Methods and Systems for Indicating Location Status and Availability Status Within a Communication Interface

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022321507-A1
Application number	US-202117219566-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 31, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Oct 6, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An illustrative communication provider system presents, to a first user, a communication interface that displays a representation of a shared virtual space that the first user shares with a second user. The communication provider system determines a virtual location status and an availability status for the second user. The virtual location status is representative of a virtual location of the second user within the shared virtual space. The availability status is representative of a particular availability mode included in a plurality of selectable availability modes. The communication provider system displays, within the communication interface presented to the first user, a profile icon for the second user. The profile icon indicates both the virtual location status and the availability status of the second user to the first user. Corresponding methods and systems are also disclosed.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
determining, by a communication provider system, a virtual location status for a user, the virtual location status representative of a virtual location of the user within a shared virtual space the user shares with a first additional user and a second additional user; determining, by the communication provider system, a first availability status and a second availability status for the user, wherein:
the first availability status corresponds to an availability of the user with respect to the first additional user and is representative of a first availability mode of a plurality of selectable availability modes, and
the second availability status corresponds to an availability of the user with respect to the second additional user and is representative of a second availability mode of the plurality of selectable availability modes, the second availability mode different from the first availability mode; and
presenting, by the communication provider system, a representation of the shared virtual space to the first additional user in a first communication interface and to the second additional user in a second communication interface, the presenting including:
displaying, based on the virtual location status, a first profile icon at a particular location in the shared virtual space represented within the first communication interface and a second profile icon at the particular location in the shared virtual space represented within the second communication interface, the particular location in the shared virtual space indicating the virtual location of the user within the shared virtual space,
applying, based on the first availability status, a first appearance attribute to the first profile icon, the first appearance attribute configured to indicate an availability of the user for impromptu communications and for formally-initiated communication sessions with respect to the first additional user, and
applying, based on the second availability status, a second appearance attribute to the second profile icon, the second appearance attribute different from the first appearance attribute and configured to indicate an availability of the user for impromptu communications and for formally-initiated communication sessions with respect to the second additional user.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first profile icon and the second profile icon each indicates an identity of the user, the identity indicated by an image representing the user included within the first and second profile icons.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein:
the first appearance attribute includes a first color of a border that extends at least partially around the image representing the user in the first profile icon; and the second appearance attribute includes a second color of a border that extends at least partially around the image representing the user in the second profile icon, the second color different from the first color.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first availability mode represented by the first availability status is a first availability mode indicating that the user:
is available to engage in an impromptu communication with the first additional user, and is available to engage in a formally-initiated communication session with the first additional user.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first availability mode represented by the first availability status is a second availability mode indicating that the user:
is unavailable to engage in an impromptu communication with the first additional user, and is available to engage in a formally-initiated communication session with the first additional user.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first availability mode represented by the first availability status is a third availability mode indicating that the user:
is unavailable to engage in an impromptu communication with the first additional user, and is unavailable to engage in a formally-initiated communication session with the first additional user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the communication provider system during the displaying of the first profile icon and the second profile icon, that the user logs out of a communication interface by way of which the representation of the shared virtual space is presented to the user; and ceasing displaying, by the communication provider system in response to the detecting that the user logs out, the first profile icon within the first communication interface and the second profile icon within the second communication interface.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting, by the communication provider system during the displaying of the first profile icon, that the user commences a formally-initiated communication session with another user; and automatically updating, by the communication provider system in response to the detecting that the user commences the formally-initiated communication session, the first and second appearance attributes applied to the first and second profile icons to represent updated availability modes.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the shared virtual space is a virtual office space associated with an organization employing a workforce of employees that includes the user and the first and second additional users; the virtual office space is not based on any physical office space used by the organization; the user is located at a first physical location remote from any physical office space used by the organization; the first additional user is located at a second physical location remote from the first physical location and from any physical office space used by the organization; and the second additional user is located at a third physical location remote from the first and second physical locations and from any physical office space used by the organization.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the shared virtual space is a virtual office space associated with an organization employing a workforce of employees that includes the user and the first and second additional users; the virtual office space is based on a physical office space used by the organization; the user is located at the physical office space used by the organization; the first additional user is located at a first physical location remote from the physical office space used by the organization; and the second additional user is located at a second physical location remote from the first physical location and the physical office space used by the organization.

12 . A system comprising:
a memory storing instructions; and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to:
determine a virtual location status for a user, the virtual location status representative of a virtual location of the user within a shared virtual space the user shares with a first additional user and a second additional user;
determine a first availability status and a second availability status for the user, wherein:
the first availability status corresponds to an availability of the user with respect to the first additional user and is representative of a first availability mode of a plurality of selectable availability modes, and
the second availability status corresponds to an availability of the user with respect to the second additional user and is representative of a second availability mode of the plurality of selectable availability modes, the second availability mode different from the first availability mode; and
present a representation of the shared virtual space to

Assignees

• Verizon Patent & Licensing Inc

Inventors

• Skuratowicz David
• Periyannan Alagu
• Khalid Mohammad Raheel
• Hu Selina

Classifications

• G06Q10/10 Primary

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06F3/04817

  using icons (graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34) · CPC title

• H04L51/043 Primary

  using or handling presence information · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  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 title