USER-SELECTABLE ENVIRONMENTS FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES

• US 20110070870A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lovejoy, Tracey N., Flynn, Donna K., Medlock, Michael C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,843,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

At a mobile communications device, a communication is received from a communication source. An indication of an environment type associated with the communication source is obtained, and a check is made as to whether the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches a current environment type of the mobile communications device. An initial notification (and optionally a leave-behind notification) of the communication is presented only if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from a communication source;

obtaining an indication of an environment type associated with the communication source;

checking whether the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches a current environment type of the mobile communications device; and

presenting an initial notification of the communication only if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type of the mobile communications device is indicated by user-selection of a work/personal switch of the mobile communications device.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising presenting a leave-behind notification of the communication only if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication comprises a voice call.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the obtaining the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source comprises obtaining, based on an identifier of the communication source, the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source from a remote contact list of a user of the mobile communications device.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type of the mobile communications device is determined based on a current time for the mobile communications device.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type of the mobile communications device is determined based on a current location of the mobile communications device.

8. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type is personal, and the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source is either personal or both.

9. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the current environment type is work, and the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source is either work or both.

10. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source does not match the current environment type of the mobile communications device:

maintaining a record of the communication; and

subsequently presenting a leave-behind notification of the communication when the environment type associated with the communication source does match the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

11. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the current environment type of the mobile communications device, information to be displayed; and

displaying the identified information.

12. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, based on the current environment type of the mobile communications device, a manner in which information is to be displayed; and

displaying the information in the identified manner.

13. A mobile communications device comprising:

a current environment indicator identifying a current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used;

a contact list identifying multiple communication sources from which communications can be received, and for each communication source identifying an environment type associated with the communication source; and

a decision module coupled to obtain the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used and the environment type associated with the communication source from which a communication is received, and to;

compare the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used to the environment type associated with the communication source from which the communication is received, and

indicate that a user interface module is to present an initial notification of the communication only if the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used matches the environment type associated with the communication source from which the communication is received.

14. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the mobile communications device further comprises a work/personal switch, and wherein the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used is indicated by user-selection of the work/personal switch.

15. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 14, wherein the current environment type is personal, and the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used matches the environment type associated with the communication source only if the environment type associated with the communication source is either personal or both.

16. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 14, wherein the current environment type is work, and the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used matches the environment type associated with the communication source only if the environment type associated with the communication source is either work or both.

17. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the decision module is further to present a leave-behind notification of the communication only if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device.

18. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 13, wherein the user interface module is further to:

identify, based on the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used, information to be displayed; and

display the identified information.

19. A mobile communications device as recited in claim 18, wherein the user interface module is further to:

identify, based on the current environment type in which the mobile communications device is being used, a manner in which the identified information is to be displayed; and

display the identified information in the identified manner.

20. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile communications device, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a communication from a communication source;

obtain an indication of an environment type associated with the communication source from a local contact list, the environment type associated with the device being one of personal, work, or both;

compare the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source to a current environment type of the mobile communications device, the current environment type of the mobile communications device being one of personal or work;

if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source matches the current environment type of the mobile communications device, then present an initial notification of the communication and a leave-behind notification of the communication; and

if the indication of the environment type associated with the communication source does not match the current environment type of the mobile communications device, then refrain from presenting the initial notification of the communication and the leave-behind notification of the communication.