Determination and representation of call appropriateness

• US 9,125,009 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Felt, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Addy, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): PLATA, EDD RIANNE L
• Application Number:
  US13/282,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20130109361A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,405 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/456.1, 379/188, 379/201.07, 379/201.08, 379/207.03
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel

Abstract

A method, performed by a mobile communication device, may include receiving a request to call a contact; determining a location associated with the contact; determining a local time associated with the contact based on the determined location; and determining an appropriateness level for calling the contact, based on the determined local time. The method may further include generating a graphical representation that relates a local time associated with the mobile communication device, the local time associated with the contact, and an indication of the determined appropriateness level for calling the contact.

Claims

1. A method performed by a mobile communication device, the method comprising:

selecting, at the mobile communication device, a set of contacts from a plurality of contacts associated with a user of the mobile communication device, determined to be of more importance to the user than other contacts of the plurality of contacts;

sending, by the mobile communication device via a network, a listing of the set of contacts to a network device;

receiving, at the mobile communication device at periodic intervals, published updates corresponding to the set of contacts from the network device via the network;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, a selection of a contact of the set of contacts;

determining, by the mobile communication device, a location associated with the contact using a published update corresponding to the contact;

determining, by the mobile communication device, a local time associated with the contact based on the determined location;

determining, by the mobile communication device, an appropriateness level for communicating with the contact from multiple appropriateness levels, based on the determined local time;

receiving, by the mobile communication device, a request to schedule a call with the contact;

obtaining, by the mobile communication device, a first range of times for the call appropriate for the user;

determining, by the mobile communication device, a second range of times for the call appropriate for the contact;

converting the second range of times to a same time zone as the first range of times;

determining, by the mobile communication device, a time overlap of the first range of times and the second range of times based on the converted second range of times; and

generating, by the mobile communication device, a graphical representation that displays the first range of times, the converted second range of times, and the time overlap and relates a local time associated with the mobile communication device, the local time associated with the contact, and an indication of the determined appropriateness level for calling the contact.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation includes a time zone wheel that includes:

a local clock that displays the local time associated with the mobile communication device;

a contact clock that displays the local time associated with the contact, wherein the local time associated with the mobile communication device is concentrically aligned with the local time associated with the contact; and

the indication of the determined appropriateness level associated with the contact clock, wherein the indication includes a particular color, or shading corresponding to the appropriateness level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to call another contact;

determining a location associated with the other contact;

determining a local time associated with the other contact based on the determined location associated with the other contact;

determining, by the mobile communication device, an appropriateness level for calling the other contact, based on the determined local time associated with the other contact; and

adding, to the generated graphical representation, the local time associated with the other contact, and an indication of the determined appropriateness level for calling the other contact.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, based on the published update corresponding to the contact, a status associated with the contact; and

wherein the determining an appropriateness level for calling the contact is further based on the determined status.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the status is based on at least one of:

a status mode associated with a mobile device and selected by the contact;

or

a status associated with a social media website account associated with the contact.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an appropriateness level for calling the contact includes:

accessing a table that relates particular times to particular appropriateness levels, wherein non-contiguous ranges of times are selectable to be associated with a same appropriateness level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an appropriateness level for calling the contact includes:

retrieving, based on the published update corresponding to the contact, information associated with the contact, wherein the retrieved information includes a range of times specified by the contact as an appropriate range of times to call the contact; and

determining the appropriateness level based on the retrieved information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the published updates include one or more of:

the location associated with the contact,

the local time associated with the contact, or

an appropriateness preference, selected by the contact, wherein the appropriateness level for calling the contact is determined based on the appropriateness preference.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information about at least one of weather, local news, or local events associated with the location associated with the contact; and

providing at least some of the obtained information in the graphical representation.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the listing of the set of contacts include a contact listing associated with the contact, and wherein the contact listing includes an indication of the determined appropriateness level.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a map; and

plotting a representation of the contact on the map at a location of the map corresponding to the location associated with the contact, wherein the representation of the contact includes information about the local time associated with the contact, and wherein the representation of the contact includes an indication of the determined appropriateness level.

