Providing information based on context

• US 8,621,645 B1
• Filed: 08/23/2012
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Spackman, Stephen Philip
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, LISA C
• Application Number:
  US13/592,892
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer readable medium that receives a request to output content with a computing apparatus in a vehicle. Privacy information associated with the content is identified. Environmental data associated with the vehicle is determined, the environmental data including at least a number of occupants present in the vehicle. At least a portion of the content is modified and/or suppressed based on the privacy information and the environmental data. The modified content and/or any portion of the content not suppressed is output by the computing apparatus in the vehicle.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a computing apparatus in a vehicle and from a mobile computing device present in the vehicle, a request to output content to a display of the computing apparatus;

identifying, by the computing apparatus, privacy information associated with the content;

determining, by the computing apparatus, environmental data associated with the vehicle, the environmental data comprising at least a number of occupants present in the vehicle;

modifying, by the computing apparatus, based on the privacy information and the environmental data, the content; and

outputting, by the computing apparatus, the modified content to the display of the computing apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises:

removing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifying further comprises:

anonymizing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the computing apparatus, the number of occupants present in the vehicle based on data output by at least one occupancy sensor of the vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the determining further comprises obtaining, from an electronic device associated with the at least one occupant present in the vehicle, identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

the environmental data further comprises the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the privacy information further comprises identity information of one or more individuals not authorized to view the content and the method further comprises:

determining, by the computing apparatus, whether the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

suppressing, by the computing apparatus, the content when it is determined that the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

7. A computer readable storage device storing instructions comprising machine executable code which when executed by at least one processor, causes the processor to perform steps comprising:

receiving, from a mobile computing device present in a vehicle, a request to output content to a display;

identifying privacy information associated with the content;

determining environmental data associated with the vehicle, the environmental data comprising at least a number of occupants present in the vehicle; and

suppressing, based on the privacy information and the environmental data, at least a portion of the content.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the suppressing further comprises:

removing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the suppressing further comprises:

anonymizing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the instructions comprise machine executable code which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the process to perform steps further comprising:

determining the number of occupants present in the vehicle based on data output by at least one occupancy sensor of the vehicle.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein:

the determining further comprises obtaining, from an electronic device associated with the at least one occupant present in the vehicle, identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

the environmental data further comprises the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the privacy information further comprises identity information of one or more individuals not authorized to view the content and the instructions comprise machine executable code which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the process to perform steps further comprising:

determining whether the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

suppressing all portions of the content when it is determined that the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the instructions comprise machine executable code which when executed by the at least one processor, causes the process to perform steps further comprising:

storing the requested content in a memory such that the content is automatically output or manually available at a later time.

14. A method, comprising:

generating, by a mobile computing device present in a vehicle, a request to output content with a display of a computing apparatus in the vehicle;

identifying, by the mobile computing device, privacy information associated with the content;

determining, by the mobile computing device, environmental data associated with the vehicle, the environmental data comprising at least a number of occupants present in the vehicle;

modifying, by the mobile computing device, based on the privacy information and the environmental data, the content; and

sending, with the mobile computing device, the request including the modified content to the computing apparatus in the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the modifying further comprises:

removing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the modifying further comprises:

anonymizing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the determining environmental data further comprises:

retrieving the environmental data from the computing apparatus in the vehicle.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the determining further comprises obtaining, from an electronic device associated with the at least one occupant present in the vehicle, identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

the environmental data further comprises the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the privacy information further comprises identity information of one or more individuals not authorized to view the content and the method further comprises:

determining, by the mobile computing device, whether the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

suppressing, by the mobile computing device, the content when it is determined that the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

20. An mobile computing device, comprising:

a processor coupled to a memory and configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory comprising;

generating when the mobile computing device is present in a vehicle, a request to output content with a display of a computing apparatus in the vehicle;

identifying privacy information associated with the content;

determining environmental data associated with the vehicle, the environmental data comprising at least a number of occupants present in the vehicle;

suppressing, based on the privacy information and the environmental data, at least a portion of the content; and

sending the request including any portion of the content not suppressed to the computing apparatus in the vehicle.

21. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the suppressing further comprises:

removing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

22. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the suppressing further comprises:

anonymizing at least a portion of the content in response to the privacy information indicating a threshold level of privacy and the environmental data indicating that the number of occupants present in the vehicle is greater than one.

23. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the determining environmental data further comprises:

retrieving the environmental data from the computing apparatus in the vehicle.

24. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein:

the determining further comprises obtaining, from an electronic device associated with the at least one occupant present in the vehicle, identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

the environmental data further comprises the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

25. The mobile computing device of claim 24, wherein the privacy information further comprises identity information of one or more individuals not authorized to view the content and the processor coupled to the memory is further configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory further comprising:

determining whether the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle; and

suppressing all portions of the content when it is determined that the identity information of the one or more individuals matches the identity information for the at least one occupant present in the vehicle.

26. The mobile computing device of claim 20, wherein the suppressing further comprises:

suppressing all portions of the content; and

storing the request in a memory such that the request is automatically sent to the computing apparatus in the vehicle at a later time.