Management of mobile device communication sessions to reduce user distraction

• US 9,094,533 B2
• Filed: 04/16/2012
• Issued: 07/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aegis Mobility Incorporated
• Inventors: Geyer, John J., Featherstone, Peter A., Wright, Andrew S., Chan, Mandy, Williams, Stephen J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Kent
• Assistant Examiner(s): BIBBEE, CHAYCE R
• Application Number:
  US13/448,303
• Publication Number:
  US 20120264409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 455/418, 4554561-4566, 455/569.2, 455/99, 455/238.1, 455/345, 340/438, 340/441, 340/525, 340/575, 340/576, 340/901
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42374 where the information is provided to a monitoring entity such as a potential calling party or a call processing server
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/024 Guidance services
• 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 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/48 for in-vehicle communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/04 based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0251 using monitoring of local events, e.g. events related to user activity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/006 with additional information processing, e.g. for direction or speed determination
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/00 User notification, e.g. alerting and paging, for incoming communication, change of service or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

Systems, methods and interfaces are disclosed for managing communications associated with a mobile communication device. Mobile communication devices process environmental inputs and transmit mobile communication device context information to a communication management system. The context information may, for example, reflect the motion and/or geographic location of the mobile device, and may reflect the risk associated with using the device to handle a call or other communications session. The communication management system uses the context information, optionally in combination with communication device profiles, to determine how to manage incoming and/or ongoing calls or other communication sessions. Mobile device users may also be inhibited from initiating communication sessions.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a computer system for managing communications comprising:

determining a set of mobile device context identifiers, each of the set of mobile device context identifiers corresponding to a range of potential sensor information regarding the mobile device, wherein management by the computer system of requests for communication corresponding to the mobile device is defined in terms of a previously received mobile device context identifier without processing specific sensor information on which the context previously received mobile device context identifier is based;

obtaining selection of a mobile device context identifier of the set of mobile device context identifiers and selection of a mobile device availability for the selected mobile device context identifier;

associating the selected mobile device context identifier with the selected mobile device availability;

storing the association as a mobile device profile;

independent of a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device, receiving a first mobile device context identifier corresponding to one of the determined set of mobile device context identifiers, the first mobile device context identifier corresponding to a defined range of sensor information gathered regarding the mobile device;

independent of processing specific sensor information on which the first mobile device context identifier is based, determining a mobile device availability based on the received first mobile device context identifier, and the stored mobile device profile, wherein the mobile device availability corresponds to the management defined in terms of the received first mobile device context identifier;

receiving a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device and a third party device; and

without requesting a mobile device context identifier;

implementing a risk mitigation technique in accordance with the management defined in terms of the received first mobile device context identifier and based at least in part on the determined mobile device availability, wherein the risk mitigation technique includes at least initially preventing communication including the mobile device and the third party device, and wherein the risk mitigation technique is implemented without causing a modification of at least one of communication reception functionality and a power state of the mobile device.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a selection of a one or more user identities corresponding to third parties who may attempt communication with the mobile device; and

associating the selected one or more user identities with the stored mobile device profile.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein a user identity corresponds to at least one of telephone number, caller identification information, or a communication network address.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein obtaining a selection of a mobile device context identifier comprises causing the display of at least a subset of the set of mobile device context identifiers.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the set of mobile device context identifiers comprises determining information that may be received from at least one sensor associated with the mobile device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

obtaining a selection of a second mobile device context identifier of the set of mobile device context identifiers and a selection of a second mobile device availability; and

updating the mobile device profile to include an associated of the second mobile device context identifier with the second mobile device availability.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the mobile device a second mobile device context identifier corresponding to one of the set of mobile device context identifiers; and

modifying the determining mobile device availability based at least in part on the second mobile device context identifier.

