Adaptive alert duration

• US 9,880,711 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Robison, Austin, Faaborg, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US14/244,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,398 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A computing device may output, for display at a display device, a graphical user interface. The computing device may receive a plurality of indications of user interaction with the computing device. The computing device may determine a set of one or more time intervals between receiving at least two of the plurality of indications of user interaction with the computing device. The computing device may determine, based at least in part on the determined set of one or more time intervals, a length of time to visually emphasize an alert in the graphical user interface. The computing device may visually emphasize, for the length of time, the alert in the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

outputting, by a computing device, for display at a display device, a graphical user interface;

receiving, by one or more processors of the computing device from one or more sensors of the computing device, signals indicative of a plurality of user interactions with the computing device, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an accelerometer or an image capture device;

determining, by the one or more processors, a first time interval between a first user interaction and a second user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, and a second time interval between the second user interaction and a third user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, wherein at least one of the first user interaction, the second user interaction, or the third user interaction includes at least one of a tilt movement of the computing device or a user gaze directed at the display device;

determining, by the one or more processors, a time at which a next user interaction is expected to occur based at least in part on the first time interval, the second time interval, and an elapsed time since a most recent user interaction; and

in response to the one or more processors generating an alert, visually emphasizing, by the computing device, the alert in the graphical user interface for a length of time until at least the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing, by the one or more processors, the length of time to visually emphasize the alert based at least in part on a geographical location of the computing device at the time the computing device generates the alert.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, by the computing device from the one or more sensors of the computing device, the signals indicative of the plurality of user interactions with the computing device further comprises:

determining, by the computing device, for each respective user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, a respective likelihood of the display device being viewed; and

determining, by the computing device, for each respective user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, whether the respective likelihood of the display device being viewed exceeds a likelihood threshold.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by the computing device, that each of the first user interaction, the second user interaction, and the third user interaction is each associated with a likelihood of the display device being viewed that exceeds the likelihood threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the computing device, the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur based at least in part on the plurality of time intervals and the elapsed time since the most recent user interaction further comprises:

determining, by the computing device, the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur based at least in part on the elapsed time since the most recent user interaction and an average of at least the first time interval and the second time interval.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the computing device, the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur based at least in part on the plurality of time intervals and the elapsed time since the most recent user interaction further comprises:

determining, by the computing device, the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur based further at least in part on respective sets of two or more time intervals between at least two user interactions from a corresponding plurality of user interactions received by a corresponding remote computing device of a plurality of remote computing devices.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing device to:

output for display at a display device, a graphical user interface;

receive, from one or more sensors of the computing device, signals indicative of a plurality of user interactions with the computing device, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an accelerometer or an image capture device;

determine a first time interval between a first user interaction and a second user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, and a second time interval between the second user interaction and a third user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, wherein at least one of the first user interaction, the second user interaction, or the third user interaction includes at least one of a tilt movement of the computing device or a user gaze directed at the display device;

determine a time at which a next user interaction is expected to occur based at least in part on the first time interval, the second time interval, and an elapsed time since a most recent user interaction; and

in response to the at least one processor generating an alert, visually emphasize the alert in the graphical user interface for a length of time until at least the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

increase the length of time to visually emphasize the alert based at least in part on a geographical location of the computing device at the time the computing device generates the alert.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein receive, by the at least one processor of the computing device from the one or more sensors of the computing device, the signals indicative of the plurality of user interactions with the computing device further comprises:

determine, for each respective user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, a respective likelihood of the display device being viewed; and

determine, for each respective user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, whether the respective likelihood of the display device being viewed exceeds a likelihood threshold.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to:

determine that each of the first user interaction, the second user interaction, and the third user interaction is each associated with a likelihood of the display device being viewed that exceeds the likelihood threshold.

11. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one module operable by the at least one processor to;

output for display at a display device a graphical user interface;

receive from one or more sensors signals indicative of a plurality of user interactions with the computing system, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an accelerometer or an image capture device;

determine a first time interval between a first user interaction and a second user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, and a second time interval between the second user interaction and a third user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, wherein at least one of the first user interaction, the second user interaction, or the third user interaction includes at least one of a tilt movement of the computing device or a user gaze directed at the display device;

determine a time at which a next user interaction is expected to occur based at least in part on the first time interval, the second time interval, and an elapsed time since a most recent user interaction; and

in response to the at least one processor generating an alert, visually emphasize the alert in the graphical user interface for a length of time until at least the time at which the next user interaction is expected to occur.

12. The computing system of claim 11, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to increase the length of time to visually emphasize the alert based at least in part on a geographical location of the computing system at the time the computing system generates the alert.

13. The computing system of claim 11, wherein receive from one or more sensors signals indicative of a plurality of user interactions with the computing system further comprises:

determine, for each respective user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, a respective likelihood of the display device being viewed; and

determine, for each respective user interaction of the plurality of user interactions, whether the respective likelihood of the display device being viewed exceeds a likelihood threshold.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:

determine that each of the first user interaction, the second user interaction, and the third user interaction is each associated with a likelihood of the display device being viewed that exceeds the likelihood threshold.