System and method for using context models to control operation of a mobile communications device

• US 9,408,143 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Walker, Samuel Alexander, Mandal, Ayan Kanti, Senapati, Devesh, Mahaffey, Kevin Patrick, Richardson, David Luke, Buck, Brian James
• Primary Examiner(s): MAPA, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US14/092,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20140128021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 455/13.4, 4553431-3436, 455/405, 455/522, 455571-574, 370/311, 713/300, 713320-321
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0212 managed by the network, e.g. network or access point is master and terminal is slave
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0258 controlling an operation mode according to history or models of usage information, e.g. activity schedule or time of day
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/53 based on regulatory allocation policies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

User activity on a mobile device is monitored and collected, and a resource usage model is constructed. The resource usage model describes a set of contexts in which the mobile device, and is the basis for determining a first exhaustion point for a resource. Based on the monitored activity, a prediction of a second exhaustion point for the resource time is made. If the second exhaustion point is prior to the first exhaustion point, usage of the resource is reduced.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a server, current activities of a mobile communications device in use by a first user, including determining an actual rate of usage and a current available level for a first resource of the mobile communications device;

selecting, by the server, a first stored context from a data store storing a plurality of contexts of use of the mobile communications device by the first user, the selection from among the plurality based upon the first user'"'"'s monitored current activities of the mobile communications device, each stored context including a modeling of a first expected context behavior and a second expected context behavior of the first user, wherein the second expected context behavior is subsequent in time to the first expected context behavior, and wherein each of the first and second expected context behaviors is a sequence of context situations or a combination of context situations, each context situation describing a single activity involving usage of resources and components of the mobile communications device, the resources and components including one or more of internal resources, applications, operating systems, external resources, and environmental factors including one or more of date, time, and locations of the mobile communications device;

determining, by the server, an expected rate of usage of the first resource for the usage of the first resource for the first ex acted context behavior with the actual rate of usage of the first resource during the monitored current activities of the mobile communications device in use by the first user;

when the comparison shows that the actual rate of usage of the first resource is higher than the expected rate of usage of the first resource;

determining, by the server, a first point in time for exhaustion of the first resource of the mobile communications device based on the second expected context behavior associated with the selected first stored context of the mobile communications device;

determining, by the server, a second point in time for exhaustion of the first resource of the mobile communications device based on the current available level and the actual rate of usage of the first resource of the mobile communications device as indicated by the monitored current activities; and

reducing usage of the first resource by the mobile communications device when the second point in time is prior to the first point in time such that the mobile communications device is able to continue operating while using the first resource until at least the first point in time.

2. The method of claim 1, the reducing step further comprising:

transmitting instructions from the server to the mobile communications device to change a setting on the mobile communication device from a first value to a second value, wherein the mobile communication device consumes less of the first resource when the setting is at the second value than when the setting is at the first value.

3. The method of claim 1, the monitoring step further comprising:

evaluating, by the server, the current activities of the mobile communications device over time to develop the plurality of contexts for use of the mobile communications device by the first user.

4. The method of claim 3,

wherein each context represents a different state of operation for the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

incorporating a reserve into the determination of the first point in time, wherein the reserve provides additional usage of the first resource for limited operation beyond the first point in time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first resource is battery power.

7. The method of claim 1, the reducing step further comprising:

transmitting instructions from the server to the mobile communications device in accord with a resource usage policy, the instructions specifying steps for the mobile communications device to take to reduce usage of the first resource.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the resource usage policy is selected based on the context model.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in accord with the resource usage policy, modifying settings for at least one of the internal resources, the applications, the operating systems, or the external resources of the mobile communications device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying step is performed automatically.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying step is performed after obtaining user approval.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the resource usage policy is implemented in an application by linking the application to an external library.

13. A method, comprising:

monitoring, by a mobile communications device, current activities of the mobile communications device in use by a first user, including an actual rate of usage and a current available level for a first resource of the mobile communications device;

selecting, by the mobile communications device, a first stored context from a data store storing a plurality of contexts of use of the mobile communications device by the first user, the selection from among the plurality based upon the first user'"'"'s monitored current activities of the mobile communications device, each stored context including a modeling of a first expected context behavior a second expected context behavior of the first user, wherein the second expected context behavior is subsequent in time to the first expected context behavior, and wherein each of the first and second expected context behaviors is a sequence of context situations or a combination of context situations, each context situation describing a single activity involving usage of resources and components of the mobile communications device, the resources and components including one or more of internal resources, applications, operating systems, external resources, and environmental factors including one or more of date, time, and locations of the mobile communications device;

determining, by the mobile communications device, an expected rate of usage of communications device, the expected rate of usage of the first resource for the first expected context behavior with the actual rate of usage of the first resource during the monitored current activities of the mobile communications device in use by the first user;

when the comparison shows that the actual rate of usage of the first resource is higher than the expected rate of usage of the first resource;

predicting, by the mobile communications device, a first point in time for exhaustion of the first resource of the mobile communications device based on the second expected context behavior associated with the selected first stored context of the mobile communications device;

predicting, by the mobile communications device, a second point in time for exhaustion of the first resource of the mobile communications device based on the current available level and the actual rate of usage of the first resource of the mobile communications device as indicated by the monitored current activities; and

reducing usage of the first resource by the mobile communications device when the second point in time is prior to the first point in time such that the mobile communications device is able to continue operating while using the first resource until at least the first point in time.

