Granted Patent B2

US 7,884,824 · App. 10/866,841 · Granted Feb 8, 2011

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

determining, in a wireless terminal device, reference information on at least one pointable target element of a display of the terminal device, wherein the pointable target element displays information regarding a contact;

determining a presence status of the contact; and

setting an appearance of a background of the pointable target element in accordance with the reference information and the presence status in response to pointing at the at least one pointable target element.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising

determining the presence status from a status server, in which status server the status information has been stored.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising

using one or more elements of the display for pointing one or more pointable targets on the display.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising

selecting the colour, shape, pattern or a manner of animation of the appearance of the background of the pointable target element of the display in a predetermined manner according to the presence status in response to pointing at the at least one pointable target element.

5. A wireless terminal device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the wireless terminal device at least to:

determine reference information on at least one pointable target element of a display, wherein the pointable target element displays information regarding a contact;

determine a presence status of the contact; and

set an appearance a background of the pointable target element of the display in accordance with the reference information and the presence status in response to pointing at the pointable target element.

6. The wireless terminal device according to claim 5 , wherein the terminal device is configured to receive the presence status from a status server.

7. The wireless terminal device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein

the terminal device is configured to use one or more elements of the display for pointing one or more targets on the display.

8. The wireless terminal device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein

the terminal device is configured to select the colour, shape, pattern or a manner of animation of the appearance of the background of the pointable target element of the display in a predetermined manner in accordance with the presence status in response to pointing at the at least one pointable target element.

9. A method comprising:

displaying contact information via a target user interface element of a wireless terminal device, wherein the contact information includes one or more alternative modes of communication with a contact, and wherein each of the modes of communication is represented by a respective pointable target element;

determining, via a network, presence status information related to the one or more modes of communication; and

setting a background appearance of the pointable target elements to reflect the presence status information of the modes of communication represented by the respective pointable target elements.

10. The method of claim 9 , comprising:

facilitating selection of one of the pointable target elements to open an application for communication via the mode of communication represented by the selected one pointable target element; and

modifying a background appearance of the application to reflect the presence status information of the mode of communication represented by the selected one pointable target element.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

dynamically determining changes to the presence status information of the mode of communication represented by the selected one pointable target element while the application is in use; and

updating the background appearance of the application to reflect the changes to the presence status information.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the contact information is displayed via the target user interface element in a dynamic phonebook.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the contact information is displayed in response to opening an application that facilitates communication with the contact.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the background appearance of the pointable target elements is modified to reflect the presence status information in response to user selection of the pointable target element.

15. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium encoded with software code for causing a device to perform the method of claim 9 .

16. A wireless terminal device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the wireless terminal device at least to:

display contact information via a target user interface element, wherein the contact information includes one or more alternative modes of communication with a contact, and wherein each of the modes of communication is represented by a respective pointable target element;

determine, via a network, presence status information related to the one or more modes of communication; and

set a background appearance of the pointable target elements to reflect the presence status information of the modes of communication represented by the respective pointable target elements.

17. The wireless terminal device of claim 16 , wherein the computer program code further causes the wireless terminal device to:

facilitate selection of one of the pointable target elements to open an application for communication via the mode of communication represented by the selected one pointable target element; and

modify a background appearance of the application to reflect the presence status information of the mode of communication represented by the selected one pointable target element.

18. The wireless terminal device of claim 17 , wherein the computer program code further causes the wireless terminal device to:

dynamically determine changes to the presence status information of the mode of communication represented by the selected one pointable target element while the application is in use; and

update the background appearance of the application to reflect the changes to the presence status information.

19. The wireless terminal device of claim 16 , wherein the background appearance of the pointable target elements is modified to reflect the presence status information in response to user selection of the pointable target element.

20. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium encoded with software code for causing a device to perform the method of claim 1 .

Assignments (8)