Suppressing device notification messages when connected to a non-user-specific device

• US 10,397,392 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2018
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Agrawal, Amit Kumar, Patil, Vishal
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Joshua L
• Application Number:
  US16/194,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20190166245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/39 using speech synthesis speech synthesis per se G10L13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

A method includes generating an alert message in a device. The device is one of a plurality of connected devices. The alert message is suppressed in the device responsive to a state of a microphone of any of the plurality of connected devices indicating an active state. A device includes a microphone, a speaker, and a processor coupled to the microphone and the speaker. The processor is to generate an alert message and suppress the alert message responsive to a state of a microphone of any of a plurality of connected devices including the device indicating an active state.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a first connection between a first device and a first audio playback device;

generating a notification message in the first device while the first device is in a voice assist mode of operation; and

suppressing a readout of the notification message using the first connection responsive to determining that the audio playback device is a non-user-specific device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a second connection to a second audio playback device concurrent with the first connection; and

suppressing the readout of the notification message using the first connection and the second connection responsive to determining the concurrent presence of the first and second connections.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection comprises a wireless point-to-point connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user for a readout preference after generating the notification message and prior to suppressing the readout of the notification message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the notification message in a queue; and

replaying the notification message responsive to determining the absence of the first connection between the mobile device and the first audio playback device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising prompting the user for a readout preference prior to replaying the notification message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the first audio playback device is a non-user-specific device comprises querying the user to determine whether the first audio playback device is associated with the user when establishing the first connection.

8. A method, comprising:

establishing a plurality of concurrent connections between a first device and a plurality of second devices;

generating a notification message in the first device while the first device is in a readout mode of operation; and

suppressing a readout of the notification message using the plurality of concurrent connections responsive to determining an active state of the plurality of concurrent connections.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising prompting the user for a readout preference after generating the notification message and prior to suppressing the readout of the notification message.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing the notification message in a queue; and

replaying the notification message responsive to determining an inactive state of the plurality of concurrent connections.

11. A device, comprising:

a transceiver to establish a first connection to a first audio playback device;

a processor coupled to the transceiver to generate a notification message while the device is in a voice assist mode of operation and suppress a readout of the notification message over the first connection responsive to determining that the first audio playback device is a non-user-specific device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the transceiver is to establish a second connection to a second audio playback device concurrently with the first connection, and the processor is to suppress the readout of the notification message using the first connection and the second connection responsive to determining the concurrent presence of the first and second connections.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the first connection comprises a wireless point-to-point connection.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is to prompt the user for a readout preference after generating the notification message and prior to suppressing the readout of the notification message.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is to store the notification message in a queue and replay the notification message responsive to determining the absence of the first connection.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is to prompt the user for a readout preference prior to replaying the notification message.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is to determine that the first audio playback device is a non-user-specific device by querying the user to determine whether the first audio playback device is associated with the user when establishing the first connection.

18. A device, comprising:

a transceiver to establish a plurality of concurrent connections between a first device and a plurality of second devices; and

a processor coupled to the transceiver to generate a notification message while the device is in a readout mode of operation and suppress a readout of the notification message using the plurality of concurrent connections responsive to determining an active state of the plurality of concurrent connections.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is to prompt the user for a readout preference after generating the notification message and prior to suppressing the readout of the notification message.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is to store the notification message in a queue and replay the notification message responsive to determining an inactive state of the plurality of concurrent connections.