Application recommendation based on detected triggering events

• US 9,529,500 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Gauci, Jason J., Marti, Lukas M., Shin, Hyo Jeong, Stites, David R., Popescu, Liviu T., Cao, Lili, Krenn, Matthaeus
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fortino, Ashley
• Application Number:
  US14/732,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20160357362A1
• Time in Patent Office: 571 Days
• Field of Search: 715/765
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0346 with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a 3D space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

An event can be detected by an input device. The event may be determined to be a triggering event by comparing the event to a group of triggering events. A first prediction model corresponding to the event is then selected. Contextual information about the device specifying one or more properties of the computing device in a first context is then received, and a set of one or more applications is identified. The set of one or more applications may have at least a threshold probability of being accessed by the user when the event occurs in the first context. Thereafter, a user interface is provided to a user for interacting with the set of one or more applications.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a user interface to a user for interacting with a suggested application executing on a computing device, the method comprising, at the computing device:

detecting an event at an input device of the computing device;

determining that the event corresponds to one of a group of triggering events designated for identifying one or more suggested applications;

selecting a first prediction model corresponding to the event, wherein the first prediction model is selected from a plurality of prediction models, and wherein the first prediction model corresponds to at least one triggering event that is different from another triggering event corresponding with a second prediction model of the plurality of prediction models;

receiving contextual information about the computing device, the contextual information specifying one or more properties of the computing device for a first context;

identifying, by the first prediction model, a set of one or more applications that have at least a threshold probability of being accessed by the user when the event occurs in association with the first context, the first prediction model using historical interactions of the user with the computing device after the event is detected;

providing the user interface to the user for interacting with the set of one or more applications.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the event at the input device of the computing device comprises:

detecting a connection of the computing device to an accessory device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the accessory device includes headphones or a computer of a vehicle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual information specifies a location of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface allows interactions on a screen with fewer applications than provided on a home screen of the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the event at the input device of the computing device comprises:

detecting a movement of the computing device with one or more motion sensors; and

determining a motion state of the computing device based on the movement, wherein the one of the group of triggering events designated for identifying the one or more suggested applications includes the motion state of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second prediction model is selected from the plurality of prediction models when the other triggering event is detected, the other triggering event being different than the event, wherein the second prediction model is different than the first prediction model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of one or more applications includes a plurality of applications, and wherein the set of one or more applications as a whole has a probability greater than a threshold probability.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface is provided on a lock screen of the computing device, the user interface allowing selection of one of the set of applications from the lock screen.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising running the set of one or more applications, the user interface being specific to the one or more applications being run.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more properties include at least one of:

a location of the computing device, a time of day determined by the computing device, and a day of year determined by the computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether a threshold period of time has elapsed;

removing the user interface when it is determined that the threshold period of time has elapsed;

determining whether the user seeks to access the set of one or more applications when it is determined that the threshold period of time has not elapsed; and

running the set of one or more applications when it is determined that the user seeks to access the set of one or more applications.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the threshold period of time is shorter for triggering events that involve direct user interaction than for triggering events that do not involve direct user interaction.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first prediction model corresponds to more than one event of the group of triggering events.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of prediction models corresponds to a different triggering event.

16. A computer product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that when executed control a device including one or more processors, the instructions comprising:

detecting an event at an input device of the device;

determining that the event corresponds to one of a group of triggering events designated for identifying one or more suggested applications;

selecting a first prediction model corresponding to the event, wherein the first prediction model is selected from a plurality of prediction models, and wherein the first prediction model corresponds to at least one triggering event that is different from another triggering event corresponding with a second prediction model of the plurality of prediction models;

receiving contextual information about the device, the contextual information specifying one or more properties of the device for a first context;

identifying, by the first prediction model, a set of one or more applications that have at least a threshold probability of being accessed by the user when the event occurs in the first context, the first prediction model using historical interactions of the user with the device when the event is detected;

providing a user interface to the user for interacting with the set of one or more applications.

17. The computer product of claim 16, wherein detecting the event at the input device of the device comprises:

detecting a connection of the computing device to an accessory device.

18. A device comprising:

a triggering events storage for storing triggering events;

an historical storage for storing historical data;

one or more input devices;

one or more contextual sources; and

one or more processors configured to;

detect an event at the one or more input devices;

determine that the event corresponds to one of a group of triggering events designated for identifying one or more suggested applications;

select a first prediction model corresponding to the event, wherein the first prediction model is selected from a plurality of prediction models, and wherein the first prediction model corresponds to at least one triggering event that is different from another triggering event corresponding with a second prediction model of the plurality of prediction models;

receive contextual information about the device from the one or more contextual sources, the contextual information specifying one or more properties of the computing device for a first context;

identify, by the first prediction model, a set of one or more applications that have at least a threshold probability of being accessed by the user when the event occurs in the first context, the first prediction model using historical interactions of the user with the computing device when the event is detected;

provide a user interface to the user for interacting with the set of one or more applications.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the one or more input devices includes at least one of a headphone jack, a Bluetooth device, a button, a touch screen, an accelerometer, and a GPS.

20. The device of claim 18, wherein the triggering events are predetermined events.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the user interface allowing interactions with fewer applications than provided on a home screen of the computing device.

22. The device of claim 18, wherein the set of one or more applications includes a plurality of applications, and wherein each of the plurality of applications has a probability greater than a threshold probability.