External environment sensitive predictive application and memory initiation

• US 8,706,918 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2011
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fried, Eric P., Huber, Willaim B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Ilwoo
• Application Number:
  US13/297,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20130124847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 710/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1694 the I/O peripheral being a single or a set of motion sensors for pointer control or gesture input obtained by sensing movements of the portable computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry

Abstract

An input tracker learns relationships between end user inputs made at a computer and external environment conditions sensed at the computer by external environment sensors integrated in the computer, such as a camera, microphone, hard disk drive motion detector, display ambient light sensor and display orientation accelerometer. An input predictor interfaced with the input tracker applies current external environment conditions sensed by the external environment sensors to the relationships defined by the input tracker to predict future user input and initiates actions by the computer responsive to the predicted future user input before the input is detected to have results responsive to the input prepared for the user upon detection of the input.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor operable to execute instructions;

volatile memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions in support of execution of the instructions by the processor;

non-volatile memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the instructions in a powered down state;

a display interfaced with the processor and operable to present content generated by the instructions;

one or more input devices interfaced with the processor and operable to accept inputs from an end user;

firmware interfaced with the processor and operable to coordinate interaction between the processor, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, display, and one or more input devices;

one or more external environment sensors interfaced with the firmware, each external environment sensor operable to sense an external environment condition; and

an input predictor interfaced with the one or more external environment sensors and operable to predict a future input to the one or more input devices based upon one or more external environment conditions sensed by the one or more external environment sensors, the future input comprising at least initiation of an application, the input predictor further operable to load instructions for executing the application from non-volatile memory to volatile memory for execution by the processor in response to the predicted input and to execute the instructions to initiate the application in response to prediction of the future input,

wherein the input predictor comprises instructions running in the firmware and the external environment sensor comprises a microphone, the input predictor predicting an input to request power up of the processor from a sleep state to an on state based at least in part upon a sound captured by the microphone of keys unlocking a door.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the external environment condition sensed by the external environment sensors comprises the sound of keys unlocking a door and the inputs made by a user at the input device comprise power up of the processor and execution of a predetermined application.

3. A system for prefetching content for presentation at a computer, the system comprising:

a processor to execute instructions;

memory storing the instructions, the instructions including;

an input tracker interfaced with plural external environment sensors and at least one input device, the input tracker operable to relate external environment conditions sensed by the external environment sensors in a relationship with inputs made by a user at the input device; and

an input predictor interfaced with the input tracker, the input predictor operable to apply current external environment conditions sensed by the external environment sensors to the relationship of the input tracker to predict a future user input at the input device, and in response to the predicted future user input to execute an application associated with the future user input on the processor, to prefetch content associated with the application, to prepare the content for presentation as visual images at a display, and to withhold presentation of the visual images until detection of the future user input, wherein the external environment condition sensed by the external environment sensors comprises the sound of keys unlocking a door and the inputs made by a user at the input device comprise power up of the processor and execution of a predetermined application.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the input predictor is further operable to power up the processor in response to detection of the sound of keys unlocking a door.