MODIFYING MOBILE DEVICE OPERATION USING PROXIMITY RELATIONSHIPS

• US 20090143056A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ji, Xu, Wong, Kong-Kat, Tang, Difei, Liew, Wei Hun, Shaw, Sun H., Lew, Sin
• Granted Patent: US 8,838,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/26 at least one of which is mobile
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• 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 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/64 file transfer between terminals download of applications H04M1/72406; transfer of messages, e.g. SMS, e-mail or MMS H04M1/7243
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• 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 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Described is a technology by which a mobile computing device such as a mobile telephone operates differently based on detected proximity to another mobile device with which the first mobile device has a defined relationship. For example, the first mobile device may transfer content to the second mobile computing device when proximity corresponds to a non-cellular communications coupling, such as Bluetooth® or Wi-Fi coupling. In this manner, content transfer is deferred until a non-cellular coupling exists. The mobile device (or both devices) may output a notification to indicate that the other mobile computing device has been detected within a threshold proximity, such as via GPS data or by being within the same cellular tower. The type and/or settings of an output notification may vary based on different thresholds.

Claims

1. In a mobile communications environment, a method comprising:

in a first mobile computing device, detecting proximity to a second mobile computing device with which the first mobile computing device has a defined relationship; and

changing at least one operation in the first mobile computing device based on detecting the proximity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the at least one operation comprises transferring content from the first mobile computing device to the second mobile computing device via a non-cellular communications coupling.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting proximity comprises determining whether the first mobile computing device is coupled to the second mobile computing device via a non-cellular communications coupling, and if so, wherein changing the at least one operation comprises transferring content from the first mobile computing device to the second mobile computing device via the short range, non-cellular communications coupling.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein changing the at least one operation comprises outputting a notification at the first mobile computing device to indicate that the second mobile computing device is within a threshold proximity.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a Bluetooth®

communications coupling between the first mobile computing device and the second mobile computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the proximity comprises determining that the first mobile computing device and second mobile computing device share a wireless local area network communications coupling.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the proximity comprises determining from GPS data that the first mobile computing device is within a certain distance of the second mobile computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the proximity comprises determining that the second mobile computing device is within range of a particular cellular tower or a particular set of cellular towers.

9. In a mobile communications environment, a system comprising, a first mobile telephone including a proximity detector that detects proximity with a second mobile telephone with which the first mobile telephone has a defined relationship, and proximity logic coupled to the proximity detector to change an operation of the first mobile telephone when proximity with the second mobile telephone is detected.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the proximity detector comprises a monitor that monitors the status of a non-cellular communications coupling between the first mobile telephone and the second mobile telephone.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the proximity detector comprises a communication module that monitors location data sent from the second mobile telephone to the first mobile telephone.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the location data comprises GPS data.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the location data comprises cellular tower data.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein the proximity logic comprises a process manager that locates content to send from the first mobile telephone to the second mobile telephone, and a transmission module coupled to the process manager that sends the content.

15. The system of claim 9 wherein the proximity logic comprises an action controller that computes from location data received at the proximity detector whether the second mobile telephone is within a threshold distance-related proximity of the first mobile telephone, and a status manager coupled to the action controller that determines whether to output a proximity notification.

16. In a communications environment, a method comprising:

at a first mobile telephone, receiving proximity related data from a second mobile telephone;

determining whether to output a notification to the first mobile telephone to indicate that the second mobile telephone is within a threshold distance of the first mobile telephone, including processing the proximity-related data, and if so, outputting a notification; and

determining from the proximity-related data whether to transmit content from the first mobile telephone to the second mobile telephone, and if so, transmitting the content.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein determining whether to output the notification further comprises, determining whether a notification function is active, or determining whether a time for outputting the notification is reached, or both determining whether a notification function is active and determining whether a time for outputting the notification is reached.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the proximity-related data comprises GPS data, and wherein determining whether to output a notification comprises processing the GPS data to determine whether the second mobile telephone is within the threshold distance of the first mobile telephone.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the proximity-related data comprises cellular tower identification data, and wherein determining whether to output a notification comprises determining whether the second mobile telephone is within a current cellular tower of the first mobile telephone.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the proximity-related data comprises a non-cellular communications coupling, and wherein determining from the proximity-related data whether to transmit content comprises detecting the coupling, or detecting an ability to establish a non-cellular communications coupling and establishing the non-cellular communications coupling.