Mobile phone operation based upon context sensing

• US 20020167488A1
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Published: 11/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J., Hinckley, Kenneth P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,302,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1684 Constructional details or arrangements related to integrated I/O peripherals not covered by groups G06F1/1635 - G06F1/1675
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3231 Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1614 Image rotation following screen orientation, e.g. switching from landscape to portrait mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2200/1637 Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A mobile device is provided that includes at least one sensor that provides contextual information to the device. When the mobile device receives an incoming message, or notification, the device responds thereto based at least in part upon the contextual information.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a communication interface adapted to sense an incoming call;

a first sensor disposed to sense a first contextual parameter related to the mobile device; and

a processor coupled to the communication interface and the first sensor, the processor to adapt user notification of the incoming call based at least in part upon the sensed contextual parameter.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a touch sensor, and the contextual parameter is whether a user is touching the mobile device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the touch sensor is a capacitive sensor.

5. The device of claim 1, and further comprising a second sensor disposed to sense a second contextual parameter of the mobile device, and wherein the processor adapts user notification based at least in part upon the first and second sensed contextual parameters.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first sensor is a touch sensor, and wherein the second sensor is a tilt sensor.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the tilt sensor is a multidimensional tilt sensor.

8. The device of claim 5, and further comprising a third sensor disposed to sense a third contextual parameter, and wherein the notification is based at least in part upon the first, second, and third sensed contextual parameters.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the third sensor is a proximity sensor.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the proximity sensor is a capacitive proximity sensor.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the proximity sensor is an infrared transceiver.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein selectively detecting user acknowledgement of the call comprises, detecting whether the user touches the mobile device, when the user was not touching the mobile device when notification began.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selectively adapting notification comprises reducing audio notification volume upon detecting user acknowledgement.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein selectively detecting user acknowledgement of the call comprises, detecting the tilt of the mobile device

16. The method of claim 15, wherein detecting user acknowledgement by detecting tilt is performed when the user was touching the mobile device when notification began.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein selectively adapting notification comprises ceasing audio notification is ceased upon detecting user acknowledgement.

18. The method of claim 12, and further comprising detecting whether the user ignores the call, and ceasing audible notification upon detection.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein detecting whether the user ignores the call comprises detecting a tilt of the mobile device.

20. The method of claim 12, and further comprising detecting whether the user accepts the call.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein detecting whether the user accepts the call comprises detecting whether the mobile device is held, and tilted within a selected range of tilts consonant with an answering gesture.

12. A method of notifying a user of a mobile device of an incoming message, the method comprising steps of:

detecting the incoming message;

providing a notification to the user;

selectively detecting user acknowledgement of the incoming call based at least in part upon whether the mobile device is touched by the user; and

selectively adapting notification based on user acknowledgement.

22. A mobile device comprising:

a display;

a light disposed to selectively illuminate the display;

a touch sensor coupled to the mobile device; and

a processor coupled to the touch sensor and the light, the processor adapted to energize the light when the touch sensor senses touch.

23. The device of claim 22, and further comprising a tilt sensor coupled to the processor and disposed to detect tilt of the mobile device, wherein the processor maintains energization of the light while changes in tilt are detected.

24. The device of claim 23, and further comprising a light sensor coupled to the processor and disposed to detect ambient light, wherein the processor does not energize the light when ambient light is above a selected threshold intensity, even when the touch sensor senses touch.

25. A mobile device comprising:

a communication interface configured to detect an incoming call;

a processor coupled to the communication interface;

an input/output including a microphone coupled to the communication interface and disposed to receive audible user input;

a touch sensor coupled to the processor; and

wherein the processor is adapted to activate the microphone when touch is detected by the touch sensor and no incoming call is detected.