Intelligent notifications with dynamic escalations

• US 8,504,114 B1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US12/960,097
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/418, 455/550.1, 709/226
• US Class Current: 455/567
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/041 Encoding the ringing signal, i.e. providing distinctive or selective ringing capability

Abstract

A method includes executing instructions recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable storage media using at least one processor. The method includes receiving, at a device, at least two communications from a sender of the communications using at least two different communication modes, determining a notification mode for the device based on an identity of the sender and at least two of the communication modes being different from one another and providing a notification on the device using the determined notification mode.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a device and using at least two different communication modes, at least two communications from a sender of at least two communications;

determining a notification mode for the device based at least in part on an identity of the sender and on an amount of time elapsed between receipt of each of the at least two communications;

providing, by the device and at a particular frequency, one or more instances of a notification using the determined notification mode; and

increasing the particular frequency at which the notification is provided by the device using the determined notification mode, wherein increasing the frequency comprises reducing an amount of time elapsed between subsequent instances of providing the notification.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein determining the notification mode comprises determining the notification mode for the device based also on a period of time between a change of communication mode.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein

determining the notification mode comprises changing the notification mode from a non-audible notification mode, and

wherein providing the notification comprises providing an audible notification using an audible notification mode.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein determining the notification mode comprises determining the notification mode for the device based also on an importance group associated with the sender.

5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising allowing a user of the device to configure the notification mode.

6. A recordable non-transitory storage medium having recorded and stored thereon instructions that, when executed, perform the actions of:

receiving, at a device and using at least two different communication modes, at least two communications from a sender of at least two communications;

determining a notification mode for the device based at least in part on an identity of the sender and on an amount of time elapsed between receipt of each of the at least two communications;

providing, at a particular frequency, one or more instances of a notification using the determined notification mode; and

increasing the particular frequency at which the notification that is provided using the determined notification mode, wherein increasing the frequency comprises reducing an amount of time elapsed between subsequent instances of providing the notification.

7. The recordable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6 wherein the instructions that, when executed, perform the action of determining the notification mode comprise instructions that, when executed, perform the action of determining the notification mode for the device based also on a period of time between a change of in the communication mode.

8. The recordable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6, wherein

the instructions that, when executed, perform the action of determining the notification mode comprise instructions that, when executed, perform the action of changing the notification mode from a non-audible notification mode, and

the instructions that, when executed, perform the action of providing the notification comprise instructions that, when executed, perform the action of providing an audible notification using an audible notification mode.

9. The recordable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6 wherein the instructions that, when executed, perform the action of determining the notification mode comprise instructions that, when executed, perform the action of determining the notification mode for the device based also an importance group associated with the sender.

10. The recordable non-transitory storage medium of claim 6 further comprising instructions that, when executed, perform the action of allowing a user of the device to configure the notification mode.

11. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a memory that is operably coupled to the processor;

a wireless interface that is operably coupled to the processor and that is arranged and configured to receive, at the apparatus and using at least two different communication modes, at least two communications from a sender of at least two communications; and

a notification manager that is operably coupled to the processor and that is arranged and configured to;

determine a notification mode for the device based at least in part on an identity of the sender and on an amount of time elapsed between receipt of each of the at least two communications;

provide, at a particular frequency, one or more instances of a notification using the determined notification mode; and

increase the particular frequency at which the notification that is provided using the determined notification mode, wherein increasing the frequency comprises reducing an amount of time elapsed between subsequent instances of the notification.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the notification manager is arranged and configured to determine the notification mode for the device based also on a period of time between a change of communication mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the notification manager is arranged and configured to:

change the notification mode from a non-audible notification mode; and

provide an audible notification using an audible notification mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the notification manager is arranged and configured to determine the notification mode based also on an importance group associated with the sender.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an input interface that is operably coupled to the processor and that is arranged and configured to allow a user of the device to configure the notification mode.