Conditional communication
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- generating a conditional communication using a first communications device, wherein generating comprises;
defining at least one condition for the conditional communication;
defining at least one recipient of the conditional communication; and
defining at least one blocked operation of a mode of communication for the conditional communication, wherein;
the at least one recipient is prevented from performing the at least one blocked operation until the at least one condition has been satisfied;
the at least one recipient is authorized to perform at least one non-blocked operation of the mode of communication; and
the performance of the at least one non-blocked operation does not satisfy the at least one condition; and
transmitting the conditional communication.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Conditional communication settings may be defined by a user of a communications device to be transmitted with a communication to a receiving device, where the receiving device may be restricted from performing a user-specified type of communication operations with a user-specified contact until the conditional communication settings are satisfied. The conditional communication settings may include a condition value setting, which may be a task to be performed by a recipient, a date and/or time, a location, an operation to be performed by a third party contact, or other suitable criterion. The receiving device may detect whether such condition value setting has been satisfied. Unless the condition value setting has been satisfied, the receiving device may be prevented from performing the user-specified type of communication operation with the user-specified contact.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
generating a conditional communication using a first communications device, wherein generating comprises; defining at least one condition for the conditional communication; defining at least one recipient of the conditional communication; and defining at least one blocked operation of a mode of communication for the conditional communication, wherein; the at least one recipient is prevented from performing the at least one blocked operation until the at least one condition has been satisfied; the at least one recipient is authorized to perform at least one non-blocked operation of the mode of communication; and the performance of the at least one non-blocked operation does not satisfy the at least one condition; and transmitting the conditional communication. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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10. A method of communicating, which includes transmitting a conditional communication from a first communications device to a second communications device, the conditional communication comprising a condition and a blocked operation of a mode of communication, the method comprising:
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receiving the conditional communication with the second communications device; determining whether the condition has been satisfied; preventing the second communications device from performing the blocked operation of the mode of communication if it is determined that the condition has not been satisfied; and allowing the second communications device to perform at least one non-blocked operation of the mode of communication, wherein the performance of the at least one non-blocked operation does not satisfy the condition. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for transmitting a conditional communication as part of a first communications operation using a first communications device, the method comprising:
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generating the conditional communication using the first communications device, generating comprising; defining at least one condition type; defining at least one condition value associated with the defined condition type; defining at least one recipient of the first communications operation; defining at least one blocked operation of a mode of communication for the conditional communication; and defining at least one blocked contact; storing the defined condition type, condition value, recipient, blocked operation of the mode of communication and blocked contact in memory; initiating the first communications operation; and transmitting the conditional communication as part of the first communications operation, wherein a recipient device of the conditional communication is authorized to perform at least one non-blocked operation of the mode of communication, wherein the performance of the at least one non-blocked operation does not satisfy the at least one condition value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A communications device with a restricted communications operation, the communications device comprising processing circuitry, memory and communications circuitry, the processing circuitry operative to:
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direct the communications circuitry to receive a conditional communication comprising; a condition type; a condition value; a blocked operation of a mode of communication for the conditional communication; and a blocked contact; store the received condition type, condition value, blocked operation of the mode of communication and blocked contact in memory; receive a request to perform a communications operation; determine whether the stored condition value has been satisfied; determine whether the requested communications operation is with the blocked contact using the blocked operation of the mode of communication; prevent the communications circuitry from performing the requested communications operation in response to determining that the condition value has not been satisfied and that the requested communications operation is with the blocked contact using the blocked operation of the mode of communication; and authorize the communications circuitry to perform at least one non-blocked operation of the mode of communication, wherein the performance of the at least one non-blocked operation does not satisfy the condition value. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21)
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22. A server comprising memory and processing circuitry, the processing circuitry operative to:
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store in memory;
a condition, a blocked contact and a blocked operation of a mode of communication associated with a first communications device;receive a request from the first communications device to perform a communications operation; determine whether the condition has been satisfied; determine whether the requested communications operation is with the blocked contact using the blocked operation of the mode of communication; and prevent the first communications device from performing the requested communications operation in response to determining that the condition has not been satisfied and that the requested communications operation is with the blocked contact using the blocked operation of the mode of communication, wherein the first device is authorized to perform at least one non-blocked operation of the mode of communication, and wherein the performance of the at least one non-blocked operation does not satisfy the condition. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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Specification