Method apparatus and computer program

• US 8,749,349 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2011
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Ronkainen, Sami
• Primary Examiner(s): La, Anh V
• Application Number:
  US13/046,016
• Publication Number:
  US 20120229276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/815.45, 340/815.4, 340/573.1, 340/309.16, 340/568.1, 340/7.58, 340/6.1, 340/384.1, 340/693.5, 340/407.1, 345/1.1, 345/117, 701/408, 455/456.1, 455/567, 455/456.4, 455/412.2
• US Class Current: 340/7.58
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 7/06 using electric transmission , e.g. involving audible and visible signalling through the use of sound and light sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations

Abstract

A method and apparatus and computer program configured to perform the method, the method comprising: enabling an apparatus to provide an alert in response to the occurrence of an event wherein; when the apparatus is determined to be in a particular context a first alert is provided and when the apparatus is determined not to be in the particular context a second, user defined, alert is provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

enabling an apparatus to determine whether the apparatus is in a particular context by determining whether at least one defined function is currently being performed by the apparatus;

enabling the apparatus to provide a first alert in response to the occurrence of an event in an instance the apparatus is determined to be in the particular context; and

enabling the apparatus to provide a second, user defined, alert in response to the occurrence of the event in an instance the apparatus is determined not to be in the particular context;

wherein the at least one defined function consists of at least one of (i) providing an audio output;

(ii) receiving an audio input;

or (iii) providing a telephone call.

2. A method as claimed in any of claim 1 wherein the audio output is provided via earphones.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said determining further comprises determining the position of the apparatus relative to the user.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first alert comprises an audio alert and the second, user defined, alert does not comprise an audio alert.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first alert comprises an audio alert and the second, user defined, alert comprises a different audio alert.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first alert comprises audio information indicative of the event which has occurred.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising changing the alert which is provided from the second, user defined alert, to the first alert in response to determining that the apparatus is in the particular context.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user defined alert is defined by the user of the apparatus.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the user defined alert is defined as part of a profile in which a plurality of different events are associated with respective alerts.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the user defined alert is provided for a subset of the plurality of events when the apparatus is in the particular context and an alert, different to the user defined alert, is provided for a second subset of events when the apparatus is determined to be in the particular context.

11. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program comprising program instructions for causing a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code;

wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, enable the apparatus to;

determine whether the apparatus is in a particular context by determining whether at least one defined function is currently being performed by the apparatus;

provide a first alert in response to an occurrence of an event in an instance the apparatus is determined to be in the particular context; and

provide a second, user defined, alert in response to the occurrence of the event in an instance the apparatus is determined not to be in the particular context;

wherein the at least one defined function consists of at least one of (i) providing an audio output;

(ii) receiving an audio input;

or (iii) providing a telephone call.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the apparatus is configured to provide the audio output via earphones.

14. A computer program stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, said computer program comprising computer program instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, enable an apparatus at least to perform:

enabling an apparatus to determine whether the apparatus is in a particular context by determining whether at least one defined function is currently being performed by the apparatus;

enabling the apparatus to provide a first alert in response to an occurrence of an event in an instance the apparatus is determined to be in the particular context; and

enabling the apparatus to provide a second, user defined, alert in response to the occurrence of the event in an instance the apparatus is determined not to be in the particular context;

wherein the at least one defined function consists of at least one of (i) providing an audio output;

(ii) receiving an audio input;

or (iii) providing a telephone call.