The present invention relates generally to wireless devices and more particularly to wireless devices operated based on another person in the presence of the user.
Wireless communication devices are gaining in popularity and functionality and have become an integral part of the present day world. Such devices may include portable computers, cellular telephones and smart phones and perform a number of functions, including receiving emails and other messages and playing audio and video content.
With the use of wireless devices increasing, the opportunities for a wireless device to interrupt a personal meeting of the user are also increasing. For example, a wireless device typically rings when the user is receiving a phone call, which is undesirable when the user is meeting with certain people, such as a client, spouse, or boss. Conventionally, wireless devices have adjustable settings for turning off such notifications, but adjusting these settings for each personal meeting may be inconvenient and prone to error.
In one exemplary embodiment, a method of operating a device for a user is provided. The method includes operating the device in a first mode; receiving an indication of a first person in the presence of the user; retrieving a first profile associated with the first person; and operating the device in a second mode based, at least in part, on the first profile.
In another exemplary embodiment, a wireless device for a user is provided. The device includes a memory configured to store a first profile associated with the user and a second profile associated with a first person other than the user; and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller is configured to operate the device in a first mode based, at least in part, on the first profile, receive an indication of the first person in the presence of the user, retrieve the second profile upon receipt of the indication, and operate the device in a second mode based, at least in part, on the second profile.
In a further exemplary embodiment, an integrated circuit for a device of a user is provided. The integrated circuit includes a memory configured to store a first profile associated with the user and a second profile associated with a first person other than the user; and a controller coupled to the memory. The controller is configured to operate the device in a first mode based, at least in part, on the first profile, receive an indication of the first person in the presence of the user, retrieve the second profile upon receipt of the indication, and operate the device in a second mode based, at least in part, on the second profile.
The present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:
The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presented in the preceding background or the following detailed description.
Broadly, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein provide a wireless communications device that may receive an indication that a certain person is in the presence of the user. The wireless device may retrieve a profile associated with the other person and operate based, at least in part, on the settings in the profile. The wireless device may also adjust the profile based, at least in part, on settings received from a wireless device of the other person or on user activities.
The wireless device 100 may be, for example, a cellular phone, smart phone, MP3 player, iPod™ player, personal digital assistant (PDA), mobile handset, personal computer (PC), gaming device, television, radio, or the like. In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the wireless device 100 is a cellular phone that exchanges information with the network 120 as well as other wireless devices, such as wireless device 140. The network 120 may be, for example, a wireless telecommunication network, the Internet, a public switched-phone network, and the like, and the type of information exchanged with the network 120 may include voice communication, digital data, SMS messaging, MMS messaging, Internet access, multi-media content access, voice over internet protocol (VoIP), and other conventional communication standards and protocols.
As described below, the wireless device 100 may include a profile associated with one or more of the other people 130 in the presence of the user 110. Upon identification of the other person 130, the wireless device 100 may operate in one of various modes based on the selected profile, for example, to adjust the ring volume of the wireless device 100 when the user 110 is in the presence of the other person 130.
In general, the controller 200 controls the operation of the wireless device 100 in accordance with computer instructions stored in memory 210. The controller 200 may be implemented using a digital signal processor, microprocessor, microcontroller, programmable logic unit, discrete circuits, or a combination thereof. The memory 210 may include random access memory, read only memory, optical memory, or any other type of memory. The memory 210 may be arranged and configured to store information to be used by other components of the wireless device 100, including the controller 200, the display 220, the user interface 230, the audio module 240, and communications module 250. In one exemplary embodiment, the memory 210 stores profiles, represented in
Although the controller 200 and memory 210 are illustrated within the wireless device 100, the processing and storage capabilities may be distributed and accessed from a network or external storage device. Depending on the embodiment, additional components may be provided or certain components omitted. The wireless device 100 may be assembled from discrete components, or implemented in one or more integrated circuits, or it may be assembled from a combination of discrete components and integrated circuit components.
