SYSTEM, DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING PRESENCE INFORMATION USING AUDIO DATA

• US 20140287799A1
• Filed: 06/10/2013
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SK Planet Co., Ltd. (SK Telecom Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Choi, Jihyun
• Granted Patent: US 9,182,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector

Abstract

This invention relates to a system, device, and method for providing presence information using audio data. This invention provides a terminal device that displays a user list when predetermined input information is detected, receives, from a service device, presence information and audio information associated with the presence information of other user selected from the displayed user list, and controls an output unit, when the received presence information and audio information are displayed through the output unit, to implement audio data contained in the audio information. Accordingly, this invention can provide the users with the presence information intuitively by using audio data, and the users can gain a new user experience (UX), wherein the users can intuitively perceive the presence information via audio instead of text, that may boost the use of application for providing service exploiting the presence information.

Claims

1. A terminal device for providing presence information by communicating with a service device, the terminal comprising:

a communication unit configured to send and receive messages in association with presence information to and from the service device;

an output unit configured to output at least one of auditory information and visual information; and

a control unit, which is functionally connected with the communication unit and the output unit, configured to control the output unit to display a user list when predetermined input information is detected from a screen of an instant messaging program,

wherein the user list contains specific information about at least one of other users, and

wherein the specific information includes profile information to identify the other user, presence information to indicate a current state of the other user, and audio information to define audio data in association with the presence information.

2. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, when one of other users is selected from the user list, the control unit is further configured to control the output unit to output audio data defined in association with the present information of the selected other user.

3. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined input information is information about a swipe input in a certain direction.

4. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the predetermined input information is information about a shake input entered through a shake menu or on a chatting screen.

5. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the user list contains all or part of other users stored in an address book.

6. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the profile information includes at least one of name, contact information, photo, and email address of the other user.

7. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the communication unit to receive, from the service device, the presence information and the audio information.

8. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to control the output unit to display the user list on a certain spot of a current screen or on other screen.

9. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to define, as the audio information thereof, the audio data associated with the presence information for expressing the current state of the other user.

10. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to define, as background music of a chatting screen, the audio data associated with the presence information for expressing the current state of the other user.

11. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to generate a recommendation message which contains information of recommending the audio data associated with the presence information for expressing the current state of the other user, and to send the generated message to other terminal device.

12. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to generate a gift message which contains the audio data associated with the presence information for expressing the current state of the other user or a coupon for purchasing the audio data, and to send the generated gift message to other terminal device.

13. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to, when displaying the user list, compose icons to indicate the presence information and the audio information of the respective other users in the user list, and to control the output unit to display the composed respective icons corresponding to the respective other users.

14. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, when the presence information indicates a location, the audio data includes music to express the location.

15. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, when the presence information indicates a mood, the audio data includes music to express the mood.

16. The terminal device of claim 1, wherein, when the presence information indicates a state of being busy, the audio data includes tempo information which is proportionate to the state of being busy.

17. A terminal device for providing presence information by communicating with a service device, the terminal comprising:

a communication unit configured to send and receive messages in association with presence information to and from the service device;

an output unit configured to output at least one of auditory information and visual information; and

a control unit configured to, in response to a detection of predetermined input information, display a user list, to receive from the service device presence information and audio information associated with the presence information of a user selected from the displayed user list, and, when the received presence information and audio information are displayed through the output unit, to control the output unit to implement audio data contained in the audio information,

wherein the user list contains specific information about at least one of other users, and

wherein the specific information includes profile information to identify the other user, and audio information in which the audio data associated with the presence information for expressing a current state of the other user is defined.

18. A service device comprising:

a communication module configured to receive, from a first terminal device, a setting request message requesting presence information and audio data associated with the presence information to be defined, and to receive, from a second terminal device, an information request message requesting the presence information of the first terminal device; and

a control module configured to store, in response to the setting request message, the presence information of the first terminal device and the audio data associated with the presence information of the first terminal device, and to transmit, in response to the information request message, the stored presence information of the first terminal device and audio information in which audio data is defined in association with the presence information, to the second terminal device.

19. The service device of claim 18, wherein the control module is further configured to, when receiving the setting request message from the first terminal device, define presence information of the first terminal device, to search for audio data to express the defined presence information, and to store after mapping the searched audio data to the defined presence information.

20. A system for providing presence information, the system comprising:

a service device configured, when receiving a presence setting request from at least one terminal device, to store presence information of the terminal device and audio data associated with the presence information, and when receiving a presence information request from the terminal device, to transmit the requested presence information and audio information in which audio data associated with the requested presence information is defined; and

the terminal device configured, when detecting predetermined input information from a screen of an instant messaging program, to display a user list which contains information about at least one of other users,

wherein the information about the other user includes profile information for identifying the other user, presence information for indicating a current state of the other user, and audio information in which audio data associated with the requested presence information is defined.

21. A method for providing presence information in a terminal device, the method comprising steps of:

detecting predetermined input information from a screen of an instant messaging program;

when the predetermined input information is detected, displaying a user list containing specific information about at least one of other users; and

when at least one other user is selected from the displayed user list, outputting presence information of the selected other user and audio data defined in association with the presence information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the specific information includes profile information for identifying the other user, presence information for indicating a current state of the other user, and audio information in which audio data associated with the requested presence information is defined.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising step of:

receiving, from a service device, presence information of the selected other user and audio data defined in association with the presence information.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising steps of:

defining input information for providing the presence information of the terminal device;

defining audio data associated with the defined presence information; and

sending the defined presence information to a service device.

25. A computer-readable medium recording thereon a program executing a method for providing presence information in a terminal device, the method comprising steps of:

detecting predetermined input information from a screen of an instant messaging program;

when the predetermined input information is detected, displaying a user list containing information about at least one of other users; and

when at least one other user is selected from the displayed user list, outputting presence information of the selected other user and audio data defined in association with the presence information.