Intelligent application recommendation feature

• US 8,799,635 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2012
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Paterson, Kevin Glynn, Smith, Spencer Lewis, Geiger, Adam Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, ALBERT C
• Application Number:
  US13/359,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198506A1
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 713/100
• US Class Current: 713/100
• 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 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/67 by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

A method for making intelligent application and setting recommendations may include determining, by a device, a current context of a user of the device in response to the device being one of unlocked and turned-on. The method may also include determining, by the device, if the current context of the user has changed from a previous context of the user at a time when the device was one of locked and turned-off. The method may additionally include presenting a recommendation on a display of the device. The recommendation may include at least one of an application for operation on the device, options for operation of the device, and operating settings of the device, based on the current context of the user, in response to determining that the current context of the user has changed from the previous context.

Claims

1. A method for making intelligent application and setting recommendations, comprising:

determining, by a device, a current context of a user of the device in response to the device being one of unlocked and turned-on;

determining, by the device, if the current context of the user has changed from a previous context of the user at a time when the device was one of locked and turned-off; and

presenting a recommendation on a display of the device, the recommendation comprising at least one of an application for operation on the device, options for operation of the device, and operating settings of the device, based on the current context of the user, in response to determining that the current context of the user has changed from the previous context.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the device, the current context of the user comprises determining a current activity in which the user is engaged.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the device, the current context of the user comprises using a camera of the device and other sensory devices of the device to determine the current context of the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein using a camera of the device and other sensory devices of the device comprises at least one of:

determining a geographic location of the device from a global positioning sensory device of the device;

detecting movement of the device from an accelerometer in the device;

determining a direction of movement of the device from a compass in the device;

receiving sounds by a microphone of the device and comparing the received sounds to a database of sounds and corresponding contexts;

determining a time of day from a clock of the device; and

determining a local weather forecast at the geographic location of the device by activating a weather application of the device and automatically entering the geographic location of the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the device, the current context of the user comprises:

activating a camera of the device;

collecting a plurality of images by the camera; and

determining the current context of the user from the plurality of images.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the device, if the current context of the user has changed from the previous context of the user comprises comparing the current context of the user to the previous context of the user.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a usage setting of the device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the usage setting of the device comprises at least one of:

determining open applications;

determining active background applications; and

determining a user interface configuration of the device.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising storing the usage setting of the device and an associated current context of the user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining any change in the usage setting of the device; and

storing a new usage setting of the device and the associated current context of the user.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising configuring the device corresponding to the usage setting of the device when the device was one of locked and turned-off, in response to the current context of the user being determined to be unchanged when the device is one of unlocked and turned-on.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the recommendation on the display of the device comprises identifying each recommended application for operation on the communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising presenting an option for selecting each recommended application for one of operating the recommended application on the device and closing the recommended application.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

presenting an icon in association with each recommended application; and

closing the recommended application in response to the icon being tapped on by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising opening or activating the recommended application on the device in response to the recommended application being tapped on by the user outside the icon.

16. A device, comprising:

a processor;

an intelligent application and settings recommendation module operable on the processor, wherein the intelligent application and settings recommendation module comprises;

a module to determine a current context of a user of the device in response to the device being one of unlocked and turned-on;

a module to determine if the current context of the user has changed from a previous context of the user at a time when the device was one of locked and turned-off; and

a module to present a recommendation on a display of the device, the recommendation comprising at least one of an application for operation on the device, options for operation of the device, and operating settings of the device, based on the current context of the user, in response to determining that the current context of the user has changed from the previous context.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a module to determine a usage setting of the device; and

a file system to store the usage setting of the device with an associated current context of the user.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising configuring the device corresponding to the usage setting of the device when the device was one of locked and turned-off, in response to the current context of the user being determined to be unchanged when the device is one of unlocked and turned-on.

19. A computer program product for making intelligent application and setting recommendations, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to determine a current context of a user of a device in response to the device being one of unlocked and turned-on;

computer readable program code configured to determine if the current context of the user has changed from a previous context of the user at a time when the device was one of locked and turned-off; and

computer readable program code configured to present a recommendation on a display of the device, the recommendation comprising at least one of an application for operation on the device, options for operation of the device, and operating settings of the device, based on the current context of the user, in response to determining that the current context of the user has changed from the previous context.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further comprising computer readable program code configured to configure the device corresponding to a usage setting of the device when the device was one of locked and turned-off, in response to the current context of the user being determined to be unchanged when the device is one of unlocked and turned-on.