Group service with information on group members

• US 20050054361A1
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Published: 03/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Saijonmaa, Jaakko, Turcanu, Calin
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2044 Group features, e.g. closed user group
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 Processing of subscriber group data

Abstract

Group communication service is becoming more and more popular in communications systems. The users of the group communication would benefit especially from summarized group information. A member of a group comprising at least two members can receive the summarized group information by subscribing to information on other group members; wherein information on the group is summarized at least on the basis of current information on at least one other group member whose information was subscribed to; and by showing the thus obtained summarized group member information (4-1, 4-2) to the member.

Claims

1. A method for providing a user with summarized group member information in a communications system, a group comprising at least two members, the method comprising:

subscribing to information on other group members;

summarizing information on the group at least based on current information on at least one other group member whose information was subscribed to; and

delivering obtained summarized group member information to a user.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the user indicating the user wants to join the group;

performing the steps of subscribing, summarizing and delivering in response to receiving the indication; and

authorizing information on the user to the at least one other member of the group in response to receiving the indication.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a change in information on a member in the group;

delivering the changed information as current information to members of the group subscribed to the information; and

updating the summarized group member information.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of subscribing is performed group-specifically.

5. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of authorizing is performed group-specifically.

6. A device in a communications system comprising:

receiving means for receiving group information;

receiving means for receiving information on group members;

forming means for forming summarized group member information on a group at least based on received current information on the group members; and

a user interface for showing the summarized group member information to a user of a device.

7. A device according to claim 6, further comprising:

subscribing and unsubscribing means for subscribing and unsubscribing to information on other group members, the subscribing and unsubscribing means being responsive to user selections.

8. A device according to claim 6, further comprising:

authorizing and unauthorizing means for authorizing and unauthorizing other group members to receive information on a group member using the device, the authorizing and unauthorizing means being responsive to user selections.

9. A device according to claim 6, wherein said receiving means for receiving group information, said receiving means for receiving information on group members and said forming means are included in a group-enhanced phonebook of the device.

10. A device according to claim 6, configured to subscribe to information on other group members based on information in a phonebook of the device.

11. A device according to claim 6, configured to authorize other group members based on information in a phonebook of the device.

12. A communications system providing group communication and comprising:

a first server component for providing information service; and

user terminals capable of group communication;

wherein at least one user terminal is configured to form summarized group information based on information on group members received from the first server component.

13. A communications system according to claim 12, wherein the first server component is configured to provide the information on the group members member-specifically.

14. A communications system according to claim 12, further comprising a second server component for providing group communication service;

and wherein the at least one user terminal is configured to form the summarized group information using group information received from the second server component and the first server component.

15. A communications system according to claim 14, wherein the second server component is configured, in response to receiving an indication from a user terminal indicating a user of the user terminal is attaching to a group, to subscribe to the user terminal information on other members of the group from the first server component and to authorize the first server component to submit information on the user to the other members of the group.

16. A communications system according to claim 15, wherein the second server component is configured to authenticate the user to the first server component.

17. A server component in a communications system, the server component being configured to form summarized group information on a group comprising at least two members.

18. A server component according to claim 17, further configured to use current information on group members when forming the summarized group information.

19. A computer-readable program product comprising computer program code, executable in a user device of a communications system, wherein execution of the computer program code in the user device causes the user device to subscribe to information on other group members, summarize information on a group at least based on current information on at least one other group member whose information was subscribed to, and deliver obtained summarized group member information to a user.