Automated Device/System Setup Based On Presence Information

• US 20120112877A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gravino, Douglas David, Poffenberger, Michael L., Radhakrishnan, Gopinath
• Application Number:
  US12/941,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20120112877A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/4.31
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/2642 Domotique, domestic, home control, automation, smart house
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

Automated device/system setup based on user presence information is provided. When a user of one or more electronic devices or systems moves into the presence of the one or more devices or systems, detection or determination of the user'"'"'s presence may be used to apply setup or settings changes to the one or more devices or systems. The user'"'"'s presence relative to the one or more devices or systems may be detected according to a variety of means. A wireless device carried by the user may be detected by a wireless presence detector. Online/offline status of a user with respect to an Internet connection may be used to detect/determine presence of the user. Use of a wireline or wireless telephone, cable television set-top box or other device connected to a services provider may be used to determine presence information for the user.

Claims

1. A method of automating setup changes to an electronic device based on user presence information, comprising:

receiving presence information for a specific user of an electronic device, the presence information indicating the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device;

passing the presence information for the user of the electronic device to the electronic device to indicate the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the presence information for the user of the electronic device at the electronic device, changing one or more settings of the electronic device based on the indication that the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein changing one or more settings of the electronic device based on the indication that the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device includes personalizing one or more functionalities of the electronic device based on one or more preferences of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein personalizing one or more functionalities of the electronic device includes personalizing one or more functionalities of the electronic device based on user preferences profile information maintained for the user in association with the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving presence information for the user of the electronic device includes receiving signaling from a wireless communications device physically associated with the user at a wireless presence detector located in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein passing the presence information for the user of the electronic device to the electronic device to indicate the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device includes passing the presence information to the electronic device via the wireless presence detector.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving presence information for the user of the electronic device includes detection of a wireless presence detector by a second electronic device in a possession of the user;

and wherein passing the presence information for the user of the electronic device to the electronic device to indicate the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device includes passing the presence information directly from the second electronic device to the electronic device for which one or more settings are changed based on the indication that the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving presence information for the user of the electronic device includes detecting a location of the user relative to the electronic device based on a distance from a wireless communications device physically associated with the user to a wireless network transmission point.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the location of the user relative to the electronic device based on a distance from the wireless communications device physically associated with the user to the wireless network transmission point indicates that the user is within a prescribed proximity of the electronic device, indicating the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving presence information for the user of the electronic device includes determining a location of the user relative to the electronic device based on global positioning satellite data for a wireless communications device physically associated with the user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the location of the user relative to the electronic device based on global positioning satellite data for a wireless communications device indicates that the user is within a prescribed proximity of the electronic device, indicating the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving presence information for the user of the electronic device includes receiving an indication the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device based on use of the electronic device or use of another electronic device in the physical proximity of the electronic device, wherein use of the electronic device or use of another electronic device indicates the user is in the physical proximity of the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a notification of the use of the electronic device or of the use of another electronic device is passed to a network component operative to interpret the use of the electronic device or the use of the another electronic device as an indication that the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving presence information for the user of the electronic device includes receiving the presence information for the user of the electronic device at a presence server operative to notify a communications system through which the electronic device operates that the user is in the physical proximity of the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein passing the presence information for the user of the electronic device to the electronic device to indicate the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device includes passing the presence information for the user of the electronic device to the electronic device via a communications system operative to change one or more settings of the electronic device based on the user'"'"'s physical proximity with the electronic device.

15. A method of automating setup changes to an electronic device based on user presence information, comprising:

receiving presence information for one or more users of an electronic device, the presence information indicating the one or more users are in a physical presence of the electronic device;

passing the presence information for the one or more users of the electronic device to the electronic device to indicate the one or more users are in a physical presence of the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the presence information for the one or more users of the electronic device at the electronic device, changing one or more settings of the electronic device based on the indication that the one or more users are in a physical presence of the electronic device, including personalizing one or more functionalities of the electronic device based on user preferences profile information maintained for the one or more users in association with the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein changing one or more settings of the electronic device based on the indication that the one or more users are in a physical presence of the electronic device includes applying one or more settings associated with each of the one or more users to the electronic device simultaneously.

17. The method of claim 15,

further comprising determining whether one or more settings of a first user takes precedence over the one or more settings of a second user;

and

wherein changing one or more settings of the electronic device based on the indication that the one or more users are in a physical presence of the electronic device includes applying one or more settings associated with the first user and the second user such that the one or more settings associated with the first user take precedence over application of the one or more settings associated with the second user.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving presence information for the one or more users of the electronic device includes receiving an indication the one or more users are in a physical presence of the electronic device based on use of the electronic device or use of another electronic device in the physical presence of the electronic device, wherein use of the electronic device or use of another electronic device indicates the one or more users are in the physical presence of the electronic device.

19. A method of automating setup changes to an electronic device based on user presence information, comprising:

receiving an indication a user is in a physical proximity of an electronic device based on use of the electronic device or use of another electronic device in the physical proximity of the electronic device;

passing the presence information for the user of the electronic device to the electronic device to indicate the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device; and

in response to receiving the presence information for the user of the electronic device at the electronic device, changing one or more settings of the electronic device based on the indication that the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a notification of the use of the electronic device or of the use of another electronic device is passed to a network component operative to interpret the use of the electronic device or the use of the another electronic device as an indication that the user is in a physical proximity of the electronic device.