PREFERRED CONTACT GROUP CENTRIC INTERFACE

• US 20140082510A1
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Sherrard, Andrew, McNeel, Warren, Chugh, Jasdeep Singh, O'Connor, Stephen John, Hendrick, Michael Thomas, Sentman, Gary, Warfel, Karl, Chang, Wen-Hsing, Abolrous, Sally, Buzescu, Adrian, Kroser, Mikkel Crone, Trunnidge, Richard Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,891 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/739
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8066 According to the number of recipients
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A preferred contact group centric interface for a communication device can be used to facilitate communications by a user. The user interface can be arranged to activate from a user'"'"'s “home page” on the display, from an idle screen that is accessed after a timeout period expires, or any other appropriate mechanism that activates the preferred contact group centric experience. A user selects the preferred contact group from among an array of the user'"'"'s contacts. Once the contact group is configured, a minimal number of navigation/selection features is necessary to activate any number of communication modes available to the contacts. The contact group is configured such that simple and quick navigation between the contact members is achieved. The contact group can be presented in 2D and 3D arrangements, in any number of list or geometric configurations. A pricing plan can optionally be tied to each member of the contact group.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data store for maintaining a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a communications device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of a set of contacts accessible by the communications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts;

a user interface component, implemented by executing instructions on a processor, the user interface component operative to;

cause the generation of a first display on the communications device without initiating a user contact application for accessing the set of contacts accessible by the communications device, wherein the display includes a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts;

identify a first message event associated with the user and a first contact from the subset of contacts;

identify a second message event associated with the user and a second contact from the subset of contacts, wherein the second message event corresponds to a different type of message event than the first message event;

and

cause the generation of an updated display on the communications device without initiating a user contact application for accessing the set of contacts accessible by the communication device,

wherein the updated display includes the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts presented in the first display;

a first message event indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the first contact from the subset of contacts; and

a second message event indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the second contact from the subset of contacts,

wherein the first message event indicator corresponds to the first message event and the second message event indicator corresponds to the second message event, and

wherein the first message event indicator and the second message event indicator are different.