CONTACT GROUP DYNAMICS IN NETWORKED COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20090300518A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: FERNANDEZ, JUAN C., MOCK, VON, ROMANO, GUY G., MASSEY, NOEL S.
• Granted Patent: US 9,559,867 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2745 using static electronic memories, e.g. chips
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A communications terminal (200) including a user interface communicably coupled to a controller is configured to form a group of contacts. In one embodiment, the terminal displays only contacts having at least two attributes in common. In another embodiment, the terminal displays a group of contacts having a social relationship with at least two degrees of social separation relative to a user associated with the group. In another embodiment, a group of contacts is formed upon initiation of an application at the terminal, wherein all contacts in the group are associated with terminals running the same application and are also engaged in a common activity.

Claims

1. A communications terminal, comprising:

a user interface;

a controller communicably coupled to the user interface,

the controller configured to form a group of contacts,

the controller configured to cause the user interface to display only contacts that have at least two attributes in common,

the controller configured to change a number of contacts displayed on the user interface.

2. The terminal of claim 1, the controller configured to remove a contact from the group of contacts displayed on the user interface when the removed contact no longer has the at least two attributes common to all contacts in the displayed group.

3. The terminal of claim 1, the controller configured to add a contact to the group of contacts displayed on the user interface when the added contact acquires the at least two attributes common to all contacts in the displayed group.

4. The terminal of claim 1, the controller configured to form the group of contacts based on a degree of social separation between the contacts in the group before the group is formed.

5. The terminal of claim 1, the controller configured to form the group of contacts from a super-group of contacts that are at least two degrees of social separation relative to a user associated with the group of contacts.

6. The terminal of claim 1, the first attribute is a social relationship having at least two degrees of social separation relative to a user associated with the group of contacts.

7. The terminal of claim 1, the second attribute is an activity in which the contact is engaged.

8. The terminal of claim 7, the activity corresponds to running an application, wherein all contacts of the group are running a common application.

9. The terminal of claim 1 further comprising a transceiver communicably coupled to the controller.

10. The terminal of claim 1, the controller configured to cause the user interface to display only contacts that have at least two attributes in a group on a dedicated portion of the user interface, wherein the dedicated portion is disposed apart from other portions of the user interface on which other groups of contacts may be displayed.

11. A communication terminal, comprising:

a user interface;

a controller communicably coupled to the user interface,

the controller configured to cause the user interface to display a group of contacts that have at least two attributes in common,

at least one attribute is a social relationship having at least two degrees of social separation relative to a user associated with the group of contacts.

12. The terminal of claim 11,

the controller configured to cause the user interface to display only contacts having at least two attributes in common,

the controller configured to change a number of contacts displayed on the user interface.

13. The terminal of claim 11, the other attribute is an activity in which the contact is engaged, wherein all contacts of the group are engaged in a common activity.

14. The terminal of claim 11, the other attribute is executing an application, wherein all contacts of the group are executing a common application.

15. The terminal of claim 11, the other attribute is consumption of media, wherein all contacts of the group are consuming a common medium.

16. The terminal of claim 11 further comprising a transceiver communicably coupled to the controller.

17. A communications terminal, comprising:

a user interface;

a controller communicably coupled to the user interface,

the controller configured to form a group of contacts upon initiation of an application at the communications terminal,

all contacts in the group of contacts formed associated with a corresponding communication terminal running the same application initiated on the communication terminal, and

all contacts in the group of contacts formed also engaged in common activity on the corresponding communication terminal.

18. The terminal of claim 17, the application is a push-to-talk application.

19. The terminal of claim 17, the common activity is the consumption of the same content on the corresponding communication terminal.

20. The terminal of claim 17, the application is a push-to-talk application, the common activity is the consumption of the same content on the corresponding communication terminal.