Remote User Status Indicators

• US 20110298618A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Stahl, Geoff, Lampell, Michael Dale, Baumann, Laurent, Goossens, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,800,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/573.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/04 with alarm systems, e.g. fire, police or burglar alarm systems

Abstract

A user interface on a device allows a user to set their remote user status for viewing by other individuals on their devices. The user or an application can select from a number of predefined remote user status indicators representing remote user status, and the user can optionally include a text message to be displayed with the remote user status indicator. The selected remote user status indicator and optional text message can be stored on a network and made available to other devices that have a contact database that includes the user as a contact. In some implementations, the remote user status indicator can be displayed proximate the user'"'"'s name in a user interface, such as a favorites list, e-mail interface, text messaging interface, chat room, or any other user interface associated with an application.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors, comprising:

receiving a request to set a remote user status from a user interface of a device;

determining remote user status based on interactions between a user of the device and applications running on the device; and

sending data representing the selected remote user status to a network service.

2. The method of claim 1, where determining remote user status further comprises:

displaying a number of remote user status indicators on the user interface; and

receiving input selecting a remote user status indicator from the user interface.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving text associated with the selected remote user status indicator; and

sending the text message to the network service.

4. The method of claim 2, where displaying a number of remote user status indicators on the user interface, further comprises:

displaying a grid view having cells, each cell displaying a different remote user status indicator.

5. The method of claim 4, where the grid view cells display remote user status indicators associated with a single category or topic.

6. The method of claim 1, where receiving a request to set a remote user status from a user interface of a device, further comprises:

receiving input in a contact user interface; and

setting the remote user status based on the input.

7. The method of claim 1, where remote user status is associated with the user'"'"'s interactions with one of a social network, chat session or online gaming environment.

8. A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors, comprising:

receiving a request to communicate with a contact from a user interface of a device;

determining that the contact has a remote user status available;

retrieving a remote user status indicator from a network service; and

displaying the remote user status indicator on the user interface of the device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

retrieving a text message associated with the remote user status indicator from the network service; and

displaying the text message with the remote user status indicator on the user interface of the device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a local time associated with the current geographic location of the contact; and

displaying the local time on the user interface of the device with the remote user status indicator.

11. The method of claim 8, where determining that the contact has a remote user status available further comprises:

determining that the user has set an airplane mode on their device, where the airplane mode disables wireless communication on the device.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a current geographic location of the contact; and

displaying the current geographic location on the user interface of the device with the remote user status indicator.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors and configured for storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to set a remote user status from a user interface of a device;

determining remote user status based on interactions between a user of the device and applications running on the device; and

sending data representing the selected remote user status to a network service.

14. The system of claim 13, where determining remote user status further comprises:

displaying a number of remote user status indicators on the user interface; and

receiving input selecting a remote user status indicator from the user interface.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving text associated with the selected remote user status indicator; and

sending the text message to the network service.

16. The system of claim 14, where displaying a number of remote user status indicators on the user interface, further comprises:

displaying a grid view having cells, each cell displaying a different remote user status indicator.

17. The system of claim 16, where the grid view cells display remote user status indicators associated with a single category or topic.

18. The system of claim 13, where remote user status is associated with the user'"'"'s interactions with one of a social network, chat session or online gaming environment.

19. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable medium coupled to the one or more processors and configured for storing instructions, which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving a request to communicate with a contact from a user interface of a device;

determining that the contact has a remote user status available;

retrieving a remote user status indicator from a network service; and

displaying the remote user status indicator on the user interface of the device.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

retrieving a text message associated with the remote user status indicator from the network service; and

displaying the text message with the remote user status indicator on the user interface of the device.

21. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a local time associated with the current geographic location of the contact; and

displaying the local time on the user interface of the device with the remote user status indicator.

22. The system of claim 19, where determining that the contact has a remote user status available further comprises:

determining that the user has set an airplane mode on their device, where the airplane mode disables wireless communication on the device.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

determining a current geographic location of the contact; and

displaying the current geographic location on the user interface of the device with the remote user status indicator.