Context Aware Data Processing in Mobile Computing Device

• US 20090224867A1
• Filed: 03/07/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Palm, Inc. (TCL Technology Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Jager, Ivo Ruben Willem, O'Shaughnessy, Kevin Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,587,402 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/5.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• 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

Abstract

A data processing apparatus comprising a sensor and a context engine module. The sensor is configured to generate a sensor output signal representative of a value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus and a confidence factor associated with each of the values for the one or more context aspects. The context engine module is configured to process the sensor output signal to generate and make available a final value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

Claims

1. A data processing apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to generate a sensor output signal representative of a value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus and a confidence factor associated with each of the values for the one or more context aspects; and

a context engine module configured to process the sensor output signal to generate and make available a final value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

2. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an application program configured to perform an operation in accordance with the final value for the one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

3. The data processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the application program comprises one or more of a personal information manager (PIM) application, a calendar application, a contacts application, an instant messaging (IM) application, and a mobile telephony application.

4. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more context aspects are selected from the group of the availability, activity and location of the data processing apparatus.

5. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data processing apparatus comprises a plurality of sensors.

6. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data processing apparatus comprises a mobile computing device.

7. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a context aspect database storing a list of context aspect values, and the final value for one or more of the context aspects of the data processing apparatus comprises a value from the context aspect database.

8. The data processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the sensor output signal represents a value from the context aspect database.

9. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context engine is configured to provide feedback to the sensor module such that a confidence factor associated with values represented by the output signal is adjusted.

10. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data processing apparatus comprises a sensor database storing a list of sensors that generate a sensor output signal and an accuracy score associated with those sensors, and the context engine is configured to use the accuracy score to generate a weighting factor to be applied to the sensor output signal to generate the final value for the one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

11. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor output signal is representative of system data, and wherein the context engine makes available the system data.

12. The data processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the final value for the one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus comprises one or more respective confidence values associated with it.

13. A method of operating a data processing apparatus, comprising:

generating a sensor output signal representative of a value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus and a confidence factor associated with each of the values for the one or more context aspects; and

processing the sensor output signal to generate and make available a final value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

14. The method claim 13, further comprising:

generating a plurality of sensor output signals; and

processing the plurality of sensor output signals to generate and make available the final value for the one or more context aspects.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising performing an operation in accordance with the final value for the one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium structured to store instructions executable by a processor, the instructions, when executed cause the processor to:

generate a sensor output signal representative of a value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus and a confidence factor associated with each of the values for the one or more context aspects; and

process the sensor output signal to generate and make available a final value for one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.

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

generate a plurality of sensor output signals; and

process the plurality of sensor output signals to generate and make available the final value for the one or more context aspects.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions to perform an operation in accordance with the final value for the one or more context aspects of the data processing apparatus.