Periodic ambient waveform analysis for dynamic device configuration

• US 9,299,110 B2
• Filed: 10/19/2011
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Papakipos, Matthew Nicholas, Garcia, David Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): Bates, Kevin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Naoreen, Nazia
• Application Number:
  US13/277,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 709/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 19/018 Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold

Abstract

Client devices periodically capture ambient audio waveforms and modify their own device configuration based on the captured audio waveform. In particular embodiments, client devices generate waveform fingerprints and upload the fingerprints to a server for analysis. The server compares the waveform fingerprints to a database of stored waveform fingerprints, and upon finding a match, pushes content or other information to the client device. The fingerprints in the database may be uploaded by other users, and compared to the received client waveform fingerprint based on common location or other social factors. Thus a client'"'"'s location may be enhanced if the location of users whose fingerprints match the client'"'"'s is known, and, based upon this enhanced location, the server may transmit an instruction to the device to modify its device configuration.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a computing system, generating a waveform fingerprint based on captured ambient audio data;

by the computing system, calculating a self-determined location of the computing system;

by the computing system, sending the generated waveform fingerprint and the self-determined location to a server;

by the computing system, receiving instructions from the server to adjust one or more device settings of the computing system, the instructions based at least in part on identifying one or more audio fingerprints that match the generated waveform fingerprint and correlating metadata of one or more of the identified audio fingerprints to refine the self-determined location of the computing system; and

by the computing system, adjusting one or more of the device settings of the computing system in accordance with the received instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the device settings comprises, by the computing system, adjusting a ringer volume of the computing system based on the refined self-determined location.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the device settings comprises, by the computing system, enabling a vibrate mode based on the refined self-determined location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises information correlating the self-determined location with a particular venue or geographic location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting one or more of the device settings occurs while the computing system is at the self-determined location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the self-determined location is based on location data of the computing system or an action on a social network.

7. A method comprising:

by one or more computing systems, receiving a waveform fingerprint and a client-determined location from a client device, wherein the waveform fingerprint was generated based on ambient audio data captured by the client device;

by one or more computing systems, comparing the received waveform fingerprint to a database of stored waveform fingerprints, each stored waveform fingerprint associated with an object in an object database;

by one or more computing systems, finding one or more matching fingerprints from the fingerprint database, wherein the matching fingerprints match the received waveform fingerprint; and

by one or more computing systems, sending one or more instructions to adjust one or more device settings of the client device, the instructions based at least in part on the matching fingerprints fingerprint and correlating metadata of one or more of the identified audio fingerprints to refine the client-determined location.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

by one or more computing systems, searching one or more external databases associated with one or more geographic locations in the vicinity of the client-determined location;

by one or more computing systems, upon finding a match for the one or more objects associated with the one or more matching fingerprints, assigning the geographic location associated with the database in which the match was found to the client-determined location; and

wherein

the one or more instructions to adjust one or more device settings is further based on the geographic location.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the stored waveform fingerprints comprise uploaded waveform fingerprints from one or more other users represented by nodes on a social network, and further comprising:

by one or more computing systems, querying a social graph for location information associated with the one or more other nodes whose uploaded fingerprints match the received reference data, and wherein

the one or more instructions to adjust one or more device settings is further based on the location information returned by the social graph in response to the query.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises a check-in to a particular geographic location.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the location information comprises an RSVP to a particular event.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions are operable to instruct the client device to increase its ringer volume.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions are operable to instruct the client device to decrease its ringer volume.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more instructions are operable to instruct the client device to enable a vibrate mode.

15. A non-transitory, computer-readable media comprising instructions operable, when executed by one or more computing systems, to

generate a waveform fingerprint based on captured ambient audio data;

calculate a self-determined location of a client computing system;

send the generated waveform fingerprint and the self-determined location to a server;

receive instructions from the server to adjust one or more device settings of the client computing system, the instructions based at least in part on one or more audio fingerprints that match the generated waveform fingerprint and correlating metadata of one or more of the identified audio fingerprints to refine the self-determined location of the client computing system; and

adjust one or more of the device settings of the client computing system in accordance with the received instructions.

16. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further operable to adjust a ringer volume of the client computing system based on the refined self-determined location.

17. The media of claim 15, wherein the instructions are further operable to enable a vibrate mode based on the refined self-determined location.

18. The media of claim 15, wherein the metadata comprises information correlating the self-determined location with a particular venue or geographic location.

19. The media of claim 15, wherein adjusting one or more of the device settings occurs while the client computing device is at the self-determined location.

20. The media of claim 15, wherein calculating the self-determined location is based on location data of the client computing system or an action on a social network.