As noted above, the wireless device 100 may be a communications device that supports various communication functions, including telephony, email, and web-browsing. As such, the controller 200 may control the wireless device 100 to transmit, receive, modulate, or demodulate communications to and from a network, including wide area networks (WAN), such as cellular networks, local area networks (LAN), personal area networks (PAN), or any other type of network, including the network 120 of
As introduced above, the wireless device 100 further includes a display 220 and a user interface 230. The display 220 may include an liquid crystal display (LCD) or other suitable device to display information to the user 110, while the user interface 230 may include a keyboard, keys, touchscreen input, or combination of input mechanisms for receiving and making telephone calls and supporting other interactions between the user 110 and wireless device 100. In some embodiments, the display 220 and user interface 230 may be combined, for example, in a touch screen display configured to receive user actuation with a digit of the user 110 or a stylus.
As noted above and discussed in greater detail below, the controller 200 may operate the wireless device 100 in one of various modes based on the presence of certain other people 130. Operation of the wireless device 100 is discussed in greater detail below with reference to
In a first step 305, the wireless device 100 is operated in a first mode. The first mode is generally a default mode in which the wireless device 100 is operated in accordance with a user's profile, such as user profile 410 shown in
In step 310, the wireless device 100 receives an indication of another person 130 (e.g., person 130A or person 130B of
In another embodiment, wireless device 100 may track or otherwise identify the location or geographical coordinates of the other people 130 that may be associated with one of the stored profiles 420 or 430. This may be implemented, for example, with GPS or other location reporting capabilities of the wireless device 140 of one of the other people 130. The wireless device 100 may similarly include location capabilities such as GPS functionality incorporated into the controller 200, memory 210, or communications module 250. Upon receipt of the location of the other wireless device 140, the wireless device 100 may then compare this location to the location of the user's wireless device 100. The result of this comparison indicates to the wireless device 100 that the other wireless device 140 (and, as such, the person 130A) is in the presence of the user 110. In a further embodiment, location tracking or presence notifications may be provided or otherwise supported by a network service provider through network 120 in which the wireless devices 100 and 140 update a centralized server with respective location coordinates and the server determines the distance between wireless devices 100 and 140 to appropriately inform the wireless device 100 when the wireless device 140 is at the same location.
In a further embodiment, the wireless device 100 may receive identification information directly from the other wireless device 140. For example, the wireless device 100 may receive a broadcast message from the wireless device 140 that identifies the other person 130A, or the wireless devices 100 and 140 may establish a short range communications link, such as a Bluetooth link, to provide the identifying information to the wireless device 100. For example, the wireless devices 100 and 140 may store and exchange unique Bluetooth address information to enable wireless identification and information exchange.
Upon identification of the other person 130, in step 315, the wireless device 100 compares the identity of the person 130 to the profiles stored in the memory 210, including profiles 420 and 430. If the one of the profiles 420 or 430 is associated with the identification information for the identified person 130 or the identified person's wireless device 140 in step 320, the method 300 proceeds to step 325 in which the wireless device 100 operates in a second mode according to the matched profile 420 or 430. In one exemplary embodiment, the adjustment in operation may be automatic, i.e., without further input from the user 110. In other embodiments, operation according to the matched profile may only occur after notification or confirmation of the user 110. Furthermore, the wireless device 100 may provide a notification to the user 110 indicating that the wireless device 100 is operating in the second mode, such as an indication on the display 220.
As described above, exemplary profiles 420 and 430 for operating the wireless device 100 in the second mode are shown in
Referring again to method 300, the operation of the wireless device 100 according to profiles 420 and 430 may have certain exceptions, such as in the case of emergencies. For example, in step 330, communications from predetermined numbers or contacts may be associated with a designated signal on the wireless device 100 or place the wireless device 100 back in the default or first mode. In one example, a user that is a physician may specify to be audibly notified upon receipt of a telephone call from the hospital. If the wireless device 100 identifies such a communication, the method 300 returns to step 305 and the wireless device 100 is operated according to the user profile 410 in the first mode. In other embodiments, the wireless device 100 may notify the user 110 with a default signal such as audible ring, regardless of the user profile 410. In effect, this provides the wireless device 100 an override capability from operating according to a profile 420 or 430 in certain situations, although step 330 may be omitted.
