Method and apparatus for notifying missed events

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016007290-A1
Application number	US-201414768545-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 11, 2014
Priority date	Feb 19, 2013
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of operating a device for indicating an event notification to a user comprises indicating a new event through accordingly controlling visual, audible and/or tactile indicators. A user input is received in response to the indicated event. In case a user input in response to the indicated event is not received within a first time period, sensors in the device are controlled to monitor ambient conditions and determine corresponding pattern. In case of a change in the pattern of the ambient conditions by a predetermined amount within a second time period, the new event is indicated once more to the user.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A method of operating a device for indicating an event notification to a user, comprising:
indicating a new event by accordingly issuing a visual, audible, or tactile indication to the user, monitoring reception of a user response to the indicated event, cancelling the indication of the event in case of a corresponding user response, when the indication for a particular new event is triggered, controlling sensors in the device to monitor one or more ambient properties, and determining a pattern from the one or more monitored ambient properties, continuing controlling the sensors to monitor the one or more ambient properties when no user input is received in response to the indication of the event, and in case a change in the previously determined pattern exceeding a predetermined threshold subsequently occurs, indicating the new event once more to the user.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein controlling sensors in the device to monitor one or more ambient properties includes controlling sensors adapted for sensing one or more ambiance properties of the non-exclusive list comprising light, temperature, humidity, air pressure, strength or orientation of magnetic fields, motion, spatial orientation, noise level, type of power source, and availability of wired or wireless data connections.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the new event is an audible or visible message, including but not limited to a text message, an email, a calendar appointment, a missed call indication, or an updated newsfeed.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a time period for a user to respond to the indication of the new event, a time period for detecting a change in one or more ambiance properties or a monitored pattern by a predetermined amount or the predetermined amount are user settable or adjusted in response to a rate of change of a monitored ambience property.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the predetermined amount of change in the ambient properties or in a pattern of the one or more monitored ambient properties in the corresponding time period is a differential value that is added to initial or base values of the ambient properties.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the initial or base values of the ambient properties are automatically varied over time by lowpass filtering the respective values over a time period.

22 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the ambient properties are monitored or a pattern of the one or more monitored ambient properties is determined despite no new event is to be indicated, and wherein in case a change in the ambient properties or the pattern by a predetermined amount occurs while no new event is to be indicated, a specific indication is issued to the user, indicating that no new event is to be indicated.

23 . The method of claim 16 , wherein monitoring the ambient properties is carried out continuously or repetitively at time instants.

24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the specific indication is an optical, acoustical or tactile signal that is different from an event notification.

25 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the indication is a signal to a further device, non-perceptible to a human, wherein the further device issues a human-perceptible indication to the user in response to receiving the non-perceptible signal.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the non-perceptible signal includes modulated or unmodulated electromagnetic radiation in the non-visible spectrum and/or infrasonic or ultrasonic acoustic signals.

27 . The method of claim 16 , wherein individual or combinations of sensors to be used for monitoring ambient properties are user-selectable and wherein the corresponding changes in the patterns of the monitored ambient properties for triggering re-issuing an event notification are user settable, including user-selection and user-setting through a selected user profile.

28 . Portable device having a microprocessor, a program memory, a data memory, and sensors adapted to detect ambient properties, wherein the program memory stores instructions that, when executed, cause the portable device to carry out the method of claim 16 .

29 . The portable device of claim 28 , further including a display screen, a loudspeaker, a tactile feedback generator and/or a wireless communication circuit.

30 . The portable device of claim 28 , wherein the sensors include one or more of air pressure sensors, ambient light sensors, proximity sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, magnetic field sensors, radiation sensors, power supply sensors, wired or wireless data connections, accessory detectors, position sensors, or motion sensors.

Assignees

• Thomson Licensing

Inventors

• Lindemann Robert
• Huber Meik
• Keller Anton Werner

Classifications

• H04W52/0254

  detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device · CPC title

• H04W68/02

  Arrangements for increasing efficiency of notification or paging channel · CPC title

• H04W4/12

  Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements · CPC title

• H04M2250/60

  logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs · CPC title

• H04M2250/12

  including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion · CPC title