METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR MANAGING MULTIPLE PERSONAS WITHIN END USER APPLICATIONS

• US 20130054701A1
• Filed: 08/30/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Carroll Louise Gray-Preston, James Angus Mceachern, Michael Leeder, Richard C. Taylor
• Inventors: LEEDER, MICHAEL, GRAY-PRESTON, CARROLL LOUISE, MCEACHERN, JAMES ANGUS, TAYLOR, RICHARD C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,087,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4547 for personal communications, i.e. using a personal identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for managing multiple personas within end user applications are disclosed. According to one method, a first profile definition defining a first persona through which a user accesses at least one social networking, OTT, or other hosted service and at least one trigger condition associated with the activation of the first persona is accessed. The method further includes determining a context for the user. The method further includes determining whether the context for the user satisfies the at least one trigger condition. In response to determining that the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition, the first persona is activated.

Claims

1. A method for managing multiple personas for a user of at least one social networking, over the top (OTT), or other hosted service, the method comprising:

accessing a first profile definition defining a first persona through which a user accesses at least one social networking, OTT, or other hosted service and at least one trigger condition associated with activation of the first persona;

determining a context for the user;

determining whether the context for the user satisfies the at least one trigger condition; and

in response to determining that the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition, activating the first persona.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one trigger condition includes at least one of time of day, day of week, user location, user IP address ranges, and visible networks.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising receiving instructions from the user for manually overriding the activation of the first persona and manually overriding the activation in response to receiving the instructions.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising determining whether the context satisfies at least one trigger condition associated with a second profile definition for a second persona and, in response to determining that the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition associated with the second persona, activating the second persona.

5. The method of claim 4 comprising de-activating the first persona in response to activating the second persona.

6. The method of claim 4 comprising maintaining the first persona in the activated state when the second persona is activated so that the first and second personas are simultaneously active.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the first persona is a default persona and the second persona is a context-specific persona.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the steps is performed by a user device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the steps is performed by a network device.

10. The method of claim 1 comprising providing a persona configuration module for presenting the user with a graphical user interface for generating profile definitions for personas of the user.

11. A system for managing multiple personas for a user of at least one social networking, OTT, or other hosted service, comprising:

a profile definition data store for storing a first profile definition that defines a first persona through which a user accesses at least one social networking, OTT, or other hosted service and at least one trigger condition associated with activation of the first persona; and

an activation manager configured to determine a context for the user, determine whether the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition, and in response to determining that the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition, activating the first persona.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one trigger condition includes at least one of time of day, day of week, user location, user IP address ranges, and visible networks.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the activation manager is configured to receive instructions from the user for manually overriding the activation of the first persona and to manually override the activation in response to receiving the instructions.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the activation manager is configured to determine whether the context for the user satisfies at least one trigger condition associated with a profile definition for a second persona and in response to determining that the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition associated with the profile definition for the second persona, activating the second persona.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the activation manager is configured to deactivate the first persona in response to activating the second persona.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the activation manager is configured to maintain the first persona in the activated state when the second persona is activated so that the first and second personas are simultaneously active.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the first persona is a default persona and the second persona is a context-specific persona.

18. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the profile definition data store and the activation manager is a component of a user device.

19. The system of claim 11 wherein at least one of the profile definition data store and the activation manager are components of a network device.

20. The system of claim 11 wherein the steps are performed on a combination of network and user devices.

21. The system of claim 11 comprising a persona configuration module for presenting the user with a graphical user interface for generating profile definitions for personas of the user.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer control the computer to perform steps comprising:

accessing a first profile definition defining a first persona through which a user accesses at least one social networking, over the top (OTT), or other hosted service and at least one trigger condition associated with activation of the first persona;

determining a current context for the user;

determining whether the context for the user satisfies the at least one trigger condition; and

in response to determining that the context satisfies the at least one trigger condition, activating the first persona.