If an emergency situation is not identified in step 330, the method 300 may proceed to step 335 in which the wireless device 100 may query a wireless device associated with the identified person 130, such as the wireless device 140 of person 130A in
As such, in step 340 if profile information is received from the wireless device 140, the wireless device 100 may compare the received profile information to the stored profile 420 or 430. In step 340, the wireless device 100 may request confirmation from the user 110 to update the profile 420 or 430 with the received profile information. If the user 110 declines the changes to the profile 420 or 430 in step 340, the method 300 proceeds to step 350, which is discussed below. If the user 110 accepts the changes to the profile 420 or 430, the method 300 proceeds to step 345 in which the wireless device 100 adjusts the respective profile 420 or 430 according to the received profile information. In one exemplary embodiment, the update module 214 may include instructions for implementing the update of the appropriate profile 420 or 430. Steps 340 and 345 are discussed in the context of modifying the pre-existing profile 420 or 430 of an identified person 130. However, in other embodiments, steps 340 and 345 may be used to establish an initial profile for an identified person.
In step 350, the wireless device 100 may also monitor the action or activities of the user 110 when operating in the second mode. In one exemplary embodiment, such activities may be monitored to improve the profiles 420 and 430. For example, if the wireless device 100 is operating in the second mode according to the profile 430 (i.e., in the presence of a spouse), the wireless device 100 vibrates upon receipt of a telephone call, as reflected in
In one exemplary embodiment, activity monitoring and profile adjustment may be provided with algorithms or instructions stored as the update module 214 in memory 210. Any suitable instructions may be provided. For example, if an activity inconsistent with a setting occurs more than once or more than half the time, the wireless device 100 may prompt the user 110 about modifying the profile 420 or 430, as shown in step 355.
In step 355, the wireless device 100 may confirm that the user 110 desires to update the profile 420 or 430 with the observed activity. If the user 110 accepts the changes to the profile 420 or 430, the method 300 proceeds to step 360 in which the wireless device 100 adjusts the respective profile 420 or 430 according to the observed activity. After updating the profile 420 or 430 in step 360 or if the user declines the changes to the profile 420 or 430 in step 355, the method 300 returns to step 310 in which the wireless device 100 continues to wait for an indication of the people 130 in the presence of the user 110. In one exemplary embodiment, as long as the person 130 is identified in step 310, matches a stored profile 420 or 430 in step 320, and no emergencies occur in step 330, the wireless device 100 continues to operate in the second mode based on the matched profile 420 or 430. In another exemplary embodiment, the second mode may expire after a predetermined period of time, and the wireless device may revert back to operating in the first mode based on the user profile 410, as shown in step 305. In another embodiment, the user 110 may manually discontinue the second mode.
Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments discussed herein may provide a number of advantages. For example, the wireless devices operate according to profiles corresponding to other people in the presence of the user to prevent or reduce interruptions between the user and designated people of interest to the user.
Embodiments of the various techniques described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer hardware, firmware, software, or in combinations of them. Embodiments may be implemented as a computer program product, i.e., a computer program tangibly embodied in an information carrier, e.g., in a machine-readable storage device or in a propagated signal, for execution by, or to control the operation of, data processing apparatus, e.g., a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple computers. A computer program, such as the computer program(s) described above, can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network. Generally, a computer also may include, or be operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to, or both, one or more mass storage devices for storing data, e.g., magnetic, magneto-optical disks, or optical disks. Information carriers suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and the memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in special purpose logic circuitry.
Method steps may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing a computer program to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. Method steps also may be performed by, and an apparatus may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).
It will be appreciated that the above description for clarity has described embodiments of the invention with reference to different functional units and processors. However, it will be apparent that any suitable distribution of functionality between different functional units or processors may be used without detracting from the invention. For example, functionality illustrated to be performed by separate processors or controllers may be performed by the same processor or controllers. Hence, references to specific functional units are only to be seen as references to suitable means for providing the described functionality rather than indicative of a strict logical or physical structure or organization.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description of the invention, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the exemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map for implementing an exemplary embodiment of the invention. It being understood that various changes may be made in the function and arrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/031,418, filed on Feb. 21, 2011, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
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Child | 14330717 | US |