AUTO-ADJUST OF INDICATION CHARACTERISTICS BASED ON USER PROXIMITY

• US 20140347188A1
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Published: 11/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Alameh, Rachid M., Steuer, Paul R., Wojack, Jason P.
• Application Number:
  US13/949,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20140347188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/686.6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/325 Power saving in peripheral device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3287 by switching off individual functional units in the computer system
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/182 Level alarms, e.g. alarms responsive to variables exceeding a threshold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Disclosed are a system and method whereby indications of an event such as an incoming text message or phone call are provided to a mobile device user in a manner, and to an extent, that allows user awareness when practicable, while also conserving battery power. The system and method determine certain parameters with respect to the user, such as user presence or current proximity, frequency of user proximity, and other factors in order to determine whether and how to provide an indication to the user.

Claims

1. A method of providing a user indication of an event from a mobile computing device to a user of the mobile computing device, the user indication having one or more characteristics, the method comprising:

receiving an indication at the mobile computing device that the event has occurred;

determining a proximity of the user to the mobile computing device;

generating the user indication of the event at the mobile device, including selecting the one or more characteristics of the user indication based on the determined proximity of the user to the mobile computing device; and

providing the user indication from the mobile computing device to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an indication at the mobile computing device that an event has occurred comprises receiving an indication of an incoming call.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the one or more characteristics of the indication include one or both of a ring volume and a ring-repetition number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving an indication at the mobile computing device that an event has occurred comprises receiving an indication of one of an incoming text message and a calendar event.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the characteristics of the indication include a brightness of an animated display, a magnification of the animated display, an animation speed of the animated display, and an audible alert.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a proximity of the user to the mobile computing device comprises detecting one or more of a user touch of the device, a user-generated sound, and an ambient light characteristic.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a proximity of the user to the mobile computing device comprises inferring user location based on past user behavior.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a proximity of the user to the mobile computing device comprises inferring user location based on user data accessible to the mobile computing device wherein the user data indicate a scheduled user activity.

9. The method of claim 2:

wherein determining a proximity of the user comprises determining that the proximity of the user renders the user unavailable;

the method further comprising informing a caller associated with the incoming call that the user is not available rather than playing a ring to the caller.

10. The method of claim 2:

wherein determining a proximity of the user comprises determining that the proximity of the user renders the user unavailable;

the method further comprising sending the incoming call to voicemail rather than playing a ring to the caller.

11. The method of claim 4:

wherein determining a proximity of the user comprises determining that the proximity of the user renders the user unavailable;

the method further comprising deferring any notification associated with one of an incoming text message and a calendar event.

12. A method of configuring indications from a mobile device to a user based on a proximity of the user to the mobile device, the method comprising:

determining the proximity of the user to the mobile device; and

withholding one or more indications when the proximity of the user indicates that the user is unavailable and otherwise providing one or more indications in a manner determined based on the proximity of the user to the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining that the proximity of the user to the mobile device indicates that user is present and providing to the user an indication that was previously deferred.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more indications include an indication of an incoming call.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more indications include an indication of a calendar event.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more indications include an indication of an incoming text message.

17. A mobile electronic device for indicating an event to a user of the device, the device comprising:

a display screen;

an audible-alert component; and

a processor configured to determine a condition of the user relative to the mobile device, the condition including at least one of a user proximity, a user touch, and an ambient-light level, and to provide an indication regarding the event to the user via the display screen or the audible-alert component, the indication having at least one characteristic that is selected based on the determined user condition.

18. The mobile electronic device of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a condition of the user by detecting a location of the user relative to the mobile device.

19. The mobile electronic device of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to determine a condition of the user by inferring a location of the user relative to the mobile device based on one or more of a sound detected at the mobile device, a light level detected at the mobile device, and a light-level change detected at the mobile device.

20. The mobile electronic device of claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to provide only a vibratory indication if the condition of the user indicates that the user is touching the device.