Alert notification management for multiple user devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10149278-B2
Application number	US-201615279338-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

Techniques for coalescing alert notifications for applications and/or services to a primary user device of a set of multiple associated user devices within proximity of each other. When a user device is not in proximity to other associated user devices, the user device functions as a primary user device and provides alert notifications based on a default configuration and/or a user configurable setting. When the user device is within proximity of one or more other associated user devices, the user devices exchange relevant capability information and information for applications that are synchronized via network-based services. The user devices negotiate to determine a user device that serves as the primary user device to provide alert notifications for a set of applications and services common to a set of user devices. The other user devices are configured to reduce and/or suppress the alert notifications.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for coalescing alert notifications for a set of associated user devices, the method comprising:
by a first user device of the set of associated user devices:
detecting proximity of a second user device of the set of associated user devices;
exchanging device capabilities with the second user device;
exchanging one or more of service information or application information with the second user device;
negotiating alert notification configurations between the first user device and the second user device based at least in part on any combination of the device capabilities exchanged with the second user device, service information exchanged with the second user device, or application information exchanged with the second user device; and
configuring, based at least in part on the negotiation, the first user device to operate as a primary user device that provides alert notifications for one or more of shared applications or services for:
(i) only the first user device, or
(ii) both the first user device and the second user device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating keep alive messages to maintain proximity detection for the second user device when configured to operate as the primary user device for the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user device is configured to operate as the primary user device further based at least in part on proximity to a user of the set of associated user devices.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user device is configured to operate as the primary user device further based on indications of most recent usage for the first user device and for the second user device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein association of the user devices of the set of associated user devices is based at least in part on a common network-based service account.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user device provides auditory alert notifications when configured as the primary user device.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising causing the second user device to be configured as a secondary user device when the first user device is configured as the primary user device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the secondary user device provides silent alert notifications when configured as the secondary user device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first user device detects proximity of the second user device based at least in part on an overlapping wireless network coverage between the first user device and the second user device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the first user device detects proximity of the second user device further based at least in part on receipt of one or more wireless personal area network (WPAN) and/or wireless local area network (WLAN) messages from the second user device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the WPAN messages comprise Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) messages for a proximity profile.

12. A first user device of a set of associated user devices, the first user device comprising:
wireless circuitry communicatively coupled to one or more antennas; and
processing circuitry communicatively coupled to the wireless circuitry, the processing circuitry including a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first user device to:
detect proximity of a second user device of the set of associated user devices;
exchange device capabilities with the second user device;
exchange one or more of service information or application information with the second user device;
negotiate alert notification configurations between the first user device and the second user device based at least in part on any combination of the device capabilities exchanged with the second user device, service information exchanged with the second user device, or application information exchanged with the second user device; and
configure, based at least in part on the negotiation, the first user device to operate as a primary user device that provides alert notifications for one or more of shared applications or services for:
(i) only the first user device, or
(ii) both the first user device and the second user device.

13. The first user device of claim 12 , wherein execution of the instructions further causes the first user device to communicate keep alive messages to maintain proximity detection for the second user device when configured to operate as the primary user device for the second user device.

14. The first user device of claim 12 , wherein the first user device is configured to operate as the primary user device further based at least in part on proximity to a user of the set of associated user devices.

15. The first user device of claim 12 , wherein the first user device is configured to operate as the primary user device further based at least in part on indications of most recent usage for the first user device and for the second user device.

16. The first user device of claim 12 , wherein association of user devices of the set of associated user devices is based at least in part on a common network-based service account.

17. The first user device of claim 12 , wherein: when the first user device is configured as the primary device: the first user device provides auditory alert notifications; the first user device causes the second user device to be configured as a secondary user device; and the secondary user device provides silent alert notifications when configured as the secondary user device.

18. The first user device of claim 12 , wherein the first user device detects proximity of the second user device based at least in part on: an overlapping wireless network coverage between the first user device and the second user device; and receipt of one or more wireless personal area network (WPAN) and/or wireless local area network (WLAN) messages from the second user device.

19. The first user device of claim 18 , wherein the WPAN messages comprise Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE) messages for a proximity profile.

20. An integrated circuit apparatus configurable for operation in a first user device of a set of associated user devices, the integrated circuit apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the first user device to:
detect proximity of a second user device of the set of associated user devices;
exchange device capabilities with the second user device;
exchange one or more of service information or application information with the second user device;
negotiate alert notification configurations between the first user device and the second user device based at least in part on any combination of the device capabilities exchanged with the second user device, service information exchanged with the second user device, or application information exchanged with the second user device; and
configure, based at least in part on the negotiation, the first user device to operate as a primary user device that provides alert notifications for one or more of shared applications or services for:
(i) only the first user device, or
(ii) both the first user device and the second user device.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Borges Daniel R
• Giles Michael J
• Dooley Craig P
• Sharma Prateek
• Verma Sanjay K
• Bhattacharjee Deepankar

Classifications

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L67/1072

  Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers · CPC title

• H04W4/08

  User group management · CPC title

• H04L69/24

  Negotiation of communication capabilities · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title