Conduct and Context Relationships In Mobile Devices

• US 20120262582A1
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Published: 10/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Kimchi, Gur, Davis, Marc Eliot, Dyor, Matthew Graham, Horvitz, Eric J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,363,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264

Abstract

Described herein is a technique for customizing device behavior based on evaluated relationships between a user and the user'"'"'s environment. User conduct is analyzed based on available sensors, which may include user-facing cameras. The user'"'"'s environmental context is similarly evaluated based on the available sensors. Conduct and context, as well as any identified relationships between such conduct and context, may be reported to application programs, and may form the basis for customized device behavior.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a user sensor;

an environment sensor;

user analysis logic that is responsive to the user sensor to identify conduct of the user;

environment analysis logic that is responsive to the environment sensor to identify context of the user; and

device operational logic that varies device operation based at least in part on the identified conduct and context of the user.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the device operational logic further varies the device operation based on the relationship of the user to the user'"'"'s environment as indicated by the identified user conduct and context.

3. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the environment sensor indicates position of the mobile device.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the environment sensor indicates orientation of the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the conduct of the user is identified relative to the mobile device.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the conduct of the user comprises position of the user relative to the mobile device.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the conduct of the user comprises orientation of the user relative to the mobile device.

8. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising an application interface that is accessible by applications executing on the mobile device to report the identified conduct and context of the user to the applications.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein one or more of the user sensor and the environmental sensor comprises a camera.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user sensor comprises a user-facing camera.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the user conduct comprises any one or more of the following:

positions;

orientations;

actions;

activities;

states.

12. A mobile device comprising:

a user-facing camera;

an environment-facing camera;

logic that is responsive to the user-facing camera and the environment-facing camera to identify relationships between a user and the user'"'"'s environment; and

an application interface that is accessible by applications executing on the mobile device to report the identified relationships to the applications.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, further comprising a logger that logs the identified relationships over time.

14. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic analyzes images of the user to determine conduct of the user.

15. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic analyzes images of the user to determine gaze direction of the user.

16. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic analyzes images of the user to determine orientation of the user relative to the mobile device.

17. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the logic analyzes images of the user'"'"'s environment to determine environmental context.

18. A method performed by a mobile device, comprising:

under control of one or more processors of the mobile device, configured with executable instruction;

dynamically evaluating a user and the user'"'"'s environment to determine relationships between the user and the user'"'"'s environment; and

reporting the identified relationships to one or more components executing on the mobile device, wherein the components customize device behavior based on the reported relationships.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein dynamically evaluating the user and the user'"'"'s environment is based on analyzing images of the user and of the environment.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein dynamically evaluating the user and the user'"'"'s environment comprises monitoring an environment-facing camera and a user-facing camera.