Mobile shared group interaction

• US 7,702,728 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2004
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Roseway, Asta, Saretto, Cesare John, Zaner, Melora, Mulcahy, Kathleen, Savage, Tammy, Chung, Eun-Kyung
• Primary Examiner(s): Lin; Kenny S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain; Tauqir
• Application Number:
  US10/769,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,272 Days
• Field of Search: 709/205
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages

Abstract

Techniques for enabling mobile shared group interaction are described. Members of a group may access, through a user interface, group activities that provide a shared, synchronous, interactive experience. An interface may be provided via a mobile device such as a cellular telephone that enables members who are mobile to participate in group activities with other members who are also mobile or who are logged on via a non-mobile device such as a desktop computer system.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

a group interaction application maintained in the memory and executed on the processor to present a graphical user interface for facilitating a group interaction among a first user and one or more other users, the graphical user interface comprising;

a group identification area configured to display visual representations of a plurality of online social groups in which the first user is a member, wherein;

the first user'"'"'s membership in the group is maintained when the first user is offline; and

the visual representations of online social groups are automatically arranged by at least one of;

a geographic location associated with a member of one of the online social groups;

a date and time of a most recent communication between the first user and another member of one of the online social groups; and

a frequency of communication between the first user and another member of one of the online social groups,

wherein the visual representations of online social groups are filtered, at least in part, based on geographical location information associated with one or more members of the online social groups; and

a group activities menu comprising a plurality of selectable items representing social activities in which the first user, as a member of a selected group may participate, such that a plurality of group activities in which a member of the selected group who is logged on via a mobile device may participate is different than a plurality of group activities in which a member of the selected group who is logged on via a non-mobile device may participate,

wherein the social activities in which a mobile member of the selected group may participate comprise a group of activities that are available to group members who are mobile but that are not available to a group member who is logged on via a non-mobile device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a selected group is represented by one of the visual representations, and wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a group details area configured to display a group name associated with the selected group.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual representations of online social groups are filtered, at least in part, based on frequency of communication between the first user and one or more members of the online social groups.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the visual representations of online social groups are filtered, at least in part, based on a date and time of a most recent communication between the first user and one or more members of the online social groups.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a personal representation area configured to display a configurable avatar associated with the first user.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the avatar comprises a visual representation of the first user that is displayed to other online members of online social groups to which the user belongs.

7. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the avatar comprises a visual representation of the first user that is displayed to other online individuals with which the first user has a relationship.

8. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the personal representation area is further configured to display a username and presence information associated with the first user, wherein further the username and presence information may be displayed to other online members of online social groups to which the user belongs.

9. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the personal representation area is further configured to display a username and presence information associated with the first user, wherein further the username and presence information may be displayed to other online individuals with which the first user has a relationship.

10. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the personal representation area is further configured to display a username associated with the first user.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface further comprises a group details area configured to display data associated with a selected one of the plurality of online social groups.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the data associated with the selected one of the plurality of online social groups comprises at least one of a group name associated with the selected group, presence information associated with the selected group, presence information associated with online members of the selected group, and a visual representation of an activity in which one or more online members of the selected group are participating.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the social activities represented by the selectable items of the group activities menu are selected from a group of social activities comprising calling, inviting, sending a wink, sending a bubble, sending a file, sharing an image, sharing audio, sending a calling card, and viewing group history.

14. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-mobile device comprises a desktop computer system.

15. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the non-mobile device comprises a desktop computer system.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 implemented as a mobile device.

17. The system as recited in claim 16, wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a cellular telephone, a personal digital assistant, a car stereo system, a portable television, a portable DVD player, a portable stereo system, a wearable computing device, a watch, a bracelet, a necklace, a pendant, and a digital picture frame.

18. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform a method, the method comprising:

presenting a graphical user interface that displays;

an avatar implemented as a visual representation of a user of the mobile device, wherein the avatar is displayed to other online members of peer-to-peer online social groups to which the user belongs; and

visual representations of a plurality of peer-to-peer online social groups to which the user belongs, wherein each of the peer-to-peer online social groups comprises two or more members,

wherein;

individual ones of the two or more members may be offline, and therefore not available for social interaction via the group;

the visual representations of the plurality of groups are arranged based on at least one of;

a relationship between geographic locations associated with the groups;

a date and time of a most recent group communication involving the particular user; and

a frequency of communication between a first member of the groups and other members of the groups; and

the visual representations of the plurality of groups are filtered based on;

a relationship between geographic locations associated with the groups;

automatically establishing a connection between the computer system being used by the particular user and a computer system being used by another member of at least one group of the plurality of groups;

in response to receiving a user selection of a particular one of the visual representations of the online social groups, displaying a collection of a plurality of selectable items, each representing a social activity in which the user may participate as part of the online social group represented by the particular one of the visual representations of the online social groups, wherein the collection of one or more selectable items, each representing a social activity is different than a collection of social activities available to another member of the same online social group who is using a non-mobile device,

wherein the social activities in which a mobile member of the selected group may participate comprise a group of activities that are available to group members who are mobile but that are not available to a group member who is logged on via a non-mobile device.

19. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18 wherein the computer system comprises a mobile device.

20. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, further comprising computer-readable instructions which, when executed, cause the mobile device to further:

receive a user selection of a graphical element and an audio element; and

transmit the graphical and audio elements to a group member such that in an event that the group member is online, the graphical and audio elements are automatically presented to the group member.