Call status sharing

Abstract

In general, techniques are described for sharing information about a client device phone call to enhance other services. In one example, a method includes receiving, at a server device, voice call parameters that describe at least one characteristic of a voice call in which a user of a first device is participating wherein the first device is physically separate from the server device, and responsive to receiving the voice call parameters, determining, by the server device, a status of the user based on the received voice call parameters. The method further includes storing an account for the user on the server device, wherein the account includes a user profile for the user and identifies contacts of the user, and modifying, by the server device, the user profile to reflect the status of the user, and sending the modified user profile to a device associated with a contact of the user.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server device, voice call parameters that describe at least one characteristic of a voice call in which a user of a first device is participating, wherein the first device is physically separate from the server device;   responsive to receiving the voice call parameters, determining, by the server device, a status of the user based on the received voice call parameters;   storing an account for the user on the server device, wherein the account includes a user profile for the user and identifies one or more contacts of the user;   modifying, by the server device, the user profile to reflect the status of the user; and   sending the modified user profile from the server device to at least one device associated with at least one of the one or more contacts of the user, such that the modified user profile is displayable by the at least one device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to receiving the voice call parameters, blocking incoming voice calls to a second device of the user, wherein the second device is physically separate from the first device and the server device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein modifying the user profile comprises modifying the user profile to provide an indication that the user is engaged in the voice call. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein modifying the user profile further comprises identifying another user with whom the user is engaged in the voice call. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein modifying the user profile further comprises identifying an amount of time the user has been engaged in the voice call. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the status of the user comprises determining that the user has a busy status when the received voice call parameters indicate that the user is engaged in the voice call. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a mobile phone, and wherein receiving the voice call parameters comprises receiving a message from the mobile phone that includes the voice call parameters. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the message comprises one of a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message and a Short Message Service (SMS) message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the voice call parameters comprises receiving a message from an intermediate network device that includes the voice call parameters. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice call parameters include one or more of a telephone number associated with a device that initiated the voice call, a telephone number associated with a device to which the voice call was directed, and a timestamp indicating at least one of a start time and an end time of the voice call, and an authentication token that identifies the user. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the voice call is made using a telephone network. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the contacts of the user are added to the account by the user. 
     
     
         13 . A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause one or more processors of a server device to:
 receive voice call parameters that describe at least one characteristic of a voice call in which a user of a first device is participating, wherein the first device is physically separate from the server device;   responsive to receiving the voice call parameters, determine a status of the user based on the received voice call parameters;   store an account for the user on the server device, wherein the account includes a user profile for the user and identifies one or more contacts of the user;   modify the user profile to reflect the status of the user; and   send the modified user profile from the server device to at least one device associated with at least one of the one or more contacts of the user, such that the modified user profile is displayable by the at least one device.   
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 an interface of a first server device that receives voice call parameters that describe at least one characteristic of a voice call in which a user of a first device is participating, wherein the first device is physically separate from the server device;   means for determining a status of the user based on the received voice call parameters responsive to receiving the voice call parameters;   a database that stores an account for the user on the server device, wherein the account includes a user profile for the user and identifies one or more contacts of the user; and   a display control module that modifies the user profile to reflect the status of the user, and sends the modified user profile from the server device to at least one device associated with at least one of the one or more contacts of the user, such that the modified user profile is displayable by the at least one device.   
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 receiving user input authorizing the client device to send voice call parameters to a server device, wherein the client device is physically separate from the server device; and   when the client device engages in a voice call and has received the user input, send a message to the server device indicating a group of voice call parameters associated with the voice call, wherein the group of voice call parameters describe at least one characteristic of the voice call in which the client device is engaged.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 send messages to a plurality of server devices indicating the group of voice call parameters, wherein each of the server devices is associated with an online application service.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the message comprises one of a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) message and a Short Message Service (SMS) message. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the group of voice call parameters include one or more of a telephone number associated with a device that initiated the voice call, a telephone number associated with a device to which the voice call was directed, and a timestamp indicating at least one of a start time and an end time of the voice call, and an authentication token that identifies the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the client device comprises a mobile phone, and wherein the voice call is made using a telephone network.