PROVIDING EVENT DATA TO A GROUP OF CONTACTS

• US 20140289329A1
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Published: 09/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Vance, Michael Steffen, Armantrout, Jeffrey Allen, Alva, Jessi E., Valdez Klein, Teresa S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15

Abstract

Data related to an event is provided to a group of contacts while the event is occurring via an event user interface that enables the group of contacts to coordinate with one another during the event. In this regard, an event coordination service is provides the event data to each contact of the group for review via an event user interface that is persistently displayed on a telecommunication or other computing device associated with the contact for the contact'"'"'s easy and immediate reference during the event. When the event ultimately concludes, display of the event user interface ceases as the group of contacts likely no longer needs immediate or ready reference to the event.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data store configured to at least store event records, each event record including data related to an event; and

a computing device in communication with the data store, the computing device configured to at least;

generate an event record based, at least in part, on a request to coordinate an event for a first group of contacts, the event record including first data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, wherein the first data is updated as the event occurs with second data obtained from at least one external data source or with third data obtained from at least one contact of the first group;

identify the first group of contacts based, at least in part, on the request to coordinate the event; and

publish the first data to a first computing device associated with a first contact of the first group, wherein the first data is published such that the first data is automatically displayed substantially continuously on the first computing device as the event occurs and such that the first data is updated, without intervention of the first contact.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least:

obtain the third data from the at least one contact of the first group;

update the first data with the third data;

identify a second group of contacts based, at least in part, on the third data; and

publish the first data to a second computing device associated with a second contact of the second group, wherein the first data is published such that the first data is automatically displayed substantially continuously on the second computing device as the event occurs and such that the first data is further updatable, without intervention of the second contact.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least cease publishing the first data upon completion of the event.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second data obtained from the at least one external data source includes location data related to at least one of the event or a contact of the first group.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first group of contacts is identified in accordance with the location data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first group of contacts is identified in accordance with a rate plan offered by a communication service provider providing communication services to at least a subset of contacts of the first group.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a number of contacts included in the first group is limited such that communications among contacts of the first group are provided at a special rate in accordance with the rate plan.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least publish the first data on a continuous or periodic basis.

9. A computer-implemented comprising:

as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions,

generating an event record based, at least in part, on a request to coordinate an event for a first group of contacts, the event record including first data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, wherein the first data is updated as the event occurs with second data obtained from at least one external data source or with third data obtained from at least one contact of the first group;

identifying the first group of contacts based, at least in part, on the request to coordinate the event; and

causing the first data to be displayed on a first computing device associated with a first contact of the first group, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and substantially continuously on the first computing device as the event occurs and such that the first data is updated, without intervention of the first contact.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

identifying a second group of contacts based, at least in part, on the third data; and

causing the first data to be displayed on a second computing device associated with a second contact of the second group, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and substantially continuously on the second computing device as the event occurs and such that the first data is further updated with fourth data obtained from at least one contact of the second group, without intervention of the second contact.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first and second groups are the same.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 further comprising obtaining the third data from the at least one contact of the first group, wherein the display of the first data on the second computing device is caused in response to the obtaining of the third data.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising ceasing to cause the first data to be displayed on the first computing device after at least one of completion of the event or an indication that the first contact is not interested in the event.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the second data is automatically obtained from the at least one external data source.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one external data source corresponds to at least one of a location based service, a review service, or a recommendation service.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform operations comprising:

generating an event record based, at least in part, on a request to coordinate an event for a first group of contacts, the event record including first data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, wherein the first data is updated as the event occurs with second data obtained from at least one external data source or with third data obtained from at least one contact of the first group;

identifying the first group of contacts based, at least in part, on the request to coordinate the event; and

causing the first data to be displayed on a first computing device associated with a first contact of the first group, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and substantially continuously on the first computing device as the event occurs and such that the first data is updated, without intervention of the first contact.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

obtaining the third data from the at least one contact of the first group; and

identifying a second group of contacts based, at least in part, on the third data.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second group of contacts is identified by at least one of adding, removing or modifying a contact in the first group.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise causing the first data to be displayed on a second computing device associated with a second contact of a second group of contacts, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and substantially continuously on the second computing device as the event occurs and such that the first data is further updated with fourth data obtained from at least a contact of the second group.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second data obtained from the at least one external sources is requested by one or more contacts of the first group.