Method and Apparatus for Social Networking in a Communication Network

• US 20100167715A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mazziero, Flavio, Domene, Marcio Bertoni
• Application Number:
  US12/347,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20100167715A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2747 Scrolling on a display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

In a communication network, a method and apparatus for social networking in a communication network includes detecting a characteristic motion of a communication device and identifying at least one contact information from a contact list of the communication device in response to detecting the characteristic motion of the communication device. The method further includes initiating a communication session with the identified contact information.

Claims

1. A method for social networking in a communication network, the method comprising:

detecting a characteristic motion of a communication device;

identifying at least one contact information from a contact list of the communication device in response to detecting the characteristic motion of the communication device; and

initiating a communication session with the identified contact information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

shuffling the contact list of the communication device before identifying the at least one contact information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the characteristic motion of the communication device comprises at least one of a shaking motion of the communication device, an input using a soft key attached to the communication device, and a shaking of an accessory attached to the communication device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein shuffling of the contact list is based on at least one of number of shakes of the communication device, intensity of a shake of the communication device, and time duration of the shake.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein a continuity of shuffling the contact list is based at least on one of a duration of a shake of the communication device and an intensity of the shake of the communication device.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the shaking motion of the communication device is imparted by at least one of tilting the communication device and rotating the communication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the communication session comprises at least one of sending a text message, sending a voice message, establishing a voice call, establishing a push-to-talk session, and sending a multimedia based message.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

repeating the shuffling, the identifying, and the initiating based on at least one of number of shakes of the communication device, intensity of a shake of the communication device, and time duration of the shake.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list is at least one of a predefined list of contact numbers with respective contact names, a predefined list of electronic mail addresses with respective contact names, and a predefined list of images with respective contact names.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact information is at least one of a contact number associated with a contact name, an electronic mail address associated with a contact name, and an image associated with a contact name.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an option to a user for initiating the communication session.

12. A method for social networking in a communication network, the method comprising:

initiating a communication session on a communication device;

providing an option to a user of the communication device for identifying contact information from a contact list for the communication session;

detecting a characteristic motion of the communication device after providing the option to the user; and

identifying at least one contact information from a contact list for the communication session, wherein identification of the at least one contact information is based on the detection of the characteristic motion.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

shuffling the contact list of the communication device before identifying the at least one contact information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the characteristic motion of the communication device comprises at least one of a shaking motion of the communication device, an input using a soft key attached to the communication device, and a shaking of an accessory attached to the communication device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein shuffling the contact list is based on at least one of number of shakes of the communication device, intensity of a shake of the communication device, and time duration of the shake.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein a continuity of shuffling the contact list is based on at least one of an intensity of a shake and a duration of a shake.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the shaking motion of the communication device is imparted by at least one of tilting the communication device and rotating the communication device.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

repeating the detecting, the shuffling, and the identifying based on at least one of number of shakes of the communication device, intensity of a shake of the communication device, and time duration of the shake.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact list is at least one of a predefined list of contact numbers with respective contact names, a predefined list of electronic mail addresses with respective contact names, and a predefined list of images with respective contact names.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the contact information is at least one of a contact number associated with a contact name, an electronic mail address associated with a contact name, and an image associated with a contact name.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating the communication session comprises at least one of sending a text message, sending a voice message, establishing a voice call, establishing a push-to-call session, and sending a multimedia based message.