12. A mobile communication device comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to;

select a set of contacts from a plurality of contacts associated with a user of the mobile communication device, determined to be of more importance to the user than other contacts of the plurality of contacts;

send, via a network, a listing of the set of contacts to a network device;

receive, at periodic intervals, published updates corresponding to the set of contacts from the network device via the network;

receive a selection of a contact of the set of contacts after receiving the published update corresponding to the contact;

determine a location associated with the contact using the published update corresponding to the contact;

determine a local time associated with the contact based on the determined location;

determine an appropriateness level for communicating with the contact from multiple appropriateness levels, based on the determined local time;

receive a request to schedule a call with the contact;

obtain a first range of times for the call appropriate for the user;

determine a second range of times for the call appropriate for the contact;

convert the second range of times to a same time zone as the first range of times;

determine a time overlap of the first range of times and the second range of times based on the converted second range of times; and

generate a graphical representation that displays the first range of times, the converted second range of times, and the time overlap and relates a local time associated with the mobile communication device, the local time associated with the contact, and an indication of the determined appropriateness level for calling the contact.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the graphical representation includes:

a local clock that displays the local time associated with the mobile communication device;

a contact clock that displays the local time associated with the contact, wherein the local time associated with the mobile communication device is concentrically aligned with the local time associated with the contact; and

the indication of the determined appropriateness level associated with the contact clock, wherein the indication includes a particular color, or shading corresponding to the appropriateness level.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

determine, based on the published update corresponding to the contact, a status associated with the contact; and

wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to determine the appropriateness level for calling the contact based on the determined status.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 14, wherein the status is based on at least one of:

a status mode associated with a mobile device and selected by the contact;

or

a status associated with a social media website account associated with the contact.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein, when determining the appropriateness level for calling the contact, the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to:

retrieve, based on the published update corresponding to the contact, information associated with the contact, wherein the retrieved information includes a range of times specified by the contact as an appropriate range of times to call the contact; and

determine the appropriateness level based on the retrieved information.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by one or more processors, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions to select a set of contacts, from a plurality of contacts associated with a user of the mobile communication device, determined to be of more importance to the user than other contacts of the plurality of contacts;

one or more instructions to send, via a network, a listing of the set of contacts to a network device;

one or more instructions to receive, at periodic intervals, published updates corresponding to the set of contacts from the network device via the network;

one or more instructions to receive a selection of a contact of the set of contacts after receiving the published update corresponding to the contact;

one or more instructions to determine a location associated with the contact using the published update corresponding to the contact;

one or more instructions to determine a local time associated with the contact based on the determined location;

one or more instructions to determine an appropriateness level for communicating with the contact from multiple appropriateness levels, based on the determined local time;

one or more instructions to receive a request to schedule a call with the contact;

one or more instructions to obtain a first range of times for the call appropriate for the user;

one or more instructions to determine a second range of times for the call appropriate for the contact;

convert the second range of times to a same time zone as the first range of times;

one or more instructions to determine a time overlap of the first range of times and the second range of times based on the converted second range of times; and

one or more instructions to generate a graphical representation that displays the first range of times, the converted second range of times, and the time overlap and relates a local time associated with the mobile communication device, the local time associated with the contact, and an indication of the determined appropriateness level for calling the contact.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the graphical representation includes:

a local clock that displays the local time associated with the mobile communication device;

a contact clock that displays the local time associated with the contact, wherein the local time associated with the mobile communication device is concentrically aligned with the local time associated with the contact; and

the indication of the determined appropriateness level associated with the contact clock, wherein the indication includes a particular color, or shading corresponding to the appropriateness level.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more instructions to determine an appropriateness level for calling the contact includes:

one or more instructions to retrieve, based on the published update corresponding to the contact, information associated with the contact, wherein the retrieved information includes a range of times specified by the contact as an appropriate range of times to call the contact; and

one or more instructions to determine the appropriateness level based on the retrieved information.