Mobile information services

• US 8,612,865 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Friedman, Charles L., Pell, Mike
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORR, HENRY W
• Application Number:
  US12/839,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 715/745, 715/708, 715/864
• US Class Current: 715/745
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

Mobile communications devices display contextually relevant information based on the presence, status, and identification of a user. Lens templates control how the information is displayed and can be customized and designed for specific usage profiles. The lenses that are used can be updated at any time to accommodate changes in a user'"'"'s presence. The granularity of the lenses and corresponding information can also vary to accommodate different needs and preferences. Lenses can also be specialized for different events or venues. The lenses allow a user to access contextually relevant information from a mobile communications device having limited display and/or browse capabilities without requiring a user to navigate through undesired information, wasting valuable resources in the process.

Claims

1. A client device comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage media storing executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, implement a method comprising:

the client device accessing a plurality of lenses that can be used to present information at the client device, the plurality of lenses including at least;

a home lens which is configured to include first content customized to a geographic home region of the user within a plurality of different home lens frames, the home lens including a first icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the home lens is being used; and

a traveling lens which is configured to include second content customized to a current physical location detected to be outside the home geographic region of said user within a plurality of different travel lens frames, the traveling lens including a second icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the traveling lens is being used; and

displaying at least one of the home lens or the traveling lens in a blended state with at least one additional lens of the plurality of lenses in a single blended graphical layout at the client device, wherein the single blended graphical layout comprises a plurality of graphical display elements and wherein the graphical display elements corresponding to the at least one additional lens are displayed with a first color or shading scheme in the single blended graphical layout which is different than a second color or shading scheme that is used to display the graphical display elements of either the traveling lens or the home lens that are also displayed in the single blended graphical layout,

wherein displaying the single blended graphical layout comprises modifying at least some of the first content from the home lens when the home lens is displayed in the blended state, so that the first content is displayed differently in the blended state than how the first content is displayed in an unblended state, or modifying at least some of the second content from the traveling lens when the traveling lens is displayed in the blended state, so that the second content is displayed differently in the blended state than how the second content is displayed in an unblended state, and

wherein displaying the single blended graphical layout comprises displaying a third icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the at least one additional lens is being used, while also displaying at least one of the first icon when the home lens is displayed in the blended state or the second icon when the traveling lens is displayed in the blended state.

2. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device is a wireless mobile device.

3. The client device of claim 1, wherein the method further includes selecting an appropriate one or more of the lenses to use for presenting information at the client device based upon at least a user designation associated with the client device.

4. The client device of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional lens is a sports lens associated with a layout of sports related data.

5. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device receives the plurality of lenses from a server.

6. The client device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage media comprises system memory of the client device.

7. The client device of claim 6, wherein the method further includes the client device storing the plurality of lenses in the system memory.

8. The client device of claim 1, wherein said modifying includes modifying at least one frame of the home lens frames or the travel lens frame.

9. The client device of claim 8, wherein said modifying includes modifying a size of said at least one frame.

10. The client device of claim 8, wherein modifying comprises omitting said at least one frame or merging said at least one frame with another frame.

11. The client device of claim 1, wherein each of the home lens, the traveling lens, and the at least one additional lens includes computer-executable instructions which, when executed by the client device, cause the client device to fetch information for display when each lens is displayed at the client device.

12. A method implemented by a client device for displaying information delivered to the client device, the method comprising:

the client device accessing a plurality of lenses that can be used to present information at the client device, the plurality of lenses including at least;

a home lens which is configured to include first content customized to a geographic home region of the user, the home lens including a first icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the home lens is being used; and

a traveling lens which is configured to include second content customized to a current physical location detected to be outside the home geographic region of said user, the traveling lens including a second icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the traveling lens is being used; and

displaying at least one of the home lens or the traveling lens in a blended state with at least one additional lens of the plurality of lenses in a single blended graphical layout at the client device, wherein the single blended graphical layout comprises a plurality of graphical display elements and wherein the graphical display elements corresponding to the at least one additional lens are displayed with a first color or shading scheme in the single blended graphical layout which is different than a second color or shading scheme that is used to display the graphical display elements of either the traveling lens or the home lens that are also displayed in the single blended graphical layout,

wherein displaying the single blended graphical layout comprises modifying at least some of the first content from the home lens when the home lens is displayed in the blended state, so that the first content is displayed differently in the blended state than how the first content is displayed in an unblended state, or modifying at least some of the second content from the traveling lens when the traveling lens is displayed in the blended state, so that the second content is displayed differently in the blended state than how the second content is displayed in an unblended state, and

wherein displaying the single blended graphical layout comprises displaying a third icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the at least one additional lens is being used, while also displaying at least one of the first icon when the home lens is displayed in the blended state or the second icon when the traveling lens is displayed in the blended state.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the client device is a wireless mobile device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further includes selecting an appropriate one or more of the lenses to use for presenting information at the client device based upon at least a user designation associated with the client device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the user designation specifies the user as a mobile user, and wherein the method includes using the user designation to select a usage profile associated with the mobile user.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the user designation specifies an anonymous designation, and the anonymous designation is used to select one or more usage profiles associated with a plurality of users.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one ether additional lens is a sports lens associated with a layout of sports related data.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the client device receives the plurality of lenses from a server.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the home lens includes a display of a weather report corresponding to the home geographic location and wherein the traveling lens includes a display of a weather report corresponding to the new geographic location.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the method further includes the client device storing the plurality of lenses.

21. A physical storage device having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a client device, implement a method comprising:

the client device accessing a plurality of lenses that can be used to present information at the client device, the plurality of lenses including at least;

a home lens which is configured to include first content customized to a geographic home region of the user, the home lens including a first icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the home lens is being used; and

a traveling lens which is configured to include second content customized to a current physical location detected to be outside the home geographic region of said user, the traveling lens including a second icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the traveling lens is being used; and

displaying at least one of the home lens or the traveling lens in a blended state with at least one additional lens of the plurality of lenses in a single blended graphical layout at the client device, wherein the single blended graphical layout comprises a plurality of graphical display elements and wherein the graphical display elements corresponding to the at least one additional lens are displayed with a first color or shading scheme in the single blended graphical layout which is different than a second color or shading scheme that is used to display the graphical display elements of either the traveling lens or the home lens that are also displayed in the single blended graphical layout,

wherein displaying the single blended graphical layout comprises modifying at least some of the first content from the home lens when the home lens is displayed in the blended state, so that the first content is displayed differently in the blended state than how the first content is displayed in an unblended state, or modifying at least some of the second content from the traveling lens when the traveling lens is displayed in the blended state, so that the second content is displayed differently in the blended state than how the second content is displayed in an unblended state, and

wherein displaying the single blended graphical layout comprises displaying a third icon that graphically represents to a mobile user that the at least one additional lens is being used, while also displaying at least one of the first icon when the home lens is displayed in the blended state or the second icon when the traveling lens is displayed in the blended state.

22. The physical storage device of claim 21, wherein the client device is a wireless mobile device.

23. The physical storage device of claim 21, wherein the method further includes selecting an appropriate one or more of the lenses to use for presenting information at the client device based upon at least a user designation associated with the client device.