Communications devices, associated apparatus and methods

• US 9,237,227 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Liang
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHAI MINH
• Application Number:
  US14/365,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20140335836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/417, 455/418, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber

Abstract

An apparatus comprising:

• • at least one processor; and
  • at least one memory including computer program code,
  • the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:
  • identify a preferential use setting of a communications device, the preferential use setting being associated with a remote contact, or with a use pattern of the communications device, and being configured to provide a supplementary communication function during communications; and
  • automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when the communications device is used to communicate with the associated remote contact, or to communicate in accordance with the associated use pattern of the communications device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following;

identify a preferential use setting of a communications device, the preferential use setting being associated with a temporal use pattern of the communications device and being configured to provide a supplementary communication function during communications with a remote contact using a primary communication function, wherein the supplementary communication function relates to, affects or augments the primary communication function; and

automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when the communications device is used to communicate with a remote contact using the primary communication function in accordance with the associated temporal use pattern of the communications device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preferential use setting associated with the temporal use pattern is identified by one or more of:

determining temporal user preference settings in the communications device;

determining a temporal usage pattern of the communications device; and

determining temporal use of the communications device during one or more prior communications with a remote contact.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preferential use setting is one or more of:

the use of a particular supplementary communication function; and

the setting of a particular communication function.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises default settings for the supplementary function of the communications device as well as preferential settings.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to:

automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when communication with a remote contact is initiated.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device in response to one or more of:

initiating a message to a remote contact;

receiving a call from a remote contact; and

initiating a call to a remote contact.

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote contact is associated with multiple communication channels, and the same preferential use setting is associated with one or more of the respective multiple communications channels.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote contact is associated with multiple communication channels, and respective preferential use settings are provided for two or more of the respective multiple communications channels.

9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote contact is a pre-existing contact available in a stored contacts directory for the communications device.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the remote contact is associated with a new call to the communications device from a previously unknown caller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preferential use settings comprise the use settings of a plurality of supplementary functions.

12. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein determining temporal use of the communications device during one or more prior communications comprises determining the last setting or the most popular setting for the supplementary function.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus is configured to:

identify a preferential use setting of a communications device, the preferential use setting being associated with a temporal use pattern of the communications device, and being configured to provide a supplementary communication function during use of the communications device in a first communication with an associated remote contact; and

automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when the communications device is used in a second communication with the remote contact.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second communication is the immediately subsequent communication to the first communication.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is at least one of a portable electronic device, circuitry for a portable electronic device, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a mobile phone, a Smartphone, a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant, the portable communications device and a module for the same.

16. A method, the method comprising:

identifying a preferential use setting of a communications device, the preferential use setting being associated with a temporal use pattern of the communications device and being configured to provide a supplementary communication function during communications with a remote contact using a primary communication function, wherein the supplementary communication function relates to, affects or augments the primary communication function; and

automatically activating the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when the communications device is used to communicate with a remote contact using the primary communication function in accordance with the associated temporal use pattern of the communications device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising a computer program, the computer program comprising computer program code configured to:

identify a preferential use setting of a communications device, the preferential use setting being associated with a temporal use pattern of the communications device and being configured to provide a supplementary communication function during communications with a remote contact using a primary communication function, wherein the supplementary communication function relates to, affects or augments the primary communication function; and

automatically activate the identified preferential use setting of the communications device when the communications device is used to communicate with a remote contact using the primary communication function in accordance with the associated temporal use pattern of the communications device.