Context-based alerts for an electronic device

• US 10,210,743 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Yang, Lawrence, Dascola, Jonathan R., Moussette, Camille, Verweij, Hugo D., Harley, Jonah A., Morrell, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bee, Andrew W
• Application Number:
  US15/595,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20170337804A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 23/00 Alarms responsive to unspecified undesired or abnormal conditions
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0209 in terminal devices terminal devices per se H04W88/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and method for providing an output for an electronic device. In certain embodiments, an alert is output in accordance with a current alert mode, which are selected based on one or more environmental conditions. The environmental conditions may be detected using one or more environmental sensors. The alert can optionally include one or more of: an audio component, a haptic component and a visual component. One or more of alert components correspond to an aspect of the environmental condition detected by the one or more environmental sensors.

Claims

1. A method for outputting alerts at an electronic device, comprising:

outputting a portion of an alert sequence using the electronic device, wherein the alert sequence includes a predetermined sequence of alert outputs;

detecting a passive interaction comprising a user viewing a display of the electronic device during the outputting of the portion of the alert sequence; and

in response to detecting the user viewing the display;

selecting a modified alert sequence; and

outputting the modified alert sequence using the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert sequence is a sequence of alerts that correspond to a single event.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modified alert sequence is a silent alert sequence having no audio component.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the alert sequence comprises a first audio component having a first volume; and

the modified alert sequence comprises a second audio component having a second volume less than the first volume.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the user viewing the display comprises detecting at least one of a position or a movement of at least one of a head or an eye of the user that is consistent with the user viewing the display.

6. An electronic device, comprising:

an output device including one or more of;

a speaker, a display, a light source, or a haptic device;

an input device;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, and including instructions for;

outputting, using the output device, a portion of an alert sequence, wherein the alert sequence includes a predetermined sequence of alert outputs;

detecting, using the input device, a passive interaction comprising a user viewing a display of the electronic device during the outputting of the portion of the alert sequence; and

in response to detecting the user viewing the display;

selecting, using the one or more processors, a modified alert sequence; and

outputting, using the output device, the modified alert sequence.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the input device is an optical sensor.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the optical sensor is configured to sense at least one of a position or a movement of a user'"'"'s eye.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein detecting the user viewing the display comprises sensing the at least one of the position or the movement of the user'"'"'s eye.

10. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the alert outputs include at least one or more alert components of:

an audio component, a haptic component, or a visual component.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the alert sequence escalates over time by adding alert components to a series of alert outputs.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device having one or more processors and memory, cause the electronic device to:

output a portion of an alert sequence using the electronic device, wherein the alert sequence includes a predetermined sequence of alert outputs;

detect a passive interaction comprising a user viewing a display of the electronic device during the outputting of the portion of the alert sequence; and

in response to detecting the user viewing the display;

select a modified alert sequence; and

output the modified alert sequence using the electronic device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the alert sequence includes at least one or more of:

an audio alert, a haptic alert, or a visual alert.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the alert sequence is associated with a user health-related goal.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the alert sequence corresponds to a series of activity monitor alerts.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the alert sequence corresponds to an occurrence of a single event.