Image analysis and communication device control technology

• US 8,131,848 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jason Adam Denise
• Inventors: Denise, Jason Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamza, Faruk
• Application Number:
  US12/569,880
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-207, 709/224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724631 by limiting the access to the user interface, e.g. locking a touch-screen or a keypad
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72484 wherein functions are triggered by incoming communication events
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/02 Calling substations, e.g. by ringing selective calling H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Techniques are described for controlling communication devices using image analysis. For instance, when a communication is received by a communication device, the communication device outputs an alert to notify users of the received communication and accesses one or more images of an area proximate to the communication device. The one or more images cover an area proximate to the communication device at a time during which the communication device is outputting the alert. The communication device analyzes the one or more images to determine whether a user is present in the one or more images and in a position to perceive the received communication. The communication device handles at least one aspect of the received communication based on the determination of whether a user is in a position to perceive the received communication.

Claims

1. A method of controlling an electronic communication device, the method comprising:

receiving, using the electronic communication device, an electronic communication;

providing, using the electronic communication device, an alert in response to receiving the electronic communication;

while providing the alert, detecting recipient activity indicative of whether a recipient perceived the electronic communication;

based on the detected recipient activity, determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication;

handling, using at least one processing device, at least one aspect of the electronic communication in a first manner based determining that the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication; and

handling, using at least one processing device, the at least one aspect of the electronic communication in a second manner based on determining that the electronic communication was not perceived and intentionally ignored by the recipient, wherein the second manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication is different than the first manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication,

wherein the first manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication comprises;

placing the electronic communication in a first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device in a manner that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device,

withholding the electronic communication from a second list of missed communications displayed by the electronic communication device, and

maintaining an alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without a change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication; and

wherein the second manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication comprises;

placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device in a way that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed,

placing the electronic communication in the second list of missed communications displayed by the electronic communication device, and

updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication.

2. The method of claim 1:

wherein receiving, using the electronic communication device, the electronic communication comprises receiving, using the electronic communication device, a phone call;

wherein providing, using the electronic communication device, the alert in response to receiving the electronic communication comprises providing the alert in response to receiving the phone call;

wherein detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the phone call during provision of the alert;

wherein determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises ending provision of the alert without establishing the phone call and determining, based on the detected recipient activity, whether the recipient was in a position that enables perception of the phone call during a time between beginning provision of the alert in response to receiving the phone call and ending provision of the alert;

wherein handling, using at least one processing device, the at least one aspect of the electronic communication in the first manner based on a determining that the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises handling, using at least one processing device, at least one aspect of the phone call in the first manner based on determining that the recipient was in the position that enables perception of the phone call during the time between beginning provision of the alert in response to receiving the phone call and ending provision of the alert, and

wherein handling, using at least one processing device, the at least one aspect of the electronic communication in the second manner based on determining that the electronic communication was not perceived and intentionally ignored by the recipient comprises handling, using at least one processing device, the at least one aspect of the phone call in the second manner based on determining that the recipient was not in the position that enables perception of the phone call during the time between beginning provision of the alert in response to receiving the phone call and ending provision of the alert.

3. The method of claim 1:

wherein receiving, using the electronic communication device, the electronic communication comprises receiving a phone call;

wherein providing, using the electronic communication device, the alert in response to receiving the electronic communication comprises providing the alert in response to receiving the phone call;

wherein detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived the electronic communication comprises detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived the phone call;

wherein determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the phone call;

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device in the manner that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device comprises placing the phone call in a first list of calls displayed by the electronic communication device in the manner that distinguishes the phone call from missed calls included in the first list of calls displayed by the electronic communication device;

wherein withholding the electronic communication from the second list of missed communications displayed by the electronic communication device comprises withholding the phone call from a second list of missed calls displayed by the electronic communication device;

wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed calls without the change that reflects receipt of the phone call;

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device in the way that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed comprises placing the phone call in the first list of calls displayed by the electronic communication device in the way that identifies the phone call as having been missed;

wherein placing the electronic communication in the second list of missed communications displayed by the electronic communication device comprises placing the phone call in the second list of missed calls displayed by the electronic communication device; and

wherein updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication comprises updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed calls to reflect receipt of the phone call.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting communication settings of the electronic communication device when the electronic communication device detects the recipient perceiving the electronic communication.

5. The method of claim 1:

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device in the manner that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device comprises placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device with a first label that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device; and

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device in the way that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed comprises placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device with a second label that identifies the electronic communication having been missed.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device with the first label that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device comprises placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the electronic communication device with the first label that identifies the electronic communication as having been ignored.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without any indication that a missed communication has been received.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining the alert interface with a missed communication alert for a missed communication received prior to the electronic communication.

