U.S. patent application number 14/101682 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-19 for system and method for providing user awareness in a smart phone.
This patent application is currently assigned to CORE WIRELESS LICENSING S.A.R.L.. The applicant listed for this patent is Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l.. Invention is credited to Fabio Grassiotto.
Application Number | 20140173445 14/101682 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37109151 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140173445 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Grassiotto; Fabio |
June 19, 2014 |
System and Method for Providing User Awareness in a Smart Phone
Abstract
A system and method for providing a plurality of options to a
mobile telephone user based upon the user's prior activities. The
present invention includes an "action input," the actuation of
which results in a menu of previously performed activities by the
user. For example, the menu can display activities that frequently
occur at the same time each day. The device software can
automatically update and arrange the respective options based upon
the user's activities.
Inventors: |
Grassiotto; Fabio;
(Vancouver, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Core Wireless Licensing S.a.r.l. |
Luxembourg |
|
LU |
|
|
Assignee: |
CORE WIRELESS LICENSING
S.A.R.L.
Luxembourg
LU
|
Family ID: |
37109151 |
Appl. No.: |
14/101682 |
Filed: |
December 10, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11104098 |
Apr 12, 2005 |
8611866 |
|
|
14101682 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
715/736 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/22 20130101;
G06F 3/0484 20130101; H04L 67/04 20130101; H04W 4/02 20130101; H04L
29/08108 20130101; H04M 1/72566 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/736 |
International
Class: |
H04L 29/08 20060101
H04L029/08; G06F 3/0484 20060101 G06F003/0484 |
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A method, comprising: monitoring, by a processor of an
electronic device, a plurality of actions undertaken by a user on
the electronic device over a period of time and which program was
most recently accessed; recording information concerning the nature
of the plurality of actions, including the time of day that the
plurality of actions occurred; receiving a user activation input;
in response to receiving the user activation input, generating, by
the processor, a list of actions from the plurality of actions for
the program most recently accessed and that occurred within a time
span around the same time of day as the user activation input but
on previous days; and presenting the list to the user of the
electronic device.
22. The method of claim 21 further comprising ranking the actions
on the list in order of frequency at which the actions were
previously undertaken during the time span on the previous
days.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein the list of actions are
generated when the electronic device is in an idle mode.
24. The method of claim 21, further comprising: permitting the user
to select from the list of actions; and performing the selected
action.
25. The method of claim 21, wherein the information is recorded on
a database removably connected to the electronic device.
26. The method of claim 21, wherein the time span satisfies a
relationship criterion with respect to the current time.
27. A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory
computer-readable medium and executed by a processor, comprising:
computer code for monitoring a plurality of actions undertaken by a
user on the electronic device over a period of time and which
program was most recently accessed; computer code for recording
information concerning the nature of the plurality of actions,
including the time of day that the plurality of actions occurred;
computer code for receiving a user activation input; computer code
for generating, in response to receiving the user activation input,
a list of actions from the plurality of actions for the program
most recently accessed and that occurred within a time span around
the same time of day as the user activation input but on previous
days; and computer code for presenting the list to the user of the
electronic device.
28. The computer program product of claim 27 further comprising
ranking the actions on the list in order of frequency at which the
actions were previously undertaken during the time span on the
previous days.
29. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the list of
actions are generated when the electronic device is in an idle
mode.
30. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:
computer code for permitting the user to select from the list of
actions; and computer code for performing the selected action.
31. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein the time span
satisfies a relationship criterion with respect to the current
time.
32. An electronic device, comprising: a processor; a display for
exhibiting information generated by the processor; and a memory
unit operatively connected to the processor, the memory unit
including computer code configured to, with the processor, cause
the electronic device at least to perform: monitor a plurality of
actions undertaken by a user on the electronic device over a period
of time and which program was most recently accessed; record
information concerning the nature of the plurality of actions,
including the time of day that the plurality of actions occurred;
receive a user activation input; in response to receiving the user
activation input, generate a list of actions from the plurality of
actions for the program most recently accessed and that occurred
within a time span around the same time of day as the user
activation input but on previous days; and present the list to the
user on the display.
