Mobile Device Peer Volume Polling

• US 20090203370A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 08/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Giles, Jarrad Andrew, Pierce, Justin Monroe
• Granted Patent: US 8,077,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/10 including a GPS signal receiver

Abstract

A system for performing peer volume polling is presented. A request is transmitted to peer mobile devices using a polling function in a mobile device. The polling function requests audible operation level setting data from peer mobile devices within a predetermined distance of the mobile device. A map is computed of the peer mobile devices, along with their associated audible operation level settings, based on responses to the request. The map and audible operation level settings are analyzed using rules to detect an inappropriate volume setting for the mobile device. In response to determining that a current audible operation level setting for the mobile device is inappropriate, a new audible operation level setting is applied to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for performing local peer volume polling by a mobile device, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to determining that a polling function is enabled in a mobile device, wherein the polling function requests audible operation level setting data from peer mobile devices within a predetermined distance of the mobile device, transmitting a request to each of the peer mobile devices using the polling function;

computing a map of the peer mobile devices along with their associated audible operation level settings based on responses to the request for the audible operation level setting data;

analyzing the map and audible operation level settings for the peer mobile devices using rules to detect an inappropriate volume setting for the mobile device; and

responsive to determining that a current audible operation level setting for the mobile device is inappropriate using the rules, applying a new audible operation level setting to the mobile device.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a condition is met to automatically enable the polling function in the mobile device; and

responsive to determining that the condition is met, automatically enabling the polling function.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether an automatic audible operation level control is enabled; and

responsive to determining that the automatic audible operation level control is enabled, automatically applying the new audible operation level setting to the mobile device, wherein the new audible operation level setting is a matching audible operation level setting.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

responsive to determining that the automatic audible operation level control is not enabled, vibrating the mobile device; and

displaying a message in a display to notify a user to change the current audible operation level setting of the mobile device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

responsive to the user responding to a notification to change the current audible operation level setting within a configurable timeout period, applying the new audible operation level setting based on a preference set by the user.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to the user not responding to the notification to change the current audible operation level setting within the configurable timeout period, keeping the current audible operation level setting.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a polling timer is expired, wherein the polling timer determines when the polling function is performed; and

responsive to determining that the polling timer is expired, performing the polling function by requesting the audible operation level setting data from each of the peer mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile device.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 2, wherein the condition to automatically enable the polling function is one of a calendar entry, a predetermined time, or a specified location.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the matching audible operation level setting matches an audible operation level setting for a majority of the peer mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile device.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device and the peer mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile device form an ad hoc wireless network, wherein the ad hoc wireless network enables the mobile device to directly communicate with the peer mobile devices.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 10, wherein the mobile device directly polls the peer mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile device for the audible operation level setting data using the ad hoc wireless network.

12. A data processing system for performing local peer volume polling, comprising:

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to transmit a request to peer mobile devices within a predetermined distance of a mobile device using a polling function in response to determining that the polling function is enabled in the mobile device, wherein the polling function requests audible operation level setting data from the peer mobile devices;

compute a map of the peer mobile devices along with their associated audible operation level settings based on responses to the request for the audible operation level setting data;

analyze the map and audible operation level settings for the peer mobile devices using rules to detect an inappropriate volume setting for the mobile device; and

apply a new audible operation level setting to the mobile device in response to determining that a current audible operation level setting for the mobile device is inappropriate using the rules.

13. A computer program product for performing local peer volume polling by a mobile device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

computer usable program code configured to transmit a request to peer mobile devices within a predetermined distance of a mobile device using a polling function in response to determining that the polling function is enabled in the mobile device, wherein the polling function requests audible operation level setting data from the peer mobile devices;

computer usable program code configured to compute a map of the peer mobile devices along with their associated audible operation level settings based on responses to the request for the audible operation level setting data;

computer usable program code configured to analyze the map and audible operation level settings for the peer mobile devices using rules to detect an inappropriate volume setting for the mobile device; and

computer usable program code configured to apply a new audible operation level setting to the mobile device in response to determining that a current audible operation level setting for the mobile device is inappropriate using the rules.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to determine whether a condition is met to automatically enable the polling function in the mobile device; and

computer usable program code configured to automatically enable the polling function in response to determining that the condition is met.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to determine whether an automatic audible operation level control is enabled; and

computer usable program code configured to automatically applying the new audible operation level setting to the mobile device in response to determining that the automatic audible operation level control is enabled, wherein the new audible operation level setting is a matching audible operation level setting.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to vibrate the mobile device in response to determining that the automatic audible operation level control is not enabled; and

computer usable program code configured to display a message in a display to notify a user to change the current audible operation level setting of the mobile device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to apply the new audible operation level setting based on a preference set by the user in response to the user responding to a notification to change the current audible operation level setting within a configurable timeout period.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising:

computer usable program code configured to determine whether a polling timer is expired, wherein the polling timer determines when the polling function is performed; and

computer usable program code configured to perform the polling function by requesting the audible operation level setting data from each of the peer mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile device in response to determining that the polling timer is expired.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the condition to automatically enable the polling function is one of a calendar entry, a predetermined time, or a specified location.

20. A computer implemented method for performing remote peer volume polling by a server, the computer implemented method comprising:

responsive to detecting a mobile device as active within a network, determining a location of the mobile device;

computing a map of other peer mobile devices within a predetermined distance of the mobile device, along with an associated audible operation level setting for each of the other peer mobile devices;

determining whether the mobile device is requesting a suggested audible operation level setting from a server within the network;

responsive to determining that the mobile device is requesting the suggested audible operation level setting, analyzing the map of the other peer mobile devices within the predetermined distance of the mobile device, along with the associated audible operation level setting for each of the other peer mobile devices, using rules to detect an inappropriate audible operation level setting for the mobile device; and

sending the suggested audible operation level setting to the mobile device from the server based on the rules.