Automatically answering an incoming voice-call on a mobile device with no-touch user interface interaction

• US 10,136,271 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: DeLoy, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Brandt, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US14/967,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20170171727A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42153 by subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42212 Call pickup comprising simultaneous alerting H04M3/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

This disclosure describes techniques for automatically answering an incoming voice-call on a mobile device. A voice-call answering application, executed on the mobile device, may allow a user to answer an incoming voice-call by applying a movement or a biometric sample that is preconfigured to answer the incoming voice-call. In some examples, the user may preconfigure the voice-call answering application to recognize different movements or biometric samples based on a time of day, a day of the week, a geographic location, or a type of motion.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

under control of one or more processors;

detecting an incoming voice-call on a mobile device;

receiving, from one or more sensors of the mobile device, three-dimensional sensor data indicating at least a movement of the mobile device relative to a user of the mobile device;

comparing the movement of the mobile device with a registered movement template, the registered movement template being selected by a user from a plurality of registered movement templates, the registered movement templates indicating three-dimensional motion of the mobile device; and

causing the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call, based at least in part on the movement of the mobile device matching the registered movement template.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a user interface to display on the mobile device, the user interface providing a list of selectable options to create the registered movement template;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection to create the registered movement template;

prompting, via the user interface, the user to create a movement of the mobile device that is to be associated with the registered movement template; and

creating the registered movement template based at least in part on receiving the movement of the mobile device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein prompting the user to create the movement of the mobile device is a first prompt, and further comprising:

providing at least a second prompt to repeat the movement of the mobile device that is to be associated with the registered movement template; and

wherein creating the registered movement template is further based at least in part on receiving a second movement that corresponds to at least the second prompt.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the registered movement template corresponds to a first registered movement template of a plurality of registered movement templates, and further comprising:

determining a geographic location of the mobile device based at least in part on the sensor data; and

wherein comparing the movement of the mobile device with the first registered movement template is further based at least in part on the geographic location.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, via a user interface on the mobile device and prior to detecting the incoming voice call on the mobile device, an activation setting that enables automatic answering of the incoming voice-call, based at least in part on a first geographic location;

in response to detecting the incoming voice-call on the mobile device, determining a second geographic location that corresponds to the mobile device; and

wherein causing the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call is further part at least in part on the second geographic location of the mobile device being within a predetermined distance of the first geographic location.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors of the mobile device include at least one of accelerometers, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, a global positioning system sensor, and a digital camera.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein causing the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call is further based at least in part on the time of day or the day of the week.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more sensors of a mobile device, the one or more sensors detecting at least a movement of the mobile device;

one or more processors coupled to the one or more sensors;

memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including one or more modules that are executable by the one or more processors to;

receive sensor data from the one or more sensors of the mobile device;

determine a first three-dimensional movement of the mobile device based at least in part on the sensor data, the first movement corresponding to a synchronized motion of the mobile device and a user;

determine a second three-dimensional movement of the mobile device based at least in part on the sensor data, the second movement corresponding to a motion of the mobile device being placed in proximity to an ear of the user;

select an active configuration based at least in part on the synchronized motion of the mobile device and the user, the active configuration identifying a user-selected registered movement template for comparison with the movement of the mobile device;

compare the second three-dimensional movement of the mobile device with the user-selected registered movement template; and

cause the mobile device to automatically answer an incoming voice-call based at least in part on the second three-dimensional movement of the mobile device matching the user-selected registered movement template.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more sensors that indicate the movement of the mobile device include at least one of accelerometers, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, a global positioning system sensor, and a digital camera.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the active configuration further includes an activation setting that enables automatic answering of the incoming voice-call based at least in part on a time of day or a day of a week;

and

wherein to cause the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call is further based at least in part on the time of day or the day of the week.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

cause a user interface to display on the mobile device, the user interface providing a list of selectable options to create the user-selected registered movement template;

receive, via the user interface, a selection to create the user-selected registered movement template;

prompt, via the user interface, the user to create a movement of the mobile device that is to be associated with the user-selected registered movement template; and

create the user-selected registered movement template based at least in part on receiving the movement of the mobile device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the prompt to the user to create the movement of the mobile device is a first prompt, and the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

provide at least a second prompt to repeat the movement of the mobile device that is to be associated with the user-selected registered movement template; and

creating the user-selected registered movement template based at least in part on receiving a second movement that corresponds to at least the second prompt.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the user-selected registered movement template corresponds to a first registered movement template of a plurality of registered movement templates, and the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

determine a geographic location of the mobile device based at least in part on the sensor data; and

comparing the second three-dimensional movement of the mobile device with the first registered movement template based at least in part on the geographic location.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more modules are further executable by the one or more processors to:

receive, via a user interface on the mobile device and prior to the incoming voice call, an activation setting that enables automatic answering of the incoming voice-call, based at least in part on a first geographic location;

detect the incoming voice-call on the mobile device;

determine a second geographic location that corresponds to the mobile device; and

cause the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call is based at least in part on the second geographic location of the mobile device being within a predetermined distance of the first geographic location.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium having stored thereon programming instructions that, when executed by a mobile device, cause the mobile device to perform operations comprising:

detecting an incoming voice-call on the mobile device;

receiving, from one or more sensors of the mobile device, three-dimensional sensor data indicating at least a movement of the mobile device relative to a user of the mobile device;

comparing the movement of the mobile device with a registered movement template, the registered movement template being selected by a user from a plurality of registered movement templates, the registered movement templates indicating three-dimensional motion of the mobile device; and

causing the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call, based at least in part on the movement of the mobile device matching the registered movement template.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

causing a user interface to display on the mobile device, the user interface providing a list of selectable options to create the registered movement template;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection to create the registered movement template;

prompting, via the user interface, the user to create a movement of the mobile device that is to be associated with the registered movement template; and

creating the registered movement template based at least in part on receiving the movement of the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the registered movement template corresponds to a first registered movement template of a plurality of registered movement templates, and the operations further comprise:

determining a geographic location of the mobile device based at least in part on the sensor data; and

wherein comparing the movement of the mobile device with the first registered movement template is further based at least in part on the geographic location.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, via a user interface on the mobile device and prior to detecting the incoming voice call on the mobile device, an activation setting that enables automatic answering of the incoming voice-call, based at least in part on a first geographic location;

in response to detecting the incoming voice-call on the mobile device, determining a second geographic location that corresponds to the mobile device; and

wherein causing the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call is further part at least in part on the second geographic location of the mobile device being within a predetermined distance of the first geographic location.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors of the mobile device include at least one of accelerometers, a gyroscope, a proximity sensor, a global positioning system sensor, and a digital camera.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein causing the mobile device to automatically answer the incoming voice-call is further based at least in part on the time of day or the day of the week.