Variable path management of user contacts

• US 8,370,770 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2009
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• 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: Vance, Michael Steffen, Chugh, Jasdeep Singh, Benson, Jared T., Robertson, Christian, Shah, Shilpa R., White, Gabriel J., Goran, Charles, Goulart, Valerie Lynn, Malekzadeh, Feridoon, Amano-Palacios, Alejandro J.
• Primary Examiner(s): PITARO, RYAN F
• Application Number:
  US12/413,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20100037144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 715/834
• US Class Current: 715/834
• 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: H04M 1/27475 using interactive graphical means or pictorial representations
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for managing a subset of user contacts on a telecommunications device are provided. In one embodiment, a software application executed by a processor of a telecommunications device identifies a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of the telecommunications device. The subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device. The software application executed by the processor of the telecommunications device then causes display of a first portion of graphical identifiers associated with a first portion of the subset of contacts along a first path on a display of the telecommunications device about an axis positioned external to the display of the telecommunications device. The software application further causes display of a second portion of graphical identifiers associated with a second portion of the subset of contacts along a second path on the display of the telecommunications device about the external axis. Aspects of systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for further arranging the graphical identifiers are also provided. Even further, aspects of systems, methods, and computer-readable mediums for providing functionality associated with the graphical identifiers are provided.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-executable component, implemented by executing instructions on a processor associated with a telecommunications device, the computer-executable component comprising:

a contact management component operative to;

identify a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes at least two contacts, and wherein a first portion of the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the telecommunications device and a remaining portion of the subset of contacts is determined automatically as a function of an organizational criteria; and

cause display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in an arrangement about an axis, wherein the axis is positioned external and substantially parallel to the display of the telecommunications device, wherein the arrangement includes a first path about the axis along which a portion of the graphical identifiers are positioned and a second path about the axis along which a remaining portion of the graphical identifiers are positioned, and wherein the graphical identifiers are rotatable along the first and second paths about the axis;

wherein the first path is different from the second path.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each user contact corresponds to a different person.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein each user contact corresponds to a different identifier associated with a person.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 3, wherein the identifier corresponds to a telephone number.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a shape of the first path is different from a shape of the second path.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein a shape of the first path is the same as a shape of the second path.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the first path and the second path do not intersect.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 1, wherein the first path and the second path intersect at a position on the display of the telecommunications device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 8, wherein the intersecting position corresponds to a focal position.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position is highlighted.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein a graphical identifier located in the focal position has greater dimensions than the other displayed graphical identifiers.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 9, wherein each graphical identifier located in a position other than the focal position is faded relative to a graphical identifier located in the focal position.

13. A method comprising:

identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes at least two contacts, and wherein a first portion of the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the telecommunications device and a remaining portion of the subset of contacts is determined automatically as a function of a criteria associated with the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device; and

causing display of a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts in an arrangement about an axis, wherein the axis is positioned external and substantially parallel to the display of the telecommunications device, wherein the arrangement includes a first path about the axis and a second path about the axis, and wherein the graphical identifiers are rotatable along the first and second paths about the axis;

wherein the method is implemented by a computing system.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein a first portion of the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be displayed along the first path about the axis, and wherein a remaining portion of the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be displayed along the second path about the axis.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein at least some of the first portion of graphical identifiers positioned along the first path are simultaneously displayed on the telecommunications device with at least some of the remaining portion of graphical identifiers positioned along the second path.

16. The method as recited in claim 14 further comprising:

causing the first portion of graphical identifiers to emulate rotation along the first path about the axis in response to a user navigation input.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

causing the remaining portion of the graphical identifiers to emulate rotation along the second path about the axis in response to the user navigation input.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein a speed of the emulated rotation along the first path is different from a speed of the emulated rotation along the second path.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the first path and the second path are each determined as a function of distance from the axis.

20. The method as recited in claim 19, wherein the first path and the second path are different.

21. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

determining an order associated with the user'"'"'s selection of a contact as a member of the subset of contacts; and

for each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts, determining whether the respective graphical identifier is positioned in the arrangement along the first path or second path based, at least in part, on the order of the user'"'"'s selection.

22. The method as recited in claim 13 further comprising:

for each graphical identifier associated with a contact in the subset of contacts, determining whether the respective graphical identifier is positioned in the arrangement along the first path or second path based on an organizational criteria.

23. A method comprising:

identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes a portion of the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device, wherein the subset of contacts includes at least two contacts, and wherein the subset of contacts also includes one or more contacts selected automatically as a function of a criteria associated with the user'"'"'s contacts accessible by the telecommunications device; and

causing display of at least some of a first portion of the subset of contacts along a first path about an axis, wherein the axis is positioned external and substantially parallel to the display of the telecommunications device and wherein the at least some of the first portion of the subset of contacts are rotatable along the first path about the axis; and

causing display of at least some of a second portion of the subset of contacts along a second path about the axis, wherein the at least some of the second portion of the subset of contacts are rotatable along the second path about the axis;

wherein the method is implemented by a computing system.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the first path and the second path are different.

25. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the second portion comprises a remaining portion of the subset of contacts.

26. The method as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

causing display of at least some of a third portion of the subset of contacts along a third path about the axis.

27. The method as recited in claim 26, wherein the first path, the second path, and the third path are different.

28. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the first and second path are each selectable to facilitate communication with a contact positioned in the corresponding selected path.

29. The method as recited in claim 28 further comprising:

determining selection of the first path in response to a user selection input; and

causing the first portion of the subset of contacts to emulate rotation along the first path about the axis in response to a user navigation input.

30. The method as recited in claim 29 further comprising:

determining selection of the second path in response to a second user selection input; and

causing the second portion of the subset of contacts to emulate rotation along the second path about the axis in response to a user navigation input.

31. The method as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

causing simultaneous display of each contact in the subset of contacts on the telecommunications device in response to a user input.

32. The method as recited in claim 23, wherein the first path and the second path correspond to a first format.

33. The method as recited in claim 32 further comprising:

causing each of the subset of contacts to be displayed on the telecommunications device in a format different from the first format in response to a user input.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, wherein the different format is a grid format.

35. The method as recited in claim 23 further comprising:

causing display of a first contact in the subset of contacts in an out-of-band position relative to the first and second paths.

36. The method as recited in claim 35, wherein the first contact is caused to be displayed in an out-of-band position based on a frequency of communication between the user and the first contact.

37. A method comprising:

identifying a subset of selectable components selected at least in part by a user of a telecommunications device, wherein the subset of selectable components includes a portion of the user'"'"'s selectable components accessible by the telecommunications device, wherein the subset of selectable components includes at least two selectable components, and wherein the subset of selectable components also includes one or more selectable components selected automatically as a function of an organizational criteria; and

causing display of at least some of a first portion of the subset of selectable components along a first path about an axis, wherein the axis is positioned external and substantially parallel to the display of the telecommunications device and wherein the at least some of the first portion of the subset of selectable components are rotatable along the first path about the axis; and

causing display of at least some of a second portion of the subset of selectable components along a second path about the axis, wherein the at least some of the second portion of the subset of selectable components are rotatable along the second path about the axis;

wherein the method is implemented by a computing system.

38. The method as recited in claim 37, wherein selectable components include at least one of individual user contacts, groups of contacts each represented by a single graphical identifier, applications, and other executable components.