System and method for selection of notification techniques in an electronic device

• US 9,451,584 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2013
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Cosenza, Roberto, Zanolin, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US14/139,166
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/14 Delay circuits; Timers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 68/005 Transmission of information for alerting of incoming communication

Abstract

The present disclosure includes a system and method for delaying, suppressing, or canceling the output of notifications in an electronic device. Notifications may be delayed, suppressed, or canceled based on the urgency of the notification, whether an application is actively executing and controlling certain aspects of the output device, whether an application actively executing and controlling certain aspects of the output device can be interrupted, and/or the operating environment of the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a notifications manager executing at an electronic device, a notification of an incoming electronic communication;

determining, by the notifications manager, that an output device of the electronic device is currently being used by an application actively executing at the electronic device;

identifying, by the notifications manager, the application actively using the output device;

determining, by the notifications manager based at least in part on the identity of the application, an estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device;

determining, by the notifications manager based at least in part on the estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device, whether the application can be interrupted; and

responsive to determining that the application cannot be interrupted;

determining, by the notifications manager, an urgency of the notification;

responsive to determining that the notification is urgent;

interrupting, by the notifications manager, execution of the application before the estimated duration of time has elapsed; and

outputting, by the notifications manager and to the output device, the notification; and

responsive to determining that the notification is not urgent, delaying, by the notifications manager, output of the notification until the estimated duration of time has elapsed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the output device of the electronic device, at least one of an aural output, visual output, or tactile output of the notification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein delaying output of the notification comprises:

delaying aural output of the notification; and

outputting, by the output device, one of visual output or tactile output of the notification in real-time.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the application can be interrupted comprises:

comparing, by the notifications manager, the estimated duration of time to a threshold;

responsive to determining that the estimated duration of time is no more than the threshold, determining, by the notifications manager, that the application cannot be interrupted; and

responsive to determining that the estimated duration of time is greater than the threshold determining, by the notifications manager, that the application can be interrupted.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the threshold is determined by at least one of a variable setting of the electronic device, the application, or an operating environment of the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

outputting, by the output device, at least two of aural output, visual output, and tactile output.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device comprises:

determining, by the notifications manager, whether the application is executing media of a finite duration;

responsive to determining that the application is executing media of the finite duration;

calculating, by the notifications manager, an amount of time remaining until the media completes execution; and

determining, by the notifications manager, that the estimated duration of time is the amount of time remaining; and

responsive to determining that the application is not executing media of the finite duration;

estimating, by the notifications manager, an amount of time the application will use the output device; and

determining, by the notifications manager, that the estimated duration of time is the estimated amount of time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein estimating the amount of time the application will use the output device comprises analyzing, by the notifications manager, historical data of the application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the application is a telephony application, and

analyzing historical data of the telephony application includes analyzing a call log that includes respective durations of previous communications.

10. An electronic device comprising:

a transceiver configured to receive a notification of an incoming electronic communication;

an output device configured to output aural, visual, or tactile output;

a computer-readable storage device configured to store an application and a notifications manager;

at least one processor configured to execute the application and the notifications manager, wherein the application is currently executing and using the output device, and wherein the at least one processor executes the notifications manager to;

determine that the output device is currently being used by the application;

determine an identity of the application;

determine, based on the identity of the application, an estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device;

determine, based at least in part on the estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device, whether the application can be interrupted;

responsive to determining that the application cannot be interrupted;

determine an urgency of the notification;

responsive to determining that the notification is urgent;

interrupt execution of the application before the estimated duration of time has elapsed; and

output, to the output device, the notification; and

responsive to determining that the notification is not urgent, delay output of the notification until the estimated duration of time has elapsed.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor executes the notifications manager to determine the estimated duration of time by at least executing the notifications manager to:

responsive to determining that the application is executing media of a finite duration;

calculate an amount of time remaining until the media completes execution; and

determine that the estimated duration of time is the amount of time remaining; and

responsive to determining that the application is not executing media of a finite duration;

estimate an amount of time the application will use the output device; and

determine that the estimated duration of time is the estimated amount of time.

12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor executes the notifications manager to estimate the amount of time the application will use the output device by at least executing the notifications manager to analyze historical data of the application.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the computer-readable storage device is configured to store the historical data of the application.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising:

at least one sensor configured to sense an operating environment of the electronic device,

wherein the at least one processor executes the notifications manager to determine whether the application can be interrupted by at least executing the notifications manager to;

compare the estimated duration of time to a threshold, wherein the threshold is adjusted based at least on part on the operating environment sensed by the at least one sensor.

15. A computer-readable storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of an electronic device to:

receive a notification of an incoming electronic communication;

determine that an output device of the electronic device is currently being used by an application actively executing at the electronic device;

determine an identity of the application;

determine, based at least in part on the identity of the application, an estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device;

determine, based at least in part on the estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device, whether the application can be interrupted;

responsive to determining that the application cannot be interrupted;

determine an urgency of the notification;

responsive to determining that the notification is urgent;

interrupt execution of the application before the estimated duration of time has elapsed; and

output, to the output device, the notification; and

responsive to determining that the notification is not urgent, delay output of the notification until the estimated duration of time has elapsed.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine whether the application can be interrupted by at least causing the one or more processors to:

compare the estimated duration of time to a threshold;

responsive to determining that the estimated duration of time is no more than the threshold, determine that the application cannot be interrupted; and

responsive to determining that the estimated duration of time is greater than the threshold determine that the application can be interrupted.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein instructions cause the one or more processors to estimate the amount of time the application will use the output device by at least causing the one or more processors to:

analyze a call log of the application, wherein the application is a telephony application, and wherein the call log includes respective durations of previous communications.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to determine the estimated duration of time until the application will cease using the output device by at least causing the one or more processors to:

responsive to determining that the application is executing media of a finite duration;

calculate an amount time remaining until the media completes execution; and

determine that the estimated duration of time is the amount of time remaining; and

responsive to determining that the application is not executing media of a finite duration;

estimate an amount of time the application will use the output device; and

determine that the estimated duration of time is the estimated amount of time.