Method and apparatus for managing device operational modes based on context information

• US 8,644,165 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Navteq B.V.
• Inventors: Saarimaki, Anssi, Seyde, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): MEW, KEVIN D
• Application Number:
  US13/099,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20120250517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 370/241, 370/241.1, 370242-245, 370/250, 370/252, 370/437, 370/465, 709224-226
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs logging of telephone numbers H04M1/56, H04M1/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

An approach is provided for managing device do-not-disturb operational modes based on context information. A do-not-disturb manager determines context information associated with a device, a user of the device, or a combination thereof. The do-not-disturb manager also processes and/or facilitates a processing of the context information to cause, at least in part, an activation of one or more operational modes of the device. The do-not-disturb manager also causes, at least in part, a disabling or enabling of one or more functions of one or more applications associated with the device based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes.

Claims

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:

context information associated with a device, a user of the device, or a combination thereof;

a processing and/or a facilitating of processing of the context information to cause, at least in part, activation of one or more operational modes of the device;

a disabling or enabling of one or more functions of one or more applications associated with the device based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes, wherein the disabling or enabling of the one or more functions includes blocking a communication attempt by another party; and

a generating of broadcast information associated with the device, the user of the device, or the combination thereof based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes, the context information, or a combination thereof,

wherein the broadcast information contains a threshold amount of time as to when the user is expected to return the blocked communication attempt to the other party, and

wherein, upon an elapsed time from the broadcast information to the other party exceeding the threshold amount of time, the user is notified of the blocked communication attempt by the other party and an amount of time exceeding the threshold amount of time.

2. A method of claim 1, in the activation of the one or more operational modes, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

specifying at least one device parameter to indicate, at least in part, the one or more operational modes; and

causing the one or more applications to determine the disabling or enabling of the one or more functions based, at least in part, on the at least one device parameter.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a monitoring of the context information; and

a processing and/or facilitating a processing of the monitoring to determine one or more updates to the context information,

wherein the activation of the one or more operational modes is based, at least in part, on the one or more updates.

4. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

the context information being based, at least in part, on one or more triggers associated with the device, with one or more other devices associated with device, or a combination thereof; and

a processing and/or facilitating a processing of the context information includes a processing and/or facilitating a processing of the triggers compared to principles to determine at least one score,

wherein the activation of the one or more operational modes is based, at least in part, on the at least one score.

5. A method of claim 4,

wherein an amount of the disabling or enabling of the one or more functions of the one or more applications associated with the device is based, at least in part, on the at least one score.

6. A method of claim 4,

wherein the one or more triggers are associated with one or environmental parameters, user parameters, device parameters, other device parameters, and/or applications parameters.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a monitoring of the context information;

a processing and/or facilitating a processing of the monitoring to determine one or more updates to the context information; and

a generating of broadcast information associated with the device, the user of the device, or the combination thereof based, at least in part, on the one or more updates to the context information.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a detecting of one or more events associated with the device, the user of the device, or a combination thereof;

a processing and/or facilitating a processing to determine if the one or more events are enabled or disabled based on the activated one or more operational modes; and

a logging of identification information associated with the one or more events based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:

a generating of one or more notifications of the identification information associated with the one or more events upon a change in the activated one or more operational modes.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine context information associated with a device, a user of the device, or a combination thereof;

process and/or facilitate a processing of the context information to cause, at least in part, activation of one or more operational modes of the device;

cause, at least in part, a disabling or enabling of one or more functions of one or more applications associated with the device based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes, wherein the disabling or enabling of the one or more functions includes blocking a communication attempt by another party; and

cause, at least in part, a generating of broadcast information associated with the device, the user of the device, or the combination thereof based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes, the context information, or a combination thereof,

wherein the broadcast information contains a threshold amount of time as to when the user is expected to return the blocked communication attempt to the other party, and

wherein, upon an elapsed time from the broadcast information to the other party exceeding the threshold amount of time, the user is notified of the blocked communication attempt by the other party and an amount of time exceeding the threshold amount of time.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, in the activation of the one or more operational modes, the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a specification of at least one device parameter to indicate, at least in part, the one or more operational modes; and

cause, at least in part, the one or more applications to determine the disabling or enabling of the one or more functions based, at least in part, on the at least one device parameter.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a monitoring of the context information; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the monitoring to determine one or more updates to the context information,

wherein the activation of the one or more operational modes is based, at least in part, on the one or more updates.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine the context information based, at least in part, on one or more triggers associated with the device, with one or more other devices associated with device, or a combination thereof; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the context information to process and/or facilitate a processing of the triggers compared to principles to determine at least one score,

wherein the activation of the one or more operational modes is based, at least in part, on the at least one score.

14. An apparatus of claim 13,

wherein an amount of the disabling or enabling of the one or more functions of the one or more applications associated with the device is based, at least in part, on the at least one score.

15. An apparatus of claim 13,

wherein the one or more triggers are associated with one or environmental parameters, user parameters, device parameters, other device parameters, and/or applications parameters.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a monitoring of the context information;

process and/or facilitate a processing of the monitoring to determine one or more updates to the context information; and

cause, at least in part, a generating of broadcast information associated with the device, the user of the device, or the combination thereof based, at least in part, on the one or more updates to the context information.

17. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a detecting of one or more events associated with the device, the user of the device, or a combination thereof;

process and/or facilitate a processing to determine if the one or more events are enabled or disabled based on the activated one or more operational modes; and

cause a logging of identification information associated with the one or more events based, at least in part, on the activated one or more operational modes.

18. An apparatus of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

cause, at least in part, a generating of one or more notifications of the identification information associated with the one or more events upon a change in the activated one or more operational modes.