# US 9,521,254 B2 · Communicating availability of a mobile device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,254 B2 - Document ID: US9521254B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/456,144 - Filed: 2014-08-11 - Published: 2016-02-11 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-11 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: James E. Bostick; John M. Ganci, Jr.; Ji Young Roe; Kimberly G. Starks - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521254B2 ## CPC - H04M 3/42374: {where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server} - H04M 3/42365: {Presence services providing information on the willingness to communicate or the ability to communicate in terms of media capability or network connectivity} - H04M 3/436: Arrangements for screening incoming calls {, i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it (based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54)} - H04W 4/12: Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements - H04W 4/16: Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold - H04W 12/02: Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII] - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04M 2203/2072: Schedules, e.g. personal calendars - H04M 2242/14: with services dependent on location - H04W 12/08: Access security - H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08) - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Embodiments described herein provide approaches for communicating availability of a mobile device. Specifically, at least one approach includes: determining a current status of a mobile device operated by a receiving user, the current status including an operating state and an operating time zone; and providing the current status of the mobile device to a sender via the sender's mobile device by performing either of the following: annotating a contact list with visual data indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device, and generating a graphic indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device when the sender initiates communication with the mobile device. Based on the current status, a warning can be communicated to the sender indicating that is inadvisable to continue with the communication, as the receiving user is unlikely to be available and/or willing to respond. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for communicating availability of a mobile device, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of: determining a current status of a mobile device operated by a receiving user, the current status including an operating state and an operating time zone; and providing the current status of the mobile device to a sender via the sender's mobile device by performing either of the following: annotating a contact list with visual data indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device, and generating a graphic indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device when the sender initiates communication with the mobile device, wherein the graphic comprises a pop-up message generated if the receiving user is not currently included within the contact list. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating a warning to the sender indicating that communication with the mobile device is inadvisable based on the current status of the mobile device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing a communication connection between the mobile device and the sender's mobile device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving permission from the mobile device to provide the current status to the sender via the sender's mobile device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, the operating state including one of: on and available, on and unavailable, on and in silent mode, off, and do not disturb (DND) mode. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further comprising allowing communication with the mobile device in the case that the mobile device has an operating state indicating the mobile device is off or in DND mode, the communication being allowed when either of the following conditions is met: the sender provides an acceptable password in response to a security prompt, and the sender is a member of a set of permitted senders. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method according to claim 6, the allowing communication further comprising changing the operating state of the mobile device. ### Claim 8 A system for communicating availability of a mobile device, the system comprising: a memory medium comprising program instructions; a bus coupled to the memory medium; and a processor, for executing the program instructions, coupled to an availability detector via the bus that when executing the program instructions causes the system to: determine a current status of a mobile device operated by a receiving user, the current status including an operating state and an operating time zone; and provide the current status of the mobile device to a sender via the sender's mobile device by performing either of the following: annotating a contact list with visual data indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device, and generating a graphic indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device when the sender initiates communication with the mobile device, wherein the graphic comprises a pop-up message generated if the receiving user is not currently included within the contact list. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system according to claim 8, further comprising program instructions causing the system to communicate a warning to the sender indicating that communication with the mobile device is inadvisable based on the current status of the mobile device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising program instructions causing the system to: establish a communication connection between the mobile device and the sender's mobile device; and receive permission from the mobile device to provide the current status to the sender via the sender's mobile device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, the operating state including one of: on and available, on and unavailable, on and in silent mode, off, and do not disturb (DND) mode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising program instructions causing the system to allow communication with the mobile device in the case that the mobile device has an operating state indicating the mobile device is off or in DND mode, the communication being allowed when either of the following conditions is met: the sender provides an acceptable password in response to a security prompt, and the sender is a member of a set of permitted senders. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method according to claim 12, the program instructions causing the system to allow communication with the mobile device further causing the system to change the operating state of the mobile device. ### Claim 14 A computer program product for communicating availability of a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device, and program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device, to: determine a current status of a mobile device operated by a receiving user, the current status including an operating state and an operating time zone; and provide the current status of the mobile device to a sender via the sender's mobile device by performing either of the following: annotating a contact list with visual data indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device, and generating a graphic indicating the operating state and the operating time zone of the mobile device when the sender initiates communication with the mobile device, wherein the graphic comprises a pop-up message generated if the receiving user is not currently included within the contact list. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, the computer readable storage device further comprising program instructions to communicate a warning to the sender indicating that communication with the mobile device is inadvisable based on the current status of the mobile device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, the computer readable storage device further comprising program instructions to: establish a communication connection between the mobile device and the sender's mobile device; and receive permission from the mobile device to provide the current status to the sender via the sender's mobile device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The computer program product of claim 14, the computer readable storage device further comprising program instructions to allow communication with the mobile device in the case that the mobile device has an operating state indicating the mobile device is off or in DND mode, the communication being allowed when either of the following conditions is met: the sender provides an acceptable password in response to a security prompt, and the sender is a member of a set of permitted senders.