Private interaction hubs

• US 9,325,752 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2012
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Vasudevan, Lavanya, Thomas, Shawn M., Matthews, Joseph H. III, Schrader, Joseph A., Chen, Ted Tai-Yu, Sarin, Raman K.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEGGETT, ANDREA C.
• Application Number:
  US13/726,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,221 Days
• Field of Search: 715/742
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails

Abstract

In embodiments of private interaction hubs, a mobile device has memory storage to maintain hub data that is associated with a private interaction hub, where the hub data includes multiple types of displayable data that is editable by different types of device applications. The memory storage at the device also maintains private data that is displayable and is viewable with one of the device applications. The mobile device also includes a display device to display the multiple types of the hub data in a hub user interface of a hub application. The display device can also display the private data and a subset of the hub data that are both associated with a device application in a device application user interface.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

memory storage configured to maintain hub data and private data at the mobile device,

the hub data being associated with a hub, wherein the hub is a closed network where members of the hub privately interact with each other from a plurality of applications installed on their respective mobile devices, the hub data comprising displayable data that can be displayed in a hub user interface,

the private data being associated with an individual member of the hub, wherein the private data is not to be shared within the hub; and

a processor configured to;

obtain additional hub data related to the hub;

cause the display device to display at least a portion of the stored hub data and the obtained additional hub data in the hub user interface;

determine a portion of the stored hub data and obtained additional hub data based on characteristics of an application; and

cause the display device to display at least a portion of the private data and the determined portion of stored hub data and obtained additional hub data in a user interface of the application.

2. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the stored hub data and the obtained additional hub data that is displayed in the hub user interface is selectable to initiate the selected hub data in a device application user interface in conjunction with at least a corresponding portion of the private data.

3. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the stored hub data and the obtained additional hub data that is displayed in the user interface of the application is selectable to initiate the selected hub data in the hub user interface.

4. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the hub user interface is configured to display multiple types of the hub data without the private data.

5. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein

the hub data is viewable in the hub user interface that is displayable at each of the associated mobile devices of the members of the private interaction hub.

6. The mobile device as recited in claim 5, the processing system further configured to implement a hub operating system service that is configured to integrate the plurality of applications with an operating system of the mobile device to implement the hub;

and wherein

the hub operating system service is configured to;

receive social network updates for one or more members of the hub; and

aggregate the social network updates for display in the hub user interface.

7. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, the processing system further configured to implement a hub operating system service that is configured to integrate a third-party application with the hub, and wherein third-party application data is displayable in the hub user interface.

8. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, the processing system further configured to implement a hub operating system service that is configured to manage multi-user interactive updates for a multi-user activity that is coordinated in the hub.

9. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, the processing system further configured to implement a hub operating system service that is configured to:

initiate an invitation to join the hub as an SMS message that is communicated by a hub management service to a new member mobile device;

receive hub metadata that associates the new member in the private interaction hub based on an account identifier associated with the new member.

10. The mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein a hub application and the application both acquire the same subset of the hub data that is maintained at the mobile device in the memory storage.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

memory storage configured to maintain hub data that is associated with a hub, the hub data comprising multiple types of the hub data that is displayable in a hub user interface;

a processing system to implement a hub operating system service that is configured to;

integrate with an operating system of the mobile device to implement the hub that associates members for private interaction of the hub data;

receive social network updates for one or more of the members of the private interaction hub; and

a display device configured to display the social network updates in the hub user interface in conjunction with the multiple types of the hub data.

12. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, wherein the hub operating system service is configured to:

initiate an invitation to join the hub as a message that is communicated by a hub management service to a new member mobile device;

receive hub metadata that associates a new member in the hub based on an account identifier associated with the new member.

13. The mobile device as recited in claim 11, wherein a social network update that is displayable in the hub user interface is selectable to initiate the social network update being displayed in a social network user interface that is associated with the social network update.

14. A method, comprising:

maintaining hub data and private data at a mobile device,

the hub data associated with a hub, wherein the hub is a closed network where members of the hub privately interact with each other from a plurality of applications installed on their respective mobile devices, the hub data comprising displayable data that is editable by different types of device applications and that can be displayed in a hub user interface;

the private data being associated with an individual member of the hub, wherein the private data is not to be shared within the hub;

obtaining additional hub data related to the hub;

displaying at least a portion of the stored hub data and the additional hub data in a hub user interface;

determining a portion of the stored hub data and obtained additional hub data based on characteristics of an application; and

displaying at least a portion of the private data and the determined portion of the stored hub data and obtained additional hub data that is associated with the application user interface of the application.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a subset of the hub data that is displayed in the hub user interface; and

responsive to the user selection, displaying the subset of the hub data in the device application user interface in conjunction with the private data.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a user selection of a subset of the hub data that is displayed in the device application user interface; and

responsive to the user selection, displaying the subset of the hub data in the hub user interface with corresponding types of hub data.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

receiving social network updates for one or more members of the hub; and

aggregating the social network updates for display in the hub user interface in conjunction with the stored hub data and additional hub data.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

managing multi-user interactive updates for a multi-user activity that is coordinated in the hub.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

initiating an invitation to join the hub as an SMS message that is communicated to a mobile device associated with a new member; and

receiving hub metadata that associates the new member in the hub based on an account identifier associated with the new member.

20. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

associating a member of the hub with multiple other hubs based on a single sign-on that identifies the member.