Pre-fetching information based on gesture and/or location

• US 8,874,129 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Forutanpour, Babak, Momeyer, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): GONZALES, APRIL GUZMAN
• Application Number:
  US12/813,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20110306304A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/432.1, 455/456.6, 709/203, 709/219, 709/217, 709/232, 711/137, 711/118, 707/999.002, 707/999.01, 710/309, 710/314, 382/305
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Example methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be utilized to pre-fetch and/or obtain information for use with mobile devices based, at least in part, on a gesture of a user and/or location of a mobile device. By way of example, a method may include detecting an arrival of a mobile device at a location; and pre-fetching, in response to the detection of the arrival, information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on the mobile device. In certain implementations, a method may include processing signals received from at least one sensor at a mobile device; inferring, in response to the processing the signals, a likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on the mobile device; and pre-fetching information in connection with the executing applications and/or functions on the mobile device based, at least in part, on the likelihood.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a mobile device coupled to a memory, electronically detecting an arrival of said mobile device at a location by determining an estimate of a location of said mobile device and detecting that said estimated location is within a pre-defined geo-fenced area; and

pre-fetching, from said memory and in response to said detection of said arrival, one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined geo-fenced area comprises a virtual boundary around a center point, a virtual boundary drawn by user, or a virtual boundary defined by a plurality of coordinate points.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically detecting said arrival further comprises:

at said mobile device, electronically obtaining at least one of the following information;

time of day information;

day of week information;

month information;

year information;

or any combination thereof; and

electronically determining whether said electronically obtained information satisfies at least one of the following;

pre-defined time of day information;

pre-defined day of week information;

pre-defined month information;

pre-defined year information;

or any combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically detecting said arrival further comprises:

electronically determining a rate of speed of said mobile device; and

electronically determining whether said rate of speed corresponds to at least one of the following;

a rate of speed falling below a pre-defined threshold;

a rate of speed exceeding a pre-defined threshold;

or a rate of speed being between a lower threshold and a higher threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-defined geo-fenced area is user-configurable.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronically detecting that said estimated location is within said pre-defined geo-fenced area comprises:

electronically detecting that said estimated location is within a pre-defined distance from a geo-area centroid.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said electronically detecting said arrival further comprises:

electronically determining a rate of speed of said mobile device; and

electronically determining whether said rate of speed corresponds to at least one of the following;

a rate of speed falling below a pre-defined threshold;

a rate of speed exceeding a pre-defined threshold;

or a rate of speed being between a lower threshold and a higher threshold.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said pre-defined distance from said geo-area centroid is user-configurable.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said pre-fetching one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device comprises pre-fetching one or more of the following:

information for an e-mail application;

information for a short messaging service (SMS) application;

information for a call application;

information representative of a contact list;

or information located at a pre-defined universal resource locator (URL).

10. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

electronically performing a pre-defined action in connection with said mobile device based, at least in part, on said electronically detecting said arrival of said mobile device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said pre-defined action comprises at least one of the following:

sending an electronic message;

dialing a pre-defined number;

accessing information associated with a pre-defined URL;

downloading information associated with a pre-defined URL;

displaying a contact list on a user display;

displaying information associated with a pre-defined URL on a user display;

or displaying a messaging interface on a user display.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said pre-defined action is user-configurable.

13. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

repeating said pre-fetching one or more electrical digital signals representative of said information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device at one or more pre-defined time intervals.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said one or more pre-defined time intervals are user-configurable.

15. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

storing one or more digital signals representative of information associated with said location in said memory.

16. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

changing a power state of one or more sensors in response to one or more signals detecting said arrival of said mobile device at said location.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said changing a power state of one or more sensors comprises changing a power state of at least a location-aware and/or tracking unit supported by said mobile device from a low-power state to a full-observability state.

18. A method comprising:

processing one or more electrical digital signals received from at least one sensor at a mobile device coupled to a memory, the one or more electrical digital signals representing an informative gesture of a user;

inferring, in response to said processing said one or more electrical digital signals, a likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device; and

electronically pre-fetching information in connection with said executing said one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device based, at least in part, on said likelihood.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said electronically pre-fetching information comprises pre-fetching one or more electrical digital signals representative of at least one of the following:

information for an e-mail application;

information for a short messaging service (SMS) application;

information for a call application;

a contact list;

or information located at a pre-defined universal resource locator (URL).

20. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

executing one or more instructions on said mobile device to perform a pre-defined action in connection with said mobile device, wherein said pre-defined action comprises at least one of the following;

sending an electronic message;

dialing a pre-defined number;

accessing information associated with a pre-defined URL;

downloading information associated with a pre-defined URL;

displaying a contact list on a user display;

displaying information associated with a pre-defined URL on a user display;

or displaying a messaging interface on a user display.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said executing one or more instructions is performed without at least one of the following:

a contextual user-device interaction;

a user-initiated input;

or a user-initiated selection event.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said pre-defined action is user-configurable.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein said processing one or more electrical digital signals received from at least one sensor comprises at least one of the following:

transitioning said mobile device to be in an operational state;

or transitioning said at least one sensor to be in an operational state.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein said likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device comprises a likelihood of a user'"'"'s attempt to put said mobile device into use.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein said processing said one or more electrical digital signals comprises correlating at least two of said electrical digital signals with a pre-defined signal pattern or signature.

26. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

changing an appearance of a user interface associated with said mobile device based, at least in part, on a rate of speed detected by said mobile device at least meeting one or more pre-defined thresholds.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said changing said appearance of said user interface comprises dynamically customizing at least one of the following:

a layout of said user interface so as to emphasize some pre-defined applications and/or functions and de-emphasize other pre-defined applications and/or functions;

or a content of said user interface so as to make visible some pre-defined applications and/or functions and remove other pre-defined applications and/or functions.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said one or more pre-defined thresholds are user-configurable.

29. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

electronically determining a rate of speed of said mobile device; and

performing, responsive to one or more signals indicative of a lower rate of speed at least meeting a pre-defined threshold, at least one of the following;

sending an electronic message;

dialing a pre-defined number;

accessing information associated with a pre-defined URL;

downloading information associated with a pre-defined URL;

displaying a contact list on a user display;

displaying information associated with a pre-defined URL on a user display;

or displaying a messaging interface on a user display.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said rate of speed is maintained above said lower rate of speed for at least a pre-determined period of time.

31. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

changing a power state of a first sensor supported by said mobile device from a sleep-mode state to an operational state in response to a signal received from a second sensor in a low-observability state also supported by said mobile device.

32. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

generating, with said mobile device, at least one gesture template based, at least in part, on an input gesture representative of at least one training sample; and

storing said at least one gesture template as one or more digital signals in said memory of said mobile device as part of a gesture vocabulary.

33. The method of claim 32, and further comprising:

receiving the one or more electrical digital signals representing the informative gesture of the user; and

identifying, upon accessing said gesture vocabulary from said memory, one or more digital signals representing said at least one gesture template as matching said informative gesture of said user.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said identifying said at least one gesture template as matching said informative gesture of said user is based, at least in part, on matching properties identifiable in one or more digital signals representing said at least one gesture template and properties identifiable in one or more digital signals representing said informative gesture of said user.

35. The method of claim 33, and further comprising:

electronically dialing a pre-defined number based, at least in part, on said identifying said at least one gesture template.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein said gesture vocabulary comprises at least one of the following:

a personalized gesture template;

a non-personalized gesture template;

or any combination thereof.

37. The method of claim 18, and further comprising:

detecting an orientation of said mobile device based, at least in part, on one or more signals received from an accelerometer and/or an ambient light detector, said accelerometer and/or said ambient light detector being supported by said mobile device; and

performing, in response to said detecting said orientation, in connection with said mobile device at least one of the following;

reading an incoming electronic message out loud;

sending a pre-defined electronic message in response to an incoming electronic message;

dialing a pre-defined number associated with a sender of an incoming electronic message;

or any combination thereof.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said detecting said orientation of said mobile device comprises at least one of the following:

detecting an orientation of said mobile device with respect to a vertical plane;

or detecting an orientation of said mobile device with respect to a horizontal plane.

39. A method comprising:

at a mobile device coupled to a memory, electronically detecting a departure of said mobile device from a location by determining an estimate of a location of said mobile device and detecting that said estimated location is within a pre-defined geo-fenced area; and

pre-fetching, from said memory and in response to said detection of said departure, one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said electronically detecting said departure further comprises:

at said mobile device, electronically obtaining at least one of the following information;

time of day information;

day of week information;

month information;

year information;

or any combination thereof; and

electronically determining whether said electronically obtained information satisfies at least one of the following;

pre-defined time of day information;

pre-defined day of week information;

pre-defined month information;

pre-defined year information;

or any combination thereof.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein said electronically detecting said departure further comprises:

electronically determining a rate of speed of said mobile device; and

electronically determining whether said rate of speed corresponds to at least one of the following;

a rate of speed falling below a pre-defined threshold;

a rate of speed exceeding a pre-defined threshold;

or a rate of speed being between a lower threshold and a higher threshold.

42. The method of claim 39, and further comprising:

electronically performing a pre-defined action in connection with said mobile device based, at least in part, on said electronically detecting said departure of said mobile device.

43. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile device comprising a computing platform coupled to a memory and configured to;

electronically detect an arrival of said mobile device at a location by determining an estimate of a location of said mobile device and detecting that said estimated location is within a pre-defined geo-fenced area; and

pre-fetch, from said memory and in response to said detection of said arrival, one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising:

a receiver configured to at least monitor one or more wireless signals from at least one wireless network.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein pre-fetching one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device comprises pre-fetching one or more of the following:

information for an e-mail application;

information for a short messaging service (SMS) application;

information for a call application;

information representative of a contact list;

or information located at a pre-defined universal resource locator (URL).

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said computing platform is further configured to repeat said pre-fetching one or more electrical digital signals representative of said information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device at one or more pre-defined time intervals.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said one or more pre-defined time intervals are user-configurable.

48. An apparatus comprising:

means for processing one or more electrical digital signals received from at least one sensor at a mobile device coupled to a memory, the one or more electrical digital signals representing an informative gesture of a user;

means for inferring, in response to said processing said one or more electrical digital signals, a likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device; and

means for electronically pre-fetching information in connection with said executing said one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device based, at least in part, on said likelihood.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein said means for processing said one or more electrical digital signals comprises means for correlating at least two of said electrical digital signals with a pre-defined signal pattern or signature.

50. The apparatus of claim 48, and further comprising:

means for changing a power state of a first sensor supported by said mobile device from a sleep-mode state to an operational state in response to a signal received from a second sensor in a low-observability state also supported by said mobile device.

51. The apparatus of claim 48, and further comprising:

means for changing an appearance of a user interface associated with said mobile device based, at least in part, on a rate of speed detected by said mobile device at least meeting one or more pre-defined thresholds.

52. The apparatus of claim 48, and further comprising:

means for generating, with said mobile device, at least one gesture template based, at least in part, on an input gesture representative of at least one training sample; and

means for storing said at least one gesture template as one or more digital signals in said memory of said mobile device as part of a gesture vocabulary.

53. The apparatus of claim 48, and further comprising:

means for receiving the one or more digital signals representing the informative gesture of the user; and

means for identifying, upon accessing said gesture vocabulary from said memory, one or more digital signals representing said at least one gesture template as matching said informative gesture of said user.

54. An article comprising:

a storage medium having instructions stored thereon executable by a special purpose computing platform to;

process one or more electrical digital signals received from at least one sensor at a mobile device coupled to a memory, the one or more electrical digital signals representing an informative gesture of a user;

infer, in response to executing instructions to process said one or more electrical digital signals, a likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device; and

pre-fetch information in connection with said executing said one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device based, at least in part, on said likelihood.

55. The article of claim 54, wherein said instructions to process one or more electrical digital signals received from at least one sensor comprises at least one of the following:

instructions to transition said mobile device to be in an operational state;

or instructions to transition said at least one sensor to be in an operational state.

56. The article of claim 54, wherein said instructions to process said one or more electrical digital signals comprises instructions to correlate at least two of said electrical digital signals with a pre-defined signal pattern or signature.

57. The article of claim 54, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions to:

change an appearance of a user interface associated with said mobile device based, at least in part, on a rate of speed detected by said mobile device at least meeting one or more pre-defined thresholds.

58. The article of claim 54, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions to:

change a power state of a first sensor supported by said mobile device from a sleep-mode state to an operational state in response to a signal received from a second sensor in a low-observability state also supported by said mobile device.

59. The article of claim 54, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions to:

generate, with said mobile device, at least one gesture template based, at least in part, on an input gesture representative of at least one training sample; and

store said at least one gesture template as one or more digital signals in said memory of said mobile device as part of a gesture vocabulary.

60. The article of claim 59, wherein said storage medium further includes instructions to:

receive the one or more digital signals representing the informative gesture of the user; and

identify, upon accessing said gesture vocabulary from said memory, one or more digital signals representing said at least one gesture template as matching said informative gesture of said user.

61. A mobile device, comprising:

a memory means;

means for detecting an arrival of said mobile device at a location by determining an estimate of a location of said mobile device and detecting that said estimated location is within a pre-defined geo-fenced area; and

means for pre-fetching, from said memory means and in response to said detection of said arrival, one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device.

62. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

at least one instruction for detecting an arrival of said mobile device at a location by determining an estimate of a location of said mobile device and detecting that said estimated location is within a pre-defined geo-fenced area; and

at least one instruction for pre-fetching, from a memory of said mobile device and in response to said detection of said arrival, one or more electrical digital signals representative of information in connection with executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device.

63. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising:

at least one instruction for processing one or more electrical digital signals received from at least one sensor at a mobile device coupled to a memory, the one or more electrical digital signals representing an informative gesture of a user;

at least one instruction for inferring, in response to said processing said one or more electrical digital signals, a likelihood of a user executing one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device; and

at least one instruction for electronically pre-fetching information in connection with said executing said one or more applications and/or functions on said mobile device based, at least in part, on said likelihood.