Notification classification and display

• US 9,100,357 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2014
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Duarte, Matias Gonzalo, Shiplacoff, Daniel Marc Gatan, Paglia, Marco, Faaborg, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Spieler, William
• Application Number:
  US14/279,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20140258883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/575 Means for retrieving and displaying personal data about calling party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• 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 can include receiving, by a notification module operable by a computing device, an instruction to generate a contextual notification and notification information associated with the instruction. The method also cam include generating, by the notification module and in response to receiving the instruction, a notification object. In some examples, the method can include assigning, by the notification module and based on the notification information, the notification object to at least one notification class from a plurality of notification classes. The example method can also include generating, by the computing device and based at least in part on the at least one notification class to which the notification object is assigned, the contextual notification by populating the notification object with the notification information; and outputting the contextual notification in a manner based at least in part on the at least one notification class.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a notification module operable by a computing device, an instruction to generate a contextual notification;

responsive to determining, at a first time and based on a context of the computing device at the first time, that the contextual notification is relevant to a user of the computing device at the first time, assigning, by the notification module and based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the first time and notification information associated with the contextual notification, the contextual notification to a first notification class from a plurality of notification classes, wherein the context of the computing device comprises at least one of

     1) information associated with a current task being performed by the computing device,

     2) information associated with a user of the computing device, or

     3) information associated with at least one sensor of the computing device;

outputting, for display and in a format that is determined based at least in part on the first notification class to which the contextual notification is assigned, a graphical indication of the contextual notification;

responsive to determining, at a second time and based on a context of the computing device at the second time, that the contextual notification is not relevant to the user of the computing device at the second time, assigning, by the notification module and based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the second time and the notification information, the contextual notification to a second notification class from the plurality of notification classes; and

responsive to assigning the contextual notification to the second notification class, updating the graphical indication of the contextual notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the contextual notification comprises an indication of at least one of:

an application executing at the computing device or a contact of the user of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the information associated with the contextual notification comprises the indication of the contact of the user of the computing device;

the current task being performed by the computing device at the first time comprises drafting a communication associated with the contact; and

the current task being performed by the computing device at the second time comprises a task not associated with the contact.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first notification class is different than the second notification class.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein updating the graphical indication of the contextual notification comprises ceasing to output, for display, the graphical indication of the contextual notification while maintaining the contextual notification.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

responsive to determining, at a third time and based on a context of the computing device at the third time, that the contextual notification is relevant to the user of the computing device at the third time, assigning, by the notification module and based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the third time and the notification information, the contextual notification to a third notification class from the plurality of notification classes; and

responsive to assigning the contextual notification to the third notification class, outputting, for display and in a format that is determined based at least in part on the third notification class to which the contextual notification is assigned, the graphical indication of the contextual notification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the contextual notification to the second notification class comprises dismissing the contextual notification.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the information associated with the contextual notification comprises an indication of a missed phone call from a contact of the user of the computing device;

determining that the contextual notification is not relevant to the user of the computing device at the second time comprises determining that a communication with the contact has been initiated; and

assigning the contextual notification to the second notification class comprises dismissing the contextual notification.

9. A computing device comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one module, operable by the at least one processor, to;

receive an instruction to generate a contextual notification;

responsive to determining, at a first time and based on a context of the computing device at the first time, that the contextual notification is relevant to a user of the computing device at the first time, assign, based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the first time and notification information associated with the contextual notification, the contextual notification to a first notification class from a plurality of notification classes, wherein the context of the computing device comprises at least one of

     1) information associated with a current task being performed by the computing device,

     2) information associated with a user of the computing device, or

     3) information associated with at least one sensor of the computing device;

output, for display and in a format that is determined based at least in part on the first notification class to which the contextual notification is assigned, a graphical indication of the contextual notification;

responsive to determining, at a second time and based on a context of the computing device at the second time, that the contextual notification is not relevant to the user of the computing device at the second time, assign, based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the second time and the notification information, the contextual notification to a second notification class from the plurality of notification classes; and

responsive to assigning the contextual notification to the second notification class, update the graphical indication of the contextual notification.

10. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the information associated with the contextual notification comprises an indication at least one of:

an application executing at the computing device or a contact of the user of the computing device.

11. The computing device of claim 10, wherein:

the information associated with the contextual notification comprises the indication of the contact of the user of the computing device;

the current task being performed by the computing device at the first time comprises drafting a communication associated with the contact; and

the current task being performed by the computing device at the second time comprises a task not associated with the contact.

12. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the first notification class is different than the second notification class.

13. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one module operable to update the graphical indication of the contextual notification is operable to cease outputting, for display, the graphical indication of the contextual notification while maintaining the contextual notification.

14. The computing device of claim 13, wherein the at least one module is further operable, by the at least one processor, to:

responsive to determining, at a third time and based on a context of the computing device at the third time, that the contextual notification is relevant to the user of the computing device at the third time, assign, based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the third time and the notification information, the contextual notification to a third notification class from the plurality of notification classes; and

responsive to assigning the contextual notification to the third notification class, output, for display and in a format that is determined based at least in part on the third notification class to which the contextual notification is assigned, the graphical indication of the contextual notification.

15. The computing device of claim 9, wherein the at least one module operable to assign the contextual notification to the second notification class is operable to dismiss the contextual notification.

16. The computing device of claim 9, wherein:

the information associated with the contextual notification comprises an indication of a missed phone call from a contact of the user of the computing device;

determining that the contextual notification is not relevant to the user of the computing device at the second time comprises determining that a communication with the contact has been initiated; and

the at least one module operable to assign the contextual notification to the second notification class is operable to dismiss the contextual notification.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to:

receive an instruction to generate a contextual notification;

responsive to determining, at a first time and based on a context of the computing device at the first time, that the contextual notification is relevant to a user of the computing device at the first time, assign, based at least in part on the context of the computing device at the first time and notification information associated with the contextual notification, the contextual notification to a first notification class from a plurality of notification classes, wherein the context of the computing device comprises at least one of

     1) information associated with a current task being performed by the computing device,

     2) information associated with a user of the computing device, or

     3) information associated with at least one sensor of the computing device;

output, for display and in a format that is determined based at least in part on the first notification class to which the contextual notification is assigned, a graphical indication of the contextual notification;

responsive to determining, at a second time and based on a context of the computing device at the second time, that the contextual notification is not relevant to the user of the computing device at the second time, assign, based at least in part on the updated context of the computing device at the second time and the notification information, the contextual notification to a second notification class from the plurality of notification classes; and

responsive to assigning the contextual notification to the second notification class, update the graphical indication of the contextual notification.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the information associated with the contextual notification comprises an indication of at least one of:

an application executing at the computing device or a contact of the user of the computing device.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions to cause the at least one processor to update the output graphical indication of the contextual notification comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to cease outputting, for display, the graphical indication of the contextual notification.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to cause the at least one processor to assign the contextual notification to the second notification class comprise instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to dismiss the contextual notification.