Handheld Electronic Device and Associated Method Providing Availability Data in a Messaging Environment
First Claim
1. A method of enabling communication between a first device and a second device, each device being capable of transmitting enhancement data, the first device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the second device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the method comprising:
- enabling a determination of an extent of activity on the first device; and
enabling a determination from the extent of activity of an availability value that is representative at least in part of a degree of relative availability of a user of the first device, at least a portion of said enhancement data being representative of the availability value.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An improved handheld electronic device and an associated method are provided in which enhanced information regarding an “availability” of a user of a handheld electronic device is provided to another electronic device in a messaging environment. Such availability data provides step-wise indications of the relative availabilities of one or more users of electronic devices in a messaging environment. The step-wise indications can, for instance, range from an availability level of “currently active” to several levels of nonavailability. The device and method can be incorporated into an existing messaging environment.
35 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A method of enabling communication between a first device and a second device, each device being capable of transmitting enhancement data, the first device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the second device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the method comprising:
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enabling a determination of an extent of activity on the first device; and
enabling a determination from the extent of activity of an availability value that is representative at least in part of a degree of relative availability of a user of the first device, at least a portion of said enhancement data being representative of the availability value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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- 6. A method of enabling communication between a first device and a second device, each device being capable of transmitting enhancement data, the first device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the second device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the method comprising enabling an exchange between the first device and the second device of a first identification of the first device and a second identification of the second device, the first identification and the second identification each being identifiers that enable the first device and the second device, respectively, to be identified on the second communications band.
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8. A method of enabling communication between a first device and a second device, each device being capable of transmitting enhancement data, the first device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the second device being an electronic device having a wireless communication capability on a first communications band and on a second communications band, the method comprising:
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enabling a communication between the first device and the second device in the second communications band; and
enabling between the first device and the second device a transmission in the second communications band of enhancement data reflective of a stepped availability of a user of one of the first device and the second device. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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Specification