8. A method implemented in a computer system for managing communications comprising:

establishing a mobile device context identifier for use in indicating whether a mobile device is located within at least one geospatial zone,

wherein the at least one geospatial zone is defined by a centroid and a non-circular boundary, and

wherein management by the computer system of requests for communication including the mobile device is defined as a function of reception of the mobile device context identifier independent of a specific location of the mobile device within the at least one geospatial zone;

obtaining a selection of one or more user identities corresponding to third parties who may attempt communication with the mobile device;

associating a mobile device availability with the selected one or more user identities and with the mobile device context identifier;

independent of a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device, receiving the mobile device context identifier indicating whether the mobile device is within the at least one geospatial zone, wherein receiving the mobile device context identifier occurs only if a change in mobile device context state has occurred;

receiving a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device and a communicating party;

independent of processing the specific location of the mobile device within the at least one geospatial zone on which the mobile device context identifier is based, determining a mobile device availability of the mobile device based on an identity of the communicating party and on the received mobile device context identifier indicating whether the mobile device is within the at least one geospatial zone, wherein the mobile device availability corresponds to the management defined in terms of the received mobile device context state; and

without requesting an additional context identifier of the mobile device, implementing a risk mitigation technique in accordance with the management defined in terms of the received mobile device context identifier, wherein the risk mitigation technique includes at least initially preventing communication including the mobile device and the communicating party, and wherein the risk mitigation technique is implemented without causing a modification of at least one of communication reception functionality and a power state of the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising obtaining a definition of the at least one geospatial zone from at least one of a user interface or a network resource.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

determining a second mobile device context identifier;

obtaining a selection of a one or more additional user identities corresponding third parties who may attempt communication with the mobile device; and

associating a second mobile device availability with the selected one or more additional user identities and with the determined second mobile device context identifier.

11. The method as recited in claim 8, wherein determining the mobile device context identifiers comprises determining information that may be received from at least one sensor associated with the mobile device.

12. A method implemented in a computer system for managing communications with a mobile device comprising:

obtaining a user selection of a context identifier corresponding to a range of sensor information, wherein management by the computer system of requests for communication including the mobile device is defined in terms of a received context identifier without processing specific sensor information;

obtaining a user selection of at least one identity corresponding to a third party who may attempt communication with the mobile device;

obtaining a user selection of a mobile device availability to be associated with the selected identity and the selected context identifier;

independent of a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device, receiving the context identifier corresponding to the range of sensor information, wherein receiving the context identifier occurs only if the mobile device determines a change in context state has occurred;

receiving a request from the selected at least one identity for communication with the mobile device; and

without requesting a context identifier of the mobile device;

independent of processing specific sensor information on which the received context identifier is based, determining a mobile device availability of the mobile device based on the at least one identity and the received context identifier, wherein the mobile device availability corresponds to the management defined in terms of the received context identifier; and

implementing a risk mitigation technique in accordance with the management defined in terms of the received context identifier, wherein the risk mitigation technique includes at least initially preventing the request from being transmitted to the mobile device, and wherein said implementing does not cause a modification of at least one of communication reception functionality and a power state of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising receiving from the mobile device an update to the context identifier, wherein the mobile device availability of the mobile device is determined based at least in part on the received update to the context identifier.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising storing the received context identifier.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising creating a mobile device profile reflective of an association of the selected identity and the selected context identifier.

16. A system for managing communications, the system comprising:

one or more computing devices configured to;

associate a selected mobile device context identifier corresponding to a range of sensor information with a selected mobile device availability, wherein the selected mobile device context identifier is reflective of processing specific sensor information within an environment of the mobile device;

independent of a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device, receive a mobile device context identifier, wherein management by the system of requests for communication including the mobile device is defined in terms of the received mobile device context identifier without processing specific sensor information on which the received mobile device context identifier is based;

independent of processing the specific sensor information on which the received mobile device context identifier is based, determine a mobile device availability based at least in part on a determination of whether the received mobile device context identifier matches the selected mobile device context identifier, wherein the mobile device availability corresponds to the management defined in terms of the received mobile device context identifier;

receive a request for initiation of communication including the mobile device and a third party device; and

without request of a context identifier of the mobile device, and without a modification of at least one of communication reception functionality and a power state of the mobile device, implement a risk mitigation technique in accordance with the management defined in terms of the received mobile device context identifier and based at least in part on the determined mobile device availability, wherein the risk mitigation technique includes at least initially preventing the request for initiation of communication including the mobile device and the third party device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to determine the selected mobile device context identifier based on a selection of a mobile device context identifier by a user.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the selection of a mobile device context identifier by a user is obtained via a graphical user interface.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to determine the selected mobile device availability based on a selection of a mobile device availability by a user.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more computing devices are further configured to determine a set of mobile device context identifiers including the received mobile device context identifier, and wherein the set of mobile device context identifiers is based at least in part on information that may be received from at least one sensor associated with the mobile device.