Personalized information communications

• US 20070250591A1
• Filed: 04/24/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Milic-Frayling, Natasa, Costello, Jamie, Frayling, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,245 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier

Abstract

A personalized information communications system enables a source user to provide personalized information in a datastore for access and display by a communications device of a recipient user. An aggregation server records user settings of the source user in a datastore, and collects personalized information of the source user into the datastore based on the user settings. The user settings specify at least one element of personalized information specified by the source user. In response to request from the recipient user, the aggregation server accesses and provides the personalized information of the source user to the recipient user. In one implementation, the communications device periodically polls the aggregation server for updated information associated with the source user. Alternatively, the aggregation server pushes the information to the communications device. Accordingly, the recipient user gains access to the personalized information of the source user.

Claims

1. A method of communicating source user information via a communications device of a recipient user, the method comprising:

recording one or more user settings in a datastore of an aggregation server, the one or more user settings being specified by a source user, the one or more user settings identifying the recipient user and referencing the source user information provided by the source user for receipt by the identified recipient user;

receiving through a web service of the aggregation server a request from the identified recipient user via the communications device for the source user information provided by the source user;

accessing the requested source user information from the datastore of the aggregation server;

transmitting through the web service of the aggregation server the requested source user information for display on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the user settings further provide a display definition specified by the source user and associated with the source user information, the associated display definition specifying layout of the source user information within a display on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the associated display definition is transmitted to the communications device for use in displaying the source user information in accordance with the associated display definition.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving another request from the communications device of the identified recipient user for updated source user information associated with the source user;

accessing the requested updated source user information from the datastore of the aggregation server;

transmitting the requested updated source user information for display on the mobile wireless communications device.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the operation of receiving another request is delayed relative to a previous receiving operation by a time period enforced the communications device of the source user.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accessing updated source user information from the datastore of the aggregation server;

transmitting the updated source user information for display on the mobile wireless communications device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording supplemental information received from a remote web service into the datastore, based on the one or more user settings of the source user;

transmitting the requested supplemental information for display on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the supplemental information from the remote web service includes at least one of weather information associated with a location identified in the user settings or time zone information associated with a location identified in the user settings.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process that implements the operations recited in claim 1.

10. A method of communicating source user information via a communications device of a recipient user, the method comprising:

requesting through a web service of an aggregation server the source user information specified by one or more user settings provided by a source user, the one or more user settings identifying the recipient user and referencing the source user information provided by the source user for receipt by the identified recipient user;

receiving the source user information at the communications device from the aggregation server;

displaying the source information on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the requesting operation comprises:

periodically polling the web service of the aggregation server to obtain updated source user information provided by the source user.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the requesting operation comprises:

requesting the web service of the aggregation server to transmit updated source user information provided by the source user when available.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more user settings further provide a display definition specified by the source user and associated with the source user information, the associated display definition specifying layout of the source user information within a display on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the associated display definition is transmitted to the communications device for use in displaying the source user information in accordance with the associated display definition.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

modifying the associated display definition in accordance with display parameters specified by the identified recipient user for display on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving at the communications device of the identified recipient user supplemental information retrieved by the aggregation server from a remote web service into the datastore, based on the one or more user settings of the source user.

displaying the supplemental information on the communications device of the identified recipient user.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the one or more user settings further provide a display definition specified by the source user and associated with the source user information, the associated display definition specifying layout of the source user information within a display on the communications device of the identified recipient user, and further comprising:

receiving at the communications device of the identified recipient user supplemental information retrieved by the aggregation server from a remote web service into the datastore, based on the one or more user settings of the source user.

displaying the supplemental information with the source user information on the communications device of the identified recipient user in accordance with the display definition.

18. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process that implements the operations recited in claim 10.

19. A method of displaying an animated overlay on a communication device, the method comprising:

receiving a background image and a sequence of foreground images at the communications device, each foreground image having a non-zero transparency level in at least a portion of the foreground image;

displaying the background image on a display of the communications device;

displaying a first foreground image with the background image, such that a portion of the background image can be seen in the portion of the first foreground image that has the non-zero transparency level;

waiting a period of time;

refreshing the background image on the display of the communications device, responsive to the waiting operation;

displaying a second foreground image with the background image on the display of the communications device, such that a portion of the background image can be seen in the portion of the second foreground image that has the non-zero transparency level, responsive to the refreshing operation.

20. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a computer process that implements the operations recited in claim 19.