Context-aware notifications

• US 9,075,435 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Noble, Isaac Scott, Bell, Matthew Paul, Strutt, Guenael Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, NICHOLAS J
• Application Number:
  US13/867,988
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• 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

Abstract

Systems and approaches are provided for presenting incoming notifications to a computing device based on a determined context of the computing device. Various sensors of the device can be used to determine the context of the device with respect to a user, the state of the device itself, or the context of the device with respect to the environment in which the device is situated. The user can then be informed of received notifications in a manner likely to get the user'"'"'s attention while not being overly obtrusive to the user or others within the vicinity of the user.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;

a display element;

one or more cameras;

one or more additional sensors; and

memory including instructions that, upon being executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

obtain a first notification to be presented to a user of the computing device;

capture one or more first images using the one or more cameras;

determine a first gaze direction of the user relative to the display element based at least in part upon the one or more first images;

capture first sensor data using the one or more additional sensors;

determine whether the user is proximate to the computing device based at least in part upon the first sensor data;

present a visual indication associated with the first notification based at least in part upon determining that the first gaze direction of the user is directed to the display element and the user is proximate to the computing device according to the first sensor data;

obtain a second notification to be presented to the user;

capture one or more second images using the cameras;

determine a second gaze direction of the user relative to the display element based at least in part upon the one or more second images;

capture second sensor data using the one or more additional sensors;

determine whether the user is proximate to the computing device based at least in part upon the second sensor data; and

present at least one of a first aural indication associated with the second notification or a first tactile indication associated with the second notification based at least in part upon determining that the second gaze direction of the user is directed away from the display element and the user is proximate to the computing device according to the second sensor data.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the instructions upon being executed further cause the computing device to:

present at least one of a second aural indication associated with the second notification or a second tactile indication associated with the notification based at least in part upon determining that the second gaze direction of the user is directed away from the display element and the user is not proximate to the computing device.

3. The computing device of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification differs from the at least one of the second aural indication associated with the second notification or the second tactile indication associated with the second notification according to at least one of pattern, duration of time, or intensity level.

4. A method for presenting information, comprising:

obtaining a first notification to be presented on a computing device;

determining a first gaze direction of a user relative to a display element of the computing device;

presenting a visual indication associated with the first notification based at least in part upon determining that the first gaze direction of the user is directed to the display element;

obtaining a second notification to be presented on the computing device;

determining a second gaze direction of the user relative to the display element; and

presenting at least one of a first aural indication associated with the second notification or a first tactile indication associated with the second notification based at least in part upon determining that the second gaze direction of the user is directed away from the display element.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining whether the user is proximate to the computing device,

wherein the visual indication associated with the first notification is further based at least in part upon determining that the user is proximate to the computing device, and

wherein the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon determining that the user is proximate to the computing device.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

presenting at least one of a second aural indication associated with the second notification or a second tactile indication associated with the second notification based at least in part upon determining that the second gaze direction of the user is directed away from the display element and the user is not proximate to the computing device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification differs from the at least one of the second aural indication associated with the second notification or the second tactile indication associated with the second notification according to at least one of pattern, duration of time, or intensity level.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

capturing at least one of motion data or orientation data using one or more inertial sensors of the computing device; and

determining a location of the computing device relative to the user based at least in part upon the one of the motion data or the orientation data, the location corresponding to one of a hand of the user, a pocket of the user, or a bag of the user,

wherein the visual indication associated with the first notification is further based at least in part upon determining that the location corresponds to the hand of the user and the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon determining that the location corresponds to the pocket of the user or the bag of the user.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

capturing at least one temperature using at least one thermal sensor of the computing device; and

comparing the at least one temperature to a threshold temperature,

wherein presenting the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon determining that at least one temperature exceeds the threshold temperature.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a force being applied to at least one surface of the computing device using at least one pressure sensor of the computing device; and

comparing the force being applied to a threshold force,

wherein presenting the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon determining that the force being applied exceeds the threshold force.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining a geographical location of the device using at least one of a camera, a GPS component, a cellular phone network component, a Wi-Fi component, a radio frequency component, an infra-red transceiver, or a Bluetooth component of the computing device, the geographical location corresponding to a noise level,

wherein presenting the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon the noise level.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining ambient noise level using at least one microphone of the computing device; and

comparing the ambient noise level to a threshold noise level,

wherein presenting the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon determining that the ambient noise level exceeds the threshold noise level.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein determining whether the user is proximate to the computing device is based at least in part upon sensor data captured using one or more sensors of the computing device, the one or more sensors including one or more cameras, touch sensors, resistive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, pressure sensors, inertial sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, thermal sensors, multi-touch force-sensitive resistive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, resistive sensors, pressure sensors, or interpolating force-sensitive resistive array (IFSR) touch sensors.

14. The method of claim 4, wherein presenting the visual indication associated with the first notification includes at least one of displaying one or more graphical elements on the display element flashing one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of the computing device, and presenting the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification includes at least one of emitting one or more audio signals using one or more speakers of the computing device or vibrating the computing device using one or more vibration elements of the computing device.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

selecting between at least one of a first pattern, a first duration, or a first intensity level and a respective second pattern, a second duration, or a second intensity level for displaying the one or more graphical elements on the display element, flashing the one or more LEDs, emitting the one or more audio signals, or vibrating the computing device.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for presenting information, the instructions, upon being executed by one or more processors, causing the one or more processors to:

obtain a first notification to be presented on a computing device;

determine a first context of the computing device using one or more sensors of the computing device, the first context including at least first information corresponding to a first gaze direction of a user in relation to a display element of the computing device;

present a visual indication associated with the first notification based at least in part upon the first context including the first information corresponding to the first gaze direction of the user being directed to the display element;

obtain a second notification to be presented on the computing device;

determine a second context of the computing device using the one or more sensors of the computing device, the second context including at least second information corresponding to a second gaze direction of the user in relation to the display element; and

present at least one of a first aural indication associated with the second notification or a first tactile indication associated with the second notification based at least in part upon the second context including the second information corresponding to the second gaze direction of the being directed away from the display element.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein:

the one or more sensors includes one or more cameras, touch sensors, resistive sensors, capacitive sensors, optical sensors, pressure sensors, inertial sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, microphones, or thermal sensors; and

the first context and the second context of the computing device further including, respectively, third information and fourth information corresponding to whether the user is proximate to the computing device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions upon being executed further cause the computing device to:

present at least one of a second aural indication associated with the second notification or a second tactile indication associated with the second notification based at least in part upon the second context including the second information that the second gaze direction of the user is directed away from the display element and the fourth information corresponding to the user not being proximate to the computing device,

wherein the visual indication associated with the first notification is further based at least in part upon the third information corresponding to the user being proximate to the computing device, and

wherein the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification is further based at least in part upon the fourth information corresponding to the user being proximate to the computing device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the visual indication associated with the first notification includes at least one of one or more graphical elements on the display element or flashes of one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of the computing device, and the at least one of the first aural indication associated with the second notification or the first tactile indication associated with the second notification includes at least one of one or more audio signals from one or more speakers of the computing device or vibrations of the computing device from one or more vibration elements of the computing device.