33. The electronic device of claim 32 wherein the memory unit
further includes: computer code for ranking the actions on the list
in order of frequency at which the actions were previously
undertaken during the time span on the previous days.
34. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the information is
recorded on a database removably connected to the remainder of the
electronic device.
35. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the memory unit
further includes: computer code for permitting the user to select
from the list of actions; and computer code for performing the
selected action.
36. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the list of actions
are generated when the electronic device is in an idle mode.
37. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the electronic
device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a
mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant, a computer, and
combinations thereof
38. The electronic device of claim 32, wherein the time span
satisfies a relationship criterion with respect to the current
time.
39. A system, comprising: a processor; a memory unit operatively
connected to the processor; and a database including: computer code
for monitoring a plurality of actions undertaken by a user over a
period of time and which program was most recently accessed, and
computer code for recording information concerning the nature of
the plurality of actions, including the time of day that the
plurality of actions occurred, wherein a list of actions is
generated from the plurality of actions for the program most
recently accessed and that occurred within a time span around the
same time of day as a user activation input but on previous day for
exhibition to the user upon receipt of the user activation
input.
40. The system of claim 39 wherein the memory unit further
includes: computer code for ranking the actions on the list in
order of frequency at which the actions were previously undertaken
during the time span on the previous days.
41. The system of claim 39, wherein the database is located in a
remote location from the processor and the memory unit.
42. The system of claim 39, wherein the time span satisfies a
relationship criterion with respect to the current time.
43. A server, comprising: a processor; a data communication link to
transmit and receive information to and from an electronic device;
and a memory unit operatively connected to the processor and
including: computer code for monitoring a plurality of actions
undertaken by a user of the electronic device over a period of time
and which program was most recently accessed, and computer code for
recording information concerning the nature of the plurality of
actions, including the time of day that the plurality of actions
occurred, wherein a list of actions is generated from the plurality
of actions for the program most recently accessed and that occurred
within a time span around the same time of day as a user activation
input but on previous days for exhibition to the user on the
electronic device upon receipt of the user activation input.
44. The server of claim 43 wherein the memory unit further
includes: computer code for ranking the actions on the list in
order of frequency at which the actions were previously undertaken
during the time span on the previous days.
Description
FIELD
[0001] The present -disclosure relates generally to mobile
telephones. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to
"smart" mobile telephones that are capable of monitoring a user's
activities.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Smart phones are the next generation in cellular telephony.
With extraordinary computing power, built-in programmable graphics,
and various communication options, smart phones provide a
convenient and powerful mobile user interface for many intelligent
embedded devices. Individuals can use a smart phone to perform
activities such as connecting to security systems, industrial
controllers, access-control systems, medical devices, environmental
systems, and other systems.
[0003] These devices are typically application-driven, allowing the
user to select applications from a user interface screen and
install new software. Smart phones use a direct manipulation of the
user interface, meaning that the user is required to select iconic
representations in order to select software applications in the
device. Smart phone applications also contain a menu structure with
a number of options for the user selection.
[0004] As cellular telephony networks mature, devices within these
networks are becoming increasingly capable of implementing
connections with higher data-rates. These devices are also becoming
increasingly capable of establishing data communication operations
for internet-aware applications, such as browsing, multimedia
messaging, chat operations, and other operations.
[0005] Although the level of technology being incorporated into
smart phones is increasing every year, they still have a number of
limitations. For example, as smart phones have increasingly complex
user interfaces, they are still quite limited in their ability to
make it easier for a user to manipulate them. Typically, the user
is often required to perform the same actions repeatedly without
any support from the smart phone software, with the software not
aiding users in making frequent actions easier to complete, as well
as not permitting significant customization of the user
interface.
[0006] In recent years, some smart phones have permitted minor
customizations of the user interface to take place. These
customizations have included the selection of themes, language
selection and similar settings. Although beneficial, these
customizations are still limited and do not seriously monitor and
adjust to a user's everyday activities.
[0007] European Patent Publication No. 0891066A2, assigned to Nokia
Mobile Phones LTD., discloses an electronic device where a menu can
be created that includes the most commonly implemented functions by
a user. However, the user must still navigate through the user
interface to reach the menu.