9. The method of claim 1:

wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining an indication of a time of the most recent missed communications the time of a missed communication received prior to the electronic communication; and

wherein updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication comprises updating the indication of the time of the most recent missed communications the time of the electronic communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication comprises updating the alert interface to include a missed communication alert for a missed communication based on the electronic communication.

11. An electronic communication device comprising:

a display; and

at least one processing device configured to perform operations comprising;

receiving an electronic communication;

providing an alert in response to receiving the electronic communication;

while providing the alert, detecting recipient activity indicative of whether a recipient perceived the electronic communication;

based on the detected recipient activity, determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication;

handling at least one aspect of the electronic communication in a first manner based on determining that the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication; and

handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication in a second manner based on determining that the electronic communication was not perceived and intentionally ignored by the recipient, wherein the second manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication is different than the first manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication,

wherein the first manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication comprises;

placing the electronic communication in a first list of communications displayed by the display in a manner that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the display,

withholding the electronic communication from a second list of missed communications displayed by the display, and

maintaining an alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without a change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication; and

wherein the second manner of handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication comprises;

placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display in a way that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed,

placing the electronic communication in the second list of missed communications displayed by the display, and

updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication.

12. The electronic communication device of claim 11:

wherein receiving the electronic communication comprises receiving a phone call;

wherein providing the alert in response to receiving the electronic communication comprises providing the alert in response to receiving the phone call;

wherein detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the phone call during provision of the alert;

wherein determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises ending provision of the alert without establishing the phone call and determining, based on the detected recipient activity, whether the recipient was in a position that enables perception of the phone call during a time between beginning provision of the alert in response to receiving the phone call and ending provision of the alert;

wherein handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication in the first manner based on determining that the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises handling at least one aspect of the phone call in the first manner based on determining that the recipient was in the position that enables perception of the phone call during the time between beginning provision of the alert in response to receiving the phone call and ending provision of the alert, and

wherein handling the at least one aspect of the electronic communication in the second manner based on determining that the electronic communication was not perceived and intentionally ignored by the recipient comprises handling the at least one aspect of the phone call in the second manner based on determining that the recipient was not in the position that enables perception of the phone call during the time between beginning provision of the alert in response to receiving the phone call and ending provision of the alert.

13. The electronic communication device of claim 11:

wherein receiving the electronic communication comprises receiving a phone call;

wherein providing the alert in response to receiving the electronic communication comprises providing the alert in response to receiving the phone call;

wherein detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived the electronic communication comprises detecting recipient activity indicative of whether the recipient perceived the phone call;

wherein determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the electronic communication comprises determining whether the recipient perceived and intentionally ignored the phone call;

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display in the manner that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the display comprises placing the phone call in a first list of calls displayed by the display in the manner that distinguishes the phone call from missed calls included in the first list of calls displayed by the display;

wherein withholding the electronic communication from the second list of missed communications displayed by the display comprises withholding the phone call from a second list of missed calls displayed by the display;

wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed calls without the change that reflects receipt of the phone call;

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display in the way that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed comprises placing the phone call in the first list of calls displayed by the display in the way that identifies the phone call as having been missed;

wherein placing the electronic communication in the second list of missed communications displayed by the display comprises placing the phone call in the second list of missed calls displayed by the display; and

wherein updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication comprises updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed calls to reflect receipt of the phone call.

14. The electronic communication device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise adjusting communication settings of the electronic communication device based on detecting the recipient perceiving the electronic communication.

15. The electronic communication device of claim 11, wherein:

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display in the manner that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the display comprises placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display with a first label that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the display; and

wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display in the way that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed comprises placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display with a second label that identifies the electronic communication as having been missed.

16. The electronic communication device of claim 15, wherein placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display with the first label that distinguishes the electronic communication from missed communications included in the first list of communications displayed by the display comprises placing the electronic communication in the first list of communications displayed by the display with the first label that identifies the electronic communication as having been ignored.

17. The electronic communication device of claim 11, wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without any indication that a missed communication has been received.

18. The electronic communication device of claim 11, wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining the alert interface with a missed communication alert for a missed communication received prior to the electronic communication.

19. The electronic communication device of claim 11:

wherein maintaining the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications without the change that reflects receipt of the electronic communication comprises maintaining an indication of a time of the most recent missed communications the time of a missed communication received prior to the electronic communication; and

wherein updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication comprises updating the indication of the time of the most recent missed communications the time of the electronic communication.

20. The electronic communication device of claim 11, wherein updating the alert interface that provides alerts for missed communications to reflect receipt of the electronic communication comprises updating the alert interface to include a missed communication alert for a missed communication based on the electronic communication.