Context aware data presentation

• US 8,412,675 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2006
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seven Networks LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Seven Networks Inc
• Inventors: Alvarado, Billy, Ariel, Ido, van Gent, Robert Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): MORRISON, JAY A
• Application Number:
  US11/362,488
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027920A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 707/104
• US Class Current: 707/616
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

A context aware data application presents information about a first user'"'"'s contact means and methodologies. The application organizes, filters and present the information taking into account multiple inputs regarding the specific context and the relationship and preferred communication means between the first user and other users seeking to contact the first user. The information allows the users seeking to make contact to quickly take an action that is expected given the context of the first user as presenting the most relevant data allows the contacting users to take actions quickly and effectively.

Claims

1. A data distribution system comprising:

a data aggregation server configured to aggregate Personal Information Management (PIM) data of a plurality of users,

the data aggregation server being further configured to automatically determine presence data of a user of the plurality of users by acquiring calendar information of the user from the PIM data; and

a groups module, the groups module configured to;

identify a common PIM data element amongst the plurality of users, and

create groupings of the plurality of users, the group characterized by the common PIM data element; and

wherein, the data aggregation server, is further configured to identify a contact method for the user based on the presence data for the user, the contact method being one through which the user is presently reachable;

publish the contact method for the user to other users in the plurality of users;

wherein, to identify the contact method, availability or unavailability of the user to be reached via different forms of communication, including availability or unavailability to be reached via different electronic devices is determined;

wherein the presence data further includes;

a physical or geographical location of the user determined from a mobile device of the user that is location aware;

wherein the data aggregation server is integrated into a wireless service provider network;

wherein the data aggregation server determines presence data from at least two different sources of personal information management (PIM) data.

2. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein the PIM data includes calendar or contacts data.

3. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two different sources of PIM data is a mobile device of the user.

4. The data distribution system of claim 2, wherein, the data aggregation server determines availability or unavailability of the user to be reached via the different contact methods including, email, Instant messaging, and SMS.

5. The data distribution system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the two different sources of PIM data is an enterprise server or a personal computer.

6. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein wherein at least one of the two different sources of PIM data is an instant messaging network.

7. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the two different sources of PIM data is an Internet service provider.

8. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein the presence data is further determined from metadata information embedded in the calendar data of the user, the metadata information including a priority or importance indicator of a calendar event represented by the calendar data.

9. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein the presence data is determined from a manual setting specified by the user.

10. The data distribution system of claim 1, wherein the presence data of the user is determined from a cellular base station.

11. A method of grouping contact information:

aggregating personal information management (PIM) data in accordance with a security policy from multiple users at a computing device;

automatically determining presence data for a member of the multiple users from calendar information of the member in the PIM data;

based on the presence data, identifying a contact method for the member of the multiple users through which the member is presently reachable;

wherein, to identify the contact method, availability or unavailability of the user to be reached via different forms of communication, including availability or unavailability to be reached via different electronic devices is determined; and

distributing the contact method through which the member is presently reachable to the other members of the multiple users for display to the other members;

wherein the presence data further includes a physical or geographical location of the user determined from a mobile device of the user that is location aware;

wherein the presence data is determined from at least two different sources of personal information management (PIM) data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein PIM data is acquired from at least one other source of PIM data based on membership with a particular group of users.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the presence data of the user is further determined from a cellular base station.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the presence data is determined in part using metadata information embedded in the calendar information of the user.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining availability or unavailability of the user to be reached via different forms of communications,

including availability or unavailability to be reached via different communication modalities including one or more of, email, Instant messaging, or SMS.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the metadata information including a priority or importance indicator of a calendar event represented by the calendar data.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein, the contact method is identified in part based on preferred contact methods specified by the member.

18. A system, comprising:

means for, accessing multiple sources of personal information management (PIM) data associated with multiple users using user-provided credentials;

means for, aggregating personal information management (PIM) data from the multiple sources;

means for, automatically determining presence data for a member of the multiple users from calendar information of the member in the PIM data;

wherein the presence data is further determined from metadata information embedded in the calendar data of the user, the metadata information including a priority or importance indicator of a calendar event represented by the calendar data;

means for, identifying a contact method for the member of the multiple users through which the member is presently reachable, based on the presence data;

wherein, to identify the contact method, availability or unavailability of the user to be reached via different forms of communication, including availability or unavailability to be reached via different electronic devices is determined;

means for, distributing the contact method through which the member is presently reachable to other members of the multiple users;

wherein the presence data further includes a physical or geographical location of the user determined from a mobile device of the user that is location aware.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the presence data is determined in part by acquiring metadata information embedded in the calendar information of the user, the metadata information including personalized metadata generated by the user and associated rules.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the presence data is determined in part by acquiring metadata information embedded in the calendar information of the user, the metadata information including a travel requirement indicator.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the presence data is determined in part by acquiring metadata information embedded in the calendar information of the user, the metadata information including a business or personal event indicator.

22. A data distribution system comprising:

a data aggregation server configured to aggregate, based on a user-specific security policy, Personal Information Management (PIM) data of a plurality of users,

the data aggregation server being further configured to determine presence data of a user of the plurality of users from calendar information of the user from the PIM data;

a groups module, the groups module configured to;

identify a common PIM data element amongst the plurality of users, and

create groupings of the plurality of users, the grouping characterized by the common PIM data element; and

wherein, the data aggregation server, is further configured to identify a contact method for the user based on the presence data for the user, the contact method being one through which the user is presently reachable, wherein the contact method is configured by the user for each grouping that the user is a member of;

publish the contact method for the user to other users in the plurality of users;

wherein, to identify the contact method, availability or unavailability of the user to be reached via different forms of communication, including availability or unavailability to be reached via different electronic devices is determined;

wherein the presence data further includes a physical or geographical location of the user determined from a mobile device of the user that is location aware;

wherein the data aggregation server aggregates presence data from at least two different sources of personal information management (PIM) data, each source of the PIM data being accessed by the data aggregation server using user credentials obtained from the plurality of users;

wherein at least one of the two different sources of PIM data is an instant messaging network.