Methods and systems of graphically conveying a strength of communication between users

• US 8,514,226 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 08/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Zafar, Shadman, Roberts, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US12/242,840
• Publication Number:
  US 20100080412A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,785 Days
• Field of Search: 345440-442, 715848-853, 455/254, 455/436, 455/453, 370/311, 370/342
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/203 Drawing of straight lines or curves
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/40 Filling a planar surface by adding surface attributes, e.g. colour or texture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/065 related to network devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

An exemplary method includes generating a graphic configured to represent a strength of communication between a user and another user and modifying the graphic based on at least one factor associated with one or more communications between the users. An exemplary system includes a storage facility configured to maintain data associated with a strength of communication between a user and another user and a strength of communication facility configured to generate a graphic configured to graphically represent the strength of communication in accordance with the data. The strength of communication facility is further configured to modify the graphic based on a change in at least one factor associated with one or more communications between the users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by at least one physical computing device, a plurality of communications initiated by a first user towards a second user during a time period and a plurality of communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period;

determining, by said at least one physical computing device based on said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period, a first strength of communication metric representative of a strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user;

determining, by said at least one physical computing device based on said monitored communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period, a second strength of communication metric representative of a strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user;

generating, by said at least one physical computing device based on said determined first and second strength of communication metrics, a strength of communication graphic that graphically represents said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards first user; and

providing, by said at least one physical computing device, said graphic for display by an access device associated with said first user to facilitate visualization by said first user of said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating is performed in accordance with a predefined heuristic.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a personality profile for said first user based on said first strength of communication metric.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said graphic comprises at least one arrow configured to represent at least one of:

said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user; and

said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one arrow comprises:

a first arrow configured to represent said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user; and

a second arrow configured to represent said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said at least one arrow comprises an arrow having first and second heads, wherein said first head graphically represents said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user and said second head graphically represents said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining of said first strength of communication metric is further based on at least one factor associated with said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period, wherein said at least one factor comprises at least one of an amount, a frequency, a type, a relative quality, a source, and a duration of said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising weighting at least one of said at least one factor and modifying said strength of communication graphic based on said weighted at least one of said at least one factor.

9. The method of claim 1, tangibly embodied as computer-executable instructions on at least one non-transitory computer-readable medium.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, by said at least one physical computing device, a change in at least one factor associated with said communications between said first user and said second user;

modifying, by said at least one physical computing device, said graphic based on said change in said at least one factor; and

providing, by said at least one physical computing device, said modified graphic for display by said access device associated with said first user.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring, by said at least one physical computing device, one or more communications between said first and second users that occur after said time period;

modifying, by said at least one physical computing device, at least one of said first and second strength of communication metrics based on said monitored one or more communications between said first and second users that occur after said time period; and

modifying, by said at least one physical computing device, said strength of communication graphic based on said modified at least one of said first and second strength of communication metrics.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining of said second strength of communication metric is further based on at least one factor associated with said monitored communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period, wherein said at least one factor comprises at least one of an amount, a frequency, a type, a relative quality, a source, and a duration of said monitored communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period.

13. A system comprising:

at least one physical computing device that comprises

a storage facility configured to maintain data associated with a plurality of communications between a first user and a second user; and

a strength of communication facility configured to

monitor a plurality of communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during a time period and a plurality of communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period;

determine, based on said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period, a first strength of communication metric representative of a strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user;

determine, based on said monitored communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period, a second strength of communication metric representative of a strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user;

generate, based on said determined first and second strength of communication metrics, a strength of communication graphic configured to graphically represent said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to said strength of communications initiated by said second user towards said first user; and

provide said graphic for display by an access device associated with said first user to facilitate visualization by said first user of said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said strength of communication facility is further configured to generate said graphic in accordance with a predefined heuristic.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said graphic comprises at least one arrow configured to represent at least one of:

said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user; and

said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one arrow comprises:

a first arrow configured to represent said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user; and

a second arrow configured to represent said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said at least one arrow comprises an arrow having first and second heads, and wherein said strength of communication facility is further configured to modify said graphic by:

adjusting at least one attribute of said first head to convey a change in said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user; and

adjusting at least one attribute of said second head to convey a change in said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein said strength of communication facility is configured to determine said first strength of communication metric based on at least one factor associated with said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period, wherein said at least one factor comprises at least one of an amount, a frequency, a type, a relative quality, a source, and a duration of said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein said graphic comprises a first object configured to represent said first user and a second object configured to represent said second user, and wherein said strength of communication facility is further configured to modify said graphic by adjusting at least one attribute of at least one of said first and second objects to convey a change in said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a physical processor configured to;

monitor a plurality of communications initiated by a first user towards a second user during a time period and a plurality of communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period;

determine, based on said monitored communications initiated by said first user towards said second user during said time period, a first strength of communication metric representative of a strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user;

determine, based on said monitored communications initiated by said second user towards said first user during said time period, a second strength of communication metric representative of a strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user; and

generate, based on said determined first and second strength of communication metrics, a graphic configured to represent said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to a strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user; and

a physical display communicatively coupled to said processor and configured to display said graphic;

wherein said physical processor is further configured to provide said graphic for display by said physical display to facilitate visualization by said first user of said strength of said communications initiated by said first user towards said second user relative to said strength of said communications initiated by said second user towards said first user.