Suppressing alert messages based on microphone states of connected devices

• US 9,445,395 B1
• Filed: 06/16/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility LLC (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Iyer, Boby, Eklund, Jonathan E, Agrawal, Amit Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/740,662
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 455/458, 455/567, 455/418, 455/550.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

A method includes generating an alert message in a device. The device is one of a plurality of connected devices. The alert message is suppressed in the device responsive to a state of a microphone of any of the plurality of connected devices indicating an active state. A device includes a microphone, a speaker, and a processor coupled to the microphone and the speaker. The processor is to generate an alert message and suppress the alert message responsive to a state of a microphone of any of a plurality of connected devices including the device indicating an active state.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

generating an alert message in a device, the device being one of a plurality of connected devices;

suppressing the alert message in the device responsive to a state of a microphone of any of the plurality of connected devices indicating an active state; and

executing the alert message on the device responsive to identifying the state of the microphone of at least a subset of the plurality of connected devices in a common location indicating an inactive state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein suppressing the alert message comprises:

queuing the alert message; and

executing the queued alert message on the device responsive to identifying the states of the microphones in the plurality of connected devices indicating inactive states.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein executing the queued alert message comprises executing the queued alert message on a speaker of the device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the queued alert message comprises a voice assist message and the method further comprises and monitoring the microphone for a user response.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein executing the queued alert message further comprises voicing content associated with the voice assist message on the speaker responsive to the user response.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the content comprises one of a text message or an email message.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the alert message comprises an incoming communication request, and executing the queued alert message further comprises contacting an initiator of the incoming communication request responsive to the user response.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising querying the user prior to executing the queued alert message.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising queuing a plurality of alert messages during a time period that the states of the microphones in the plurality of connected devices indicate at least one active state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

suppressing the alert message in the device responsive to the state of the microphone of a selected one of the plurality of connected devices indicating an active state and being in a common location with the device.

11. A device, comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker; and

a processor coupled to the microphone and the speaker, wherein the processor is to generate an alert message, suppress the alert message responsive to a state of a microphone of any of a plurality of connected devices including the device indicating an active state, and execute the alert message on the device responsive to identifying the state of the microphone of at least a subset of the plurality of connected devices in a common location indicating an inactive state.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is to queue the alert message and execute the queued alert message on the device responsive to identifying the states of the microphones in the plurality of connected devices indicating inactive states.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the processor is to execute the queued alert message on a speaker of the device.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the queued alert message comprises a voice assist message and the processor is to monitor the microphone for a user response.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the processor is to voice content associated with the voice assist message on the speaker responsive to the user response.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the content comprises one of a text message or an email message.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the alert message comprises an incoming communication request, and the processor is to contact an initiator of the incoming communication request responsive to the user response.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the processor is to query the user prior to executing the queued alert message.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is to queue a plurality of alert messages during a time period that the states of the microphones in the plurality of connected devices indicate at least one active state.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is to suppress the alert message in the device responsive to the state of the microphone of a selected one of the plurality of connected devices indicating an active state and being in a common location with the device.