Current Updates

• US 20090187621A1
• Filed: 01/22/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Vargas, Sandra I., Bernard, Peter A., Ho, Rosanna H., Von Bencke, Matthew Justin, Schoenholz, Matthew James, Friedman, Jon, Apfel, Darren A., Rowe, Keith L., Maguire, Justin Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,005,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

This document describes tools capable of differentiating a superset of entities from which a user may receive current updates effective to provide current updates for only some of the entities of the superset. In one embodiment, for example, the tools enable a user of a mobile device to select a set of entities from which the user will automatically receive updates that are current, easily accessible, and visible at-a-glance. The tools may forgo providing current updates for entities that are not selected by the user, though the tools may provide these updates when explicitly requested by the user or at particular times or events.

Claims

1. A method implemented at least in part by a computing device and comprising:

receiving a selected set of entities of a superset of entities associated with a user or information sufficient to differentiate the selected set of entities from non-selected entities of the superset of entities, the superset of entities having at least one of said non-selected entities for which current updates are available and at least one of said selected entities for which current updates are available; and

responsive to receiving the selected set of entities or information, providing, in real-time and automatically, current updates for said selected entities to a mobile communication and computing device associated with the user and forgoing providing in real-time and automatically, current updates for said non-selected entities, the providing effective to enable the mobile communication and computing device to display current updates for said selected entities in real-time and automatically.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an explicit request from the mobile communication and computing device to provide an update for a non-selected entity of the superset of entities and, responsive to the act of receiving the explicit request, providing the update for said non-selected entity to the mobile communication and computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the explicit request is provided by the mobile communication and computing device responsive to the user of the mobile communication and computing device explicitly selecting to receive the update for said non-selected entity.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an indication from the mobile communication and computing device to provide one or more updates for one or more of the non-selected entities and, responsive to the act of receiving the indication, providing the one or more updates to the mobile communication and computing device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the indication is provided by the mobile communication and computing device responsive to the mobile communication and computing device being powered by non-battery source.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of forgoing providing is effective to save resources of the mobile communication and computing device or a mobile communication network communicating with the mobile communication and computing device that would have been used had the mobile communication and computing device been provided current updates for the non-selected entities of the superset of entities.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing updates for the non-selected entities to the mobile communication and computing device responsive to receiving an indication that the mobile communication and computing device is on a free network.

8. A method implemented at least in part by a mobile communication and computing device and comprising:

displaying, on a display of the mobile communication and computing device, indicators for entities selected from a superset of entities, the superset of entities associated with a user of the mobile communication and computing device;

receiving automatically and without user interaction, a current update for one of the selected entities for which one of the indicators is displayed;

displaying the current update or indicia thereof on the display and visually associated with the indicator for said one of the selected entities;

enabling explicit selection to receive an update for an entity of the superset of entities that is not one of the selected entities and for which current updates are not received automatically and without user interaction;

responsive to receiving explicit selection from the user of the mobile communication and computing device, the explicit selection requesting said update for said entity that is not one of the selected entities, requesting from a remote source and through a mobile communication network said update for said entity;

receiving said update over the mobile communication network; and

displaying said update or indicia thereof on the display.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising enabling selection to comminicate with an entity of the selected set of entities responsive to receipt of a single user input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the single user input is a stylus or finger gesture on the indicator for said entity.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising, responsive to receiving the selection to communicate with said entity, communicating with said entity through a call, instant message, file share, or text message.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein entities of the superset of entities comprise persons, groups of persons, websites, libraries, or applications and current updates available to said entity of the superset of entities comprise an RSS feed, text or image, or a software program update.

13. One or more computer-readable storage media having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a mobile communication and computing device, cause the mobile communication and computing device to perform acts comprising:

enabling selection of two or more entities of a superset of entities, the superset of entities having entities for which current, real-time updates are receivable by the mobile communication and computing device using a mobile communications network;

receiving selection of two or more entities of the superset of entities to provide a selected set of entities and a non-selected set of entities of the superset of entities; and

communicating the non-selected set or the selected set to a remote entity remote from the mobile communication and computing device, the communicating using the mobile communications network and effective to enable the remote entity to determine to provide, over the mobile communications network, automatically, and without further user interaction, current updates provided for the entities of the selected set and not provide without further user interaction updates provided for the entities of the non-selected set.

14. The media of claim 13, further comprising receiving automatically and without further user interaction current updates provided for the entities of the selected set and from the remote entity using the mobile communications network.

15. The media of claim 14, further comprising displaying, on a display of the mobile communication and computing device, the current updates received.

16. The media of claim 13, further comprising indicating, on a display of the mobile communication and computing device, the selected set of entities effective to visually differentiate the selected set of entities from the non-selected set of entities.

17. The media of claim 13, wherein entities of the superset of entities comprise persons, groups of persons, websites, libraries, or applications and said current, real-time updates comprise an RSS feed, text or images, or a software program update.

18. The media of claim 13, further comprising enabling selection to communicate with an entity of the selected set of entities with receipt of a single user input.

19. The media of claim 18, wherein the single user input is a stylus or finger gesture on an indicator displayed on a display of the mobile communication and computing device and associated with said entity for which selection to communicate is received.

20. The media of claim 18, wherein communication with said entity for which selection to communicate is received comprises a call, instant message, file share, or text message.