Multi-level mobile device profiles

• US 9,582,139 B1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Tseng, Erick
• Primary Examiner(s): SAX, STEVEN PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/482,088
• Time in Patent Office: 1,736 Days
• Field of Search: 715/741
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/173 using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/14 Solving problems related to the presentation of information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/145 related to small screens
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

A method of configuring a mobile device includes providing for a mobile computing device a plurality of device profiles that each define a manner in which the mobile computing device interacts with a user, operating the mobile computing device using a first profile of the plurality of device profiles, automatically, and without user input, identifying by the mobile computing device that the mobile computing device has changed states, in response to the determining, presenting a user of the mobile computing device with a list of device profiles available to the mobile computing device and a selectable control for selecting one of the profiles in the list, receiving, from the user, an instruction to switch to a second profile of the device profiles in the list that is separate and distinct form the first profile, and configuring the mobile computing device to operate according to the second profile.

Claims

1. A method of configuring a mobile device, the method comprising:

providing, for a mobile computing device, a plurality of device profiles that each define a manner in which the mobile computing device interacts with one or more users, the plurality of device profiles including;

(i) a first profile that causes presentation of a first user interface including a first set of applications, and

(ii) a second profile that causes presentation of a second user interface including a second set of applications,

wherein the second profile is separate and distinct from the first profile,

wherein the second set of applications is different from the first set of applications;

operating the mobile computing device using the first profile of the plurality of device profiles so as to cause the mobile computing device to present the first user interface that includes the first set of applications;

automatically, without user input, identifying by the mobile computing device that the mobile computing device has changed states as a result of the mobile computing device changing from a first geographic location that is associated with a first state to a second geographic location that is associated with a second state;

in response to automatically identifying that the mobile computing device has changed states as a result of the mobile computing device changing from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, presenting a list of one or more of the device profiles that are available to the mobile computing device and a selectable control for selecting one of the one or more profiles in the list, the list of one or more of the device profiles including the second profile;

receiving, from a user, an instruction to switch to the second profile of the device profiles in the list that is separate and distinct from the first profile;

challenging the user for authentication information as a result of receiving the instruction to switch from the first profile to the second profile; and

configuring the mobile computing device, in response to having received the instruction to switch to the second profile and in response to the user providing correct authentication information, to operate according to the second profile so as to cause the mobile computing device to present the second user interface that includes the second set of applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the selectable control includes displaying a highlight on the second profile in the list, the highlight being movable through the list for the user to select other profiles in the list.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the selectable control includes enabling the user to select a mechanical control that is outside of a display in the mobile computing device to switch between the first profile and the second profile.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein operating the mobile computing device using the first profile includes configuring the mobile computing device to use a default profile as the first profile in response to performing a power up sequence on the mobile computing device, wherein the default profile does not reflect any personalization for the user, or at least some user preferences but fewer user preferences than are displayed using the second profile.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the instruction to switch to the second profile includes receiving user input that interacts with the presented list of one or more of the device profiles to cause the mobile computing device to switch from the first profile to the second profile, the list of one or more of the device profiles being presented automatically as a result of identifying that the mobile computing device has switched states.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the mobile computing device to operate according to the second profile includes making available to the user different applications than are made available with the first profile.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a current time for the mobile computing device;

determining that the current time for the mobile computing device is associated with the second profile; and

presenting the selectable control in response to determining that the local time indicates that the selectable control should be presented in order to use the second profile.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying that the mobile computing device has changed states includes identifying that an individual in a list of contacts has appeared within a threshold distance of the mobile computing device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying that the mobile computing device has changed states includes identifying that that the mobile computing device is moving at more than a threshold rate of speed.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying that the mobile computing device has changed states includes identifying that the mobile computing device exceeded a threshold rate of speed and then remained stationary for more than a threshold period of time.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically identifying that the mobile computing device has changed states includes identifying that the mobile computing device is within a threshold distance of a path that is between geographical locations and that was specified by user input at the mobile computing device.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the mobile computing device to operate according to the second profile includes elevating in visual prominence, to a home display of the mobile computing device, an icon to launch a particular application program.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the mobile computing device to operate according to the second profile includes automatically activating an application program without receipt of user input.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the mobile computing device to operate according to the second profile includes automatically changing an email account that is displayed in a messaging application, without receipt of user input, by switching from a first email account for a first domain to a second email account for a second domain.

8. One or more non-transitory recordable media having recorded thereon instructions that, when executed, perform operations comprising:

providing, for a mobile computing device, a plurality of device profiles that each define a manner in which the mobile computing device interacts with one or more users, the plurality of device profiles including;

(i) a first profile that causes presentation of a first user interface including a first set of applications, and

(ii) a second profile that causes presentation of a second user interface including a second set of applications,

wherein the second profile is separate and distinct from the first profile,

wherein the second set of applications is different from the first set of applications;

operating the mobile computing device using the first profile of the plurality of device profiles so as to cause the mobile computing device to present the first user interface that includes the first set of applications;

automatically, without user input, identifying by the mobile computing device that the mobile computing device has changed states as a result of the mobile computing device changing from a first geographic location that is associated with a first state to a second geographic location that is associated with a second state;

in response to automatically identifying that the mobile computing device has changed states as a result of the mobile computing device changing from the first geographic location to the second geographic location, presenting a list of one or more of the device profiles that are available to the mobile computing device and a selectable control for selecting one of the one or more profiles in the list, the list of one or more of the device profiles including the second profile;

receiving, from a user, an instruction to switch to the second profile of the device profiles in the list that is separate and distinct from the first profile;

challenging the user for authentication information as a result of receiving the instruction to switch from the first profile to the second profile; and

configuring the mobile computing device, in response to having received the instruction to switch to the second profile and in response to the user providing correct authentication information, to operate according to the second profile so as to cause the mobile computing device to present the second user interface that includes the second set of applications.

9. The non-transitory recordable media of claim 8, wherein the first profile is associated with a first email account for the user that is different than a second email account that is associated with the second profile.

10. The non-transitory recordable media of claim 8, wherein presenting the selectable control includes displaying a highlight on the second profile in the list, the movable highlight being scrollable through the list for the user to select other profiles in the list.

11. The non-transitory recordable media of claim 8, wherein configuring the mobile computing device to operate according to the second profile includes making available to the user different applications than are made available with the first profile.

12. The non-transitory recordable media of claim 8, wherein the operations further comprise:

detecting a current time for the mobile computing device;

determining that the current time for the mobile computing device is associated with the second profile; and

presenting the selectable control in response to determining that the local time indicates that the selectable control should be presented in order to use the second profile.