Preferred contact group centric interface

• US 9,304,659 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2014
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• 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, Koser, Mikkel Crone, Turnnidge, Richard Paul, Hendrick, Michael Thomas, Sentman, Gary, Warfel, Karl, Chang, Wen-Hsing, Abolrous, Sally, Buzescu, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): BAUTISTA, XIOMARA L
• Application Number:
  US14/543,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20150072644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 505 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 memory for maintaining a subset of user contact numbers selected at least in part by a user of a communications device, wherein the subset of user contact numbers includes a portion of user contact numbers accessible by the communications device and wherein the portion is limited to a number of user contact numbers predetermined by a service provider;

a user interface component, in communication with the memory and implemented by executing specific computer-executable instructions on a computing device including a processor, the user interface component operative to;

cause the generation of a display on the communications device for facilitating addition of a contact number to the subset of user contact numbers;

receive a request from the user via the communications device to add a contact number to the subset of user contact numbers; and

responsive to the request from the user, add the contact number to the subset of user contact numbers if less than all of the predetermined number of user contact numbers have been identified.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each contact number in the subset of user contact numbers is selected by the user via the communications device.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface component is further operative to:

cause the generation of a display on the communications device without initiating a user contact application for accessing the set of user contact numbers accessible by the communications device, wherein the display includes a graphical identifier associated with each contact number of the subset of user contact numbers and wherein each graphical identifier is selectable to facilitate communication via the respective contact number.

4. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the display is caused to be presented on the communications device in one of a home page screen and an idle screen.

5. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein the display is caused to be presented on the communications device responsive to initiation of an idle screen state.

6. The system as recited in claim 3, wherein each graphical identifier corresponds to only one contact number.

7. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the contact numbers in the subset of user contact numbers is editable only after lapse of a predetermined time.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein the predetermined time is a month.

9. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein each contact name corresponding to a contact number in the subset of user contact numbers is editable at anytime.

10. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface component is further operative to:

cause the generation of one or more displays on the communications device for facilitating replacement of a selected contact number in the subset of user contact numbers; and

receive an input from the user via the communications device to replace the selected contact number in the subset of user contact numbers with a new contact number, wherein the new contact number is different from the selected contact number.

11. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the user interface component is further operative to:

replace the selected contact number in the subset of user contact numbers with the new contact number if a predetermined time has elapsed since the selected contact number was added to the subset.

12. The system as recited in claim 10, wherein the user interface component is further operative to:

cause the generation of a notification message to be presented on the communications device indicating that the selected contact number cannot be changed if a user attempts to replace the selected contact number within a predetermined time from adding the selected contact number to the subset.

13. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the user interface component is further operable to cause the generation of a second display on the communication device, the second display comprising a communications option menu including an arrangement of available communication modes associated with a currently selected graphical identifier corresponding to a first user contact number, wherein the arrangement of available communication modes comprises an arrangement of graphical identifiers on the second display about a central axis, wherein the arrangement of graphical identifiers comprises at least a portion of a set of graphical identifiers indicative of available communication modes, and wherein one of the graphical identifiers indicative of available communication modes corresponds to a currently selected communication mode.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, from a communications device, a request to add a contact number to a subset of contact numbers, wherein the subset of contact numbers includes a portion of contact numbers accessible by the communications device and wherein the portion is limited to a number of contact numbers predetermined by a service provider; and

responsive to the request, adding the requested contact number to the subset of contact numbers if less than all of the predetermined number of contact numbers have been identified,

wherein the method is implemented in a computer system.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein each contact number in the subset of contact numbers is selected by a user of the communications device via the communications device.

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

identifying a graphical identifier corresponding to each contact number from the subset; and

causing the generation of a display on the communications device without initiating a user contact application for accessing the set of contact numbers accessible by the communications device, the display including an arrangement of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the display includes an arrangement of each of the graphical identifiers corresponding to a contact number from the subset.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contact numbers are caused to be presented on the display in one of a home page screen and an idle screen.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contact numbers are caused to be presented on the display responsive to initiation of an idle screen state.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein each graphical identifier corresponds to only one contact number.

21. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein each of the contact numbers in the subset of contact numbers is editable only after lapse of a predetermined time.

22. The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the predetermined time is a month.

23. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein each contact name corresponding to a contact number in the subset of contact numbers is editable at anytime.

24. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein after the predetermined number of contact numbers has been added to the subset, each of the contact numbers in the subset of contact numbers is editable for a fee.

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

causing the generation of one or more displays on the communications device for facilitating replacement of a selected contact number in the subset of contact numbers; and

receiving an input from the user via the communications device to replace the selected contact number in the subset of contact numbers with a new contact number, wherein the new contact number is different from the selected contact number.

26. The method as recited in claim 25 further comprising:

replacing the selected contact number in the subset of contact numbers with the new contact number if a predetermined time has elapsed since the selected contact number was added to the subset.

27. The method as recited in claim 25 further comprising:

causing the generation of a notification message to be presented on the communications device indicating that the selected contact number cannot be changed if a user attempts to replace the selected contact number within a predetermined time from adding the selected contact number to the subset.