Virtualized mobile communication device
View Patent ↗Virtual handsets may be defined and downloaded to physical devices when desired. The use of virtual handsets may allow a user to have multiple different physical handsets or other devices, all of which can present a relatively consistent interface to the user. In one particular implementation, a profiles may be stored that define personal preference and usage information for the virtual handset. The profile may be downloaded a physical handset for implementation of a user interface at the physical handset based on the personal preference and usage information of the profile.
1. A method comprising:
storing, by a device, a profile that defines personal preference and usage information for a virtual handset associated with a user, the profile including a plurality of portions;
identifying, by the device and from a physical handset of the user, physical characteristics of the physical handset based on a request for the profile;
comparing, by the device, the physical characteristics with the profile;
filtering, by the device and based on comparing the physical characteristics with the profile, the profile to obtain a filtered profile that includes one or more portions of the plurality of portions,
filtering the profile including removing at least one portion, of the plurality of portions, that is not compatible with the physical handset to obtain the filtered profile,
the one or more portions being less than the plurality of portions, and
the one or more portions including at least one of:
information relating to one or more call services associated with the user,
information relating to one or more instant messaging services associated with the user, or
information relating to one or more voicemail services associated with the user; and
downloading, by the device, the filtered profile to the physical handset for implementation of the virtual handset at the physical handset to present the one or more portions to the user.
2. The method of claim 1 , where the one or more portions, of the profile, further include information relating to interface preferences for the virtual handset and user data associated with the virtual handset.
3. The method of claim 1 , where the one or more portions, of the profile, further include information relating to applications installed by the user.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving changes to the one or more portions of the profile based on changes, made by the user via the physical handset, that relate to the one or more portions, while the physical handset is implementing a user interface corresponding to the virtual handset; and
updating the one or more portions of the profile based on the received changes to the one or more portions of the profile.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
downloading one or more different portions of the profile to a second physical handset for implementation of a user interface corresponding to the virtual handset at the second physical handset
where the user interface includes information associated with the one or more different portions, and
where the one or more different portions are based on physical characteristics of the second physical handset that are different than the physical characteristics of the physical handset.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing a plurality of profiles that define personal preference and usage information for a plurality of virtual handsets; and
receiving a selection, from the user, of the profile from the plurality of profiles,
where the request is based on the selection of the profile.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, from the user, a telephone number to be associated with the virtual handset;
associating the telephone number with the virtual handset; and
enabling routing of telephone calls, directed to the telephone number associated with the virtual handset, to the physical handset.
8. A system comprising:
a memory to store instructions; and
one or more processors to:
store a profile that is associated with a virtual device of a user,
identify physical characteristics of a physical device of the user based on a request, from the physical device, for the profile,
compare the physical characteristics with the profile,
filter, based on comparing the physical characteristics with the profile, the profile to obtain a filtered profile that is different than the profile,
when filtering the profile, the one or more processors are to remove at least one portion, of a plurality of portions of the profile, that is not compatible with the physical device to obtain the filtered profile,
the filtered profile including information, from a plurality of physical devices of the user, relating to at least one of:
one or more calls associated with the plurality of physical devices,
one or more communication services associated with the plurality of physical devices, or
one or more social networking services associated with the plurality of physical devices, and
download the filtered profile to a physical device for implementation of the virtual device, based on the filtered profile, at the physical handset.
9. The system of claim 8 , where the filtered profile further includes information relating to interface preferences for the virtual device and user data associated with the virtual device.
10. The system of claim 8 , where the filtered profile further includes information relating to applications installed, by the user, on the plurality of physical devices of the user.
11. The system of claim 8 , where the one or more processors are further to:
store a plurality of profiles associated with a plurality of virtual devices, and
detect selection, from the user, of one of the plurality of profiles,
where the selected one of the profiles correspond to the profile that is associated with the virtual device of the user.
12. A method comprising:
receiving, at a physical device of a user, a profile, for a virtual device, that includes a plurality of portions;
analyzing, by the physical device, the profile to determine one or more portions, of the plurality of portions of the profile, to be implemented at the physical device,
the one or more portions being determined based on a comparison of physical characteristics of the physical device with the profile,
analyzing the profile including removing at least one portion, of the plurality of portions, that is not compatible with the physical device to obtain the filtered profile, and
the one or more portions including information relating to at least one of:
one or more calls associated with the user,
one or more communication services associated with the user, or
one or more social networking services associated with the user; and
presenting, by the physical device, an interface that implements the virtual device,
the interface including information associated with the one or more portions.
13. The method of claim 12 , where the profile is received, via a network, from a server that stores information identifying a plurality of virtual devices for a plurality of different users.
14. The method of claim 12 , where the one or more portions further include information relating to graphical interface preferences for the virtual device.
15. The method of claim 12 , where the one or more portions further include information relating to applications installed on one or more physical devices of the user.
16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
uploading changes to the profile based on changes made by a user at the physical device while the interface is presented.
17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving, by the physical device, telephone calls directed to a telephone number associated with the virtual device.
18. A method comprising:
receiving, by a device, a profile that defines a virtual device of a user, the profile including a plurality of portions;
comparing, by the device, physical characteristics, of one of a plurality of physical computing devices, with the profile;
filtering the profile, by the device and based on comparing the physical characteristics with the profile, to obtain a filtered profile that includes one or more portions, of the plurality of portions, that match the physical characteristics,
filtering the profile including removing at least one portion, of the plurality of portions, that does not match the physical characteristics,
the one or more portions being less than the plurality of portions, and
the one or more portions including at least one of:
information relating to one or more communication services associated with the user, or
information relating to one or more social networking services associated with the user; and
downloading, by the device, the filtered profile to the one of the plurality of physical computing devices to present, to the user, an interface, for the virtual device, that includes information associated with the one or more portions.
19. The method of claim 18 , where the one of the plurality of physical computing devices includes a mobile communication handset.
20. The method of claim 18 , where the one of the plurality of compatible physical computing devices includes a personal computer, a set-top box, or a video game console.
21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
receiving changes to the one or more portions of the profile based on changes, made by the user via the one of the plurality of computing physical devices, that relate to the one or more portions, while the one of the plurality of computing physical devices is implementing the interface for the virtual device; and
causing the one or more portions of the profile to be updated based on the received changes to the one or more portions of the profile.
22. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
enabling routing of telephone calls, directed to a telephone number associated with the virtual device, to the one of the plurality of compatible physical devices.