Providing event data to a group of contacts

• US 10,178,139 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Vance, Michael Steffen, Armantrout, Jeffrey Allen, Alva, Jessi E., Valdez Klein, Teresa S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Minh Chau
• Application Number:
  US14/153,992
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289329A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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

Abstract

Data related to an event is provided to a group of contacts while the event is occurring via an event user interface that enables the group of contacts to coordinate with one another during the event. In this regard, an event coordination service is provides the event data to each contact of the group for review via an event user interface that is persistently displayed on a telecommunication or other computing device associated with the contact for the contact'"'"'s easy and immediate reference during the event. When the event ultimately concludes, display of the event user interface ceases as the group of contacts likely no longer needs immediate or ready reference to the event.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data store configured to at least store event records, each event record including data related to an event; and

a computing device in communication with the data store, wherein the computing device executes specific computer-executable instructions to at least;

generate an event record based, at least in part, on a request to coordinate an event for a first group of contacts, the event record including first data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, wherein the first data is updated as the event occurs with second data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, and wherein the second data is obtained from at least one contact of the first group;

identify the first group of contacts based, at least in part, on the request to coordinate the event; and

publish the first data to a first computing device associated with a first contact of the first group, wherein the first data is published such that the first data is automatically displayed and persistently viewable on the first computing device for a remaining duration of the event, and the display of the first data automatically ceases at the end of the event; and

subsequent to display of the first data on the first computing device, update display of the first data to add the second data obtained from the at least one contact, wherein updating the display of the first data includes adding the second data without intervention of the first contact.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second data includes location data related to at least one of the event or a contact of the first group.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first group of contacts is identified in accordance with the location data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first group of contacts is identified in accordance with a rate plan offered by a communication service provider providing communication services to at least a subset of contacts of the first group.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a number of contacts included in the first group is limited such that communications among contacts of the first group are provided at a special rate in accordance with the rate plan.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device executes further specific computer-executable instructions to at least:

identify a second group of contacts based, at least in part, on the second data; and

publish the first data to a second computing device associated with a second contact of the second group, wherein the first data is published such that the first data is automatically displayed and persistently viewable on the second computing device as the event occurs, the display of the first data is subsequently updated to include the second data without intervention of the second contact, and the display of the first data on the second computing device automatically ceases at the end of the event.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the computing device is further configured to at least publish the first data on a continuous or periodic basis.

8. A computer-implemented method comprising:

as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific executable instructions,

generating an event record based, at least in part, on a request to coordinate an event for a first group of contacts, the event record including first data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, wherein the first data is updated as the event occurs with second data related to the event, and wherein the second data is obtained from at least one contact of the first group;

identifying the first group of contacts based, at least in part, on the request to coordinate the event; and

causing the first data to be displayed on a first computing device associated with a first contact of the first group, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and persistently on the first computing device for a remaining duration of the event, the display of the first data is subsequently updated to include the second data without intervention of the first contact, and the display of the first data automatically ceases at the end of the event.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8 further comprising:

identifying a second group of contacts based, at least in part, on the second data; and

causing the first data to be displayed on a second computing device associated with a second contact of the second group, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and persistently on the second computing device as the event occurs, the display of the first data is further updated with third data related to the event, the third data is obtained from at least one contact of the second group without intervention of the second contact, and the display of the first data on the second computing device automatically ceases at the end of the event.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first and second groups are the same.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the display of the first data on the second computing device is caused in response to the obtaining of the second data.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the second data is automatically obtained from the at least one contact of the first group.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the second data corresponds to at least one of a location, a review, or a recommendation.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor perform operations comprising:

generating an event record based, at least in part, on a request to coordinate an event for a first group of contacts, the event record including first data related to the event and related to the first group of contacts, wherein the first data is updated as the event occurs with second data related to the event, and wherein the second data is obtained from at least one contact of the first group;

identifying the first group of contacts based, at least in part, on the request to coordinate the event; and

causing the first data to be displayed on a first computing device associated with a first contact of the first group, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and persistently on the first computing device for a remaining duration of the event, the display of the first data is subsequently updated to include the second data without intervention of the first contact, and the display of the first data automatically ceases at the end of the event.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise:

identifying a second group of contacts based, at least in part, on the second data.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second group of contacts is identified by at least one of adding, removing or modifying a contact in the first group.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise causing the first data to be displayed on a second computing device associated with a second contact of a second group of contacts, wherein the first data is displayed automatically and persistently on the second computing device as the event occurs, wherein the display of the first data is further updated with third data related to the event, wherein the third data is obtained from at least a contact of the second group, and wherein the display of the first data on the second computing device automatically ceases at the end of the event.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the second data is requested by one or more contacts of the first group.