Managing alerts based on context

• US 9,210,545 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2012
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Sabatelli, Alessandro, Huang, Ronald K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beamer, Temica M
• Application Number:
  US13/597,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20130324160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/022 with dynamic range variability

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing alerts provided to a user of a mobile device based on context of the mobile device. For example, a perimeter of a geo fence can be decreased when the mobile device enters a particular context (such as when the user is traveling on a train), thereby decreasing unwanted alerts. As another example, certain alerts can be dynamically turned on based on the device entering a specified context (e.g., a particular application being executed or the mobile device is being carried by the user as the user is running), thereby allowing the user to receive alerts that he/she would not have otherwise received.

Claims

1. A method of managing location-based alerts to a user of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, instructions to provide a geo-fence around a location, the geo-fence having a perimeter, the perimeter being variable, wherein an alert is output from the mobile device when the mobile device crosses a current perimeter of the geo-fence;

establishing, with the electronic device, the perimeter of the geo-fence to have a default size in response to receiving the instructions;

detecting, with the electronic device, a change in a context of the mobile device to a first context; and

decreasing, with the electronic device, the perimeter of the geo-fence to have a second size that is smaller than the default size in response to the change of the mobile device to the first context so as to reduce a number of alerts.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is the mobile device or a server communicably coupled with the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the change of the mobile device to the first context, decreasing all perimeters of a plurality of geo-fences established for the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the device has the first context and the perimeter has the second size, the mobile device cannot cross the perimeter.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing the perimeter of the geo-fence turns off the geo-fence and reduces the number of alerts to zero.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the first context is no longer valid; and

in response to detecting that the first context is no longer valid, increasing the perimeter of the geo-fence to have at least the default size.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the output of the alerts includes audio, vibrational, and/or visual cues.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the default size of the perimeter is defined as a circle with a specified radius around the location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first context is that the mobile device is traveling on public transportation.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the change in the context includes at least one of:

a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile device and a change in operation of the mobile device.

10. A computer product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that when executed control a computer system to manage location-based alerts to a user of a mobile device, the instructions comprising:

receiving instructions to provide a geo-fence around a location, the geo-fence having a perimeter, the perimeter being variable, wherein an alert is output from the mobile device when the mobile device crosses a current perimeter of the geo-fence;

establishing the perimeter of the geo-fence to have a default size in response to receiving the instructions;

detecting a change in a context of the mobile device to a first context; and

decreasing the perimeter of the geo-fence to have a second size that is smaller than the default size in response to the change of the mobile device to the first context so as to reduce a number of alerts.

24. The computer product of claim 10, wherein the change in the context includes at least one of:

a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile device and a change in operation of the mobile device.

11. A method of managing location-based alerts to a user of a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving, at an electronic device, instructions to assign a respective geo-fence to each of a plurality of locations, each geo-fence having a perimeter that is variable, wherein an alert is output from the mobile device when the mobile device crosses a current perimeter of a geo-fence;

setting, with the electronic device, the perimeters of the geo-fences to have respective first sizes, the geo-fences including a first plurality of geo-fences and a second geo-fence;

detecting, with the electronic device, a change in a context of the mobile device; and

in response to the change in the context of the mobile device;

changing the respective perimeters of each of the first plurality of geo-fences to have respective second sizes that are different than the respective first sizes of the plurality of first geo-fences so as to change a number of alerts; and

keeping the perimeter of the second geo-fence at the respective first size of the second geo-fence.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the change to the second sizes causes asymmetric changes in shapes of the respective perimeters of the first plurality of geo-fences.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the respective first sizes are the same.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the instructions are provided at a plurality of times.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein changing the respective perimeters of the first plurality of geo-fences to the respective second sizes turns on the plurality of geo-fences by increasing the respective perimeters of the first plurality of geo-fences so as to increase the number of alerts.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein turning on the first plurality of geo-fences is accomplished by changing the respective perimeters of the first plurality of geo-fences from zero to non-zero sizes.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the instructions to assign respective geo-fences to each of the plurality of locations include a condition, and wherein the condition is that the mobile device has a first context, and wherein the detected change in the context of the mobile device is the mobile device entering the first context.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein changing the respective perimeters of the first plurality of geo-fences to the respective second sizes turns off the first plurality of geo-fences by decreasing the respective perimeters of the first plurality of geo-fences so as to reduce the number of alerts.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the change in the context of the mobile device occurs as a result of a time since establishing a first geo-fence of the first plurality of geo-fences crossing a threshold, wherein the perimeter of the geo-fence is increased.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the change in the context of the mobile device occurs as a result of a first application being executed on a processor of the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving from a user of the mobile device a specification of the respective first size of a first geo-fence of the first plurality of geo-fences.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the specification is received via a voice command, and wherein the respective first size is determined based on an urgency of the words used in the voice command.

25. The method of claim 11, wherein the geo-fences include a second plurality of geo-fences, and wherein the change in the context includes at least one of:

a change in a mode of transportation of the mobile device and a change in operation of the mobile device, the method further comprising;

in response to the change in the context of the mobile device, keeping the respective perimeters of each of the second plurality of geo-fences at the respective first sizes of the second plurality of geo-fences.