Smart location-based reminders

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10235863-B2
Application number	US-201514863315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2015
Publication date	Mar 19, 2019
Grant date	Mar 19, 2019

Abstract

A method and device for providing a reminder to a user of a mobile device are provided. The method includes receiving a request to establish a first geographical area for the mobile device for triggering a first location-based reminder, the request including a flag indicating that other sensor information is to be used to determine when to provide the first location-based reminder to the user. A location of the mobile device is monitored to identify whether the first geographical area is triggered by the mobile device crossing a first boundary of the first geographical area. After the mobile device crosses the first boundary the first location-based reminder is identified and a state of the mobile device is determined. The first location-based reminder is provided to the user based on the state of the mobile device being included in a list of trigger states.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for providing a reminder to a user of a mobile device, the method comprising, at the mobile device:
receiving a first request, by a user, to establish a first geographical area for the mobile device for triggering a first location-based reminder;
receiving a second request, by the user, to activate an opportune mode when a first geographical boundary of the first geographical area is crossed, the second request indicating that sensor information is to be used to determine when to provide the first location-based reminder based on the user selecting the sensor information to be used to determine an opportune event occurrence;
monitoring, using location circuitry, a location of the mobile device to identify whether the mobile device crosses the first geographical boundary of the first geographical area;
after identifying that the mobile device crosses the first geographical boundary of the first geographical area and while the opportune mode is active:
identifying the first location-based reminder;
determining whether an opportune event occurs, wherein the opportune event is determined to occur based on the sensor information being a setting to detect a motion, by one or more motion sensors, indicating a change of the mobile device from a first state to a second state, wherein the opportune event indicates that the detected motion indicates that the mobile device is in a position that the user is able to review the first location-based reminder;
and
providing the first location-based reminder to the user in response to determining that the opportune event occurred.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the mobile device:
providing a user interface to the user, the user interface including an option for the user to specify that the first location-based reminder is to be created with an opportune mode such that the sensor information is to be used to determine when to provide the first location-based reminder to the user; and
receiving a selection of the option to create the first location-based reminder to include the opportune mode.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising, at the mobile device:
receiving, from the user, one or more states indicating that the mobile device is in the opportune mode.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first state of the mobile device is determined at a first time, the method further comprising, at the mobile device:
determining the second state of the mobile device at a second time using the at least one of: the one or more motion sensors and one or more input sensors, and
wherein providing the first location-based reminder to the user in response to determining that the opportune event occurred comprises:
determining that the first state and the second state are included as a sequence of states in the one or more states indicating that the mobile device is in the opportune mode.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sequence of states comprises a sedentary state as the first state and a consistent movement state as the second state.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more states comprises at least one of a moving state, a stationary state, a sleep state, an awake state, a connection state, and a disconnection state.

7. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more states indicating that the mobile device is in the opportune mode list of trigger states comprises states which are opportune for the user to receive the reminder.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first state is a motion state determined using the one or more motion sensors, an input state determined using the one or more input sensors, or a combined motion and input state determined using the one or more motion sensors and the one or more input sensors.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more input sensors monitor user activity on the mobile device in order to determine the first state of the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more input sensors comprise a button that changes a state of the mobile device from a sleep state to an awake state.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more input sensors monitor whether the mobile device is connected to or disconnected from a network.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the mobile device:
removing the provided first location-based reminder through active selection of a reminder ignore button.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, at the mobile device:
maintaining the first location-based reminder on a screen of the mobile device until active selection of the first location-based reminder is performed by the user.

14. A computer product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions that when executed control a computer system to provide a reminder to a user of a mobile device, the instructions comprising:
receiving a first request, by a user, to establish a first geographical area for the mobile device for triggering a first location-based reminder, the first request including a flag indicating that sensor information is to be used to determine when to provide the first location-based reminder to the user;
receiving a second request, by the user, to activate an opportune mode when a first geographical boundary of the first geographical area is crossed, the second request indicating that sensor information is to be used to determine an opportune event occurrence;
monitoring, using location circuitry, a location of the mobile device to identify whether the mobile device crosses the first geographical boundary of the first geographical area;
after identifying that the mobile device crosses the first geographical boundary of the first geographical area and while the opportune mode is active:
identifying the first location-based reminder;
determining whether an opportune event occurs, wherein the opportune event is determined to occur based on the sensor information being a setting to detect
a motion, by one or more motion sensors, indicating a change of the mobile device from a first state to a second state, wherein the opportune event indicates that the detected motion indicates that the mobile device is in a position that the user is able to review the first location-based reminder;
and
providing the first location-based reminder to the user in response to determining that the opportune event occurred.

15. The computer product of claim 14 , wherein the first state of the mobile device is determined at a first time, wherein the instructions further comprise:
determining the second state of the mobile device at a second time using the at least one of: the one or more motion sensors and one or more input sensors, and
wherein providing the first location-based reminder to the user in response to determining that the opportune event occurred comprises:
determining that the first state and the second state are included as a sequence of states in one or more states indicating that the mobile device is in the opportune mode.

16. The computer product of claim 15 , wherein the sequence of states comprises a sedentary state as the first state and a consistent movement state as the second state.

17. The computer product of claim 14 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
providing a user interface to the user, the user interface including an option for the user to specify that the first location-based reminder is to be created with an opportune mode such that the sensor information is to be used to determine when to provide the first

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Adler Scott
• Miladinov Viktor

Classifications

• H04W4/029

  Location-based management or tracking services · CPC title

• G06Q10/10 Primary

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G08B21/24 Primary

  Reminder alarms, e.g. anti-loss alarms · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title