Context-based management of wearable computing devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10419886-B2
Application number	US-201414496380-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 25, 2014
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Technologies for context-based management of wearable computing devices include a mobile computing device and a wearable computing device. The wearable computing device generates sensor data indicative of a location context of the wearable computing device and transmits the sensor data to the mobile computing device. The mobile computing device generates local sensor data indicative of a location context of the wearable computing device and fuses the local sensor data with the sensor data received from the wearable computing device. The mobile computing device determines a context of the wearable computing device based on the fused sensor data. The mobile computing device determines whether an adjustment to the functionality of the wearable computing device is required based on the determined context. The mobile computing device manages the functionality of the wearable computing device in response to determining that an adjustment to the functionality is required.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A mobile computing device for context-based management of a wearable computing device, the mobile computing device comprising:
a context sensor to generate first sensor data indicative of a first location context of the mobile computing device;
a sensor data analysis module to (i) receive second sensor data from the wearable computing device, wherein the second sensor data is indicative of a second location context of the wearable computing device, (ii) fuse the first sensor data and the second sensor data to generate fused sensor data, and (iii) determine a context of the wearable computing device based on the fused sensor data; and
a remote device management module to (i) determine whether an adjustment to functionality of the wearable computing device is required based on the determined context and (ii) manage the functionality of the wearable computing device in response to a determination that the adjustment to the functionality is required.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to manage the functionality of the wearable computing device comprises to transmit a control message to the wearable computing device to adjust the functionality of the wearable computing device.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to manage the functionality of the wearable computing device comprises to transmit a notification message to the wearable computing device to be displayed, wherein the notification message indicates that adjustment to the functionality of the wearable computing device is required.

4. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to determine the context of the wearable computing device comprises to determine, based on the fused sensor data, whether the wearable computing device is located in a reference location.

5. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein to determine the context of the wearable computing device comprises to determine, based on the fused sensor data, whether the wearable computing device is located within a reference distance to the mobile computing device.

6. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data analysis module is further to receive third sensor data from a different wearable computing device, wherein the third sensor data is indicative of a third location context of the different wearable computing device;
wherein to fuse the first sensor data and the second sensor data to generate the fused sensor data comprises to fuse the third sensor data received from the different wearable computing device with the first sensor data and the second sensor data to generate the fused sensor data; and
wherein to determine the context of the wearable computing device comprises to (i) determine, based on the fused sensor data, whether the wearable computing device is located in a first reference location, (ii) determine, based on the fused sensor data, whether the mobile computing device is located in a second reference location, and (iii) determine, based on the fused sensor data, whether the different wearable computing device is located in a third reference location.

7. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor data analysis module is further to receive third sensor data from a different wearable computing device, wherein the third sensor data is indicative of a third location context of the different wearable computing device;
wherein to fuse the first sensor data and the second sensor data to generate the fused sensor data comprises to fuse the third sensor data received from the different wearable computing device with the first sensor data and the second sensor data to generate the fused sensor data;
wherein the context sensor is further to generate fourth sensor data indicative of a relational context between the mobile computing device, the wearable computing device, and the different wearable computing device; and
wherein to determine the context of the wearable computing device comprises to determine, based on the fused sensor data and the fourth sensor data, whether the wearable computing device is (i) located within a first reference distance to the mobile computing device and (ii) located within a second reference distance to the different wearable computing device.

8. The mobile computing device of claim 1 , wherein the remote device management module is further to (i) determine whether a separate adjustment to a power state of the wearable computing device is required based on the determined context and (ii) manage the power state of the wearable computing device in response to a determination that the separate adjustment to the power state is required.

9. The mobile computing device of claim 8 , wherein to determine whether the adjustment to the functionality of the wearable computing device is required and to determine whether the separate adjustment to the power state of the wearable computing device is required comprises to compare the determined context to one or more rules of a context policy database, each of the one or more rules of the context policy database defines at least one of a functionality adjustment or a power state adjustment to be applied to the wearable computing device based on a different determined context of the wearable computing device.

10. The mobile computing device of claim 9 , wherein the functionality adjustment comprises at least one of a functionality enable instruction to cause the wearable computing device to initialize a function or a functionality disable instruction to cause the wearable computing device to terminate a function.

11. The mobile computing device of claim 9 , wherein the power state adjustment comprises at least one of a working power state instruction to cause the wearable computing device to enter an operational mode, a standby power state instruction to cause the wearable computing device to enter a sleep mode, a suspend to disk power state instruction to cause the wearable computing device to enter a hibernate mode, or a shutdown power state instruction to cause the wearable computing device to enter a powered down mode.

12. One or more non-transitory, machine-readable media comprising a plurality of instructions stored thereon that in response to being executed by a mobile computing device, cause the mobile computing device to:
generate first sensor data indicative of a first location context of the mobile computing device;
receive, from the wearable computing device, second sensor data indicative of a second location context of the wearable computing device;
fuse the first sensor data and the second sensor data to generate fused sensor data;
determine a context of the wearable computing device based on the fused sensor data;
determine whether an adjustment to functionality of the wearable computing device is required based on the determined context; and
manage the functionality of the wearable computing device in response to a determination that the adjustment to the functionality is required.

13. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 12 , wherein to manage the functionality of the wearable computing device comprises to transmit a control message to the wearable computing device to adjust the functionality of the wearable computing device.

14. The one or more non-transitory, machine-readable media of claim 12 , wherein to manage the functionality of the wearable computing device comprises to transmit a notification message to the wearable computing device to be displayed, wherein the notification message indicates that adjustment to the functionality of the wearable computing device is required.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Yang Xue
• Holmes Steven T

Classifications

• H04W52/0209

  in terminal devices · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title

• G06F1/3206

  Monitoring of events, devices or parameters that trigger a change in power modality · CPC title

• H04Q9/00

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title