Techniques for determining communication state using accelerometer data

• US 8,116,719 B2
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pelton, Gregory, Moon, Billy
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rod, Yousef
• Application Number:
  US12/788,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20100235527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 4554561-457, 455/404.2, 455/41.2, 455/556.2, 455 901- 903, 455/425, 370/539.13, 370/539.23, 370/568.1
• US Class Current: 455/403
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/22 Processing or transfer of terminal data, e.g. status or physical capabilities

Abstract

Techniques for communicating with a user on a network include receiving acceleration data that indicates acceleration of a mobile network node associated with a user of a network. A communication state for the user is determined based at least in part on the acceleration data. The communication state indicates a type of network communication suitable for communicating with the user. Network communications with the user are based on the communication state. Among other uses, such techniques allow a network communicating with a human through a mobile node carried by the human to infer from stopped or unusual motions when the human'"'"'s ability to receive or act on communications is impaired or otherwise affected.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an accelerometer located in the mobile device and configured to provide accelerometer data in response to a hand movement of the mobile device;

a user interface located in the mobile device; and

a processor configured to identify an acceleration condition of the mobile device based on the accelerometer data, wherein the processor is configured to output information from the user interface according to the acceleration condition.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to compare the accelerometer data to previously stored acceleration patterns and initiate an operation on the mobile device corresponding with one of the acceleration patterns that match the accelerometer data.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to change the information output from the user interface in response to a predefined deceleration condition in the accelerometer data.

5. The mobile device of claim 3 wherein the predefined deceleration condition comprises a change from a first speed value to a zero speed value within a defined time period.

6. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the information output from the user interface includes visual messages.

7. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone and the accelerometer data identifies acceleration of the cellular telephone.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the information output from the user interface includes a sound output from a speaker of the user interface.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising a communication interface configured to send the accelerometer data over a network to a server, wherein the processor is configured to change notifications output from the user interface according to messages sent back from the server responsive to the accelerometer data.

4. A mobile device comprising:

an accelerometer located in the mobile device and configured to provide accelerometer data associated with the mobile device;

a user interface located in the mobile device; and

a processor configured to change information output from the user interface in response to a characteristic of the accelerometer data, wherein the characteristic of the accelerometer data comprises at least one of a positive acceleration or a negative acceleration exceeding a defined threshold value.

10. A computer-readable memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving accelerometer data from an accelerometer located in a mobile device;

determining an acceleration characteristic of the mobile device based on the accelerometer data;

determining an acceleration direction of the mobile device based on the accelerometer data; and

operating the mobile device in response to the acceleration characteristic and the acceleration direction of the mobile device.

11. The computer-readable memory device of claim 10, further comprising:

sensing a hand movement based on the acceleration characteristic of the mobile device; and

operating the mobile device based on the hand movement.

12. The computer-readable memory device of claim 11 wherein operating the mobile device comprises sending text messages or email messages.

13. The computer-readable memory device of claim 10 wherein determining the acceleration characteristic comprises comparing the accelerometer data with stored acceleration patterns and operating the mobile device based on one of the acceleration patterns corresponding with the accelerometer data.

14. The computer-readable memory device of claim 10, wherein operating the mobile device comprises configuring a network node to support a type of network communication suitable for communicating with a mobile end node.

16. The computer-readable memory device of claim 10, wherein the operations further comprise reducing services in the mobile device according to the type of user of the mobile device associated with the accelerometer data.

15. A computer-readable memory device having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing the processing system to perform operations comprising:

receiving accelerometer data from an accelerometer in a mobile device;

sensing a type of user of the mobile device according to the accelerometer data;

operating the mobile device according to the type of user of the mobile device; and

changing a type of communication used by the mobile device to communicate through a user interface according to the type of user of the mobile device.

17. A mobile device, comprising:

an accelerometer located in the mobile device and configured to generate acceleration data;

a processor configured to determine whether the mobile device is in motion or stationary according to the acceleration data; and

perform a first operation with the mobile device when the mobile device is in motion and perform a second different operation when the mobile device is stationary.

18. The mobile device according to claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to initiate a call operation with the mobile device according to the acceleration data.

19. The mobile device according to claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to determine a pulse, blood pressure, or body temperature of the user responsive to the acceleration data.

20. The mobile device according to claim 17 wherein the processor is configured to detect hand or arm movements based on the acceleration data and perform the first operation based on the hand or arm movements.

21. The mobile device according to claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to change what information the mobile device communicates through a user interface according to the acceleration data.

24. The mobile device according to claim 17 wherein the processor is further configured to:

derive a series of motion event vectors from the acceleration data, wherein the motion event vectors include a time duration, a positive acceleration event, and a negative acceleration event in different directions; and

sense different user activities according to the motion event vectors.

22. The mobile device according 17 wherein the processor is further configured to change to a different device or change to a different interface for communicating according to the acceleration data.

23. A mobile device, comprising:

an accelerometer located in the mobile device and configured to generate acceleration data; and

a processor configured to;

sense the mobile device accelerated in different directions according to the acceleration data; and

perform different operations on the mobile device according to the different directions the mobile device is accelerated.

25. A mobile device, comprising:

an accelerometer located in the mobile device and configured to generate acceleration data; and

a processor configured to;

sense different user activities performed by a user with the mobile device according to the acceleration data, wherein the processor is further configured to;

compare the acceleration data with stored acceleration patterns;

identify one of the stored acceleration patterns that corresponds with the acceleration data;

identify one of the user activities corresponding with the identified one of the stored acceleration patterns; and

perform an operation in the mobile device based on the identified one of the user activities.

26. The mobile device according to 23 wherein the processor is further configured to detect different hand movements based on the acceleration data and perform the different operations in response to the detected hand movements.