SUMMARY
[0008] The present -disclosure involves the use of an "action
input" that provides a user with a number of options according to
the current time of the day or the last-run application on the
mobile telephone. For example, when a user actuates the action
input at a certain time of day, the device will show a list of
options to the user that are based upon the user's activities at
the same time previous days. The list of options can also be ranked
by the frequency of user action. The software for the device can
also provide automatic customization of the options based upon
usage statistics. This customization can include, for example,
changing the order of icons in the principal display, reordering
options in the respective menus, reordering Internet links in
browser software, and others.
[0009] The present disclosure represents a substantial improvement
in smart phone technology over conventional systems. The present
disclosure allows for the customization of option lists for
different users and for different situations. This disclosure would
be especially advantageous with systems having an "active idle"
mode, where users can receive and manipulate information even
though the device is in an idle mode. The present disclosure can
also be implemented on computers having an "active desktop"
function. These benefits have previously not been available in
smart phones.
[0010] These and other objects, advantages and features of the
disclosure, together with the organization and manner of operation
thereof, will become apparent from the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein like elements have like numerals throughout the
several drawings described below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mobile telephone that can
be used in the implementation of the present disclosure;
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of the telephone
circuitry of the mobile telephone of FIG. 1;
[0013] FIG. 3 is a representative display showing a list of
potential actions to be implemented by the user based upon the
user's prior conduct; and
[0014] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the implementation of various
embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] FIGS. 1 and 2 show one representative mobile telephone 12
within which the present disclosure may be implemented. It should
be understood, however, that the present disclosure is not intended
to be limited to one particular type of mobile telephone 12 or
other electronic device. For example, the present disclosure can be
incorporated into a combination personal digital assistant (PDA)
and mobile telephone, a PDA, an integrated messaging device (IMD),
a desktop computer, and a notebook computer. The mobile telephone
12 of FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a housing 30, a display 32 in the form
of a liquid crystal display, a keypad 34, a microphone 36, an
ear-piece 38, a battery 40, an infrared port 42, an antenna 44, a
smart card 46 in the form of a universal integrated circuit card
(UICC) according to one embodiment of the disclosure, a system
clock 43, a card reader 48, radio interface circuitry 52, codec
circuitry 54, a controller 56 and a memory 58. Individual circuits
and elements are all of a type well known in the art, for example
in the Nokia range of mobile telephones.
[0016] The communication devices may communicate using various
transmission technologies including, but not limited to, Code
Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division
Multiple Access (FDMA), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet
Protocol (TCP/IP), Short Messaging Service (SMS), Multimedia
Messaging Service (MMS), e-mail, Instant Messaging Service (IMS),
Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, etc.
[0017] The present disclosure takes advantage of the fact that a
typical user's usage patterns of the smart phone device are well
defined. For example, many people call their home at the same time
of the day, send short messages to the same friends at the same
time on a certain day of the week, open the same internet links
using a web browser, etc. However, for these types of frequent
actions, the user is usually required to do repeated actions
without any support from the smart phone's software in conventional
systems. The fact that the usage patterns of the device are well
defined is used by the smart phone software in the present
disclosure to provide a mechanism for the user to repeat frequent
actions and customize the user interface to accommodate these
actions. The present disclosure also provides for a number of
features for permitting a task-driven approach to smart phones.
[0018] The present disclosure involves the use of an "action
input," shown at 35 in FIG. 1, that activates user awareness
systems, providing the user with a number of options in the user
interface. Although the action input 35 is shown in FIG. 1 as being
a button located below the display 32, it should be noted that the
action input 35 can take a wide variety of forms. For example, in
the case where the display 32 is touch sensitive, the action input
35 can take the form of an icon on the display 32, where the user
can actuate the icon through the use of a stylus or other
device.
