In-call contact information display

• US 8,095,119 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Sabotta, Kenneth Q., Guntaur, Paula, Pan, David T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Magloire, Vladimir
• Application Number:
  US12/476,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20100304729A1
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/415, 455/416, 709204-207
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• 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

Abstract

Call control information regarding a phone call that a user of a mobile communications device is currently engaged in with an individual is displayed on a screen. A request to display in-call contact information is received, and in response to the request the in-call contact information regarding the individual is displayed. This request can be a single user input, and the in-call contact information can include information obtained by the mobile communications device from a social networking service.

Claims

1. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile communications device, cause the one or more processors to:

display, on a screen, call control information regarding a first phone call that a user of the mobile communications device is currently engaged in with a first individual;

receive a single user input requesting display of in-call contact information for the first individual;

display, in response to the single user input, the in-call contact information for the first individual including data regarding the first individual obtained by the mobile communications device from a social networking service;

receive an additional single user input requesting display of in-call contact information for a second individual with which the user is currently engaged in a second phone call, the user being engaged in multiple phone calls concurrently; and

display, in response to the additional single user input, the in-call contact information for the second individual including data regarding the second individual obtained by the mobile communications device from the social networking service.

2. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to display the in-call contact information for the first individual is to display the in-call contact information for the first individual in place of the call control information on the screen.

3. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the data regarding the first individual obtained from the social networking service includes one or more phone numbers for the first individual and one or more addresses for the first individual.

4. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the data regarding the first individual obtained from the social networking service includes one or more images published by the first individual via the social networking service.

5. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein to display the in-call contact information for the first individual is further to display an indication of the social networking service from which the data regarding the first individual is obtained.

6. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple instructions further cause the one or more processors to display, concurrently with the in-call contact information for the first individual, at least some of the call control information.

7. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple instructions further cause the one or more processors to receive a user selection of an option displayed as part of the in-call contact information for the first individual, the option being an option to send a message to an address of the first individual.

8. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 1, wherein the multiple instructions further cause the one or more processors to cease display of the in-call contact information for the first individual when the first phone call ends.

9. A method implemented in a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving a request to display in-call contact information regarding an individual that is currently engaged in a phone call with the mobile communications device;

obtaining, in response to the request, the in-call contact information, the in-call contact information including information obtained by the mobile communications device from a social networking service;

displaying the in-call contact information;

receiving an additional request to display additional in-call contact information regarding an additional individual that is currently engaged in an additional phone call with the mobile communications device, the mobile communications device being engaged in multiple phone calls concurrently;

obtaining, in response to the additional request, the additional in-call contact information, the additional in-call contact information including additional information obtained by the mobile communications device from the social networking service; and

displaying the additional in-call contact information.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the individual represents an entity that publishes information regarding the entity via the social networking service, and wherein the in-call contact information regarding the individual comprises in-call contact information regarding the entity.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the information obtained from the social networking service includes one or more phone numbers for the individual and one or more addresses for the individual.

12. A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the information obtained from the social networking service further includes one or more images recently uploaded to the social networking service by the individual.

13. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the information obtained from the social networking service includes one or more images uploaded by the individual to the social networking service.

14. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the information obtained by the mobile communications device from the social networking service comprises information obtained by the mobile communications device via communications with an intermediary data service that in turn communicates with multiple different social networking services.

15. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising ceasing displaying the in-call contact information when the phone call ends.

16. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a mobile communications device, cause the one or more processors to:

display, on a screen, call control information regarding a phone call that a user of the mobile communications device is currently engaged in with a particular individual;

receive a single user input requesting display of in-call contact information for the particular individual;

display, in response to the single user input, the in-call contact information for the particular individual including information regarding the particular individual as well as at least some of the call control information, the information regarding the particular individual having been obtained by the mobile communications device from a social networking service and including one or more phone numbers and one or more addresses of the particular individual;

receive an additional single user input requesting display of in-call contact information for an additional individual with which the user is currently engaged in an additional phone call, the user being engaged in multiple phone calls concurrently; and

display, in response to the additional single user input, the in-call contact information for the additional individual including information regarding the additional individual obtained by the mobile communications device from the social networking service.