SPACE & TIME BASED DEVICE CUSTOMIZATION

• US 20100304730A1
• Filed: 05/26/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Piemonte, Patrick, Mahe, Isabel Ge, Mayor, Robert, Huang, Ronald Keryuan
• Granted Patent: US 9,065,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Customizing a device based on space and time (e.g., a geographic position of the device at a particular time) is disclosed. In one aspect, geographic position data of a device is obtained. Temporal data that is related to the geographic position data is obtained. An operational mode is selected based on the geographic position data and the temporal data for activation on the device. In some implementations, the operational mode identifies a communication medium.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining geographic position data of a device;

obtaining temporal data that is related to the geographic position data; and

selecting an operational mode based on the geographic position data and the temporal data for activation on the device.

2. The method of claim 1, where the operational mode identifies a communication medium.

3. The method of claim 1, where the device is a mobile device and the geographic position data identifies a geographic location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, where the geographic position data also identifies a heading or direction of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, where the temporal data identifies a history of one or more previous operational modes selected for activation on the device at a geographic position identified by the geographic position data.

6. The method of claim 1, where the temporal data identifies a history of one or more previous communication mediums used by the device at a geographic position identified by the geographic position data with a connection success confidence value greater than a threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6, where the history is specified for a particular time period.

8. The method of claim 6, where the connection success confidence value is defined by a ratio of successful connections to connection attempts.

9. The method of claim 6, where the connection success confidence value is defined by one or more signal strength values associated with the geographical position.

10. The method of claim 1, where the temporal data identifies a time of day at a geographic position identified by the geographic position data.

11. A method comprising:

obtaining geographic position data of a device;

obtaining a predetermined user preference specifying one or more communication modes for a geographic position identified by the geographic position data; and

selecting one of the one or more communication modes for activation on the device.

12. The method of claim 11, where the one or more communication modes are specified by a user editable list of one or more communication mediums for the geographic position.

13. The method of claim 11, where the one or more communication modes are specified by a user editable list of one or more communication devices for the geographic position.

14. A method comprising:

obtaining geographic position data of a device that identifies a geographic position of the device;

obtaining a signal strength of a signal transmitted or received on a communication medium by the device at the geographic position; and

tracking the signal strength at the geographic position.

15. The method of claim 14, where the tracking includes:

storing the geographic position as a target position when the signal strength is first identified as less than a threshold signal strength value, for display in the device.

16. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining geographic position data of a device;

obtaining temporal data that is related to the geographic position data; and

selecting an operational mode based on the geographic position data and the temporal data for activation on the device.

17. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining geographic position data of a device;

obtaining a predetermined user preference specifying one or more communication modes for a geographic position identified by the geographic position data; and

selecting one of the one or more communication modes for activation on the device.

18. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

obtaining geographic position data of a device that identifies a geographic position of the device;

obtaining a signal strength of a signal transmitted or received on a communication medium by the device at the geographic position; and

tracking the signal strength at the geographic position.

19. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining geographic position data of a device;

obtaining temporal data that is related to the geographic position data; and

selecting an operational mode based on the geographic position data and the temporal data for activation on the device.