System and method for updating user availability for wireless communication applications

• US 9,113,183 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikan, Jeffrey, McNamara, Justin, Cenciarelli, Fulvio, Kefalas, Anastasios
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Mahendra
• Assistant Examiner(s): COSME, NATASHA W
• Application Number:
  US13/686,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 725 9- 14, 455/404.2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/00 Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• 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: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8186 specially adapted to be executed by a peripheral of the client device, e.g. by a reprogrammable remote control

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring and updating user availability based upon presence and television viewing behavior are described herein. In one embodiment, a presence system is used to detect a user'"'"'s presence to update the user'"'"'s availability status. The availability status is then used to update a contact list, voicemail message, and/or busy message. In further embodiments, user preferences are used in combination with presence data to update the user'"'"'s availability status. In still further embodiments, a user'"'"'s television viewing behavior is used in combination with the presence data, user preferences, or both to update the user'"'"'s availability status. Alternative embodiments provide systems and methods in accordance with the present invention for other interactive devices.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a presence device that detects a facial expression of a user associated with a mobile communications device to determine an emotional state of the user, and determines based upon the emotional state, a presence of the user;

a set-top box in communication with the presence device;

a transceiver;

a processor; and

a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor perform operations comprising

obtaining, from the set-top box, program data from a program signal, the program data comprising information indicating a time remaining until a program signal change,

determining an availability status of the user based upon the presence and the program data, the availability status indicating if the user is accepting communications, and

transmitting, via the transceiver, the availability status to a communications network to enable access to the availability status by a requesting mobile device in communication with the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a facial recognition device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a motion sensor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a voice recognition device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a fingerprint recognition device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a weight sensor configured to detect a weight of the user used in determining the presence.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the presence device comprises a component of the mobile communications device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the availability status is based upon a user preference.

9. A method comprising:

detecting a facial expression of a user associated with a mobile communications device at a presence system, the presence system comprising a transceiver, a presence device, and a set-top box;

determining, by the presence device, an emotional state of the user;

determining, by the presence system, a presence of the user based upon the emotional state;

obtaining, at the presence system, program data from a program signal obtained by the set-top box, the program data comprising information indicating a time remaining until a program signal change;

determining, by the presence system, an availability status of the user based on the presence and the program data, the availability status indicating if the user is accepting communications; and

transmitting, via the transceiver, the availability status to a communications network to allow access to the availability status by a requesting mobile device in communication with the communications network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising identifying the user based upon presence data.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a viewing behavior of the user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the availability status further comprises determining the availability status based upon the viewing behavior.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the availability status further comprises transmitting the viewing behavior.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising monitoring the viewing behavior.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the availability status comprises determining, based upon the viewing behavior, the availability status.