MOBILE INFORMATION SERVICES

• US 20100287479A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Friedman, Charles L., Pell, Mike
• Granted Patent: US 8,612,865 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

Mobile communications devices display contextually relevant information based on the presence, status, and identification of a user. Lens templates control how the information is displayed and can be customized and designed for specific usage profiles. The lenses that are used can be updated at any time to accommodate changes in a user'"'"'s presence. The granularity of the lenses and corresponding information can also vary to accommodate different needs and preferences. Lenses can also be specialized for different events or venues. The lenses allow a user to access contextually relevant information from a mobile communications device having limited display and/or browse capabilities without requiring a user to navigate through undesired information, wasting valuable resources in the process.

Claims

1. A client device comprising a processor and a computer-readable storage media storing executable instructions which, when executed by the processor, implement a method comprising:

the client device accessing a plurality of lenses that can be used to present information at the client device, the plurality of lenses including at least;

a home lens which is configured to include content customized to a geographic home region of the user; and

a traveling lens which is configured to include content customized to a current physical location detected to be outside the home geographic region of said user; and

displaying at least one of the home lens or the traveling lens in a blended state with at least one additional lens of the plurality of lenses in a single blended graphical layout at the client device, wherein the single blended graphical layout comprises a plurality of graphical display elements and wherein the graphical display elements corresponding to the at least one additional lens are displayed with a first color or shading scheme in the single blended graphical layout which is different than a second color or shading scheme that is used to display the graphical display elements of either the traveling lens or the home lens that are also displayed in the single blended graphical layout.

2. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device is a wireless mobile device.

3. The client device of claim 1, wherein the method further includes selecting an appropriate one or more of the lenses to use for presenting information at the client device based upon at least a user designation associated with the client device.

4. The client device of claim 1, wherein the at least one other lens is a sports lens associated with a layout of sports related data.

5. The client device of claim 1, wherein the client device receives the plurality of lenses from a server.

6. The client device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage media comprises system memory of the client device.

7. The client device of claim 6, wherein the method further includes the client device storing the plurality of lenses in the system memory.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one other lens is a sports lens associated with a layout of sports related data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device receives the plurality of lenses from a server.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the home lens includes a home icon graphically representing to a user of the client device that the home lens is being used and the traveling lens includes a travel icon that graphically represents to the user that the traveling lens is being used

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the home lens includes a display of a weather report corresponding to the home geographic location and wherein the traveling lens includes a display of a weather report corresponding to the new geographic location.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further includes the client device storing the plurality of lenses.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the client device is a wireless mobile device.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 1, wherein the method further includes selecting an appropriate one or more of the lenses to use for presenting information at the client device based upon at least a user designation associated with the client device.

8. A method implemented by a client device for displaying information delivered to the client device, the method comprising:

the client device accessing a plurality of lenses that can be used to present information at the client device, the plurality of lenses including at least;

a home lens which is configured to include content customized to a geographic home region of the user; and

a traveling lens which is configured to include content customized to a current physical location detected to be outside the home geographic region of said user; and

displaying at least one of the home lens or the traveling lens in a blended state with at least one additional lens of the plurality of lenses in a single blended graphical layout at the client device, wherein the single blended graphical layout comprises a plurality of graphical display elements and wherein the graphical display elements corresponding to the at least one additional lens are displayed with a first color or shading scheme in the single blended graphical layout which is different than a second color or shading scheme that is used to display the graphical display elements of either the traveling lens or the home lens that are also displayed in the single blended graphical layout.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the client device is a wireless mobile device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further includes selecting an appropriate one or more of the lenses to use for presenting information at the client device based upon at least a user designation associated with the client device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the user designation specifies the user as a mobile user, and wherein the method includes using the user designation to select a usage profile associated with the mobile user.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the user designation specifies an anonymous designation, and the anonymous designation is used to select one or more usage profiles associated with a plurality of users.

18. One or more computer-readable storage media having stored computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a client device, implement a method comprising:

the client device accessing a plurality of lenses that can be used to present information at the client device, the plurality of lenses including at least;

a home lens which is configured to include content customized to a geographic home region of the user; and

a traveling lens which is configured to include content customized to a current physical location detected to be outside the home geographic region of said user; and

displaying at least one of the home lens or the traveling lens in a blended state with at least one additional lens of the plurality of lenses in a single blended graphical layout at the client device, wherein the single blended graphical layout comprises a plurality of graphical display elements and wherein the graphical display elements corresponding to the at least one additional lens are displayed with a first color or shading scheme in the single blended graphical layout which is different than a second color or shading scheme that is used to display the graphical display elements of either the traveling lens or the home lens that are also displayed in the single blended graphical layout.