Communications device user interface

• US 20100191836A1
• Filed: 12/22/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Intellectual Property Licensing Limited
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Intellectual Property Licensing Limited
• Inventors: Knight, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,682,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/15 Setup of multiple wireless link connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

In a communications network including a plurality of communication channels through which communications are configured to be transmitted between a plurality of network users, a method of managing communications to be transmitted to a particular user from the plurality of communication channels and/or network users, the method including: receiving a communication from a particular communication channel or another network user, the communication intended for transmission to a particular user; determining whether or not to transmit the communication to the particular user, based upon whether or not the communication satisfies one or more predefined characteristics relating to the particular communication channel and/or the other network user; and transmitting the communication to the particular user when the communication satisfies the predefined characteristics.

Claims

1. In a communications network including a plurality of communication channels through which communications are configured to be transmitted between a plurality of network users, a method of managing communications to be transmitted to a particular user from the plurality of communication channels and/or network users, the method including:

receiving a communication from a particular communication channel or another network user, the communication intended for transmission to a particular user;

determining whether or not to transmit the communication to the particular user, based upon whether or not the communication satisfies one or more predefined characteristics relating to the particular communication channel and/or the other network user; and

transmitting the communication to the particular user when the communication satisfies the predefined characteristics.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination step includes a comparison of the particular communication channel, service provider and/or network user with a filter list associated with the particular user, the filter list defining acceptable or unacceptable characteristics for each of the plurality of communication channels, service providers and/or other network users.

3. The method of claim 2 further including defining the filter list for the plurality of other network users using a contact address book of the one or more devices.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of communication channels include communication service providers such as interne service providers and mobile network service providers and the communication is transmitted to one or more communication devices associated with the particular user.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the determination step includes a comparison of the particular communication channel, service provider and/or network user with a filter list associated with the particular user, the filter list defining acceptable or unacceptable characteristics for each of the plurality of communication channels, service providers and/or other network users.

6. The method of claim 5 further including defining the filter list for the plurality of other network users using a contact address book of the one or more devices.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more predefined characteristics include one or more characteristics relating to the other users which are defined by the particular user based upon a contacts database associated with the particular user.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination step includes a comparison of one or more predefined characteristics including at least one of:

the type of communication channel from which the communication was received, an identity of the service provider, an identity of the other network user and a timing schedule for communications to be transmitted to the particular user.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein when a particular communication is determined as allowable, the determination step may further include determining one or more communication devices associated with the particular user to which the particular communication is to be sent.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the determination step includes comparing a communication type of the received communication to one or allowable communication types included in a filter list for the particular user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the determination step includes comparing a communication type of the received communication to one or allowable communication types included in a filter list for the particular user.

12. The method of claim 1 further including polling the plurality of service providers in order to receive any communications intended for the particular user.

13. A network element configured for use in a communications network, the network element configured for communication with a communications device and a plurality of communications channels, the network element including:

receiver element configured to receive communications from the plurality of communication channels, the communications intended for receipt by a user of the communications device;

database component configured to define one or more characteristics relating to the plurality of communication channels and/or other network users;

engine configured to determine when a received communication satisfies a defined characteristic; and

transmission engine configured to transmit a communication to the communication device associated with the user when the communication satisfies the defined characteristic.

14. The network element of claim 13 further including:

an input/output means configured to obtain a contact address database associated with the communication device; and

a processor configured to utilise the contact address database in defining a plurality of other network users in the database component.

15. The network element of claim 14 wherein the communication channels include communication service providers such as internet service providers and mobile network service providers, and the engine is further configured to compare the particular communication channel, service provider and/or network user transmitting the communication with a filter list associated with the particular user, the filter list defining acceptable or unacceptable characteristics for each of the plurality of communication channels, service providers and/or other network users.

16. The network element of claim 15 wherein the engine is further configured to compare one or more predefined characteristics including at least one of:

the type of communication channel from which the communication was received, an identity of the service provider, an identity of the other network user and a timing schedule for communications to be transmitted to the particular user.

17. The network element of claim 13 wherein the communication channels include communication service providers such as internet service providers and mobile network service providers, and the engine is further configured to compare the particular communication channel, service provider and/or network user transmitting the communication with a filter list associated with the particular user, the filter list defining acceptable or unacceptable characteristics for each of the plurality of communication channels, service providers and/or other network users.

18. The network element of claim 13 wherein the engine is further configured to compare one or more predefined characteristics including at least one of:

the type of communication channel from which the communication was received, an identity of the service provider, an identity of the other network user and a timing schedule for communications to be transmitted to the particular user.

19. In a communications network including a network element in communication with a communications device and a plurality of communication channels transmitting communications to a particular user of the communications device, an interface configured for defining filtering characteristics usable by the network element, the interface including a processing means configured to:

receive a list of contacts associated with the particular user;

define at least one contact on the list of contacts as a potential sender of communications to the particular user; and

define one or more characteristics for each of the potential senders, the one or more characteristics to be utilised by the network element in filtering communications from the plurality of communication channels, the communications intended for receipt by the particular user.

20. The interface of claim 19 including a user input for defining the one or more characteristics for each of the potential senders.