Periodic Ambient Waveform Analysis for Dynamic Device Configuration

• US 20130103810A1
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Published: 04/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas, Garcia, David Harry
• Granted Patent: US 9,299,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/221
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Client devices periodically capture ambient audio waveforms and modify their own device configuration based on the captured audio waveform. In particular embodiments, client devices generate waveform fingerprints and upload the fingerprints to a server for analysis. The server compares the waveform fingerprints to a database of stored waveform fingerprints, and upon finding a match, pushes content or other information to the client device. The fingerprints in the database may be uploaded by other users, and compared to the received client waveform fingerprint based on common location or other social factors. Thus a client'"'"'s location may be enhanced if the location of users whose fingerprints match the client'"'"'s is known, and, based upon this enhanced location, the server may transmit an instruction to the device to modify its device configuration.

Claims

1. A method comprising, by a computing system:

capturing ambient audio data;

performing waveform analysis on the ambient audio data; and

adjusting one or more device settings based on the waveform analysis.

2. The method of claim 1, performing waveform analysis comprising determining the volume level of the ambient environment.

3. The method of claim 2, adjusting device settings comprising matching a ringer volume of the computing system to the volume level of the ambient environment.

4. The method of claim 2, adjusting device settings comprising enabling vibrate mode if the volume level of the ambient environment exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 2, adjusting device settings comprising enabling vibrate mode if the volume level of the ambient environment falls below a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

calculating a self-determined location of the computing system;

generating a waveform fingerprint for the captured ambient audio data;

transmitting the waveform fingerprint and the self-determined location to a server;

receiving instructions from the server to adjust one or more device settings; and

adjusting one or more device settings in accordance with the received instructions.

7. A method comprising, by one or more computing systems:

receiving a waveform fingerprint and a client-determined location from a client;

comparing the received waveform fingerprint to a database of stored waveform fingerprints, each stored waveform fingerprint associated with an object in an object database; and

finding one or more matching fingerprints from the fingerprint database; and

transmitting one or more instructions to adjust one or more device settings of the client.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

searching one or more external databases associated with one or more geographic locations in the vicinity of the client-determined location;

upon finding a match for the one or more objects associated with the one or more matching fingerprints, assigning the location associated with the database in which the match was found to the client; and

wherein

the one or more instructions to adjust one or more device settings is based on the location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the stored waveform fingerprints comprise uploaded waveform fingerprints from one or more other users represented by nodes on a social network, and further comprising:

querying a social graph for location information associated with the one or more other nodes whose uploaded fingerprints match the received waveform fingerprint, and wherein

the one or more instructions to adjust one or more device settings is based on the location information returned by the social graph in response to the query.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises a check-in to a particular geographic location.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises an RSVP to a particular event.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions are operable to instruct the client to increase its ringer volume.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions are operable to instruct the client to decrease its ringer volume.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions are operable to instruct the client to enable a vibrate mode.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable media comprising instructions operable, when executed by one or more computing systems, to

capture ambient audio data;

perform waveform analysis on the ambient audio data; and

adjust one or more device settings based on the waveform analysis.

16. The media of claim 15, performing waveform analysis comprising determining the volume level of the ambient environment.

17. The media of claim 16, adjusting device settings comprising matching a ringer volume of the computing system to the volume level of the ambient environment.

18. The media of claim 16, adjusting device settings comprising enabling vibrate mode if the volume level of the ambient environment exceeds a predetermined threshold.

19. The media of claim 16, adjusting device settings comprising enabling vibrate mode if the volume level of the ambient environment falls below a predetermined threshold.

20. The media of claim 15, further comprising instructions operable, when executed by one or more computing devices, to:

calculating a self-determined location of the computing system;

generating a waveform fingerprint for the captured ambient audio data;

transmitting the waveform fingerprint and the self-determined location to a server;

receiving instructions from the server to adjust one or more device settings; and

adjusting one or more device settings in accordance with the received instructions.