Current updates

• US 8,214,464 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Apfel, Darren A., Friedman, Jon, Maguire, Justin Michael, Schoenholz, Matthew James, Ho, Rosanna H., Rowe, Keith L., Vargas, Sandra I., Bernard, Peter A., Von Bencke, Matthew Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, HITESHKUMAR R
• Application Number:
  US13/174,325
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 369 Days
• Field of Search: 707/618, 707/611, 709/203, 709/217.227, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70

Abstract

This document describes tools capable of differentiating a superset of entities from which a user may receive current updates effective to provide current updates for only some of the entities of the superset. In one embodiment, for example, the tools enable a user of a mobile device to select a set of entities from which the user will automatically receive updates that are current, easily accessible, and visible at-a-glance. The tools may forgo providing current updates for entities that are not selected by the user, though the tools may provide these updates when explicitly requested by the user or at particular times or events.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a display device;

one or more processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media storing instructions, that when executed via the one or more processors, implement a device user interface configured to;

display, on the display device, multiple icons representing selected entities that are selected from a superset of entities including at least application programs and contacts associated with the mobile device that are arranged around different respective arcuate shapes in the device user interface, the selected entities designated to receive current updates automatically and without user interaction;

detect availability of current updates associated with one or more of the selected entities;

present selectable update indicators visually associated with respective icons to represent the availability of the current updates for the one or more of the selected entities including updates available for the application programs and contacts, the selectable update indicators selectable to cause the mobile device to show substance for corresponding current updates; and

output a current update for an entity responsive to selection of a corresponding selectable update indicator.

2. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device user interface is further configured to enable drag and drop selection of the selected entities from the superset of entities.

3. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the superset of entities from which the selected entities are selected further includes a communication group designating persons to receive electronic messages as a group from the mobile device.

4. The mobile device as recited in claim 3, wherein the superset of entities from which the selected entities are selected further includes an updatable data library of the mobile device.

5. The mobile device as recited in claim 4, wherein the superset of entities from which the selected entities are selected further includes update feeds.

6. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the current updates available to said selected entities comprise contact data, a text or image, a software program update, a group message, a library update, or a Real Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.

7. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device user interface is further configured to:

obtain and display a requested update for a non-selected entity of the superset of entities in response to receiving explicit user input to request an update for the non-selected entity.

8. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device user interface is further configured to:

receive a selection of the selected entities from the superset of entities; and

configure current updates to occur automatically and without user interaction for the selected entities.

9. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein to present selectable update indicators comprises presenting the update indicators for multiple different types of entities together in the user interface to provide visible at-a-glance indications of available current updates.

10. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein to receive a selection comprises displaying via the device user interface a selection area to list the superset of entities and a selected set area into which entities from the list are moved to cause the selection of the entities.

11. One or more computer-readable memory devices having computer-readable instructions therein that, when executed by a mobile device, implement a device update module on the mobile device operable to:

display, on a display of the mobile device, multiple icons representing selected entities that are selected from a superset of entities including multiple different types of entities, such that icons corresponding to a first type of entity are oriented around a first arcuate shape in a user interface of the mobile device and icons corresponding to another type of entity are oriented around another arcuate shape in the user interface of the mobile device, the selected entities designated to receive current updates automatically and without user interaction;

detect availability of current updates associated with one or more of the selected entities;

present selectable update indicators;

visually associated with respective icons to provide visible at-a-glance indications of the availability of the current updates for the one or more of the selected entities; and

each selectable to cause display on the display of the mobile device of at least some content of a corresponding current update; and

output a current update for a selected entity responsive to selection of a corresponding selectable update indicator.

12. One or more computer-readable memory devices as recited in claim 11, wherein the superset of entities from which the selected entities are selected includes application programs, contacts, and update feeds associated with the mobile device.

13. One or more computer-readable memory devices as recited in claim 11, where the device update module is further operable to present an update for a non-selected entity of the superset of entities in response to receiving explicit user input to request the update for the non-selected entity.

14. A method implemented by a mobile device comprising:

detecting at the mobile device availability of updates associated with one or more selected entities that are selected from a superset of entities to receive current updates automatically and without user interaction;

displaying on the mobile device a user interface having multiple icons representing the selected entities and visually associated with respective selectable update indicators to represent the availability of the updates for the one or more of the selected entities, such that icons corresponding to contacts are oriented around a first arcuate shape in the user interface of the mobile device and icons corresponding to other types of entities are oriented around another arcuate shape in the user interface of the mobile device,

the selectable update indicators associated with the multiple icons selectable to present substance of corresponding updates via the user interface;

outputting via the user interface of the mobile device an update for an entity responsive to selection of a corresponding selectable update indicator; and

presenting via the user interface of the mobile device an update for a non-selected entity of the superset of entities in response to receiving explicit user input to request the update for the non-selected entity.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

exposing a selection user interface to enable selection of the selected entities by drop and drag selection of the selected entities from the superset of entities into a selected set area of the user interface;

receiving a selection of the selected entities via the selection user interface; and

configuring current updates to occur automatically and without user interaction for the selected entities.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the superset of entities includes at least application programs and contacts associated with the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the superset of entities includes application programs, contacts, communication groups designating persons to receive electronic messages as a group from the mobile device, and update feeds associated with the mobile device.