device.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, the actions caused to be performed further comprise enabling the playing of at least one of a radio broadcast, television broadcast and streamed content.

16. The mobile device of claim 14, the actions caused to be performed further comprise enabling a web page to be browsed.

17. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein aggregating the presences by location includes aggregating at least one of a physical, a virtual, an ordinal and a manual location for each reporting client

18. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising enabling a selective display of a pal list by location for at least one portion of the aggregated presences.

19. The mobile device of claim 14, further comprising enabling at least a portion of the aggregated presences by location to be displayed in real time.

20. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the mobile device is a selected one of a wireless mobile phone, a pager, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a palm-sized computing device, a laptop computer, a portable radio, a portable MPx player, and a portable CD/DVD player.

21. An apparatus for aggregating presences for multiple users of mobile devices, comprising:

(a) means for determining a presence for each reporting user,

(b) means for aggregating presences for each reporting user by location; and

(c) means for enabling at least a portion of aggregated presences by location to be displayed on a mobile device.