Status indicator for communication systems

• US 20060114920A1
• Filed: 12/01/2004
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US11/000,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114920A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/410
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A variety of techniques and devices for acquiring user status information at a transmitting device to a receiving device, or vice versa, are provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

acquiring a user status information for a user of a receiving device that indicates a status of the user of the receiving device, wherein the user status information is sent to a transmitting device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user status information is sent from the receiving device to the transmitting device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user status information is sent from a network location operationally positioned between the transmitting device and the receiving device to the transmitting device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a location of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a local time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a type of the receiving device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating one or more device capabilities of the receiving device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a condition of the receiving device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user status information that is sent to the transmitting device is displayed on a display.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the user status information that is sent to the transmitting device is projected as voice or audio.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising an establishing a communication setup between the transmitting device and the receiving device, wherein said acquiring the user status information is performed in response to said establishing the communication setup.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the establishing the communication setup includes an establishing a telephone setup.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the establishing the communication setup includes an establishing an e-mail setup.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising a providing a sender an option at the transmitting device to terminate the communication setup between the transmitting device and the receiving device prior to the establishing a communication connection between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a sender an option at the transmitting device to establish a communication connection at some later time between the transmitting device and the receiving device as indicated from the receiving device at least partially in response to the acquiring the user status information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said later time corresponds to some convenient time for the user at the receiving device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a sender an option at the transmitting device to establish a communication connection between the transmitting device and an alternate receiving device as indicated at least partially in response to the acquiring the user status information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving device includes a telephone while the alternate receiving device includes a voicemail system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the establishing the communication setup relies on a computer-based network.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the establishing the communication setup involves the user providing input over one or more from a group, the group includes a cell phone, a land line, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a teleconferencing device, an e-mail, a videoconferencing device, a satellite phone device, an instant messaging device, or a hybrid device.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the establishing the communication setup involves the user providing input to be transmitted to one or more from a group, the group includes a cell phone, a land line, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a teleconferencing device, a videoconferencing device, a satellite phone device, an e-mail, an instant messaging device, or a hybrid device.

22. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an inaccurate user status of the receiving device to the transmitting device at least partially in response to the acquiring the user status information.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes an acquiring a time-zone of the receiving device that is provided to the transmitting device.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes an acquiring a time-zone of the transmitting device that is provided to the receiving device.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes transmitting a location at which the receiving device is located to the transmitting device.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user option at the transmitting device to establish a communication connection between the transmitting device and the receiving device at least partially in response to the acquiring the user status information.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes deriving a user locational information that describes an at least one position of the receiving device which is provided to the transmitting device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one position of the receiving device is indicated relative to the transmitting device.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one position of the receiving device is indicated relative to at least one location.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one position of the receiving device is indicated relative to at least one landmark.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the information derived at the receiving device describes a position of the receiving device.

32. The method claim 1, wherein the information derived at the receiving device is determined for at least one position relative to the receiving device.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising an allowing the user to establish a communication connection in response to the acquiring the user status information using at least one of a switch, a button, a voice, or a timeout mechanism.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the allowing the user to establish a communication connection using the button involves allowing the user to physically depress a hard button.

35. The method claim 33, wherein the allowing the user to establish a communication connection using the button involves allowing the user to select a soft button.

36. The method of claim 1, further comprising a receiving information at a location between the receiving device and the transmitting device at least in part to the acquiring the user status information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the receiving information is at least partially performed over a back channel.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the receiving information is performed at least in part in response to a second user at the transmitting device inputting a phone number.

39. The method claim 36, wherein the acquiring the user status information at the transmitting device is performed at least in part in response to a second user inputting an e-mail.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring the user status information is based on receiving at least one from a group, the group including a time from a local time indicator, a time zone from a time zone indicator, a city from a city indicator, a location indicator, a landmark indicator, a street address from a street address indicator, or one or more position coordinates from a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein the acquiring user status information results, at least in part, from the user providing input to a user interface.

42. The method of claim 1, further comprising a querying a database to derive at least some information that is acquired as the user status information.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising locating at least a part of the database at the receiving device.

44. The method of claim 42, further comprising locating at least a part of the database at a network location that is operationally positioned between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising responding to the querying the database by a filtering of the user status information that is contained in the database.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the filtering of the user status information is at least partially performed at least in part in response to a manual user input.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein the filtering of the user status information is at least partially performed in response to an automated user input based at least in part upon input previously input by the user at the receiving device.

48. The method of claim 45, wherein the filtering of the user status information relates at least in part to at least one from selecting from a group, the group including a contact list, a list of specifically identified individuals, or a list of specifically identified groups of individuals.

49. The method claim 45, wherein the filtering of the user status information at least partially involves a providing logging attempts, or considering those individuals that are associated with one or more of the provided logging attempts.

50. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a granularity of the user status information based, at least in part, on an identity of the transmitting device.

51. A status system comprising:

a status acquiring device that is configured to acquire a user status information of a receiving device at a transmitting device.

52. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device establishes a communication setup with the receiving device, and wherein the status acquiring device can acquire the user status information of the receiving device at the transmitting device at least partially in response to the transmitting device establishing the communication setup.

53. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device acquiring the user status information includes the transmitting device indicating a location of a user.

54. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device acquiring the user status information includes the transmitting device indicating a local time.

55. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device acquiring the user status information includes the transmitting device indicating a type of the receiving device.

56. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device acquiring the user status information includes indicating the receiving device'"'"'s acquiring capabilities.

57. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device acquiring the user status information includes the transmitting device acquiring a condition.

58. The status system of claim 57, wherein the condition includes a weather condition.

59. The status system of claim 51, further comprising the transmitting device establishing a communication setup between the transmitting device and the receiving device, wherein the transmitting device acquiring the user status information is performed at least partially in response to the transmitting devices establishing a communication setup.

60. The status system of claim 59, wherein the transmitting device establishing the communication setup includes the transmitting device establishing a telephone setup.

61. The status system of claim 59, wherein the transmitting device establishing the communication setup includes the transmitting device establishing an e-mail setup.

62. The status system of claim 51, further comprising an option device that is configured to allow a user at the transmitting device to select whether to establish a communication connection between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

63. The status system of claim 51, wherein the user status information that is acquired by the status acquiring device includes a locational information that describes a position of the receiving device.

64. The status system of claim 51, wherein the user status information that is acquired by the status acquiring device includes a locational information that describes information at a location of the receiving device.

65. The status system of claim 51, wherein the status acquiring device acquires the user status information at least partially in response to a user input from at least one from a group, the group includes a switch, a button, or a timeout mechanism, wherein the user input is transmitted between the receiving device and the transmitting device.

66. The status system of claim 51, wherein the status acquiring device includes a back channel that extends between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

67. The status system of claim 51, wherein the status acquiring device acquires the user status information at least partially in response to a user at the transmitting device inputting into a phone system including the transmitting device an identifier of the receiving device.

68. The status system of claim 67, wherein the status acquiring device acquired the user status information at least partially in response to the user inputting a phone number corresponding to the receiving device.

69. The status system of claim 51, wherein the status acquiring device acquires the user status information, at least in part, in response to a user at the transmitting device inputting an identifier of the receiving device into an e-mail system including the transmitting device.

70. The status system of claim 51, wherein the status acquiring device acquires the user status information at least in part to a user inputting a phone number for the receiving device at the transmitting device, but wherein the user has not selected a call button.

71. The status system of claim 51, wherein the user status information includes at least one from a group, the group includes a local time indicator, a time zone indicator, a city indicator, a location indicator, a landmark indicator, a street address indicator, or a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

72. The status system of claim 51, further comprising a database that is queried to provide the user status information, wherein the database is at least partially located at the receiving device.

73. The status system of claim 72, wherein the database is at least partially located at at least one network location, the at least one network location is situated between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

74. The status system of claim 72, further comprising a filter responding to the database that is queried by a filter that filters user status information that is contained in the database.

75. The status system of claim 74, further comprising the filter that filters user status information responding, at least in part, to a manual user input.

76. The status system of claim 74, further comprising the filter that filters user status information responding, at least in part, to an automated user input.

77. The status system of claim 74, wherein the filter that filters user status information considers at least one from a group, the group including a contact list, a list of specifically identified individuals, or a list of specifically identified groups of individuals.

78. The status system of claim 74, wherein the filter that filters user status information considers logging attempts and one or more persons trying to view such information.

79. The status system of claim 51, further comprising adjusting a granularity of the user status information.

80. The status system of claim 51, wherein the transmitting device includes one or more from a group, the group including one or more of a cell phone, a land line phone, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a teleconferencing device, a videoconferencing device, a satellite phone device, an e-mail device, an instant messaging device, or a hybrid device.

81. The status system of claim 51, wherein the receiving device includes one or more from a group, the group includes one or more of a cell phone, a land line, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a teleconferencing device, a videoconferencing device, a satellite phone device, an e-mail device, an instant messaging device, or a hybrid device.

82. The status system of claim 51, further comprising the status acquiring device providing an inaccurate user status information at the transmitting device that is based at least in part on input from a user at the receiving device.

83. A method comprising:

receiving a communication setup from a transmitting device; and

transmitting a user status information to the transmitting device, wherein the user status information indicates a status of a user at a receiving device.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein the receiving a communication setup includes receiving a telephone setup.

85. The method of claim 83, wherein the receiving a communication setup includes receiving an e-mail setup.

86. The method of claim 83, wherein the receiving a communication setup includes receiving a computer-based communication device setup.

87. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information includes transmitting a time-zone of the receiving device to the transmitting device.

88. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information includes transmitting a location at which the user at the receiving device is located to the transmitting device.

89. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information includes transmitting to the transmitting device an indication of whether the user at the receiving device is busy.

90. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information includes transmitting a time that the user at the receiving device will no longer be busy to the transmitting device.

91. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information includes transmitting an at least one receiving device capability to the transmitting device.

92. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information to the transmitting device includes transmitting a position of the receiving device.

93. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information to the transmitting device includes transmitting an information at a location of the receiving device.

94. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information to the transmitting device is provided at least partially by the user providing a user input via at least one from a group, the group including a switch, a button, or a timeout mechanism.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the switch, the button, or the timeout mechanism are located, at least in part, at the receiving device.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein the switch, the button, or the timeout mechanism are located, at least in part, at a network location operationally situated between the receiving device and the transmitting device.

97. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information occurs at least partially over a back channel.

98. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information includes transmitting at least one from a list, the list includes at least one from a local time indicator, a time zone indicator, a city indicator, a location indicator, a landmark indicator, a street address indicator, or a Global Positioning System (GPS) device.

99. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information further comprises a querying a database.

100. The method of claim 99, wherein the database is at least partially located at the receiving device.

101. The method of claim 99, wherein the database that is operationally situated between the transmitting device and the receiving device.

102. The method of claim 99, further comprising responding to the querying the database by a filtering of the user status information contained in the database.

103. The method of claim 102, wherein the filtering of the user status information is performed at least partly in response to manual user input.

104. The method of claim 102, wherein the filtering of the user status information is performed at least partially in response to automated user input that is based upon a prior input from the user at the receiving device.

105. The method of claim 102, wherein the filtering of the user status information relates, at least in part, to selecting from at least one from a list, the list including one or more of a contact list, a list of specifically identified individuals, or a list of specifically identified groups of individuals.

106. The method of claim 102, wherein the filtering of the user status information relates, at least in part, to considering logging attempts and one or more persons trying to view such information.

107. The method of claim 83, further comprising adjusting a granularity of the user status information based, at least in part, to an identity of the transmitting device.

108. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information is performed from one or more of a group of devices, the group of one or more devices includes a cell phone, an e-mail device, a land line, a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone device, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) device, a teleconferencing device, a videoconferencing device, a satellite phone device, an instant messaging device, or a hybrid device.

109. The method of claim 83, wherein the transmitting the user status information further comprising providing an inaccurate user status information at least partially based on a user input at the receiving device.

110. A status system comprising:

transmitting means that is configured for transmitting a message;

receiving means that is configured for receiving the message; and

means for acquiring a user status information from the receiving means at the transmitting means, wherein the user status information indicates a status of a user who is situated at the receiving means.

111. The status system of claim 110, further comprising a means for establishing a communication setup between the transmitting means and the receiving means, wherein the means for acquiring the user status information indicates the status of the user at least partially in response to the means for establishing the communication setup.

112. The status system of claim 111, wherein the means for establishing the communication setup includes a means for establishing a telephone setup.

113. The status system of claim 111, wherein the means for establishing the communication setup includes a means for establishing an instant messenger setup.

114. The status system of claim 111, wherein the means for establishing the communication setup includes a means for establishing a computer-based communication device setup.

115. The status system of claim 111, wherein the means for establishing the communication setup includes a means for establishing an e-mail setup.

116. The status system of claim 110, wherein the means for acquiring the user status information includes means for presenting a time-zone of the receiving means to the transmitting means.

117. The status system of claim 110, wherein the means for acquiring the user status information includes means for presenting a location at which the receiving means is located to the transmitting device.

118. A method comprising:

acquiring a user status information for a user of a transmitting device that indicates a status of the user; and

transmitting the user status information to a receiving device.

119. The method of claim 118, wherein the user status information is sent from the transmitting device to the receiving device.

120. The method of claim 118, wherein the user status information is sent from a network location operationally positioned between the transmitting device and the receiving device to the receiving device.

121. The method of claim 118, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a location of the user at the transmitting device to the receiving device.

122. The method of claim 118, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a local time of the transmitting device to the receiving device.

123. The method of claim 118, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a type of the transmitting device to the receiving device.

124. The method of claim 118, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating one or more device capabilities of the transmitting device to the receiving device.

125. The method of claim 118, wherein the acquiring the user status information includes indicating a condition of the transmitting device at the receiving device.

126. The method of claim 125, wherein the condition includes a weather condition.

127. The method of claim 118, further comprising an establishing a communication setup between the transmitting device and the receiving device, wherein the acquiring the user status information is performed in response to the establishing the communication setup.