System and method for managing mobile communications

• US 8,315,619 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2011
• Issued: 11/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datum Point Labs, Inc. (Michael T. Lucas)
• Original Assignee: e.Digital Corporation
• Inventors: Nunally, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Cai, Wayne
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh, Chuck
• Application Number:
  US13/047,420
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 455/414.2, 455/425
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/53 using third party service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/655 Combination of telephone service and social networking messaging within social networks H04L51/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• 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 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]

Abstract

A device to automatically provide differing information levels according to a predetermined social hierarchy includes a memory and a processor. The memory stores social templates corresponding to unique social signatures and being selectable to provide, for each level of the predetermined social hierarchy, a corresponding differing amount of information to each member of the predetermined social hierarchy and/or a social networking service. The processor receives sensor data from a sensor set which detects sensor data related to an environment of a communication device, creates a detected social signature from the received sensor data, determines which of the social signatures of the social templates has the greatest correspondence with the created social signature, retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence, and provides only as much information as allowed in the retrieved social template.

Claims

1. A communication system in communication with a communication device via a network and which automatically provides differing levels of information according to a predetermined social hierarchy, the communication system comprising:

a memory which stores social templates, each social template corresponding to a unique social signature comprising a first sensor value range and a second sensor value range other than the first sensor value range and each social template being selectable to provide, for each level of the predetermined social hierarchy, a corresponding differing amount of information to each member of the predetermined social hierarchy; and

a server comprising

a processor which receives from the communication device sensor data received from a sensor set of the communication device which detects sensor data including a first detected sensor value from a first sensor and a second detected sensor value from a second sensor related to an environment of the communication device, creates a detected social signature from the received sensor data, determines which of the social signatures of the social templates has a greatest correspondence with the created social signature through comparison of the first and second detected sensor values and the first and second sensor value ranges of each stored social template, retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence, and provides to at least one member of the predetermined social hierarchy only as much information as allowed based on the retrieved social template; and

a transceiver which receives the sensor data from the sensor set in the communication device, and provides under the control of the processor to at least one of the member of the predetermined social hierarchy only as much information as allowed based on the retrieved social template,

wherein;

the first detected sensor value of the sensor data comprises optical information from an optical sensor of the sensor set which detects an amount of light of the environment of the communication device, and the second detected sensor value of the sensor data comprises acoustic information from an acoustic sensor of the sensor set which detects a sound level of the environment of the communication device, and

the processor retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the detected amount of light within the first sensor value range, and the detected sound level within the second sensor value range.

2. The communication system of claim 1, wherein:

the sensor data comprises a location of the communication device, and movement of the communication device, and

the processor compares the location with map data to determine a map location of the communication device, and creates the detected social signature to include information on the map location of the communication device, the movement being experienced by the communication device, and the environment of the communication device.

3. The communication system of claim 1, wherein:

the levels of the social hierarchy of the retrieved social template include;

a first social hierarchy level which provides one level of information as selected in the retrieved social template,

a second social hierarchy level which provides another level of information as selected in the retrieved social template, and

a third social hierarchy level which provides a further level of information as selected in the retrieved social template; and

the processor determines a level value of each member by comparing the member with members assigned to having the first social hierarchy level, the second social hierarchy level, and the third social hierarchy level, and provides only as much information as allowed by the determined social hierarchy level.

4. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor further detects an error between the detected social signature and the social signature of the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence, updates the social signature of the determined one social template to include the detected error in the first and/or second sensor value ranges such that the social signature of the determined one social template incorporates the detected social signature where it is determined that the determined one social template is accurate, and creates a new social template using the detected social signature where it is determined that the determined one social template is not accurate.

5. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor automatically determines if an incoming communication from a communication requestor being received through the transceiver is interruptive by, prior to completing the communication, assigning the communication requestor to one of the levels of the social hierarchy, and providing to the communication requestor only as much information as allowed based on the retrieved social template.

6. The communication system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the social templates, each level of the social hierarchy corresponds to a corresponding different social networking service, and the processor automatically provides different updates to each of the social networking services as allowed under the social hierarchy as defined in the one social template.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein:

one of the social networking services is for professional networking for a first level of the social hierarchy,

one of the social networking services is for non-professional networking for a second level of the social hierarchy,

one of the social networking services is a microblogging service for a third level of the social hierarchy,

the professional networking, non-professional networking, and microblogging services are different services, and

the professional networking, non-professional networking, and microblogging services receive corresponding different updates.

8. The communication system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the social templates, there is a single level of social hierarchy for a social networking service, and the processor automatically provides an update to the social networking service.

9. The communication system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the social templates, there is a single level of social hierarchy for a microblogging service, and the processor automatically provides an update to the microblogging service.

