User interface for multi-modality communication

• US 20130080961A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 03/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: John D. Rinaldo Jr
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Lord, Richard T., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,794,209 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/773
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for multi-modality communication user interfaces. By way of example but not limitation, at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication may be provided, and manipulation of the at least one user interface feature may be detected. Described embodiments may include, but are not limited to, providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication. By way of further example but not limitation, presentation or manipulation of example communication modality options are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating multi-modality communication, the method being at least partially implemented using hardware, the method comprising:

providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication; and

detecting manipulation of the at least one user interface feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multi-modality communication comprises at least one communication in which one or more participants interact with one or more communication devices via at least two communication modalities that differ from each other.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication comprises:

providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing the one or more communication modality options for the user interaction with the communication device, the one or more communication modality options selected from a group of communication modality options comprising;

textual communication, voice communication, or video communication.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a user interaction communication modality for incoming communications.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a user interaction communication modality for outgoing communications.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a local user interaction communication modality that depends, at least partially, on a remote user interaction communication modality associated with an incoming communication.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option, the at least one communication modality option indicating a local communication modality for user input interaction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication further comprises:

providing the at least one communication modality option, the at least one communication modality option indicating a local communication modality for user output interaction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one communication modality option comprises a communication modality option that indicates both the local communication modality for user input interaction and the local communication modality for user output interaction, the local communication modality for user input interaction and the local communication modality for user output interaction comprising different communication modalities.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the local communication modality for user input interaction comprises textual communication, and the local communication modality for user output interaction comprises voice communication.

12. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a user interaction communication modality that depends, at least partially, on one or more temporal factors.

13. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a local user interaction communication modality that depends, at least partially, on an identification of a remote user that is to participate in the communication.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a user interaction communication modality that depends, at least partially, on one or more ascertainable environmental factors.

15. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

implementing at least one selected communication modality option of the one or more communication modality options for the user interaction for the communication.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication comprises:

providing the at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication at least partially in response to receiving a notification of an incoming communication.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive at least partly to the detecting, establishing at least one intimacy setting based, at least partly, on the manipulation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one intimacy setting represents at least one degree of communicative exposure that a local user may establish for a local device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting at a local communication device prospective converted text data, which is converted from voice data input by a local user, and an opportunity to confirm an accuracy of the prospective converted test data prior to transmission to a remote communication device.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication comprises:

providing at least one physical component for the at least one user interface feature.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one physical component comprises at least one of:

at least one knob, at least one dial, at least one slider, at least one switch, one or more keys, one or more buttons, at least one trackball, at least one track wheel, at least one joystick, or at least one touch-sensitive surface.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication comprises:

providing at least one virtual component for the at least one user interface feature on at least one display.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the at least one virtual component comprises at least one of:

at least one knob, at least one dial, at least one slider, at least one switch, one or more keys, one or more buttons, at least a portion of at least one menu, or at least one pop-up window.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface feature includes a physical component that may be moved by a user;

and wherein the detecting manipulation of the at least one user interface feature comprises;

detecting movement of the physical component of the at least one user interface feature.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one user interface feature includes a virtual component that may be activated by a user;

and wherein the detecting manipulation of the at least one user interface feature comprises;

detecting activation of the virtual component of the at least one user interface feature.

26. One or more processor-accessible non-transitory media bearing instructions that, if executed, perform a method for facilitating multi-modality communication, the method comprising:

providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication; and

detecting manipulation of the at least one user interface feature.

27. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 26, wherein the multi-modality communication comprises at least one communication in which one or more participants interact with one or more communication devices via at least two communication modalities that differ from each other.

28. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 26, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication comprises:

providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication.

29. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 28, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing the one or more communication modality options for the user interaction with the communication device, the one or more communication modality options selected from a group of communication modality options comprising;

textual communication, voice communication, or video communication.

30. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 28, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a user interaction communication modality for incoming communications.

31. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 28, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a user interaction communication modality for outgoing communications.

32. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 28, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option that indicates a local user interaction communication modality that depends, at least partially, on a remote user interaction communication modality associated with an incoming communication.

33. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 28, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication comprises:

providing at least one communication modality option, the at least one communication modality option indicating a local communication modality for user input interaction.

34. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 33, wherein if the instructions are executed the providing one or more communication modality options for user interaction with a communication device for a communication further comprises:

providing the at least one communication modality option, the at least one communication modality option indicating a local communication modality for user output interaction.

35. The one or more processor-accessible non-transitory media of claim 34, wherein the at least one communication modality option comprises a communication modality option that indicates both the local communication modality for user input interaction and the local communication modality for user output interaction, the local communication modality for user input interaction and the local communication modality for user output interaction comprising different communication modalities.

36-50. -50. (canceled)

51. A device for facilitating multi-modality communication, the device comprising:

circuitry for providing at least one user interface feature that is related to multi-modality communication; and

circuitry for detecting manipulation of the at least one user interface feature.

52-75. -75. (canceled)