Mobile notifications based upon sensor data

• US 9,008,629 B1
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Masterman, Michael F.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, MAHENDRA R
• Application Number:
  US13/596,123
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 455/412.2, 455/418, 455/575.2, 709/224, 379/207.03
• US Class Current: 455/412.2
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments employed to generate device notifications based upon ambient conditions associated with a mobile device. To this end, a request to generate a device notification is obtained from a user application. Notification content is extracted from the request and an escalated or de-escalated notification level is applied that is based at least in part upon the ambient conditions of the mobile device and properties about the ambient conditions that can be identified.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program executable in a mobile device associated with a first user, the program, when executed by the mobile device, causing the mobile device to at least:

obtain a request to generate a mobile device notification from a user application executed in the mobile device, the request comprising notification content to be displayed in the mobile device notification, the request further comprising at least one requested notification type comprising at least one of;

a request to display a notification in an operating system user interface, a request to activate a light emitting diode (LED) in communication with the mobile device, a request to play a ringtone, or a request to activate a vibration motor associated with the mobile device;

obtain device sensor data associated with ambient conditions, the device sensor data comprising at least one of;

ambient sound data captured via a microphone associated with the mobile device, ambient light data associated with a light sensor associated with the mobile device, or movement data associated with an accelerometer associated with the mobile device;

identify a notification level defining at least one notification type comprising at least one of;

the request to display the notification in the operating system user interface, the request to activate the LED in communication with the mobile device, the request to play the ringtone, or the request to activate the vibration motor associated with the mobile device;

wherein the notification level is identified as an escalated notification level based at least in part on a determination that a variation in an amount of ambient light captured by the light sensor over a specified period of time satisfies a predefined threshold; and

wherein the notification level is identified as a de-escalated notification level based at least in part on a determination that a variation in an amount of ambient light captured by the light sensor over a specified period of time does not satisfy the predefined threshold; and

initiate the device notification according to the identified notification level.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining, in a mobile device, a notification data item associated with at least one application executed by the mobile device;

obtaining, in the mobile device, sensor data from at least one device sensor associated with the mobile device, the sensor data comprising ambient light data from an ambient light sensor;

identifying, in the mobile device, a notification level based at least in part on a variation in an amount of ambient light captured by the ambient light sensor over a specified period of time;

wherein the notification level is identified as an escalated notification level based at least in part on a determination that the variation in an amount of ambient light captured by the ambient light sensor over a specified period of time satisfies a predefined threshold, and

wherein the notification level is identified as a de-escalated notification level based in part on a determination that a variation in the amount of ambient light captured by the ambient light sensor over a specified period of time does not satisfy the predefined threshold; and

generating, in the mobile device, a device notification corresponding to the identified notification level.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining, in the mobile device, ambient sound data captured via a microphone associated with the mobile device; and

wherein generating the device notification corresponding to the identified notification level further comprises generating at least one of;

a notification user interface element rendered on a display device associated with the mobile device, an audible notification via a speaker associated with the mobile device, an activation of a vibration motor associated with the mobile device, or a visual notification via at least one externally visible light emitting diode (LED) associated with the mobile device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein obtaining the ambient sound data further comprises identifying a first sound characteristic associated with the ambient sound data, the sound characteristic comprising at least one of an ambient volume level or an ambient pitch.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein generating the device notification corresponding to the identified notification level further comprises:

generating the device notification corresponding to the escalated notification level when the ambient volume level exceeds a predefined threshold; and

generating the device notification corresponding to the de-escalated notification level when the ambient volume level is beneath a predefined threshold.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein generating the device notification corresponding to the identified notification level further comprises:

generating an audible tone having a second pitch that varies from the ambient pitch.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining, in the mobile device, ambient sound data captured via a microphone associated with the mobile device; and

determining that the ambient sound data contains at least one musical track, and wherein the generating of the device notification corresponding to the identified notification level further comprises generating an audible tone that varies from the at least one musical track.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining, in the mobile device, ambient sound data captured via a microphone associated with the mobile device; and

determining that the ambient sound contains at least one musical track, and wherein the generating of the device notification corresponding to the identified notification level further comprises generating an audible tone during a point in the at least one musical track at which a volume level of the at least one musical track is beneath a predefined threshold.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the sensor data from the at least one device sensor further comprises obtaining proximity data from a proximity sensor associated with the mobile device, and the generating of the device notification corresponding to the notification level further comprises specifying an escalated notification level when the proximity data indicates an absence of an object within a predetermined radius of the mobile device and specifying a de-escalated notification level when the proximity data indicates a presence of an object within the predetermined radius of the mobile device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein obtaining the sensor data from the at least one device sensor further comprises obtaining at least one image from at least one camera associated with the mobile device.