10. The communication system of claim 1, wherein, at least one of the social templates corresponds to an emergency, and when the processor detects an emergency situation from the detected social signature, the processor automatically provides information related to the emergency to predetermined emergency services, friends, and/or family members according to the detected emergency situation.

11. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the processor processes the received sensor data to obtain biometric data of a user of the communication device, creates the detected social signature from the received sensor data and the obtained biometric data, identifies the user according to the obtained biometric data, and retrieves from the memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence to the detected social signature for the identified user.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the sensor set comprises an input device of which the user uses to input data, and the processor identifies the user according to a pattern of the user while inputting the data.

13. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the processor identifies the user according to an optical pattern unique to the user and which is detected using the optical sensor.

14. The communication system of claim 11, wherein the sensor set comprises an audio sensor, and the processor identifies the user according to a speech pattern unique to the user and which is detected using the audio sensor.

15. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the sensor set comprises an input device which the user uses to input data, and the processor detects a status of the communication device according to use or non-use of the input device.

16. The communication system of claim 15, wherein the input device comprises a touch screen display including a capacitive sensor, and the processor detects a status of the communication device according to changes in a capacitance detected by the capacitive sensor.

17. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the sensor set comprises an Ultra Wideband sensor which provides ranging data regarding the environment of the communication device, and the processor includes in the social signature a size of the location in which the communication device is found using the provided ranging data.

18. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the sensor data comprises usage data relating to a use of the communication device.

19. A method of automatically providing differing levels of information according to a predetermined social hierarchy, the method comprising:

receiving sensor data at a server from a communication device having a sensor set producing the sensor data including a first detected sensor value from a first sensor and a second detected sensor value from a second sensor related to an environment of the communication device, the first detected sensor value of the sensor data comprising optical information from an optical sensor of the sensor set which detects an amount of light of the environment of the communication device, and the second detected sensor value of the sensor data comprising acoustic information from an acoustic sensor of the sensor set which detects a sound level of the environment of the communication device;

constructing a social signature using the received sensor data;

determining which one of a plurality of social templates has a social signature with a greatest correspondence with the constructed social signature through comparison of the first and second detected sensor values and first and second sensor value ranges of each social template, each social template corresponding to a unique social signature comprising corresponding first and second sensor value ranges and each social template being selectable to provide, for each level of the predetermined social hierarchy, a corresponding differing amount of information to each member of the predetermined social hierarchy; and

retrieving from a memory the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence and having the detected amount of light within the first sensor value range, and the detected sound level within the second sensor value range,

wherein at least one member of the predetermined social hierarchy is provided only as much information as allowed based on the retrieved social template.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the sensor data comprises a location of the communication device, and movement of the communication device, and

the constructing the social signature comprises comparing the location with map data to determine a map location of the communication device, and creating the social signature to include information on the map location of the communication device, the movement being experienced by the communication device, and the environment of the communication device.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting an error between the constructed social signature and the social signature of the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence;

updating the social signature of the determined one social template to include the detected error such that the social signature of the determined one social template incorporates the detected social signature in the first and/or second sensor value ranges where it is determined that the determined one social template is accurate; and

creating a new social template using the detected social signature where it is determined that the determined one social template is not accurate.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting an incoming communication from a communication requestor; and

prior to completing the communication, assigning the communication requestor to one of the levels of the social hierarchy, and providing to the communication requestor only as much information as allowed based on the retrieved social template.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the information provided by the retrieved social template is an update to a social networking service as allowed based on the retrieved social template.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the information provided comprises a different update to another social networking service as allowed based on the retrieved social template, the another social networking service being other than the social networking service.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the information provided comprises an update to a microblogging service as allowed based on the retrieved social template.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising detecting an emergency situation from the constructed social signature, wherein the information provided comprises information related to the emergency situation and which is selectively to be sent to predetermined emergency services, friends, and/or family members according to the detected emergency situation using one of the social templates.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining biometric data using the received sensor data; and

identifying a user of the communication device according to the obtained biometric data, wherein the determining comprises determining the one social template having the greatest correspondence for the identified user.

28. The method of claim 19, wherein the sensor data comprises usage data relating to a use of the communication device.

29. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting an error between the constructed social signature and the social signature of the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence;

updating the social signature of the determined one social template to include the detected error such that the social signature of the determined one social template incorporates the detected social signature in the first and/or second sensor value ranges where it is determined that the determined one social template is accurate according to received confirmation information; and

storing the updated social template in the memory.

30. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

detecting an error between the constructed social signature and the social signature of the determined one social template having the greatest correspondence;

creating a new social template using the detected social signature where it is determined that the determined one social template is not accurate according to received confirmation information; and

storing the new social template.

31. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a request to construct a new social template;

assigning the constructed social signature to the new social template;

assigning a corresponding social hierarchy to the new social template; and

storing the new social template having the assigned social signature and social hierarchy.

32. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with processing instructions to implement the method of claim 19 executed by one or more processors.