Activity illumination

• US 8,611,962 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Andrews, Anton Oguzhan Alford, Proctor, David Walter, Fong, Jeffrey Cheng-yao, Abanami, Thamer A.
• Primary Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/771,585
• Publication Number:
  US 20090004973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,363 Days
• Field of Search: 455/66.1, 455/566, 455/414.2
• US Class Current: 455/566
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/31 Communication aspects specific to video games, e.g. between several handheld game devices at close range
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/23 Indication means, e.g. displays, alarms, audible means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/22 Illumination; Arrangements for improving the visibility of characters on dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones

Abstract

A method to indicate that a first device is in communication with a second device is disclosed. The first device may receive an indication activity from the second device. The indication activity may change the display and the illumination object on the first device and the displays on the illumination object and the display are similar.

Claims

1. A method of indicating activity on a first portable media device during a communication between the first portable media device and a second portable media device that is separate from the first portable media device, the method comprising:

on the first portable media device,

receiving a communication from the second portable media device, wherein the communication includes a media object;

if the communication includes an indication activity separate from the media object, the indication activity specifying a manner in which to display an indication of receipt of the communication by the first portable media device, then performing the indication activity;

if the communication is associated with a stored communication in a memory, performing an indication activity wherein the indication activity is definable; and

then presenting the media object after performing the indication activity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein if the communication is not associated with a stored communication, displaying a message related to the communication and allowing the communication to be stored and associated with the indication activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portable media device comprises a display and an illumination object comprising a light spaced from the display, and wherein the indication activity is a visual indication and the visual indication includes changing the light from a first state to a second state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the visual indication further comprises creating an illustration on the display on the first portable media device that is similar to the illumination object.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating a display on the first portable media device that is related to the second state of the illumination object.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating the illumination object and the display on the first portable media device to have similarities selected from a group comprising:

brightness of the illumination object and the display;

color of the illumination object and the display;

rhythm of the display and the illumination object; and

synchronization of the illumination object and the display.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the illumination object is a first color and wherein a display perimeter on the first portable media device is a similar color and a message related to the received communication is displayed on the display on the first portable media device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received communication indicates a type of indication activity to be executed.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising illustrating an outflow of data by displaying a data object flowing on a sending display from a display end opposite the illumination object toward the illumination object and then illuminating the illumination object in a manner related to the data object and illustrating an inflow of data by illuminating the illumination object and then displaying a data object flowing on the display from a display end near the illumination object toward an end of the display on the portable media device away from the illumination object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the inflow of data is on a separate receiving device and the display of a received data object on a receiving illumination object and a receiving display is similar to the illustration of the display of sending the data object on the sending display and sending illumination object on a sending device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication activity is created by a user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication activity is downloadable.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication activity is communicated from a first device to a second device wherein the second device executed the communicated indication activity.

14. A computer-readable storage device comprising computer executable instructions for indicating activity on a first portable media device during a communication between the first portable media device and a second portable media device, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

on the first portable media device,

receiving a communication from the second portable media device, wherein the communication includes a media object;

if the communication includes an indication activity separate from the media object, the indication activity specifying a manner in which to display an indication of receipt of the communication, then performing the indication activity, wherein the indication activity represents an activity occurring on the second portable media device and includes changing an illumination object on the first portable media device from a first state to a second state;

if the communication is associated with a stored communication in a memory, performing an indication activity on the illumination object wherein the indication activity is definable;

displaying similar displays on the illumination object and a display on the first portable media device; and

then presenting the media object after performing the indication activity.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 14, wherein synchronizing the illumination object and the display on the first portable media device further comprises creating a display that is related to the state of the illumination object.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the illumination object and the display on the first portable media device have similarities selected from a group comprising:

brightness of the illumination object and the display;

color of the illumination object and the display;

rhythm of the display and the illumination object; and

synchronization of the illumination object and the display.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising illustrating an outflow of data by displaying a data object flowing from a display end opposite the illumination device toward an end near the illumination object and then, on a separate receiving device, illuminating the illumination object in a manner related to the data object and illustrating an inflow of data by illuminating the illumination object on the receiving device and then displaying a data object flowing from the end of the display near the illumination object toward the end of the display away from the illumination object.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, further comprising computer executable instructions for illuminating the illumination object to indicate a status of a process between two or more computing devices.

19. A computer system comprising a processor physically configured according to computer executable instructions for indicating activity on a first portable media device during a communication between the first portable media device and a second portable media device, a memory to assist the processor and an input/output circuit, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

on the first portable media device,

receiving a communication from the second portable media device, wherein the communication includes a media object;

if the communication includes an indication activity separate from the media object, the indication activity specifying a manner in which to display an indication of receipt of the communication, then performing the indication activity, wherein the indication activity represents an activity occurring on the second portable media device and includes changing an illumination object on the first portable media device from a first state to a second state;

if the communication is associated with a stored communication in the memory, performing an indication activity on the illumination object, wherein the indication activity is definable;

illuminating the illumination object to indicate a status of a process between two or more computing devices;

displaying similar displays on the illumination object and a display on the first portable media device wherein the illumination object and the display have similarities selected from a group comprising;

brightness of the illumination object and the display;

color of the illumination object and the display;

rhythm of the display and the illumination object; and

synchronization of the illumination object and the display; and

presenting the media object after performing the indication activity.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising computer executable instructions for illustrating an outflow of data by displaying a data object flowing from a bottom of the display to a top of the display and then, on a separate receiving device, illuminating the illumination object in a manner related to the data object and illustrating an inflow of data by illuminating the illumination object and then displaying a data object flowing from the top of the display to the bottom of the display.