Contextual information usage in systems that include accessory devices

• US 10,397,743 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2017
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Fitbit, Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Wong, Yoon Kean, Witte, Andrew James, Hornyak, Matthew David, Migicovsky, Eric Bernard, Solomon, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Hanidu, Ganiyu A
• Application Number:
  US15/701,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20170374523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 455557
• 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 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/30 Services specially adapted for particular environments, situations or purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for using contextual information to determine an appropriate response in a system that includes a device paired with an accessory device. The contextual information can be sourced from local sensors, received communications, and information stored on a device within the system. Stored parameters in the system allow flexibility and configurability in evaluating the contextual information. Using feedback obtained after actions taken based on the contextual information allows the system to adapt to better meet the needs of the user.

Claims

1. A wearable device configured to be worn by a user, the wearable device comprising:

a display;

at least one sensor configured to generate contextual information associated with the wearable device; and

at least one processor configured to;

receive first contextual information generated by the at least one sensor, the first contextual information indicative of a state of the user or the user'"'"'s environment;

determine, based at least on the first contextual information and at least one parameter associated with a first application associated with the wearable device, that content associated with the first application is to be displayed on the display;

cause, in response to the determination, first content associated with the first application to be displayed on the display;

receive user feedback in response to the first content being displayed;

determine whether the determination to display the first content was appropriate based at least in part on the user feedback; and

cause, based at least on the user feedback, the at least one parameter associated with the first application to be updated.

2. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the user feedback comprises utilization of the first content or the first application, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause, subsequent to receiving the user feedback, content associated with the first application to be more likely to be displayed in response to receiving another instance of the first contextual information.

3. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the user feedback comprises an action that causes the first content to be no longer displayed on the display, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause, subsequent to receiving the user feedback, content associated with the first application to be less likely to be displayed in response to receiving another instance of the first contextual information.

4. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to wirelessly transmit an activation signal to a device paired with the wearable device, such that a second application associated with the device and corresponding to the first application is activated on the device.

5. The wearable device of claim 4, wherein the first application is a wearable-device-specific portion of an application and the second application is a device-specific portion of the application.

6. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine that content associated with the first application is to be displayed further based at least on a signal from a device paired with the wearable device, the signal comprising second context information generated by the device, the at least one processor further configured to determine that content associated with the first application is to be displayed based at least on the first context information, the second context information, and the at least one parameter associated with the first application.

7. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to determine that content associated with the first application is to be displayed further based at least on a signal from a device paired with the wearable device, the signal comprising an indication that second contextual information generated by the device has satisfied one or more criteria associated with the user.

8. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

compare the first contextual information with the at least one parameter associated with the first application;

compare the first contextual information with at least one parameter associated with a second application associated with the wearable device;

determine that the first contextual information is more relevant to the at least one parameter associated with the first application than to the at least one parameter associated with the second application; and

based at least on the determination that the first contextual information is more relevant to the at least one parameter associated with the first application, determine that content associated with the first application is to be displayed.

9. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to update the at least one parameter associated with the first application based at least on prior activations of the first application that were initiated based at least on a determination of an indication of an input by the user such that, subsequent to the update, the first application is automatically activated based at least on the first contextual information and the updated at least one parameter without determining an indication of an input by the user.

10. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor comprises one or more of a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a microphone, a proximity sensor, an illumination sensor, an altimeter, a gravity sensor, a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a humidity sensor, or an orientation sensor.

11. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first contextual information is indicative of a rate of movement of the user, and the at least one parameter includes a threshold rate of movement, the at least one processor further configured to determine that content associated with the first application is to be displayed based at least on the rate of movement exceeding the threshold rate of movement.

12. The wearable device of claim 1, wherein the first contextual information is indicative of a time period of movement of the user, and the at least one parameter includes a threshold time period, the at least one processor further configured to determine that content associated with the first application is to be displayed based at least on the time period of movement exceeding the threshold time period.

13. A method of operating a wearable device configured to be worn by a user, the method comprising:

detecting a first activation of a first application on the wearable device, the first activation being performed in response to determining an indication of an input by the user;

determining, based at least on first sensor data indicative of a state of the user or the user'"'"'s environment in which the first activation was performed, at least one threshold for automatically activating the first application, the first sensor data being generated by at least one sensor of the wearable device;

receiving second sensor data generated by the at least one sensor of the wearable device, the second sensor data indicative of a state of the user or the user'"'"'s environment at a time subsequent to the first activation;

determining that the second sensor data satisfies the at least one threshold for automatically activating the first application;

automatically performing a second activation of the first application in response to the determination that the sensor data satisfies the at least one threshold;

receiving user feedback in response to the second activation;

determining, based at least on one of additional sensor data or the user feedback, that the second activation of the first application was not appropriate; and

updating the at least one threshold for automatically activating the first application, such that the second sensor data does not satisfy the updated at least one threshold.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the additional sensor data generated by the at least one sensor of the wearable device indicates that the user did not utilize the first application subsequent to the second activation of the first application.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising wirelessly transmitting an activation signal to a smartphone paired with the wearable device such that a second application associated with the smartphone and corresponding to the first application is activated on the smartphone.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising comparing the second sensor data with the at least one threshold in response to a signal from a smartphone paired with the wearable device.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising outputting, upon performing the second activation, at least one of a visual alert, an auditory alert, or a haptic alert.

18. A system, comprising:

a wearable device configured to be worn by a user, the wearable device comprising a display, at least one sensor configured to generate contextual information, and at least one processor; and

a device paired with the wearable device, the device comprising at least one sensor configured to generate contextual information and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor of the wearable device is configured to;

receive first contextual information generated by the at least one sensor of the wearable device, the first contextual information indicative of a state of the user or the user'"'"'s environment;

determine, based at least on the first contextual information and at least one parameter associated with a first application associated with the wearable device, that content associated with the first application is to be displayed on the display;

cause, in response to the determination, first content associated with the first application to be displayed on the display and further cause an activation signal to be wirelessly transmitted to the device;

receive user feedback in response to the first content being displayed;

determine whether the determination to display the first content was appropriate based at least in part on the user feedback; and

cause, based at least on the feedback, the at least one parameter associated with the first application to be updated, and

wherein the at least one processor of the device is configured to, in response to the activation signal from the wearable device, cause a second application associated with the device and corresponding to the first application to be activated on the device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the wearable device is a smartwatch and the device is a smartphone.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising a sensor device in communication with at least one of the wearable device or the device, wherein the at least one processor of the wearable device is further configured to cause the first content to be displayed further based on second contextual information generated by the sensor device.