Managing communications utilizing communication categories

• US 8,577,350 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Vance, Michael Steffen, Chugh, Jasdeep Singh, Benson, Jared T., Robertson, Christian, Shah, Shilpa R., White, Gabriel J., Kam, Gordon Kar Kee
• Primary Examiner(s): Karikari, Kwasi
• Application Number:
  US12/413,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20100248755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 455/466, 455/566, 455/412.1, 455/518, 455/519
• US Class Current: 455/415
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27453 Directories allowing storage of additional subscriber data, e.g. metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing communications on telecommunication devices utilizing communication categories are provided. A subset of contacts accessible by a telecommunication device are associated with one or more communication categories. Each communication category can be associated with a set of communication activities. Based on a selection of a specific contact, a telecommunication device can generate a display having display objects representative of communication categories associated with the selected contact. Additionally, based on a selection of a communication category, the telecommunication device can further generate a display including display objects representative of a set of communication activities corresponding to the selected communication category.

Claims

1. A system for managing communications comprising:

a data store for maintaining information regarding communication categories and communication activities corresponding to telecommunication devices;

a communication management component, implemented by executing instructions on a processor associated with a telecommunication device, the communication management component operative to;

identify a subset of contacts associated with a user of a telecommunication device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by the telecommunication device;

determine first and second communication categories for the at least subset of contacts, wherein the first and second communication categories correspond to an intended type of communication and are associated with a set of communication activities available to the telecommunication device to achieve the intended type of communication, wherein the set of communication activities associated with the first communication category and the set of communication activities associated with the second communication category have at least one communication activity in common, and wherein the first and second communication categories do not correspond to a communication activity;

obtain a selection of a contact corresponding to the subset of contacts;

cause the generation of a display on the telecommunication device, the display including a representation of the first and second communication categories;

obtain a selection of at least one of the first and second communication category;

cause the generation of a display on the telecommunication device, the display including only a representation of the communication activities associated with the selected communication category to achieve the intended type of communication, wherein the set of communication activities associated with selected communication category reflect the selected communication category;

obtain a selection of a communication activity; and

cause the initiation of the selected communication activity on the telecommunication device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication management component predetermines the first and second communication categories.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication management component dynamically determines the first and second communication categories.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the display including the first and second communication categories does not include any display objects representative of a communication activity.

5. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the display including the first and second communication categories includes at least one display object representative of at least one communication activity associated with the first and second communication activity.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the display including the first and second communication categories includes at least one display object representative of at least one communication activity not associated with the first and second communication activity.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication management component determines the first and second communication categories based on a context of at least one of the user of the telecommunication device and at least one of the subset of contacts.

8. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least one communication activity in the set of communication activities associated with the first communication category is determined according to a context of at least one of the user of the telecommunication device and at least one of the subset of contacts.

9. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication management component prioritizes the communication activities included in the display on the telecommunication device including a representation at least one of the set of communication activities associated with the selected communication category.

10. The system as recited in claim 9, wherein the communication management component prioritizes based on at least one of a frequency of use, a cost associated with the communication activity, a last used communication activity, and a service provider rate plan.

11. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of communication activities associated with the first communication category is determined prior to selection of the first communication category.

12. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the set of communication activities associated with the first communication category is determined dynamically.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the communication management component determines the set the communication activities associated with the first communication category upon selection of the communication category.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a selection of a subset of contacts associated with a user of a telecommunication device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by the telecommunication device;

determining one or more communication categories for the at least subset of contacts, wherein the one or more communication categories correspond to an intended type of communication and are associated with a set of communication activities available to the telecommunication device to achieve the intended type of communication and wherein the one or more communication categories do not correspond to a communication activity;

obtaining a selection of a contact corresponding to the subset of contacts;

causing the generation of a first display on the telecommunication device, the display including a representation of the one or more communication categories;

obtaining a selection of a communication category represented in the display;

causing the generation of a second display on the telecommunication device, the display including a representation of the set of communication activities associated with the selected communication category to achieve the intended type of communication, wherein the second display does not include communication categories not associated with the selected communication category;

obtaining a selection of a communication activity represented in the second display; and

causing the initiation of the selected communication activity on the telecommunication device.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining one or more communication categories for the at least subset of contacts includes determining the one or more communication categories prior to obtaining the selection of a contact corresponding to the subset of contacts.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining one or more communication categories for the at least subset of contacts includes dynamically determining the one or more communication categories upon obtaining the selection of a contact corresponding to the subset of contacts.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the display including the one or more communication categories does not include any display objects representative of a communication activity.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining one or more communication categories for the at least subset of contacts includes determining the one or more communication categories based on a context of at least one of the user of the telecommunication device and at least one of the subset of contacts.

19. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising determining the set of communication activities associated with a selected communication category prior to obtaining the selection of the communication category.

20. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising dynamically determining the set of communication activities associated with a selected communication category upon obtaining the selection of the communication category.

21. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein at least one communication activity in the set of communication activities associated with the communication category is determined according to a context of at least one of the user of the telecommunication device and at least one of the subset of contacts.

22. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising prioritizing the communication activities included in the second display on the telecommunication device.

23. A system comprising:

a data store for maintaining information regarding communication categories and communication activities corresponding to telecommunication devices;

a communication management component, implemented by executing instructions on a processor associated with a telecommunication device, the communication management component operative to;

identify a subset of contacts associated with a user of a telecommunication device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of contacts accessible by the telecommunication device;

determine one or more communication categories for the at least subset of contacts, wherein each communication category is associated with an intended type of communication, the communication category providing a set of communication activities related to the communication category available to the telecommunication device to achieve the intended type of communication and exclude at least one communication activity not associated with a communication category, and wherein the one or more communication categories do not correspond to a communication activity; and

associate the one or more communication categories associated for the at least subset of contacts in the data store.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication management dynamically determines the one or more communication categories based on a selection of a contact from the subset of contacts.

25. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication management component causes the generation of a display including representations of the subset of contacts associated with the communication categories.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the display including the subset of contacts associated with the communication categories includes only representations of contacts associated with the communication categories.

27. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication management component is further operative to:

obtain a selection of a contact corresponding to the subset of contacts; and

cause the generation of a display on the telecommunication device, the display including a representation of the determined one or more communication categories.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein the communication management component is further operative to determine one or more communication activities associated with the one or more communication categories.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein the communication management component is further operative to:

obtain a selection of a communication category corresponding to the subset of one or more communication categories; and

cause the generation of a display on the telecommunication device, the display including a representation of the determined one or more communication activities associated with the selected communication category.

30. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication management component is implemented by executing instructions on a processor associated with a telecommunication device.

31. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the communication management component is implemented by executing instructions on a processor associated with a network resource.