Automatic user availability status determination for a handheld communication device

• US 8,064,355 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2005
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Klassen, Gerhard D., Wisebourt, Shaul S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryman; Daniel J
• Assistant Examiner(s): DIVECHA, NISHANT B
• Application Number:
  US11/048,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20060052061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,483 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/207, 709/204, 709/203, 709/223, 709/206, 709/208, 455/517, 455/456, 370/252, 370/328
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

To automatically determine the availability status of the user of a handheld communication device, various selected conditions of the device may be checked, which imply whether or not the user is likely Available, or Unavailable or the equivalent. Normally, the selected conditions are checked only if the user has not explicitly or semi-explicitly set his or her status to Unavailable. The conditions to be checked can vary widely, but generally include anything from which it might be inferred or implied that the user is likely either Available or Unavailable or the equivalent. Such conditions can include, for example, whether or not a specified timeout for use of a keypad, trackwheel or other mechanical feature of the device has elapsed yet; whether or not a real-time application is in use; and preferably any one or more of a variety of other conditions, one further example being whether or not there are any unattended-to notifications such as an unanswered phone call, or a missed e-mail, SMS or other message.

Claims

1. A method for determining the availability status of a user of a handheld communication device, the method comprising, at the handheld communication device:

periodically checking whether or not a predetermined time threshold has elapsed, from the last use of a mechanical feature of the device by the user;

if the predetermined time threshold has not elapsed, setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Available;

if the predetermined time threshold has elapsed, determining whether a real-time application is in use;

setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Available in response to determining that the real-time application is in use;

wherein if it is determined that the real-time application is not in use, then checking whether or not there are any unattended-to-notifications that are related to real time applications and not the detection of availability status at the handheld communication device, the unattended-to-notifications comprising at least one of an unattended-to e-mail, an unattended-to phone call, an unattended-to SMS message and an-unattended to instant message;

if there are no unattended to notifications, then setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Available; and

if there are any unattended to notifications, setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Unavailable.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising checking whether or not the availability status has been explicitly or semi-explicitly set to Unavailable, and if so, bypassing the checking of whether or not a predetermined time threshold has elapsed.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein, after bypassing, there is no further checking until, when, and if the availability status is set to Available.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein after bypassing, there is no further checking until a second predetermined time interval has passed.

5. A handheld communication device provided with a non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions, which, when executed by the handheld communication device, cause the handheld communication device to perform a method for determining the availability status of a user of the device, the method comprising, at the handheld communication device:

periodically checking whether or not a predetermined time threshold has elapsed, from the last use of a mechanical feature of the device by the user;

if the predetermined time threshold has not elapsed, setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Available;

if the predetermined time threshold has elapsed, determining whether a real-time application is in use;

setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Available in response to determining that the real-time application is in use;

wherein if it is determined that the real-time application is not in use, then checking whether or not there are any unattended-to-notifications that are related to real time applications and not the detection of availability status at the handheld communication device, the unattended-to-notifications comprising at least one of an unattended-to e-mail, an unattended-to phone call, an unattended-to SMS message and an-unattended to instant message;

if there are no unattended to notifications, then setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Available; and

if there are any unattended to notifications, setting the availability status of the user of the handheld communication device to be Unavailable.

6. A handheld communication device as in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises checking whether or not the availability status has been explicitly or semi-explicitly set to Unavailable, and if so, bypassing the checking of whether or not a predetermined time threshold has elapsed.

7. A handheld communication device as in claim 6, wherein after bypassing, there is no further checking of availability status until, when, and if the availability status is set to Available.

8. A handheld communication device as in claim 6, wherein after bypassing, there is no further checking of availability status until a second predetermined time interval has passed.