Context awareness for a mobile communication device

• US 20070032261A1
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology LLC (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Boyer, David, Nelson, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,088,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/550.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications

Abstract

A system and method recognize a context or environment, within which a mobile communication device is resides, without necessarily knowing the actual location of the mobile communication device. The system and method establish one or more communication rules for the mobile communication device based upon the recognized context.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a controller;

a microphone;

a speaker; and

an interrogator for reading information from a local tag, wherein said controller controls said microphone, speaker and interrogator, and wherein the read information relates to a context within which the mobile communication device is located.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said interrogator is a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag scanner.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said mobile communication device is a cellular telephone.

4. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a transmitter to transmit the information read from a local tag to a service provider.

5. The device of claim 4, further comprising:

a receiver to receive an incoming communication from the service provider, wherein said controller changes an operating parameter of said device in response to the incoming communication.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said controller changes an operating parameter of said device in response to the read information.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the changed operation parameter is switching the mobile communication device'"'"'s incoming call alert from a ring mode to a vibration mode.

8. A method of determining a context of a mobile communication device comprising:

scanning for an RFID tag in a local environment;

reading an RFID code from a located RFID tag; and

changing at least one operation parameter of the mobile communication device based upon the read code.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile communication device transmits at least a portion of the read RFID code to a service provider and the operation parameter of the mobile communication device is changed at a service provider level.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein incoming calls are restricted and callers are prompted to leave a voicemail message at the service provider level.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the RFID code includes a location segment representing a physical location of the located RFID tag.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the location segment is transmitted to the service provider at the discretion of the user of the mobile communication device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the operation parameter is the ability of the mobile communication device to receive an incoming call or text message.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the mobile communication device compares the read RFID code to codes stored in a memory of the mobile communication device and a controller of the mobile communication device changes the operation parameter of the mobile communication device based upon the comparison.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the changed operation parameter is switching the mobile communication device'"'"'s incoming call alert from a ring mode to a vibration mode.

16. A method of establishing communication rules for a mobile communication device comprising:

placing RFID tags at locations where it is desired to control one or more operation parameters of a mobile communication device;

entering accessibility control parameters for the mobile communication device into a computer program; and

storing the accessibility control parameters in association with codes of the RFID tags.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of entering accessibility control parameters includes:

accessing the computer program of an employer on an employer'"'"'s server; and

selecting restriction parameters for receiving calls and/or text messages when the mobile communication device is in a certain context.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said step of entering accessibility control parameters includes:

accessing the computer program of a cellular service provider via the Internet; and

selecting restriction parameters for receiving calls and/or text messages when the mobile communication device is in a certain context.

19. An RFID tag comprising:

circuitry to emit a code, wherein said code includes a first segment indicating an environmental context of a location of said RFID tag.

20. The RFID tag of claim 19, wherein the code further includes a second segment indicating a physical location of said RFID tag.

21. The RFID tag of claim 20, wherein the code further includes a third segment indicating to whom said RFID tag is relevant.