Method for automatic presentation of information before connection

• US 8,320,889 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lee, Michael M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US11/786,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,056 Days
• Field of Search: 348/619, 386/E9.2, 375/232, 375/240, 382/199, 700/94, 455/414.1, 370/260, 705/14.5
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2072 Schedules, e.g. personal calendars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

When a communications system initiates a connection, adaptive information can be presented to a user while waiting for that connection to be finalized. The adaptive information that is presented can be selected based on predetermined criteria which can be configured by a user. Moreover, the adaptive information that is presented can be selected based on a characteristic of the connection. For example, adaptive information can be selected which corresponds to the connection endpoint (e.g., the person or place a user is attempting to contact). A system can also delay finalizing a connection in order to present more adaptive information to a user. The delay can last until after all of the adaptive information has been presented or until a unit of adaptive information has been presented.

Claims

1. A method in a first communications device, the method comprising:

upon receiving a user command, initiating a call to a second communication device of another party to enable a user of the first device to speak to said another party;

selecting adaptive information that is related to an identification of said another party, in response to the user command;

presenting the adaptive information such that at least a portion of the adaptive information is presented to the user in the first device before finalization of the call to said another party;

wherein the adaptive information includes one of (a) information about the last time the user communicated with said another party and (b) information about unsuccessful attempts to communicate, including one of (i) unanswered calls, (ii) voicemails, (iii) unread emails, and (iv) unchecked messages; and

the presenting of adaptive information is ended upon the finalization of the call, wherein the finalization is defined by a monitorable event that can be configured by the user, through system-presented options, as being (a) ringing of the second device of another party and (b) answering of the second device by another party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the call comprises connecting two or more devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive information content is selected based on criteria configured by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive information content is selected according to one of a characteristic of the connection, a user'"'"'s location, a user'"'"'s calendar, the time that a connection is initiated, and a user'"'"'s previous activities.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying the user of the first communications device prior to ending the presentation of the adaptive information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein ending the presentation of the adaptive information occurs without notifying the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive information further includes information from one of (a) news, (b) weather, (c) music, (d) calendar events, and (e) advertisements that are selected according to one of a characteristic of the call'"'"'s connection and the user'"'"'s previous activities.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information from calendar events is selected according to one of (a) a user'"'"'s calendar and (b) the calendar of said another party, and wherein the information from calendar events includes information from one of (a) upcoming calendar events that relate to said another party and (b) upcoming calendar events that involve said another party.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive information is presented audibly.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive information is presented graphically.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the call is a telephone call.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein initiating the call comprises routing the telephone call.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein presenting adaptive information additionally comprises:

presenting information related to a telephone number being called.

14. A communications device operable to present adaptive information, the device comprising:

communications circuitry operable to, upon receiving a user command, initiate a call to another communications device to enable a user to speak to another party; and

processor circuitry operable to select adaptive information, according to an identification of said another party, that includes one of (a) information about the last time the user communicated with said another party and (b) information about unsuccessful attempts to communicate including one of (i) unanswered calls, (ii) voicemails,(iii) unread emails, and (iv) unchecked messages; and

user interface circuitry, operable to present at least a portion of the adaptive information to the user before the call to said another communications device finalizes, and end the presentation of the adaptive information upon finalization of the call, wherein the user interface circuitry is further operable by the user to define the finalization by configuring a monitorable event, through system-presented options, as being (a) ringing of another communications device of another party and (b) answering of another communications device by another party.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the user interface circuitry is operable to end the presenting of the adaptive information without notifying the user.

16. The device of claim 14,

wherein the processor circuitry is to select further adaptive information from one of (a) news, (b) weather, (c) music (d) calendar events, and (e) advertisements that are selected according to one of a characteristic of the call'"'"'s connection and the user'"'"'s previous activities.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the communications circuitry is operable to initiate a cellular telephone call.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the user interface circuitry includes a display which is operable to present adaptive information graphically.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the user interface circuitry includes one or more audio speakers which are operable to present adaptive information audibly.

20. The device of claim 14, wherein the user interface circuitry is further operable to notify the user prior to ending the presentation of adaptive information.

21. A communications system comprising:

a first communications device operable to, upon receiving a user command, initiate calls to other devices over a communications network to enable a user of the first communications device to speak to another party, select adaptive information, present the adaptive information to the user in response to the initiation, such that at least a portion of the adaptive information is presented to the user of the first communications device before finalization of a call to a second communications device of said another party, wherein the adaptive information that is presented to the user includes one of (a) information about the last time the user communicated with said another party and (b) information about unsuccessful attempts to communicate, including one of (i) unanswered calls, (ii) voicemails, (iii) unread emails, and (iv) unchecked messages, and is operable to end the presentation of adaptive information upon the finalization of the call, wherein the finalization is defined by a monitorable event that can be configured by the user of the first communications device, through system-presented options, as being (a) ringing of a second communications device of another party and (b) answering of a second communications device by another party.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first communications device is a cellular telephone, the communications network is a cellular telephone network.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the first communications device comprises local storage circuitry operable to store adaptive information, wherein the represented adaptive information is retrieved from said local storage circuitry.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the presented adaptive information is retrieved by the first communications device in real-time from remote storage.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the adaptive information further includes information from one of (a) news, (b) weather, (c) music, (d) calendar events, and (e) advertisements that are selected according to one of a characteristic of the call'"'"'s connection and the user'"'"'s previous activities.