Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Peter Andrew Bernard

Sandra Irene Vargas

Keith Lindsey Rowe

Darren Alexander Apfel

Rosanna H Ho

Matthew Justin Von Bencke

Jon Friedman

Justin Michael Maguire

Matthew James Schoenholz

Jonathan David Friedman

Peter G Chin

Andrew Royal

In implementations of creating a communication group, a mobile device can receive a selection to enable communication of location information between devices that correspond to entities from a group of entities associated with a user of the mobile device. The mobile device can receive location information that describes a physical location or proximity of the devices that correspond to the entities, and present in a user interface on a display device, a visual representation that indicates at least one of the entities is at a location within a pre-set distance of the mobile device. A communication group can be created that includes the entities selected from the group of entities associated with the user of the mobile device. The mobile device can also communicate the location information of the mobile device to all of the devices that correspond to the entities as a group communication based on the communication group.

Creating a communication group

This document describes tools capable of differentiating a superset of entities from which a user may receive current updates effective to provide current updates for only some of the entities of the superset. In one embodiment, for example, the tools enable a user of a mobile device to select a set of entities from which the user will automatically receive updates that are current, easily accessible, and visible at-a-glance. The tools may forgo providing current updates for entities that are not selected by the user, though the tools may provide these updates when explicitly requested by the user or at particular times or events.

Current updates

This document describes tools capable of enabling users of mobile communication devices to create communication groups quickly and easily. With such a communication group a user may call, text, or instant message all persons in the group at once by selecting the communication group rather than each person in the group. In one embodiment, the tools enable a user to build a communication group by dragging and dropping indicators for persons he or she knows from one area of a screen into another area. In another embodiment, the tools automatically collect persons from those that the user knows based on one or more criteria. The user may then easily create a communication group of those collected persons, such as by tapping on an area of a mobile device's display.

A phone content service is described. In embodiment(s), content that is associated with a mobile phone can be stored by a phone content service that is accessible by a computer via a data communication network. An update to the content that is associated with the mobile phone can be received and updated at the phone content service. Updated content can then be synchronized with the mobile phone via a mobile communication network.

Phone content service

A notification charm for a wireless communication device and a method of operating the wireless device to provide an alert on the charm are presented. The charm may be a bracelet, watch, keychain, ring, or other ornamental device which can generate event and preference based alerts about events occurring on a wireless device.

Growing community of inventors

Bellevue, WA, United States of America

Peter Andrew Bernard