Context-appropriate answering responses for a mobile communications device

• US 20090088138A1
• Filed: 09/27/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, John D. JR., Lord, Robert W., Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,229,403 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/642 storing speech in digital form

Abstract

Embodiments provide an apparatus, a system, a device, a computer program product, and a method. A method embodiment provides method implemented in a mobile communications device. The method includes determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device. The method also includes selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environmental context of the mobile communications device. The method further includes facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an incoming communication to the mobile communications device.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device;

selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environmental context of the mobile communications device; and

facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an incoming communication to the mobile communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

inferring an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining a locational context of the mobile communications device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining an ambient sound context of the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining an ambient light environmental context of the mobile communications device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining independently of an input by a user of the mobile communications device an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining a situational context of the mobile communications device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining a state externally imposed on the mobile communications device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

determining a user-selected state of a mobile communications device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environmental context of the mobile communications device further includes:

selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially appropriate for the determined environmental context of the mobile communications device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environment context of the mobile communications device further includes:

selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environment context of the mobile communications device from a group of at least two answers to an incoming-communication.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an incoming communication to the mobile communications device further includes:

facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an indication of an incoming communication to the mobile communications device.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an incoming communication to the mobile communications device further includes:

facilitating a delivery of the selected answer to an originator of the incoming communication.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication of the incoming communication to the mobile communications device.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

acquiring data indicative of the ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a user understandable indication of the determined ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device.

8. (canceled)

11. (canceled)

15. (canceled)

20. A handheld mobile communications device comprising:

a circumstance analyzer circuit operable to determine an ambient surrounding of the handheld mobile communications device;

a response circuit operable to facilitate a delivery of a chosen reply to an originator of an incoming-communication; and

an answer selector circuit operable to choose the reply to the incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined ambient surrounding of the handheld mobile communications device.

21. The handheld mobile communications device of claim 20, further comprising:

a transceiver circuit operable to transmit and/or receive communications.

23. The handheld mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein the circumstance analyzer circuit operable to determine an ambient surrounding of the handheld mobile communications device further includes:

a circumstance analyzer circuit operable to determine an ambient surrounding of the handheld mobile communications device, the ambient surrounding including at least one of a locational setting, a surrounding sound characteristic, a situational context, a state of the handheld mobile device, or a proximity to other handheld mobile communications devices.

24. The handheld mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein the response circuit operable to facilitate a delivery of a chosen reply to an originator of an incoming-communication further includes:

a response circuit operable to facilitate a delivery of a chosen reply to an originator of an incoming-communication, the facilitation of delivery includes at least one of sending the chosen reply, causing a service provider to send the chosen reply, or authorizing another communications device to send the chosen reply.

25. The handheld mobile communications device of claim 20, wherein the answer selector circuit operable to choose the reply to the incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined ambient surrounding of the handheld mobile communications device further includes:

an answer selector circuit operable to choose a reply from among at least two replies to the incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined ambient surrounding of the handheld mobile communications device.

22. (canceled)

26. A computer program product comprising:

(a) program instructions operable to perform a process in a mobile communications device, the process comprising;

determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device;

selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environmental context of the mobile communications device; and

facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an incoming communication to the mobile communications device; and

(b) a computer-readable signal-bearing medium bearing the program instructions.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the computer-readable signal-bearing medium includes a computer storage medium.

28. (canceled)

29. A mobile communications device comprising:

means for determining an ambient environmental context of the mobile communications device;

means for selecting an answer to an incoming-communication that is at least substantially responsive to the determined environmental context of the mobile communications device; and

means for facilitating a delivery of the selected answer in reply to an incoming communication to the mobile communications device.

30. A method implemented in a computing system providing a mobile communications service, the method comprising:

receiving data indicative of an environmental context of a mobile communications device;

receiving an indication of an incoming communication addressed to the mobile communications device and originating from another communications device;

selecting a reply to the incoming communication that is consistent with the environmental context of the mobile communications device; and

facilitating a delivery of the selected reply to the another communications device.

31. (canceled)