Preferred contact group centric interface
View Patent ↗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.
1. A system comprising:
a data store for maintaining a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a communications device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of a set of contacts accessible by the communications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts;
a user interface component, implemented by executing instructions on a processor, the user interface component operative to:
cause the generation of a first display on the communications device without initiating a user contact application for accessing the set of contacts accessible by the communications device, wherein the first display includes a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts;
identify a first message event associated with the user and a first contact from the subset of contacts;
identify a second message event associated with the user and a second contact from the subset of contacts, wherein the second message event corresponds to a different type of message event than the first message event; and
cause the generation of an updated display on the communications device without initiating a user contact application for accessing the set of contacts accessible by the communication device,
wherein the updated display includes the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts presented in the first display; a first message event indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the first contact from the subset of contacts; and a second message event indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the second contact from the subset of contacts,
wherein the first message event indicator corresponds to the first message event and the second message event indicator corresponds to the second message event,
wherein the first message event indicator and the second message event indicator are different,
wherein the first display and the updated display are caused to be presented on the communications device in one of a home page screen and an idle screen;
wherein the first and second status events include mood information associated with the first and second contacts respectively; and
wherein the mood information is determined as a function of a frequency of communication between the user and the respective contact.
2. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device.
3. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first message event corresponds to one of a missed call, receipt of an email message, receipt of a text message, receipt of a voice mail message, and receipt of a picture message.
4. The system as recited in claim 3 , wherein the second message event corresponds to one of a missed call, receipt of an email message, receipt of a text message, receipt of a voice mail message, and receipt of a picture message.
5. The system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first message event and the first message event indicator correspond to a missed call and wherein the second message event and the second message event indicator correspond to an awaiting email message.
6. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a communications device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of a set of contacts accessible by the communications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts;
identifying a graphical identifier corresponding to each user contact from the subset;
identifying a first status event associated with the user and a first contact from the subset of contacts;
identifying a second status event associated with the user and a second contact from the subset of contacts; and
causing the generation of a display on the communications device without requiring user input,
wherein the display includes an arrangement of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers,
wherein the portion of the graphical identifiers includes the graphical identifier corresponding to the first contact from the subset and the graphical identifier corresponding to the second contact from the subset,
wherein the display further includes a first status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the first contact and a second status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the second contact,
wherein the first status indicator corresponds to the first status event and the second status indicator corresponds to the second status event,
wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in response to initiation of at least one of a home screen state and an idle screen state,
wherein the first and second status events correspond to mood information associated with the first and second contacts respectively;
wherein the mood information is determined as a function of a frequency of communication between the user and the respective contact; and
wherein the method is implemented in a computer system.
7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device.
8. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the display includes an arrangement of each of the graphical identifiers corresponding to a user contact from the subset.
9. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the second status event corresponds to a different type of status event than the first status event.
10. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first status indicator and the second status indicator are different.
11. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein causing the generation of the display without user input further comprises causing the generation of the display without causing initiation of a user contact application for accessing the set of contacts accessible by the communications device.
12. The method as recited in claim 6 further comprising:
identifying a third status event associated with the user and a third contact from the subset of contacts.
13. The method as recited in claim 12 , wherein the display further includes a third status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the third contact and wherein the third status indicator corresponds to the third status event.
14. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first status event corresponds to one of a missed call, receipt of an email message, receipt of a text message, receipt of a voice mail message, and receipt of a picture message.
15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the second status event corresponds to one of a missed call, receipt of an email message, receipt of a text message, receipt of a voice mail message, and receipt of a picture message.
16. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first status event and the first status event indicator correspond to a missed call and wherein the second status event and the second status event indicator correspond to an awaiting email message.
17. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first and second status events correspond to presence information associated with the first and second contacts respectively.
18. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the first and second status events correspond to one of an upcoming date or an appointment associated with the first and second contacts respectively.
19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the first and second status event indicators identify one of an upcoming date or an appointment associated with the first and second contacts respectively.
20. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the mood information is determined as a function of a relative frequency of communication between the user and the respective contact as compared to a frequency of communication between the user and each of the other contacts from the subset.
21. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying a subset of contacts, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of a set of contacts accessible by a communications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts;
causing the generation of a first display on the communications device without requiring user input when the communications device is in a first state, wherein the first display includes a graphical identifier associated with each contact of the subset of contacts and wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in response to initiation of at least one of a home screen state and an idle screen state; and
dynamically causing the generation of an updated display while the communications device is in the first state, wherein the updated display includes the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts presented in the first display, a first status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with a first contact from the subset of contacts, and a second status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with a second contact from the subset of contacts, wherein the first status indicator corresponds to a status associated with the first contact and the second status indicator corresponds to a status associated with the second contact,
wherein the first and second status indicators include mood information associated with the first and second contacts respectively,
wherein the mood information is determined as a function of a frequency of communication between the user and the respective contact, and
wherein the method is implemented in a computer system.
22. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein each contact in the subset of contacts is selected by the user of the communications device.
23. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the first status indicator and the second status indicator are different.
24. The method as recited in claim 23 , wherein the first status event indicator corresponds to a missed call indicator and wherein the second status indicator corresponds to an awaiting email message indicator.
25. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein causing the generation of the first display without user input further comprises causing the generation of the first display without causing initiation of a user contact application for accessing the set of contacts accessible by the communications device.
26. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the updated display further includes a third status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with a third contact and wherein the third status indicator corresponds to a status associated with the third contact.
27. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the first status indicator corresponds to one of a missed call indicator, receipt of an email message indicator, receipt of a text message indicator, receipt of a voice mail message indicator, and receipt of a picture message indicator.
28. The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the second status indicator corresponds to one of a missed call indicator, receipt of an email message indicator, receipt of a text message indicator, receipt of a voice mail message indicator, and receipt of a picture message indicator.
29. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the first and second status indicators correspond to presence indicators associated with the first and second contacts respectively.
30. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein the first and second status indicators correspond to one of an upcoming date indicator or an appointment indicator associated with the first and second contacts respectively.
31. A computer-implemented method comprising:
identifying a subset of contacts selected at least in part by a user of a communications device, wherein the subset of user contacts includes a portion of a set of contacts accessible by the communications device and wherein the subset of contacts includes a plurality of contacts;
identifying a graphical identifier corresponding to each user contact from the subset;
identifying a first status event associated with the user and a first contact from the subset of contacts;
identifying a second status event associated with the user and a second contact from the subset of contacts;
causing the generation of a display on the communications device without requiring user input, wherein the display includes an arrangement of at least a portion of the graphical identifiers, wherein the portion of the graphical identifiers includes the graphical identifier corresponding to the first contact from the subset and the graphical identifier corresponding to the second contact from the subset, wherein the display further includes a first status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the first contact and a second status indicator positioned adjacent to the graphical identifier associated with the second contact, wherein the first status indicator corresponds to the first status event and the second status indicator corresponds to the second status event, and wherein the graphical identifiers associated with the subset of contacts are caused to be presented on the display in response to initiation of at least one of a home screen state and an idle screen state; and
causing the generation of a second display on the communications 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 contact, wherein the second 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.