Community networking using networked audio devices

• US 7,660,572 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2007
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Bucher, Timothy, Van Hoff, Arthur Anthonie
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson; Blane J
• Application Number:
  US11/754,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20070281607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/206, 709/224, 370/254, 370/260, 370/270, 370/271, 455/90.1, 455/406, 455/408, 455/416, 455/566, 455/405
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/85 which are mobile communication networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4535 using an address exchange platform which sets up a session between two nodes, e.g. rendezvous servers, session initiation protocols [SIP] registrars or H.323 gatekeepers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2757 by data transmission, e.g. downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A computing system for gathering media status information and other information about contacts in a user'"'"'s contact list includes a server, a user device, and one or more contacts (or contact devices). The user device communicates with the server and requests media status information regarding the contacts. Media status information may include information about the media content currently (or most recently) accessed by the contacts. The server receives the request from the user device, collects the information and sends it to the user device. The server may else send connection information to the user device. The user device receives the information and displays it to the user. The user device may include a message service such that messages can be sent to and received from the contacts. Also, the user may request particular media content accessed by the contacts.

Claims

1. In a server capable of communicating over a network with a plurality of electronic media devices, including a user device and one or more contact devices, a method of providing media status information for the one or more contact devices to a user device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for media status information for the one or more contact devices from the user device, the one or more contact devices corresponding to one or more contacts indentified in a contact list stored on the user device, the request including an identifier and contact information taken from the contact list for the one or contact devices, the media status information including one or more media items currently being accessed by the one or more contact devices;

creating a session contact list in response to receiving the request, the session contact list generated from the user device contact list and including at least a portion of the one or more contact devices identified in the request from the user device, wherein the session contact list also includes the identifier for the one or more contact devices;

collecting the media status information for the one or more contact devices identified in the session contact list; and

sending the media status information to the user device, wherein the user device displays the media status information to inform the user of the user device of the one or more media items being accessed by the one or more contact devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting and sending connection information for each of the one or more contacts to the user device, wherein the connection information indicates one or more of:

a contact being online, a contact being offline, a contact being away from a corresponding contact device, and a contact being busy.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media status information further includes one or more media items most recently accessed by one or more contacts not currently accessing media items.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the media status information for the one or more contacts identified in the session contact list includes determining whether or not the one or more contacts are logged in to the server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to determining that the user device is no longer communicating with the server, performing one or more of:

deleting the session contact list; and

sending a message to the one or more contacts, the message indicating that the user is no longer available.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the contact list or the session contact list includes the one or more contacts hierarchically organized in accordance with specified group criteria.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that a media item included in the requested media status information is already contained on a memory of the user device; and

informing the user device that the media item is stored on the memory such that the user device may locally access the media item without having to receive the media item from the server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the media status information includes at least one of song information, video information, podcast information, website information, gaming information, or streaming audio information.