METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TRANSPARENTLY MAPPING PERSONALIZED ALERT PREFERENCES ONTO THIN CLIENT DEVICES WITH DIFFERING CAPABILITIES

• US 20090172555A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Myers, William A., Carey, William M., Narasimhan, Nitya, Braun, Mark, Reinisch, William, Watson, Craig C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,096 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/734
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

A method and apparatus that personalizes preferences for a thin client using custom menus is disclosed. The method may include receiving registering capabilities from the thin client, storing feature list for all devices, generation of a custom alert settings menu based on the thin client'"'"'s capabilities, storing selected alert settings, and generating a list of all registered devices that have similar alert capabilities as the thin client. The custom menu can be view by a user on any device that has display capabilities. The user can select from among the alert settings supported by the thin client or select the alert settings for the thin client that is similar to a registered device. Apparatus is also provided for mapping alert capabilities from the feature list and the received alert preferences from a user. Thin client mapping of mapping of alert type is also provided for processing an alert request from an external device.

Claims

1. A method of customizing at least one preference for an external device using custom menus comprising:

receiving identifier information from the external device representing a request to register the at least one preference for the external device, wherein the external device has at least one capability;

storing the received identifier information in a storage device associated with a feature list for all registered devices, wherein the feature list comprises settings and range for parameter settings; and

generating a custom alert settings menu for the external device based on the at least one capability.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

generating a list of all registered devices that have similar capabilities as the external device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a user can view the generated custom alert settings menu on one or more other device, a smart module, or the external device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein alert preferences for the device are selectable from the generated custom alert settings menu;

and

wherein selected alert preferences for the external device are stored in the storage device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein alert preferences for the external device can be associated with specific alert behavior from the generated custom alert settings menu.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein alert preferences for the external device may assume default mappings and settings associated with the generated list of all registered devices that have similar capabilities.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein assumed default mappings and settings associated with the generated list of all registered devices that have similar capabilities can be supplemented with additional capabilities for the external device.

8. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising:

caching alert capabilities for frequently used devices; and

assigning a time to live parameter to less frequently used devices.

9. An apparatus for mapping alert capabilities, comprising:

storage device for storing a feature list for all devices, wherein the feature list comprises alert capabilities and range for parameter settings;

an input device for receiving alert preferences from a user of the devices;

wherein the alert preferences are stored in the storage device; and

a device for creating a map of alert capabilities from the feature list and the received alert preferences;

wherein received alert preferences are stored in the storage device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the alert preferences from a user can range from intrusive to unobtrusive, wherein intrusive is loud mode while unobtrusive is silent mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein an alert preference from a user can include locking in a setting for a device.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, the apparatus further comprising:

a user interface for displaying the created map to a user, wherein the user can edit the created map of alert capabilities through the user interface;

wherein edits to the created map of alert capabilities are stored in the storage device.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a user is prompted to indicate if an edit applies to all devices or only to a specific device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, the apparatus further comprising:

a communication device for broadcasting the alert settings to all effected devices.

15. An electronic device for handling alert requests, comprising:

a storage device for maintaining a set of default alert preferences and a local mapping of alert type based on an external device requested alert, wherein the default can be a single default or a default based on alert class;

a processor coupled to the storage device;

software means operative on the processor for;

processing an alert request based on the maintained default alert preferences and the maintained local mapping of alert type.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, the electronic device further comprising:

an interface for allowing a user to select a default preference from the set of default preferences maintained in the storage device.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, the electronic device further comprising:

communication device for receiving alert request from external devices.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the alert request may be an alert class;

wherein the alert request may have multiple ranked alert preferences.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, the software means further performing:

enabling the alert request from the external device if supported from the set of default preferences.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, the software means further performing:

selecting an appropriate alert type based on the local mapping of alert type.