Context-sensitive handling of interruptions

• US 10,078,487 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2014
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gruber, Thomas R., Pitschel, Donald W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaffin, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nhat Huy T
• Application Number:
  US14/213,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20140282003A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,649 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback

Abstract

A list of notification items is received, the list including a plurality of notification items, wherein each respective one of the plurality of notification items is associated with a respective urgency value. An information item is detected. In some implementations, the information item is a communication (e.g., an email). In some implementations, the information item is a change in context of a user. Upon determining that the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item, the urgency value of the first notification item is adjusted. Upon determining that the adjusted urgency value satisfies the predetermined threshold, a first audio prompt is provided to a user.

Claims

1. A method of operating a digital assistant, comprising:

at a device having one or more processors and memory;

providing a list of notification items, the list including a plurality of notification items, wherein each respective one of the plurality of notification items is associated with a respective urgency value;

prior to outputting a first notification item of the plurality of notification items;

detecting an information item received from an external device;

determining whether the information item is relevant to an urgency value of the first notification item of the plurality of notification items; and

upon determining that the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item, adjusting the urgency value of the first notification item and incorporating content from the information item into the first notification item;

determining whether the adjusted urgency value of the first notification item satisfies a predetermined threshold; and

upon determining that the adjusted urgency value satisfies the predetermined threshold, providing the first notification item to a user, the first notification item including the incorporated content from the information item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a location of the device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a time of day.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a calendar item associated with a current time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a user setting of the device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item is one of the group consisting of:

an email;

a voicemail; and

a text message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item corresponds to a change in a context of the device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the user has acknowledged the first notification item; and

upon determining that the user has not acknowledged the first notification item, providing an audio prompt to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information item is separate from the first notification item and the information item is received from a remote device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item comprises determining whether information in the information item affects a task to be performed by the user in association with the first notification item.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the information item is relevant to the first notification item, wherein determining whether the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item is performed upon determining that the information item is relevant to the first notification item.

12. An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

a touch-sensitive surface;

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

accessing a list of notification items, the list including a plurality of notification items, wherein each respective one of the plurality of notification items is associated with a respective urgency value;

prior to outputting a first notification item of the plurality of notification items;

detecting an information item received from an external device;

determining whether the information item is relevant to an urgency value of the first notification item of the plurality of notification items; and

upon determining that the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item, adjusting the urgency value of the first notification item and incorporating content from the information item into the first notification item;

determining whether the adjusted urgency value of the first notification item satisfies a predetermined threshold; and

upon determining that the adjusted urgency value satisfies the predetermined threshold, providing the first notification item to a user, the first notification item including the incorporated content from the information item.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising instructions operable to establish the predetermined threshold in accordance with a location of the device.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a time of day.

15. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a calendar item associated with a current time.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising establishing the predetermined threshold in accordance with a user setting of the device.

17. The electronic device of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the user has acknowledged the first notification item; and

upon determining that the user has not acknowledged the first notification item, providing an audio prompt to the user.

18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by an electronic device with a display, a touch-sensitive surface cause the device to:

access a list of notification items, the list including a plurality of notification items, wherein each respective one of the plurality of notification items is associated with a respective urgency value;

prior to outputting a first notification item of the plurality of notification items;

detect an information item received from an external device;

determine whether the information item is relevant to an urgency value of the first notification item of the plurality of notification items; and

upon determining that the information item is relevant to the urgency value of the first notification item, adjusting the urgency value of the first notification item and incorporating content from the information item into the first notification item;

determine whether the adjusted urgency value of the first notification item satisfies a predetermined threshold; and

upon determining that the adjusted urgency value satisfies the predetermined threshold, providing the first notification item to a user, the first notification item including the incorporated content from the information item.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to establish the predetermined threshold in accordance with a location of the device.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to establish the predetermined threshold in accordance with a time of day.

21. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to establish the predetermined threshold in accordance with a calendar item associated with a current time.

22. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions operable to establish the predetermined threshold in accordance with a user setting of the device.

23. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instruction operable to:

determine whether the user has acknowledged the first notification item; and

upon determining that the user has not acknowledged the first notification item, provide an audio prompt to the user.