Mood-based messaging

• US 8,509,743 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Bychkov, Eyal, Ron, Uri, Moran, Dov
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumming, William D
• Application Number:
  US13/448,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20120280951A1
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 345/184, 455/412.1, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724092 Interfacing with an external cover providing additional functionalities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A method for social interacting, including using a portable messaging device for designating, from time to time, a plurality of friends, selecting a mood, sending one or more representations of the selected mood to each of the plurality of designated friends, further selecting an updated mood, and further sending one or more representations of the updated mood to each of the plurality of designated friends, to supersede the previously sent one or more representations of the mood. A user interface is also described and claimed.

Claims

1. A user interface for social interacting using a portable messaging device, comprising:

a display for displaying representations of moods of a first plurality of friends;

an activatable mood selector for selecting one of several moods from time to time; and

a mechanical activatable update button for sending one or more representations of the currently selected mood to a second plurality of friends.

2. The user interface of claim 1 wherein at least one of the one or more representations of the selected mood is an image.

3. The user interface of claim 2 wherein the image comprises a picture or caricature of someone in accordance with the selected mood.

4. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a camera for capturing a photo, and wherein at least one of the one or more representations of the selected mood is the photo captured by said camera.

5. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said mood selector comprises a plurality of mood buttons.

6. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said mood selector comprises a knob dial.

7. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said mood selector comprises a jog dial.

8. The user interface of claim 1 wherein said mood selector comprises a slider bar.

9. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a slider bar for selecting a strength of the selected mode, wherein a representation of the selected strength is also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

10. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a jog dial for selecting a strength of the selected mode, wherein a representation of the selected strength is also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

11. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a knob dial for selecting a strength of the selected mode, wherein a representation of the selected strength is also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

12. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a multi-level switch for selecting a strength of the selected mode, wherein a representation of the selected strength is also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

13. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a pressure switch for selecting a strength of the selected mode, wherein a representation of the selected strength is also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

14. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a slider bar for designating whereabouts of the portable messaging device, wherein the designated whereabouts are also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

15. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a jog dial for designating whereabouts of the portable messaging device, wherein the designated whereabouts are also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

16. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a knob dial for designating whereabouts of the portable messaging device, wherein the designated whereabouts are also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

17. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a multi-level switch for designating whereabouts of the portable messaging device, wherein the designated whereabouts are also sent to the second plurality of friends when said update button is activated.

18. The user interface of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of LEDs, for indicating when a mood of a friend from the first plurality of friends has been updated.

19. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of friends is the same as the second plurality of friends.

20. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of friends is different than the second plurality of friends.

21. The user interface of claim 1 wherein the selected mood is published to one or more social networks when said update button is activated.