FLEXIBLE LIFESTYLE PORTABLE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20080318616A1
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chipalkatti, Renu, Getchius, Jeffrey M., Stinson, Willis D. III
• Granted Patent: US 8,463,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

A method may include receiving a call at a portable communication device, entering a first mode when the call is directed to a first device identifier associated with the portable communication device; and entering a second mode when the call is directed to a second device identifier associated with the portable communication device, wherein the first mode provides access to a first set of applications and a first set of user data and the second mode provides a second set of applications and a second set of user data.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a current state of a portable communications device;

comparing the current state to a plurality of states, each of the plurality of states associated with one of a plurality of modes, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with one of at least two billing attributes; and

changing a mode of the portable communications device, based on the comparison, to one of the plurality of modes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two billing attributes is associated with a different device identifier, each device identifier identifying the portable communications device, and wherein changing the mode includes changing the device identifier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least two billing attributes include a personal billing account and a business billing account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with a different skin or ring tone, and wherein changing the mode includes changing the skin or ring tone.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with a different set of applications and a different set of corresponding application data, and wherein changing the mode includes changing the set of applications and corresponding application data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with a different contact list.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the current state includes a current time of day or a current day of week, and wherein comparing the current state includes comparing the current time of day or the current day of week.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the current state includes a current location and wherein comparing the current state includes comparing the current location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the current state includes a device identifier of an incoming phone call.

10. A system comprising:

a memory to store a plurality of states, each of the plurality of states associated with one of a plurality of modes, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with one of at least two billing attributes; and

a processor to

determine a current state of a portable communications device,

compare the current state to each of the plurality of states, and

change a mode of the portable communications device, based on the comparison, to one of the plurality of modes associated with one of the plurality of states.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the at least two billing attributes is associated with a different device identifier, each device identifier identifying the portable communications device.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with a different skin or ring tone, and wherein the processor changes the skin or ring tone based on the comparison.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with a different set of applications and a different set of corresponding application data, and wherein the processor changes the set of applications and corresponding application data based on the comparison.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with a different contact list.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the current state includes a current time of day or a current day of week, and wherein the processor compares the current time of day or the current day of week.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the current state includes a current location and wherein the processor compares the current location.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the current state includes a device identifier of an incoming phone call and the processor compares the device identifier of an incoming phone call.

18. A method comprising:

receiving a call at a portable communication device;

entering a first mode when the call is directed to a first device identifier associated with the portable communication device; and

entering a second mode when the call is directed to a second device identifier associated with the portable communication device,

wherein the first mode provides access to a first set of applications and a first set of user data and the second mode provides a second set of applications and a second set of user data.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein each device identifier is associated with a different billing account.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first mode is associated with a first skin or first ring tone, and wherein the second mode is associated with a second skin or a second ring tone.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the first set of applications includes a directory application associated with a first set of contacts and the second set of applications includes a directory application associated with a second set of contacts.

22. A method comprising:

determining a current state of a portable communications device;

comparing the current state to a plurality of states, each of the plurality of states associated with one of a plurality of modes, wherein each of the plurality of modes is associated with one of at least two device identifiers, each device identifier identifying the portable communications device; and

changing a mode of the portable communications device, based on the comparison, to one of the plurality of modes associated with one of the plurality of states.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein each of the at least two device identifiers is associated with a different billing attribute, and wherein changing the mode includes changing the caller identifier.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least two billing attributes include a personal billing account and a business billing account.