Status indicator for communication systems

• US 8,861,531 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2006
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Lord, Robert W., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thier, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAILE, FEBEN
• Application Number:
  US11/643,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20070177619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,855 Days
• Field of Search: 370/236, 370/252, 370/410, 370/229, 370/230, 370/235, 370/241, 370/351, 370/395.2, 455/424, 455/425, 455/422, 709/230, 709/224, 709/227
• US Class Current: 370/395.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• 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

Abstract

A variety of techniques and devices for acquiring user status information at a transmitting device to a receiving device, or vice versa, are provided.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device;

circuitry configured for transmitting the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device for presentation to at least one user of the at least one receiving device; and

circuitry configured for providing, based at least partly on user input of the at least one receiving device declining at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to at least one of alter or re-attempt at least one communication with the at least one receiving device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for determining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device a least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining inaccurate status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining location information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining schedule information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining position information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining time information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining device information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining weather information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining landmark information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining street address information at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one phone communication setup with at least one receiving device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one chat communication setup with at least one receiving device.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one videoconferencing communication setup with at least one receiving device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one electronic mail communication setup with at least one receiving device.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one instant messaging communication setup with at least one receiving device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to one or more of the following types of input;

identifier or phone number.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for transmitting the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device for presentation to at least one user of the at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for forwarding the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device for presentation to at least one user of the at least one receiving device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for providing, based at least partly on the at least one user of the at least one receiving device declining to establish at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to at least one of alter or re-attempt at least one communication with the at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for providing, based at least partly on the at least one user of the at least one receiving device declining to establish at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to re-attempt at least one communication with the at least one receiving device at a later time.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the circuitry configured for providing, based at least partly on the at least one user of the at least one receiving device declining to establish at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to at least one of alter or re-attempt at least one communication with the at least one receiving device comprises:

circuitry configured for providing, based at least partly on the at least one user of the at least one receiving device declining to establish at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for providing status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one receiving device for output at the at least one transmitting device.

22. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for filtering the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

circuitry configured for adjusting a granularity of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device.

24. A method at least partly implemented using one or more processors, the method comprising:

obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device;

transmitting the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device for presentation to at least one user of the at least one receiving device; and

providing, based at least partly on user input of the at least one receiving device declining at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to at least one of alter or re-attempt at least one communication with the at least one receiving device.

25. A computer program product comprising:

one or more non-transitory media including at least;

one or more instructions for obtaining status information associated with at least one user of at least one transmitting device at least partly in response to at least one request of the at least one transmitting device to establish at least one communication setup with at least one receiving device;

one or more instructions for transmitting the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device for presentation to at least one user of the at least one receiving device; and

one or more instructions for providing, based at least partly on user input of the at least one receiving device declining at least one communication connection at least partly in response to presentation of the status information associated with the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device, (i) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one receiving device to leave one or more messages for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device and (ii) at least one option for the at least one user of the at least one transmitting device to enter at least one prescribed input to at least one of alter or re-attempt at least one communication with the at least one receiving device.