SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTING AN OUTPUT MODALITY IN A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110065428A1
• Filed: 09/16/2009
• Published: 03/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schroeter, Horst J.
• Application Number:
  US12/560,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20110065428A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A method and system for selecting the output modality of an application in a mobile device from attributes of the mobile device includes a detection of at least one attribute of the mobile device, automatically identifying available modalities for the output of the application based on the attribute, and selecting a preferred output modality from the available modalities. The output of the application is converted to the output modality and transmitted through an output interface selected based on the attributes measured.

Claims

1. A method for selecting an output modality for an application in a mobile device comprising:

detecting at least one attribute of the mobile device;

initiating an application in mobile device;

providing an input to the application; and

automatically identifying available modalities for the output of the application based on the attribute.

selecting a preferred output modality from the available modalities.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting step comprises detecting at least one attribute of the mobile device using a component of mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said detecting step comprises detecting how the user is interfacing with the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of detecting how the user is interfacing with the mobile device comprises one from among a group comprising detecting whether the user is interfacing with the mobile device using a microphone incorporated into the mobile device;

detecting whether the mobile device is being held against the user'"'"'s ear;

detecting whether the mobile device is being held in front of the user;

detecting whether the user is using a keyboard on the mobile device; and

detecting whether a headset is coupled to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the component of the mobile device comprises one from among a group comprising:

an input modality detector;

at least one contact sensor on the mobile device;

at least one speed sensor on the mobile device;

at least one accelerometer on the mobile device; and

at least one attitude sensor on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the attribute comprises at least one from among a group comprising speed of the mobile device;

attachment of a peripheral component;

type of application; and

the type of input user interface.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected output modality comprises at least one selected from the group comprising;

sound, visual; and

hepatic.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the transforming step comprises rendering textual information into speech using a text to speech system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing the user with a list of available input interfaces based on the value of a detected or measured attribute.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the output of the application in the selected output modality using at least one component associated with the mobile device selected from the group comprising:

a broadcast speaker, a telephone speaker, a graphical display in the mobile device, a peripheral graphical display connected to the mobile device; and

a peripheral speaker connected to the mobile device.

11. A mobile device that automatically select the output modality of an application based on attributes of the mobile device comprising:

a component for detecting the attributes that provides a value for each detected attribute;

means for selecting an output modality of the mobile device based on the values of the detected attributes;

means for transforming the output of the application to the selected output modality; and

a plurality of output interfaces;

means for communicating to the user the output of the application through one of plurality of output interfaces in the selected output modality.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the components for detecting the attributes comprises a component selected from among the group comprising an input interface detector;

at least one contact sensor on the mobile device;

at least one speed sensor on the mobile device;

at least one accelerometer on the mobile device; and

at least one attitude sensor on the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the selected output modality comprises at least one selected from the group comprising;

sound;

visual; and

hepatic.

14. The mobile device of claim 11 further comprising means for providing user with a choice of an output modality an output interface.

15. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the output interfaces comprise at least one interface selected from the group comprising a speakerphone, a telephone speaker incorporated into the mobile device, a graphical display in the mobile device, a peripheral graphical display connected to the mobile device, a peripheral speaker connected to the mobile device, and a pico projector incorporated into the mobile device.

16. Computer readable medium executable by a central processing unit in a mobile device having at least one input interface and at least one output interface comprising instructions to:

detect an attribute of the mobile device;

select an output modality based on the attribute;

interact with an application in the mobile device; and

transform the output of the application to the selected output modality.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein said instructions to detect an attribute of the mobile device comprises instructions to detect at least one attribute from among a group of attributes comprising speed of the mobile device;

attachment of a peripheral component;

type of application; and

the type of input user interface.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 wherein the instruction to select an output modality based on an attribute comprises instructions to select an output modality from among a group of modalities comprising sound, visual, and hepatic.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising instructions to select an input interface based on the attribute.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising instructions to communicate the output of the application through an output interface comprising at least one output interface selected from the group comprising a speaker phone, a telephone speaker incorporated into the mobile device, a graphical display in the mobile device, a peripheral graphical display connected to the mobile device, a peripheral speaker connected to the mobile device, and a pico projector incorporated into the mobile device.