SOCIAL REMINDERS

• US 20160094979A1
• Filed: 08/25/2015
• Published: 03/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: NAIK, Devang K., PIERNOT, Philippe P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,668,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42348 Location-based services which utilize the location information of a target
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Techniques for providing reminders based on social interactions between users of electronic devices are described. Social reminders can be set to trigger based on social interactions of users. For example, a user may request to be reminded to discuss a certain discussion topic with a particular phonebook contact, when the user next encounters the contact.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device;

receiving input representing user instruction to provide a reminder in the future, the instruction identifying an entity;

after receiving the input, detecting an external electronic device, the external electronic device associated with the entity;

in response to detecting the external electronic device, determining whether the external electronic device is within a threshold proximity; and

in accordance with a determination that the external electronic device is within the threshold proximity, providing the reminder.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the external electronic device is beyond the threshold proximity, forgoing the providing the reminder.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in accordance with a determination that the external electronic device is within the threshold proximity;

sending an instruction, from the electronic device to the external electronic device, instructing the external electronic device to create a second reminder related to reminder represented by the input received at the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction identifies the entity by identifying a phonebook contact.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the instruction identifies the entity by profile information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the external electronic device comprises detecting the external electronic device using at least two communication modalities.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one communication modalities comprise a first and a second modality, and detecting the external electronic device further comprises, at the electronic device:

detecting the external electronic device using the first modality; and

foregoing detection of the external electronic device using the second modality until the electronic device has detected the external electronic device using the first modality.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first modality is selected from the group consisting of Bluetooth communication and WiFi communication.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the first modality comprises:

obtaining a calendar entry representing an event scheduled for the current time; and

determining that the entity is listed as a participant in the scheduled event.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the at least one communication modalities comprises:

comparing a first Service Set Identifier (SSID) name with a second SSID name, the first SSID name representing the current WiFi connection of the electronic device and the second SSID name representing the current WiFi connection of the external electronic device.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the at least one communication modalities comprises, at the electronic device:

detecting, by a microphone of the electronic device, an audio input;

identifying, in the detected audio input, a voice corresponding to the entity; and

in response at least in part to identifying the voice, providing the reminder.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the at least one communication modalities comprises, at the electronic device:

capturing, by a camera of the electronic device, an image;

identifying, in the captured image, the entity; and

in response at least in part to identifying the entity in the captured image, providing the reminder.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the at least one communication modalities comprises, at the electronic device:

detecting a sound emission from the external electronic device; and

in response at least in part to detecting the sound emission, providing the reminder.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sound emission has a frequency of at least 15 kHz.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the at least one communication modalities comprises, at the electronic device:

detecting, by a microphone of the electronic device, a first audio input;

receiving data representing a second audio input, the second audio input detected by the external electronic device;

determining whether the first and the second audio inputs contain an audio component in common; and

in response at least in part to a determination that the first and the second audio inputs contain an audio component in common, providing the reminder.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the external electronic device using the at least one communication modalities comprises, at the electronic device:

capturing, by a camera of the electronic device, a first image;

receiving data representing a second image, the second image captured by the external electronic device;

determining whether the first and the second images contain imagery of a common object; and

in response at least in part to a determination that the first and the second images contain a common object, providing the reminder.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting the external electronic device, sending a file to the external electronic device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the file is a vCard.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to detecting the external electronic device, invoking playback of a song on the electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

sending an instruction to the external electronic device instructing the external electronic device to playback the song.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reminder comprises providing a haptic output.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reminder comprises providing an audio output.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the reminder comprise providing visual output.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to:

receive input representing user instruction to provide a reminder in the future, the instruction identifying an entity;

after receiving the input, detect an external electronic device, the external electronic device associated with the entity;

in response to detecting the external electronic device, determine whether the external electronic device is within a threshold proximity; and

in accordance with a determination that the external electronic device is within the threshold proximity, provide the reminder.

25. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

memory storing computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to;

receive input representing user instruction to provide a reminder in the future, the instruction identifying an entity;

after receiving the input, detect an external electronic device, the external electronic device associated with the entity;

in response to detecting the external electronic device, determine whether the external electronic device is within a threshold proximity; and

in accordance with a determination that the external electronic device is within the threshold proximity, provide the reminder.