SELECTIVE ACTIVATION OF ALERTS FOR RECEIPT AND AVAILABILITY OF DATA IN A COMMUNICATION DEVICE

• US 20120276878A1
• Filed: 07/06/2012
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Othmer, Konstantin, Ruf, Michael P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,836 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

A recipient activates or deactivates user alerts associated with the receipt and/or availability of communications using rules in an alert profile stored on a device, a server, or a location accessible to the server. In one embodiment, the device can implement the rules when a communication is received and/or available. If an alert is activated, the device renders the alert. If the alert is deactivated, the device does not render the alert unless and until the alert is activated. In another embodiment, the server can implement the rules. If the alert is activated when the communication is transmitted to the device, the server also transmits alert-rendering instructions, whereupon the device can render the alert as specified in the instructions. If the alert is deactivated when the communication is transmitted to the device, the server does not transmit the instructions unless and until the alert is activated.

Claims

1. A method for selectively alerting a recipient about a received communication, the method comprising:

receiving a communication at a recipient device, the recipient device having the capability to process the communication;

receiving an alert instruction at the recipient device as a separate communication after receiving the communication;

referring to rules in an alert profile in response to the received alert instruction to determine whether an alert for the communication is activated or deactivated, the determination dependent on at least one criterion identified in the rules, the at least one criterion relating to one or more of;

proximity of the recipient device to a device from which the communication originated;

a priority of the communication;

a sender of the communication; and

content of the communication;

when the alert is activated rendering the alert; and

when the alert is deactivated, not rendering the alert.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising rendering the alert substantially after the receipt of the communication if the alert is deactivated at the time the communication is received and later becomes activated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination of whether an alert is activated or deactivated is additionally dependent on a type of the communication.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein a type of the communication includes one or more of:

a multimedia messaging service message, a short message service message, an enhanced message service message, an email message, a voice message, digital media content, an incoming voice call, or a network-based instant connect communication request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rules are defined by a user of the recipient device and stored in the alert profile on a server or on the recipient device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein if the alert is activated, the rules specify rendition of the alert as one or more of:

an audible alert, a tactile alert and a visible alert.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert includes an alert indicative of the receipt of the communication, a message waiting indicator indicative of the availability of the communication, or both.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient device comprises a wireless communication device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion, on which the determination whether the alert for the communication is activated or deactivated is dependent, relates to proximity of the recipient device to a device from which the communication originated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion, on which the determination whether the alert for the communication is activated or deactivated is dependent, relates to a priority of the communication.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion, on which the determination whether the alert for the communication is activated or deactivated is dependent, relates to a sender of the communication.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one criterion, on which the determination whether the alert for the communication is activated or deactivated is dependent, relates to content of the communication.

13. A method for alerting a recipient about the receipt and/or availability of a communication, the method comprising:

receiving a communication addressed to a recipient device;

accessing an alert profile for the received communication, wherein the alert profile includes rules that are available for determining whether an alert for the communication is to be activated or deactivated generating alert instructions for rending the alert based on the rules;

sending the communication to the recipient device;

transmitting the alert instructions for rendering the alert to the recipient substantially simultaneously in association with the transmission of the communication to the recipient device if the alert is activated when the communication is transmitted;

transmitting the alert instructions for rendering the alert to the recipient after the transmission of the communication to the recipient device as a separate communication if the alert is deactivated when the communication is transmitted; and

wherein the alert instructions enable the recipient device to render the alert substantially simultaneously with receipt of the communication when the alert is activated and does not render the alert substantially simultaneously with receipt of the communication when the alert is deactivated.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rules in the alert profile specify the type of alert to render if the alert is activated.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the type of alert includes one or more of:

audible, tactile and visible.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the recipient device determines whether the alert for the communication is activated or deactivated by referring to the rules in the alert profile and comparing one or more of:

a distance between the recipient device and the originating device to a distance specified in the rules;

the priority of the communication to a priority specified in the rules;

the sender of the communication to a sender specified in the rules; and

the content of the communication to content specified in the rules as required by the rules.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising, determining whether the alert for the communication is activated or deactivated by referring to the rules in the alert profile and comparing one or more of:

a distance between the recipient device and the originating device to a distance specified in the rules;

the priority of the communication to a priority specified in the rules;

the sender of the communication to a sender specified in the rules; and

the content of the communication to content specified in the rules as required by the rules.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising, prior to comparing a current time to a time period specified in the rules, receiving the current time from the recipient device.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the determination whether an alert for the communication is activated or deactivated is dependent on one of a proximity of the recipient device to a device from which the communication originated, a priority of the communication, a sender of the communication, and content of the communication.

20. One or more physical computer readable media storing computer executable instructions which, when executed by a processor in a server or other network component facilitating communication between an originating device and a recipient device, a method for alerting a recipient about the receipt and/or availability of a communication by the recipient device, the method comprising:

receiving a communication from an originating device that is intended for a recipient device;

accessing an alert profile for the received communication, wherein the alert profile includes rules that are available for determining whether an alert for the communication is to be activated or deactivated, the determination dependent on at least one user-defined criterion identified in the rules,

generating alert instructions for rending the alert based on the rules;

transmitting the communication to the recipient device;

transmitting the alert instructions for rendering the alert to the recipient substantially simultaneously in association with the transmission of the communication to the recipient device if the alert is activated when the communication is transmitted;

transmitting the alert instructions for rendering the alert to the recipient substantially after the transmission of the communication to the recipient device as a separate communication if the alert is deactivated when the communication is transmitted; and

wherein the alert instructions enable the recipient device to render the alert if the alert is activated and not render the alert if the alert is deactivated.