Mobile devices control

• US 9,420,432 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2012
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Matthews, Joseph H. III, Schrader, Joseph A., Chen, Ted Tai-Yu, Sarin, Raman K., King, Joseph Spencer
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JOSHUA L
• Application Number:
  US13/726,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20130295913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,333 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/456.4, 455/410, 455/418, 455/419
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6075 adapted for handsfree use in a vehicle H04M1/6058 takes precedence; arrangements for holding telephones in a vehicle B60R11/0241
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724634 With partially locked states, e.g. when some telephonic functional locked states or applications remain accessible in the locked states

Abstract

In embodiments of mobile devices control, a mobile device includes a communication interface for control communication with associated devices of the mobile device, and the associated devices correspond to members of a private interaction hub. A device control service is implemented to determine that the mobile device is moving in a vehicle based on motion data, and can generate a device quiet control to restrict at least audible outputs from one or more of the associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device. The device control service can then initiate communication of the device quiet control to the associated devices in the vehicle to quiet the associated devices that are controllable from the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile device, comprising:

a communication interface configured for control communication with associated devices of the mobile device, the associated devices corresponding to different members of a private interaction hub that are controllable by the mobile device, the private interaction hub providing a single unified access point to shared hub data;

a processing system to implement computer instructions as a device control service that is configured to;

synchronize a local copy of membership association member users identifiers with hub data stored on a cloud storage and service;

determine that the mobile device is moving in a vehicle based on motion data;

using the local copy of membership association member users identifiers, determine that one or more of the associated devices that correspond to members of the private interaction hub are in the vehicle with the mobile device;

generate a device quiet control to restrict at least audible outputs from the one or more of the associated devices that correspond to members of the private interaction hub determined to be in the vehicle with the mobile device; and

initiate communication of the device quiet control to the one or more associated devices to quiet the associated devices that are controllable from the mobile device.

2. A mobile device as recited in claim 1, further comprising an integrated display device configured to display a device control user interface, and wherein a device quiet input is received via the device control user interface to initiate the device quiet control for the one or more associated devices.

3. A mobile device as recited in claim 1, further comprising a positioning unit configured to determine the motion data that indicates the mobile device is moving.

4. A mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the device control service is further configured to generate the device quiet control to restrict communication functions of the one or more associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device.

5. A mobile device as recited in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a designated quiet zone, and the device control service is configured to:

recognize that the mobile device is located in the designated quiet zone; and

generate the device quiet control to quiet the one or more associated devices within the designated quiet zone.

6. A method, comprising:

synchronizing a local copy of membership association member users identifiers with hub data stored on a cloud storage and service;

determining that a mobile device is moving in a vehicle based on motion data;

using the local copy of membership association member users identifiers, determining that one or more associated devices that correspond to members of a private interaction hub are in the vehicle with the mobile device;

generating a device quiet control to restrict at least audible outputs from the one or more associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device, the associated devices corresponding to different members of the private interaction hub that are controllable by the mobile device, the private interaction hub providing a single unified access point to shared hub data; and

communicating the device quiet control to the one or more associated devices to quiet the one or more associated devices that are controllable from the mobile device.

7. A method as recited in claim 6, further comprising

displaying a device control user interface;

and

receiving a device quiet input via the device control user interface to initiate the device quiet control for the associated devices.

8. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the device quiet control is generated to restrict communication functions of the associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device.

9. A method as recited in claim 6, wherein the vehicle is a designated quiet zone, and the method further comprising:

recognizing that the mobile device is located in the designated quiet zone, and the device quiet control is generated to quiet the associated devices within the designated quiet zone.

10. A device quiet system, comprising:

a network service device to execute computer instructions as a device control service that is configured to;

synchronize a local copy of membership association identifiers with hub data stored on a cloud storage and service;

receive a device distraction input from a mobile device that is moving in a vehicle;

determine that one or more associated devices that correspond to members of a private interaction hub are in the vehicle with the mobile device;

generate a device quiet control to restrict at least audible outputs from the one or more associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device, the associated devices corresponding to different members of the private interaction hub, the private interaction hub providing a single unified access point to shared hub data;

using the local copy of membership identifiers, determine the associated devices that are controllable by the mobile device based on identifiers of the mobile device and the associated devices; and

communicate the device quiet control to the associated devices to quiet the associated devices.

11. A device quiet system as recited in claim 10, wherein the device distraction input is a user input to the mobile device to initiate the device quiet control for the associated devices.

12. A device quiet system as recited in claim 10, wherein the device control service is configured to receive motion data from a positioning unit of the mobile device, the motion data indicating that the mobile device is moving in the vehicle.

13. A device quiet system as recited in claim 10, wherein the device control service is configured to generate the device quiet control to restrict communication functions of the associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device.

14. A device quiet system as recited in claim 10, wherein the device quiet control is generated to quiet the associated devices for a designated time duration.

15. A device quiet system as recited in claim 10, wherein the device distraction input includes an indication that audio in the vehicle is a driver distraction, and wherein the device control service is configured to:

generate a distracted driving notification to indicate that the audio in the vehicle is a driver distraction; and

communicate the distracted driving notification to the associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device.

16. A device quiet system as recited in claim 15, wherein the distracted driving notification is communicated for display at the associated devices to indicate that use of an associated device is restricted in a safe driving mode.

17. One or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions which, when executed, perform operations comprising:

synchronizing a local copy of membership association member users identifiers with hub data stored on a cloud storage and service;

determining that a mobile device is moving in a vehicle based on motion data;

using the local copy of membership association member users identifiers, determining that one or more associated devices that correspond to members of a private interaction hub are in the vehicle with the mobile device;

generating a device quiet control to restrict at least audible outputs from the one or more of the associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device, the associated devices corresponding to different members of the private interaction hub, the private interaction hub providing a single unified access point to shared hub data; and

initiating communication of the device quiet control to the one or more associated devices to quiet the associated devices that are controllable from the mobile device.

18. The one or more memory devices of claim 17, further comprising displaying a device control user interface, and receiving a device quiet input via the device control user interface to initiate the device quiet control for the one or more associated devices.

19. The one or more memory devices of claim 17, further comprising using a positioning unit to determine the motion data that indicates the mobile device is moving.

20. The one or more memory devices of claim 17, further comprising generating the device quiet control to restrict communication functions of the one or more associated devices that are in the vehicle with the mobile device.