14. The method of claim 13, the reducing step further comprising:

executing instructions in accord with a resource usage policy stored on the mobile communications device, the instructions specifying steps for the mobile communications device to take to reduce usage of the first resource.

15. The method of claim 13, the reducing step further comprising:

executing instructions stored on the mobile communications device to change a setting on the mobile communication device from a first value to a second value, wherein the mobile communication device consumes less of the first resource when the setting is at the second value than when the setting is at the first value.

16. The method of claim 13, the monitoring step further comprising:

evaluating, by the mobile communications device, the current activities of the mobile communications device over time to develop the plurality of contexts for use of the mobile communications device by the first user.

17. The method of claim 16,

wherein each context represents a different state of operation for the mobile communications device.

18. A system, comprising:

an activity monitor configured to collect context information from a plurality of context elements for a digital device used by a first user, each context element corresponding to a source of context information regarding usage of resources and components of the digital device;

the resources and components including one or more of internal resources, applications, operating systems, external resources, and environmental factors including one or more of date, time; and

locations of the digital device;

an activity store for storing the collected context information;

a knowledge discovery manager configured to;

(i) evaluate an active set of the context elements to identify at least one active context situation, the active context situation describing a current activity involving usage of the resources and components of the digital device,

(ii) predict a first expected context behavior for the first user of the digital device based on the identified active context situation, the first expected context behavior is one of a plurality of expected context behaviors defined for the first user, including a second expected context behavior that is subsequent to the first expected context behavior, each of the expected context behaviors is as a sequence of context situations or a combination of context situations, each context situation describing a single activity involving usage of resources and components of the mobile communications device, including internal resources, applications, operating systems, external resources, and environmental factors including date, time, and locations of the mobile communications device;

(iii) predict an expected rate of usage of a first resource of the digital device for the first expected context behavior, and

(iv) compare the expected rate of usage of the first resource for the first expected context behavior with an actual rate of usage of the first resource;

when the comparison shows that the actual rate of usage of the first device for the first predicted active context behavior, predicting, by the mobile communications device a second expected rate of usage of the first resource for the second active context behavior;

and context store for storing the plurality of expected context behaviors defined for the first user;

and a context manager configured to apply a resource usage policy for the first resource to the digital device based on the predicted second expected rate of usage for the second active context behavior, the resource usage policy having instructions to configure properties or settings of the internal resources, the applications, the operating systems, or the external of the digital device in order to complete the predicted second active context behavior without exhausting the first resource.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a context ontology store coupled to the context manager, the context store, and the activity store, for storing information regarding the internal resources, the applications, the operating systems and the external resources of the digital device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the context manager processes information from the activity store, the context store, and the context ontology store in order to modify the usage policy to reduce consumption of the first resource for at least one of the internal resources, the applications, the operating systems, or the external resources.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the knowledge discovery manager predicts a subsequent context behavior for the digital device; and

the context manager applies the usage policy to reduce consumption of the first resource when the subsequent context behavior indicates that the first resource will be exhausted before the active context behavior is completed.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the knowledge discovery manager evaluates a plurality of active context situations over time;

the context manager defines an expected context behavior model for the first user of the digital device, the expected context behavior model having a plurality of predicted context behaviors, each predicted context behavior comprising a different sequence or combination of active context situations;

the context manager compares the active context behavior to a predicted context behavior; and

the context manager applies the usage policy to reduce consumption of the first resource when the active context behavior will exhaust the first resource faster than the predicted context behavior.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the context store has a plurality of usage policies stored therein, each usage policy corresponding to at least one context behavior; and

the context manager applies the usage policy corresponding to the active context behavior.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the context manager applies the usage policy to the digital device by embedding an executable instruction into at least one of the internal resources, the applications, the operating systems or the external resources.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the context manager applies the usage policy to the digital device by dynamically attaching to at least one of the internal resources, the applications, the operating systems or the external resources.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the digital device is a mobile communications device, and the activity monitor, the activity store, the knowledge discovery manager, the active context store, the context manager, and the context ontology store are implemented on the mobile communications device.

27. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

a server; and

the digital device is a mobile communications device,

wherein the activity monitor, the activity store, the knowledge discovery manager, the context store, the context manager, and the context ontology store are implemented on the server with a corresponding client part implemented on the mobile communications device.