[0019] According to the present disclosure , activation of the
action input 35 provides the user with a set of potential options
on the display 32 that are customized based upon the user's prior
conduct. In one embodiment of the disclosure, when the action input
35 is actuated, the set of options that are provided to the user
are based upon the user's prior conduct at that particular time of
day. For example, if at 5:30 in the afternoon the user actuates the
action input 35, then the display 32 will exhibit a list of options
to the user based upon his or her actions at 5:30 in the afternoon
on previous days. Items such as "call home," "turn off device," and
virtually any other activity could be listed. This is represented
generically in FIG. 3, with a list of options 37 being listed on
the display 32.
[0020] The present disclosure may be particularly useful with
systems having an "active idle" mode, where users can receive and
manipulate information even though the device is in an idle mode.
An idle mode in a mobile telephone is a basic mode where a user
can, for example, initiate a phone call or other functions. An idle
mode may also present information, such as upcoming calendar
events, missed or received calls and/or other information that
might be of interest to the user. As used herein, the term "idle
mode" refers to a mode where the system, though possibly appearing
in an inactive state, will react to activity generated by the
electronic device. This is in contrast to programs such as "screen
savers," where events generated by the electronic device do not
have an effect on the screen saver or cause the screen saver to
disappear or stop operating. Computers and other electronic devices
can also have an idle mode.
[0021] In the situation where the present disclosure is used in
conjunction with an active idle mode, the user is not required to
browse through any menus or long lists of items. When potential
actions are presented on the screen in the active idle mode, the
actions act as reminders to the user. The reminder itself may also
act as a shortcut to the action.
[0022] In another embodiment of the disclosure, the options that
are displayed are based upon the last application which was used by
the user. For example, if the last action involved the use of
electronic mail, then actuation of the action input 35 would result
in the display of frequently used electronic mail addresses.
[0023] It is also possible for the mobile telephone 12 to rank the
individual options based upon the frequency at which the actions
are conducted by the user at that time. In this way, the mobile
telephone 12 can use usage statistics not only to display likely
potential actions, but also to customize the ordering of such
actions based upon a user's prior tendencies. This customization
can involve not only the potential action items, but can also
affect the order and arrangement of icons appearing on the display
32; items and options appearing in web browsers and other
applications, and other items that are commonly manipulated on the
mobile telephone 12. In one embodiment of the disclosure, all of
the above-described functionalities are optional to the user,
allowing the user to turn on and off the functionality as necessary
and/or desired.
[0024] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the
software for the mobile telephone 12 logs the user's activity,
including the number of occasions each application is activated,
the data that the user inputs into the various applications, and
similar information. In one embodiment of the disclosure, all of
the collected data is stored in a secure database 45 within the
mobile phone's software in order to address privacy and security
concerns. In a particular embodiment, the database 45 can be
securely moved between smart phone devices so that when the user
purchases a new mobile telephone 12, the user's usage statistics
could be transferred between devices. When the user activates the
action input 35, the database 45 is accessed and a set of options
are displayed to the user through the use of the data that was
previously logged. The smart phone software can access the database
45 continuously in order to customize the user interface/display
32, limit the database size and refresh data. The size of the
database 45 can also be limited in order to comply with small
memory sizes.
[0025] In one particular embodiment of the present disclosure, the
mobile telephone 12 can connect to a remote server, represented at
55 in FIG. 1, in a secure manner using various transmission
technologies including, but not limited to, Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM),
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), Time Division
Multiple Access (TDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA),
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Short
Messaging Service (SMS), Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS),
e-mail, Instant Messaging Service (IMS), Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11,
and others. Using these types of communication methods, the mobile
telephone 12 or other device can upload usage statistics for later
usage or storage. Such an uploading procedure using a database
within the server 55 or in another device connected to the server
55 can be triggered automatically and without user intervention, or
with user intervention, in which case the user can register its
usage statistics with a particular user profile. This user
intervention can be facilitated, in one embodiment of the
disclosure, by a user profile application that allows the user to
manage his or her profile, set visibility rules and upload or
download to and from the database. The user profile can then be
used as a shared database in the event that the user wants to use
more than mobile phone 12 or other device. By sharing the database
between devices, the user interface for the devices owned by a user
can be customized with the same set of rules, allowing for
personalized and unique device usage. In a particular embodiment of
the disclosure, the local database in the mobile telephone 12 or
other device is synchronized with the remote database on a frequent
basis to avoid data loss.
