Multi-mode communication apparatus and interface for contacting a user

• US 7,117,445 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Danger Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Berger, Kelly D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayerl, Raymond J.
• Application Number:
  US10/611,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20040268265A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,191 Days
• Field of Search: 345/752, 345/776, 345/864, 345/963, 345/733, 345/744, 345/745, 345/747, 345/751, 345/758, 345/811, 345/810, 345/812, 345/821, 345/822, 345/825, 345/700, 379/88.11, 379/88.17, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/88.22, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.06, 379/93.23, 379/93.24, 379/93.25, 379/110.01, 455/344, 455/412, 455/413, 455/414, 455/415, 455/74, 455/553, 455/556, 455/557, 455/566
• US Class Current: 715/752
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1622 with enclosures rotating around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define or with ball-joint coupling, e.g. PDA with display enclosure orientation changeable between portrait and landscape by rotation with respect to a coplanar body enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/48 Message addressing, e.g. address format or anonymous messages, aliases
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0225 Rotatable telephones, i.e. the body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis perpendicular to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72472 wherein the items are sorted according to specific criteria, e.g. frequency of use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/652 Call initiation triggered by text message
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier

Abstract

A system and method for providing multi-mode communication options on a data processing device. A method according to one embodiment of the invention includes: receiving an incoming electronic message having an identifiable sender address; querying data storage to determine if the sender address is a known sender address; if the sender address is a known sender address, then automatically retrieving alternate contact information associated with the sender address; and automatically generating an interface containing the alternate contact information, the interface accessible by the user of the data processing device.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a data processing device comprising:

receiving an incoming electronic message from a message sender, the electronic message having an identifiable sender address;

querying data storage to determine if the sender address is a known sender address;

if the sender address is a known sender address, then automatically retrieving alternate contact options associated with the sender address;

automatically generating an interface containing the alternate contact options, the alternate contact options prioritized based on a presumption of the location of the sender of the electronic message and selectable by the user of the data processing device via a mouse or other cursor control device; and

upon detecting a selection of a particular contact option by the user, causing the data processing device to contact the sender using the selected contact option.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the incoming electronic message is an incoming email message.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein the incoming electronic message is an instant message.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the alternate contact options are listed and prioritized in a menu within the interface.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the presumption is based on the origin of the sender address.

6. The method as in claim 5, further comprising:

wherein an alternate contact option is included or excluded in the alternate contact options based on the origin of the sender address.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein the list is further prioritized based on contact preferences specified by the user.

8. The method as in claim 1 wherein querying data storage comprises querying an address book maintained on the data processing device.

9. The method as in claim 1 wherein querying data storage comprises querying a contact database maintained on the data processing device.

10. The method as in claim 1 wherein the interface is a graphical interface displayed on a display of the data processing device.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

detecting presence information associated with the sender of the electronic message, wherein the presumption is based on the detected presence information.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the presence information comprises an indication as to whether the sender is logged into a particular instant messaging session.

13. The method as in claim 1 wherein causing the data processing device to contact the sender further comprises:

executing a communication application configured to communicate with the sender according to the selected type of contact option.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the selected contact option is email and wherein the communication application comprises an email client through which the user may transmit an email to the sender.

15. The method as in claim 13 wherein the selected contact option is a telephone call and wherein the communication application comprises a telephony application through which the user may place a telephone call to the sender.

16. The method as in claim 1, wherein an alternate contact option is included or excluded in the alternate contact options based on the presumption of the location of the sender of the electronic message.

17. The method as in claim 1, wherein an alternate contact option is included or excluded in the alternate contact options based on presence information associated with the sender of the electronic message.

18. The method as in claim 1, wherein the presumption is based on the location of the user device.

19. A method implemented on a data processing device having voice telephony capabilities comprising:

receiving an incoming telephone call and caller identification (“

ID”

) information associated with the telephone call;

querying data storage using the caller ID information to determine if any additional contact options exist for contacting the caller;

if the additional contact options exist, then automatically retrieving the additional contact options, or a subset thereof;

automatically generating an interface containing the additional contact options, the additional contact options within the interface prioritized based on a presumption of the location of the caller and selectable by the user of the data processing device via a mouse or other cursor control device; and

upon detecting a selection of a particular contact option by the user, causing the data processing device to contact the sender using the selected contact option.

20. The method as in claim 19 wherein at least one of the additional contact options comprises an email address.

21. The method as in claim 19 wherein at least one of the additional contact options comprises an instant messaging address.

22. The method as in claim 19 wherein the additional contact options are listed and prioritized in a menu within the interface.

23. The method as in claim 22 wherein the list is further prioritized based on contact preferences specified by the user.

24. The method as in claim 19 further comprising:

detecting presence information associated with the caller, wherein the presumption is based on the detected presence information.

25. The method as in claim 24 wherein the presence information comprises an indication as to whether the caller is logged into an instant messaging session.

26. The method as in claim 19 wherein querying data storage comprises querying an address book maintained on the data processing device.

27. A method executed on a data processing device comprising:

displaying a list of received electronic messages on a display of the data processing device;

upon selection of a specified one of the electronic messages by a user, gathering additional contact options associated with the sender of the specified one of the electronic messages;

automatically generating an interface from which the user may select one of the additional contact options to contact the sender via a mouse or other cursor control device, the additional contact options prioritized based on a presumption of the location of the sender of the specified one of the electronic messages; and

upon detecting a selection of a particular contact option by the user, causing the data processing device to contact the sender using the selected contact option.

28. The method as in claim 27 wherein the list of received electronic messages comprise a list of email messages within the user'"'"'s inbox.

29. The method as in claim 27 wherein the additional contact options are listed and prioritized in a menu within the interface.

30. The method as in claim 27 wherein the presumption is based on the origin of the sender address.

31. The method as in claim 27 wherein querying data storage comprises querying an address book maintained on the data processing device.

32. The method as in claim 27 wherein the interface is a graphical interface displayed on a display of the data processing device.

33. The method as in claim 27 further comprising:

detecting presence information associated with the sender of the specified one of the electronic messages, wherein the presumption is based on the detected presence information.

34. The method as in claim 33 wherein the presence information comprises an indication as to whether the sender is logged into a particular instant messaging session.