MANAGEMENT OF MOBILE DEVICE COMMUNICATION SESSIONS TO REDUCE USER DISTRACTION

• US 20080299954A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Inventors: Wright, Andrew S., Geyer, John J., Featherstone, Peter A., Chan, Mandy, Williams, Stephen J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• 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 4/024 Guidance services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• 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 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems, methods and interfaces are disclosed for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device. Mobile communication devices process environmental inputs and transmit mobile communication device context information to a communication management system. The context information may, for example, reflect the motion and/or geographic location of the mobile device, and may reflect the risk associated with using the device to handle a call or other communications session. The communication management system uses the context information, optionally in combination with communication device profiles, to determine how to manage incoming and/or ongoing calls or other communication sessions. Mobile device users may also be inhibited from initiating communication sessions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving context change notification messages transmitted by a mobile communications device, at least some of said context change notification messages based on motion-based context assessments performed by the mobile communications device, and being reflective of a user risk level associated with using the mobile communications device to engage in a communications session;

maintaining state data in computer storage based, at least in part, on the received context change notification messages, wherein the state data is maintained and updated in said computer storage at least during time periods in which the mobile communications device is not being used by the user, said computer storage being separate from the mobile communications device; and

in response to an incoming request to establish a communication session, using at least said state data, as maintained in said computer storage prior receipt of said request, to determine, at least, whether to permit the request to the mobile communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed such that no data is received from the mobile communications device between receipt of said incoming request and the determination of whether to permit the request to the mobile communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming request is a request for a voice call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming request is a request for a text messaging session.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the context-change notification messages include notifications that the mobile communications device has entered into a particular geospatial zone for which one or more mobile communication device profiles exist.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the context-change notification messages include notifications that the mobile communications device has detected a particular type of in-transit activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step determining whether to route the request to the mobile communications device comprises applying a routing rule that determines how to route the request as a function of, at least, a current context of the mobile communications device and an identity of a caller that initiated the request.

8. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that embody the method of claim 1.

9. A call processing system programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A computer-implemented method for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device comprising:

receiving mobile communication device context information, wherein the mobile communication device context corresponds to a processing set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment;

determining a mobile communication device communication availability as a function of the mobile communication device context, wherein the mobile communication device availability is an assessment of a desirability of establishing a communication;

subsequently obtaining a request for initiation of a communication including the mobile communication device; and

processing the request for initiation of the communication based on the prior determination of the mobile communication device communication availability.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the mobile communication device context corresponds to a current mobile communication device environment transit state.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the current mobile communication device transit state is determined from a collection of inputs collected over time.

13. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein determining the mobile communication device communication availability based on the mobile communication device context corresponds to determining whether the current mobile communication device location is within a geospatial definition.

14. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein obtaining the request for initiation of a communication including the mobile communication device includes obtaining a request from the mobile communication device to establish communication with an external communication device.

15. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein obtaining the request for initiation of a communication including the mobile communication device includes obtaining a request from an external communication device to establish communication with the mobile communication device.

16. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein processing the request for initiation of the communication based on the determination of the mobile communication device communication availability includes permitting the establishment of communication between the mobile communication device and an external communication device based on the mobile communication device communication availability.

17. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein processing the request for initiation of the communication based on the determination of the mobile communication device communication availability includes not permitting the establishment of communication between the mobile communication device and an external communication device based on the mobile communication device communication availability.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising obtaining a request for an alternative communication method in response to not permitting the establishment of communication between the mobile communication device and an external communication device based on the mobile communication device communication availability.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the alternative communication method corresponds to access to a voice mail system.

20. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the alternative communication method corresponds to an interactive voice response system.

21. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising generating a message to a user associated with the mobile communication device in response to not permitting the establishment of communication between the mobile communication device and an external communication device based on the mobile communication device communication availability.

22. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising:

obtaining an updated mobile communication device context, wherein the mobile communication device context corresponds to a processing set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment; and

determining an updated mobile communication device communication availability as a function of the updated mobile communication device context, wherein the mobile communication device availability is an assessment of a desirability of establishing a communication.

23. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon instructions that embody the method of claim 10.

24. A call processing system programmed to perform the method of claim 10.

25. A method for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device comprising:

maintaining a mobile communication device profile, wherein the mobile communication device profile defines criteria for an assessment of a desirability of establishing communications between a third-party communication device and the mobile communication device as a function of a current mobile communication device context;

receiving current mobile communication device context information from an identified mobile communication device independent of a request for establishing a communication link, wherein the mobile communication device context corresponds to a set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment;

determining a mobile communication device communication availability based on processing the current mobile communication device context information with the mobile communication device profile; and

subsequently managing communications between the mobile communication device and the third-party communication device.

26. A system for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device comprising:

a mobile communication device interface for obtaining mobile communication device context information, wherein the mobile communication device context corresponds to a set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment;

a mobile communication device profile store for maintaining mobile communication device availability according to specific mobile communication device contexts, wherein the mobile communication device availability is determined asynchronously to a communication request; and

a communication management component for subsequently managing communications between a mobile communication device and a third-party communication device based on the previously determined mobile communication device availability.

27. A system for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device comprising:

a mobile communication device interface for obtaining mobile communication device context information, wherein the mobile communication device context corresponds to a set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment;

a mobile communication device profile store for maintaining mobile communication device availability according to specific mobile communication device contexts; and

means for managing communications between a mobile communication device and a third-party communication device based on preprocessing corresponding mobile communication device profile as a function of the mobile communication device context information.

28. A system for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device comprising:

a mobile communication device interface for bilateral communications with a mobile communication device, wherein the mobile communication device interface obtains mobile communication device context information;

a mobile communication device data store for maintaining mobile communication device availability profiles according to specific mobile communication device contexts, wherein the mobile communication device availability is determined asynchronously to communication requests and is reflective of an assessment of a desirability of establishing communications; and

a communication management component for managing communications between a mobile communication device and a third-party communication device based on the mobile communication device profiles and for providing alternative communication links between the mobile communication device and the third-party communication device.

29. A method of reducing a risk associated with use of a mobile communications device during vehicle operation, the method comprising:

on the mobile communications device;

performing an assessment of whether a user of the mobile communications device can safely use the mobile communications device to engage in a communications session with another user, said assessment being based, at least in part, on sensor data reflective of motion of, and a geographic location of, the mobile communications device, wherein said assessment is performed by the mobile communications device while no communications session with the mobile communications device is currently pending or in progress; and

transmitting a message from the mobile communications device over a wireless network, said message indicative of a result of the assessment; and

on a system that is remote from the mobile communications device;

receiving said message and recording the result of the assessment in computer storage; and

after receiving said message and recording said result, receiving a request to route an incoming call, and in response to the request, determining how to route the incoming call based at least partly on the recorded result of the assessment.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of transmitting said message is performed in response to detection by the mobile communications device of a state change associated with a change in a user risk level.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein performing said assessment comprises using sensor-based location data to assess whether the mobile communications device is located in a geospatial zone represented in a memory of the mobile communications device.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein performing said assessment comprises implementing a state machine having a plurality of states, at least two of said states corresponding to different respective categories of in-transit activity.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein performing said assessment comprises using at least altitude and velocity data to assess whether the mobile communications device is in-flight in an aircraft.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the determination of how to route the incoming call is additionally based on a caller identity information associated with the incoming call.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein determining how to route the incoming call comprises using a previously stored profile associated with the user to determine how the call should be routed during an in-transit condition detected via the assessment.

36. The method of claim 29, further comprising, on the mobile communications device, using a result of said assessment to determine whether to inhibit the user from placing a call from the mobile communications device.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein said sensor data comprises data generated by a sensor of an automotive vehicle and obtained by the mobile communications device via a wireless link with the automotive vehicle.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the system is a distributed system that comprises multiple nodes.