Coordinated notifications

• US 9,974,046 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Bradley, Bob, Cary, James B., Krochmal, Marc J., Shepherd, Matthew E., Crane, Neil G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manoharan, Muthuswamy
• Application Number:
  US15/191,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20170359798A1
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 455567
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/10 using simulcast notification

Abstract

A device may broadcast an indication of an activity level of the device. The device may also receive a notification of an incoming message and receive at least one broadcast from at least one additional device also receiving the notification of the incoming message including an indication of at least one activity level of the at least one additional device. The device may compare its own activity level with the received at least one activity level. In response to determining that the activity level of the device is equal to or greater than a highest received at least one activity level, the device may display the notification of the incoming message.

Claims

1. A method comprising, in a first device:

receiving a notification of an incoming message by the first device;

generating a first ranking score based on an activity level of the first device, wherein the activity level is based on the first device having a current connection to a second device corresponding to a particular device type;

adjusting the first ranking score based on the incoming message and one or more particular applications associated with the first device;

broadcasting an indication of the activity level of the first device;

receiving at least one broadcast from at least one additional device that also received the notification of the incoming message, the broadcast including an indication of at least one activity level of the at least one additional device and at least one corresponding ranking score;

comparing the first ranking score corresponding to the activity level of the first device with the received at least one corresponding ranking score; and

in response to determining that the first ranking score of the first device is equal to or greater than a highest received at least one corresponding ranking score, displaying the notification of the incoming message.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

suppressing the notification of the incoming message in response to determining that the first ranking score of the first device is less than a highest received at least one corresponding ranking score.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity level is based on at least one of a current connection with an in-car system, a current connection with a watch, or a condition of having been recently interacted with by a user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the activity level comprises:

determining a highest-ranked activity from among at least one activity being performed by the first device; and

assigning a ranked activity level to the first device corresponding to the highest-ranked activity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one activity being performed by the first device comprises at least one of:

a current connection with an in-car system having a first rank, a current connection with a watch having a second rank lower than the first rank, being in a condition of having been recently interacted with by a user having a third rank lower than the second rank, currently displaying active audio, video, or a combination thereof having a fourth rank lower than the third rank, being located relative to the at least one additional device having a fifth rank lower than the third rank, being in motion having a sixth rank lower than the third rank, and processing audio inputs, visual inputs, or a combination thereof having a seventh rank lower than the third rank.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the indication of the activity level of the first device comprises a ranked activity level;

the indication of the at least one activity level of the at least one additional device comprises a ranked activity level; and

comparing the activity level of the first device with the received at least one activity level comprises comparing the rank of the activity level of the first device with at least one rank of the at least one activity level of the at least one additional device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the indication of the activity level of the first device before broadcasting.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is a smartphone; and

the determining comprises setting the activity level of the first device as a highest possible level when the incoming message is a phone call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is currently connected to an in-car system; and

displaying the notification of the incoming message comprises causing, with the first device, the in-car system to display the notification.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first device is currently connected to a watch; and

displaying the notification of the incoming message comprises causing, with the first device, the watch to display the notification.

11. A device comprising:

a network interface configured to;

receive a notification of an incoming message by the first device; and

receive at least one broadcast from at least one additional device that also received the notification of the incoming message, the broadcast including an indication of at least one activity level of the at least one additional device and at least one corresponding ranking score; and

a processor coupled to the network interface and configured to;

generate a first ranking score based on the activity level of the device, wherein the activity level is based on the first device having a current connection to a second device corresponding to a particular device type;

adjust the first ranking score based on the incoming message and one or more particular applications associated with the first device;

broadcast an indication of an activity level of the device;

compare the first ranking score corresponding to the activity level of the device with the received at least one corresponding ranking score; and

in response to determining that the first ranking score of the device is equal to or greater than a highest received at least one corresponding ranking score, cause the notification of the incoming message to be displayed by the device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to:

suppress the notification of the incoming message at the device in response to determining that the first ranking score of the device is less than a highest received at least one corresponding ranking score.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the activity level is based on at least one of a current connection with an in-car system, a current connection with a watch, or a condition of having been recently interacted with by a user.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to determine the activity level by:

determining a highest-ranked activity from among at least one activity being performed by the device; and

assigning a ranked activity level to the device corresponding to the highest-ranked activity.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the at least one activity being performed by the device comprises at least one of:

a current connection with an in-car system having a first rank, a current connection with a watch having a second rank lower than the first rank, being in a condition of having been recently interacted with by a user having a third rank lower than the second rank, currently displaying active audio, video, or a combination thereof having a fourth rank lower than the third rank, being located relative to the at least one additional device having a fifth rank lower than the third rank, being in motion having a sixth rank lower than the third rank, and processing audio inputs, visual inputs, or a combination thereof having a seventh rank lower than the third rank.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the indication of the activity level of the first device comprises a ranked activity level;

the indication of the at least one activity level of the at least one additional device comprises a ranked activity level; and

the processor is configured to compare the activity level of the first device with the received at least one activity level by comparing the rank of the activity level of the first device with at least one rank of the at least one activity level of the at least one additional device.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to encrypt the indication of the activity level of the first device before broadcasting.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the device is a smartphone;

the determining comprises setting the activity level of the first device as a highest possible level when the incoming message is a phone call.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the first device is currently connected to an in-car system; and

displaying the notification of the incoming message comprises causing, with the first device, the in-car system to display the notification.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein:

the first device is currently connected to a watch; and

displaying the notification of the incoming message comprises causing, with the first device, the watch to display the notification.