Conversation-based user interface

• US 7,974,391 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Orative Corp. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Mike, Withey, Kate, Schramm, Steven D., Drewry, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Al Aubaidi; Rasha S
• Application Number:
  US11/509,113
• Publication Number:
  US 20070047697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,777 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202.01, 379/215.01, 379/211.02, 379/88.11, 379/88.14, 455/415
• US Class Current: 379/88.14
• 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 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1091 Fixed mobile conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2011 Service processing based on information specified by a party before or during a call, e.g. information, tone or routing selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/206 composed of PSTN and wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42093 Notifying the calling party of information on the called or connected party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42263 where the same subscriber uses different terminals, i.e. nomadism
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42365 Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

A conversation-based user interface (UI) is described. The presenting of the UI includes receiving communications from numerous people. The communications include media that is electronic. A conversation list is generated that includes conversation information of each of the communications. The conversation information includes information of a sender and the media of each communication. The conversation list is displayed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of communications by a first user device associated with a first user from a plurality of users associated with a plurality of user devices;

generating a conversation list listing the plurality of communications of the first user device with the plurality of other users, the conversation list including conversation information for each of the plurality of communications with the first user with each of the plurality of other users, the conversation information for each of the plurality of other users comprising a first visual cue, a second visual cue, and user information of the plurality of other users;

displaying at least a portion of the conversation list including conversation information of the first user on a display of the first user device of the first user;

filtering the conversation list using a first criteria to identify communications for which the first user receiving the communications is to respond as a first filtered conversation list and selectively displaying a portion of the conversation list limited to the first filtered conversation list identifying the communications for which the first user receiving the communications is to respond;

filtering the first filtered conversation list using a second criteria to identify most recent ones of the plurality of communications as a second filtered conversation list and selectively displaying a portion of the conversation list limited to the second filtered conversation list identifying the most recent ones of the plurality of communications;

wherein the first visual cue is an attention icon indicating whether a response to a communication from at least one other user is due from the first user; and

wherein the second visual cue is an availability icon of other users indicating whether a user is currently available and willing to receive a communication from the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation information includes media information for the previous communications.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation information includes media information selected from the group consisting of telephone calls, telephone call requests, voice messages, voice mail, electronic mail messages, and text messages.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein communications listed in the conversation list are arranged according to at least one multi-dimensional filtering scheme.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one filtering scheme includes one or more of filtering on presence, availability, location, email, phone number, network identification, title, profession company, department, location/facility, region, group affiliation, mailing list of which contact is a member, supervisor name, assistant, instant messaging address, children, spouse, notes, category, last active date, and miscellaneous fields or information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation list includes state information of the conversation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation list includes information of one or more of priority of each communication and status of each communication.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the conversation list includes one or more of a sender name and time information of the conversation.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising generating the conversation list for each person of the plurality of people, wherein the conversation list includes communications of the plurality of communications that correspond to a conversation with a person.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the conversation list includes a third indicator with one or more communications, wherein the third indicator indicates a break in a thread of the communication.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the conversation list includes a fourth indicator with one or more communications, wherein the fourth indicator indicates when one or more states of a response to a received communication.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more states include at least one of on device, on facilitator, on server, and on destination device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the conversation list includes one or more of subject information and time information of the conversation.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising generating a conversation detail screen that includes a summary of message exchanges and conversation activity with each person of the plurality of people.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying is on a client device.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising updating the conversation list in response to expiry times of each of the plurality of communications.

17. A device comprising a user interface application coupled to a processor, the device configured to receive a plurality of communications by a first user associated with the device from a plurality of other users, wherein the user interface application is configured to generate a conversation list that includes conversation information corresponding to communications by the first user with each of the plurality of other users, the conversation information for each of the plurality of other users including information of another user and a type of each communication;

wherein the conversation list further comprises for each user a first visual queue associated with one or more first communications and a second visual cue associated with one or more second communications;

wherein the user interface is configured to display at least a portion of the conversation list including the first visual cue and the second visual cue on the device of the first user;

wherein the user interface is configured to filter the conversation list using a first criteria to identify communications for which the first user receiving the communications is to respond as a first filtered conversation list, and selectively display a portion of the conversation list limited to the first filtered conversation list identifying the communications for which the first user receiving the communications is to respond;

wherein the user interface is configured to filter the first filtered conversation list using a second criteria to identify most recent ones of the plurality of communications as a second filtered conversation list, and selectively display a portion of the conversation list limited to the second filtered conversation list identifying the most recent ones of the plurality of communications;

wherein the first visual cue is an attention icon indicating whether a response to a prior communication from at least one other user is due; and

wherein the second visual cue is an availability icon indicating whether a user is currently available and willing to receive a communication from the first user.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the type of communication is selected from a group consisting of telephone calls, telephone call requests, voice messages, voice mail, electronic mail messages, and text messages.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein the conversation list includes state information of the conversation.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the conversation list includes information of one or more of priority of each communication and status of each communication.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the conversation list includes one or more of a sender name and time information of the conversation.

22. The device of claim 17 configured to filter the conversation list using a plurality of additional criteria, wherein the plurality of additional criteria includes one or more of presence, availability, location, email, phone number, network identification, title, profession company, department, location/facility, group affiliation, mailing list of which contact is a member, supervisor name, assistant, instant messaging address, children, spouse, notes, category, last active date, and miscellaneous fields or information.

23. The device of claim 17, configured to generate the conversation list for each person of the plurality of people, wherein the conversation list includes communications of the plurality of communications that correspond to a conversation with a person.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the conversation list includes a third indicator with one or more communications, wherein the third indicator indicates a break in a thread of the communication.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the conversation list includes a fourth indicator with one or more communications, wherein the fourth indicator indicates when one or more states of a response to a received communication.

26. The device of claim 25, wherein the one or more states include at least one of on device, on facilitator, on server, and on destination device.

27. The device of claim 23, wherein the conversation list includes one or more of subject information and time information of the conversation.

28. The device of claim 17, configured to generate a conversation detail screen that includes a summary of message exchanges and conversation activity with each person of the plurality of people.

29. The device of claim 17, configured to update the conversation list in response to expiry times of each of the plurality of communications.

30. Logic encoded in one or more tangible medium for execution for providing a conversation-based user interface and when executed operable to:

receive communications by a first user device associated with a first user from a plurality of associated mobile devices, the plurality of associated mobile devices being associated with a plurality of users;

generate a conversation list listing the communications received from the plurality of associated mobile devices, the conversation list including conversation information corresponding to communications by a first user with each of a plurality of other users, the conversation information including user information, a first visual cue, and a second visual cue;

display at least a portion of the conversation list including conversation information of the first user on a first associated mobile device of the plurality of associated devices corresponding with the first user, the display including first and second visual cues;

filter the conversation list using a first criteria to identify communications for which the first user receiving the communications is to respond as a first filtered conversation list, and selectively display a portion of the conversation list limited to the first filtered conversation list identifying the communications for which the first user receiving the communications is to respond;

filter the first filtered conversation list using a second criteria to identify most recent ones of the plurality of communications as a second filtered conversation list, and selectively display a portion of the conversation list limited to the second filtered conversation list identifying the most recent ones of the plurality of communications;

wherein the first visual cue is an attention icon associated with each of the plurality of other users indicating whether a response to a communication from at least one other user associated with the first visual cue is due from the first user; and

wherein the second visual cue is an availability icon indicating whether a user is currently available and willing to receive a communication from the first user.