9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining, in a mobile device, a notification data item associated with at least one application executed by a mobile device;

obtaining, in the mobile device, ambient sound data captured via a microphone associated with the mobile device, and determining that the ambient sound data is associated with video content;

obtaining, in the mobile device, sensor data from at least one device sensor associated with the mobile device; and

generating, in the mobile device, a device notification corresponding to a notification level based at least in part upon an analysis of the ambient sound data and the sensor data, wherein generating the device notification corresponding to the notification level further comprises;

determining that the video content comprises to advertising content; and

selecting an escalated notification level when the video content comprises the advertising content.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein determining that the video content comprises the advertising content further comprises detecting a control tone in the ambient sound data, the control tone being associated with a broadcast commercial break in the video content.

13. A system, comprising:

an electronic data store; and

a mobile device in communication with the electronic data store, the mobile device being configured to at least;

obtain a notification request from an application executed in the mobile device to generate a device notification in the mobile device;

obtain ambient condition data from at least one ambient condition component associated with the mobile device;

determine an ambient condition based at least in part upon the ambient condition data, the ambient condition data comprising sensor data, wherein the sensor data comprises ambient light data from an ambient light sensor;

identify a notification level based at least in part upon the ambient condition; and

generate the device notification in the mobile device according to the identified notification level, the identified notification level comprising an escalated notification level when a variation in an amount of ambient light captured by the ambient light sensor over a specified period of time exceeds a predefined threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is further configured to at least obtain the ambient condition data over the specified period of time.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is further configured to at least generate the device notification in the mobile device according to the notification level by delaying the device notification until the ambient condition changes.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is further configured to least determine that a wireless personal area network interface associated with the mobile device is paired with a peripheral, and wherein the identifying of the notification level based at least in part upon the ambient condition further comprises specifying an escalated notification level in response to determining that the peripheral is connected to the mobile device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is further configured to at least determine that a wireless personal area network interface associated with the mobile device is paired with a peripheral, and wherein the identifying of the notification level based at least in part upon the ambient condition further comprises specifying an escalated notification level based upon a signal strength of a connection between the peripheral and the mobile device.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein specifying the escalated notification level in response to determining that the peripheral is connected to the mobile device further comprises specifying an escalated notification level in response to determining that a headset peripheral is disconnected from the wireless personal area network interface.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is further configured to determine the ambient condition based at least in part upon proximity data generated from a proximity sensor associated with the mobile device, the proximity data indicating that the mobile device is within a specified distance of an object.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the ambient condition component further comprises an accelerometer associated with the mobile device.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the ambient condition data further comprises at least one image from at least one camera associated with the mobile device.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the ambient condition data further comprises ambient sound data from a microphone associated with the mobile device, and the mobile device is further configured to delay the generation of the device notification until a volume level associated with the ambient sound data is beneath a predefined threshold.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the ambient condition data further comprises ambient sound data from a microphone associated with the mobile device, and the mobile device is further configured to generate the device notification by activating an audible notification at a volume level that is a preconfigured amount above an ambient volume level associated with the ambient sound data.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the device notification comprises a combination of at least one of:

generating a notification user interface element, initiating playing of a ringtone, activating a light emitting diode (LED) integrated with the mobile device, or activating a vibration motor integrated with the mobile device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the device notification further comprises at least one of a display brightness, a repeat frequency, a repeat pattern, or an intensity associated with the combination of the at least one of:

generating a notification user interface element, initiating playing of a ringtone, activating a light emitting diode (LED) integrated with the mobile device, or activating a vibration motor associated with the mobile device.