SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR MONITORING THE CONTEXT ASSOCIATED WITH A MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20080305779A1
• Filed: 02/29/2008
• Published: 12/11/2008
• 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 8,634,788 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 method of assessing a risk to a user in engaging in a communications session on a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

collecting sensor data on the mobile communications device, said sensor data including data reflective of at least a geographic location of, and a degree of motion of, the mobile communications device;

determining a current context of the mobile communications device, said current context reflecting a degree of user risk associated with using the mobile communications device to engage in a communications session, wherein determining the current context comprises analyzing said sensor data on the mobile communications device;

determining whether the current context is different from a previously-determined context of the mobile communications device, said previously-determined context recorded in a memory of the mobile communications device; and

when the current context is different from the previously-determined context, proactively sending a context-change notification message from the mobile communications device to enable a remote call processing entity to monitor the context of the mobile communications device;

wherein the method is performed by the mobile communications device while no user communication session on the mobile communications device is pending or in progress, such that the remote call processing entity is capable of having a priori knowledge of the context of the mobile communications device when incoming call requests to the mobile communications device are received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises implementing a state machine on the mobile communications device, said state machine comprising a plurality of states that correspond to different respective contexts and user risk levels.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the state machine comprises a first state that corresponds to an in-transit highway context, and a second state that corresponds to an in-transit city context.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current context of the mobile communications device comprises using sensor-based data reflective of a current location of the mobile communications device to assess whether the mobile communications device is currently in a geospatial zone for which a usage policy is specified for the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current context of the mobile communications device comprises using at least altitude and velocity data to assess whether the mobile communications device is currently in-flight on an aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes sensor data received by the mobile communications device from an automobile computer via a wireless link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor data includes data reflective of a level of noise detected via a microphone of the mobile communications device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the sensor data comprises varying a sensor-data collection interval based on a type of motion detected, such that sensor data is collected more frequently when motion-related context changes are more likely to occur, whereby battery power of the mobile communications device is conserved.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed without transmitting said sensor data from the mobile communications device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising using said context-change notification message at said call processing entity to determine how to process an incoming call to the mobile communications device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is additionally performed while a communications session is in progress on the mobile communications device.

12. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a computer program that, when executed on a mobile communications device, performs the method of claim 1.

13. A mobile communications device programmed to perform the method of claim 1.

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

obtaining a set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment;

asynchronous to mobile communication device communications, determining a mobile communication device context based on processing the set of inputs; and

transmitting the mobile communication device context to a communication management component to establish mobile communication device communication availability as a function of the mobile device context, wherein the mobile communication device availability is reflective of an assessment of a desirability of establishing communications with a third-party communication device.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the set of inputs correspond to information from a set of integrated sensors integrated into the mobile communication device.

16. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the set of inputs correspond to information from a set sensors in communication with the mobile communication device.

17. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining a mobile communication device context includes determining a current mobile communication device environment transit state.

18. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein determining a mobile communication device context includes determining whether a current mobile communication device location is within a geospatial zone definition.

19. The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising:

obtaining an updated set of inputs associated with a current mobile communication device environment;

determining an update mobile communication device context based on processing the set of inputs;

transmitting the updated mobile communication device context to a communication management component to updated mobile communication device communication availability based on a change in mobile device context.

20. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that embody the method of claim 14.

21. A call processing system programmed to perform the method of claim 14.

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

a mobile device context information interface for obtaining a set of inputs corresponding to mobile communication device environment;

a mobile communication device context processing component for generating mobile communication device context information prior to initiation of a communication link with a third-party communication device; and

a mobile device context interface for transmitting the processed mobile communication device context information to a communication management component to establish mobile communication device communication availability based on the mobile device context.

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

a mobile device context information interface for obtaining a set of inputs corresponding to mobile communication device environment;

means for processing the mobile communication device context information prior to initiation of a communication with a third-party communication device; and

a mobile device context interface for transmitting the processed mobile communication device context information to a communication management component to establish mobile communication device communication availability based on the mobile device context, wherein the mobile communication device availability is reflective of an assessment of a desirability of establishing communications with a third-party communication device.

24. A method for determining mobile communication device context, the method comprising:

obtaining a set of inputs, wherein the set of inputs corresponds to a mobile communication device environment;

independent of a request to initiate a communication channel with a mobile device, repeatedly processing the set of inputs over a time interval to determine a transit state for a mobile communication device; and

transmitting the transit state as a mobile communication device context over a communication network.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the set of inputs includes a velocity associated with the current mobile communication device environment.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the set of inputs includes a distance traveled associated with the current mobile communication device environment.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the set of inputs includes a bearing traveled associated with the current mobile communication device environment.