[0026] In one embodiment of the disclosure, such as where the
mobile telephone 12 or other device is operating in a high-speed,
always connected 3G environment, the mobile telephone does not need
to maintain the secure database locally in the device, but instead
maintains the database remotely, and data parsing can be performed
in the server environment. The mobile telephone 12 or other device
can then retrieve the customized options and user interface
settings through a network connection using a proprietary protocol.
This particular embodiment of the disclosure removes the burden of
storing a large database in the device at issue and forcing the
device to parse through the database as the device's complexity
grows.
[0027] In another particular embodiment of the present disclosure,
when the database is stored remotely, new server-based applications
can be created that make use of particular usage statistics, such
as finding other user profiles that use the same applications.
Through a visibility setting, the network provider can provide new
services to the user that require such services. For example, the
network provider can provide buddy lists, most frequently used
applications, etc. to the user.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the implementation of one
embodiment of the present disclosure. At step 400, a user initiates
an activity on his or her mobile telephone 12. At step 410, the
system database 45 observes this activity and takes note of the
nature of the activity, as well as the time that the activity
occurs. Steps 400 and 410 repeat over time, resulting in the
database 45 "learning" the tendencies of the user. At step 420, at
some later point the user actuates the action input 35. In response
to this actuation, the mobile telephone 12 accesses the database 45
and gathers information concerning the nature and timing of the
prior activities. At step 430, the mobile telephone 12 generates a
list of those activities (which can be as short as only one
activity) that have occurred around the same time on previous days.
In one embodiment of the disclosure, the user or the device itself
can define a time span for categorizing this information. For
example and depending upon the user or device settings, if a user
calls home at 4:45P.M., 5:05P.M., and 5:15P.M., all of these calls
can all be categorized as occurring around 5:00 P.M. In such a
case, for example, a "call home" message can appear from 4:45P.M.
to 5:15P.M. on subsequent days. At step 440, the user selects one
of the activities for activation and, at step 450, the mobile
telephone 12 initiates the selected activity.
[0029] In another embodiments of the disclosure, the mobile
telephone gathers information concerning which application or
program was most recently accessed. This step is represented at
step 425 and, at step 435, a list is generated based upon
activities associated with that application or program. It should
also be noted that steps 420, 430, 425 and 435 can all occur
substantially simultaneously, resulting in the most common
activities in recent days for a particular application to be
exhibited on the display 32.
[0030] In yet another embodiment of the disclosure, at step 445,
the user can customize the generated list. For example, the user
can add activities so that they always appear on the list when the
action input 35 is actuated, or the user can change the respective
ranking of individual activities on the list. It should be noted
that this customization can occur at various points in the process
depicted in FIG. 4. Additionally, the user can also apply tags to
the frequently used action so that the mobile telephone 12 or other
device can display the tag whenever the action button/application
is initiated.
[0031] The present disclosure is described in the general context
of method steps, which may be implemented in one embodiment by a
program product including computer-executable instructions, such as
program code, executed by computers in networked environments.
[0032] Generally, program modules include routines, programs,
objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular
tasks or implement particular abstract data types.
Computer-executable instructions, associated data structures, and
program modules represent examples of program code for executing
steps of the methods disclosed herein. The particular sequence of
such executable instructions or associated data structures
represents examples of corresponding acts for implementing the
functions described in such steps.
[0033] Software and web implementations of the present disclosure
could be accomplished with standard programming techniques with
rule-based logic and other logic to accomplish the various database
searching steps, correlation steps, comparison steps and decision
steps. It should also be noted that the words "component" and
"module" as used herein, and in the claims, is intended to
encompass implementations using one or more lines of software code,
and/or hardware implementations, and/or equipment for receiving
manual inputs.
[0034] The foregoing description of embodiments of the present
disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration and
description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
present disclosure to the precise form disclosed, and modifications
and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may
be acquired from practice of the present disclosure. The
embodiments were chosen and described in order to explain the
principles of the present disclosure and its practical application
to enable one skilled in the art to utilize the present disclosure
in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited
to the particular use contemplated.
* * * * *