Notifications for connected wearable devices

• US 9,408,048 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2015
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaleem, Farook, Paulrajan, Vijayanand K., Sibal, Sidharth R., Mahajan, Amit
• Primary Examiner(s): Sabouri, Mazda
• Application Number:
  US14/700,252
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

A user device includes a controlling application for a child'"'"'s wearable device. A network device receives configuration settings for an event widget that activates the wearable device to send a prepared text message to a trusted contact and to receive a pre-recorded audio message from the trusted contact. The network device downloads the event widget to the wearable device and receives a selection signal that the event widget was selected. The network device authorizes the wearable device to send the prepared text message to the trusted contact when the widget selection time or current location for the wearable device matches the stored configuration settings. The network device receives, from the trusted contact, an acknowledgement of the prepared text message and sends the pre-recorded audio message to the wearable device. The network device facilitates communications between the trusted contact and the controlling application to provide live video from the user device.

Claims

1. A method performed by an application server device, the method comprising:

providing, to a user device of a guardian, a controlling application for a connected wearable device of a child;

receiving, via the controlling application, configuration settings for an event widget that activates the connected wearable device to send a prepared text message to a trusted contact and to receive a pre-recorded audio message from the trusted contact;

storing the configuration settings associated with the connected wearable device;

downloading, to the connected wearable device, the event widget;

receiving, from the connected wearable device, a selection signal that the event widget has been selected;

identifying, based on the selection signal, a widget selection time and a current location for the connected wearable device;

comparing the widget selection time or current location for the connected wearable device against the stored configuration settings;

authorizing the connected wearable device to send the prepared text message to the trusted contact when one or more of the widget selection time or current location matches the stored configuration settings;

receiving, from the trusted contact, an acknowledgement of the prepared text message; and

sending, to the connected wearable device and in response to the acknowledgement, the pre-recorded audio message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the configuration settings includes:

receiving, via the controlling application, contact information for a trusted contact of the child;

receiving, via the controlling application, venue information for an activity of the child; and

receiving, via the controlling application, the pre-recorded audio message from the trusted contact.

3. The method of claim 2, the contact information including a phone number and a name.

4. The method of claim 2, the venue information including a widget icon, an event time, an event location, a trusted contact, and a notification message associated with the event widget.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

sending, to a third-party device of the trusted contact, a verification request for the contact information; and

receiving, from the third-party device, a response verifying the contact information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning a unique identifier for the event widget.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the selection signal includes the unique identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepared text message includes an acknowledgement option to direct an acknowledgement to the application server device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the prepared text message includes sending a short message service (SMS) message to the trusted contact via the application server device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing, based on the acknowledgement of the prepared text message, an option to view a video stream from the user device;

receiving, from the trusted contact in response to the option, a request to view the video stream;

providing, to the controlling application, the request to view the video stream;

receiving, from the controlling application, video stream information for the user device; and

sending, to the trusted contact, a link to access the video stream.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the trusted contact and to the application server device, an acknowledgement of the prepared text message.

12. A system, comprising:

a connected wearable device including a memory to store an event widget and a processor to execute the event widget;

a user device including a memory to store a controlling application for the connected wearable device and a processor to execute the controlling application;

a network device including a memory to store instructions and a processor to execute the instructions to;

receive, via the controlling application, configuration settings for an event widget that activates the connected wearable device to send a prepared text message to a trusted contact and to receive a pre-recorded audio message from the trusted contact;

store, in the memory, the configuration settings associated with the connected wearable device;

download, to the connected wearable device, the event widget;

receive, from the connected wearable device, a selection signal that the event widget has been selected;

identify, based on the selection signal, a widget selection time and a current location for the connected wearable device;

compare the widget selection time or location for the connected wearable device against the stored configuration settings;

authorize the connected wearable device to send the prepared text message to the trusted contact when one or more of the widget selection time or current location matches the stored configuration settings;

receive, from the trusted contact, an acknowledgement of the prepared text message; and

send, to the connected wearable device and in response to the acknowledgement, the pre-recorded audio message.

13. The system of claim 12, the configuration settings including:

a phone number and a name of a trusted contact; and

a widget icon, an event time, an event location, and a notification message associated with the event widget.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor of the network device is further to assign a unique identifier for the event widget.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

provide an audio version of the prepared text message to the trusted contact via an interactive voice response system.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor of the network device is further to:

forward the prepared text message to the trusted contact as a short message service (SMS) message.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor of the user device is further to:

send, to a device of the trusted contact, a verification request for the trusted contact; and

receive, from the device, a response verifying the trusted contact.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by a computational device to:

provide, to a user device, a controlling application for a connected wearable device;

receive, via the controlling application, configuration settings for an event widget that enables single-touch activation, on the connected wearable device, to send a prepared text message to a trusted contact and to receive a pre-recorded audio message from the trusted contact;

store the configuration settings associated with the connected wearable device;

download, to the connected wearable device, the event widget;

receive, from the connected wearable device, a selection signal that the event widget has been selected;

identify, based on the selection signal, a widget selection time and a current location for the connected wearable device;

compare the widget selection time or current location for the connected wearable device against the stored configuration settings;

authorize the connected wearable device to send the prepared text message to the trusted contact when one or more of the widget selection time or current location matches the stored configuration settings;

send the prepared text message to the trusted contact;

receive, from the trusted contact, an acknowledgement of the prepared text message; and

send, to the connected wearable device and in response to the acknowledgement, the pre-recorded audio message.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

provide, based on the acknowledgement of the prepared text message, an option to view a video stream from the user device;

receive, from the trusted contact in response to the option, a request to view the video stream;

provide, to the controlling application, the request to view the video stream;

receive, from the controlling application, video stream information for the user device; and

send, to the trusted contact, a link to access the video stream.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions to:

solicit, via the controlling application, contact information for a trusted contact; and

solicit, via the controlling application, venue information for an activity.