Quiet hours for notifications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9348607-B2
Application number	US-201313842682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2012
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

In some implementations, a computing device can be configured to automatically turn off notifications when generating a notification would cause a disturbance or be unwanted by a user. The device can be configured with quiet hours during which notifications that would otherwise be generated by the computing device can be suppressed. In some implementations, quiet hours can be configured as a time period with a start time and an end time. In some implementations, quiet hours can be derived from application data. For example, calendar data, alarm clock data, map data, etc. can be used to determine when quiet hours should be enforced. In some implementations, the device can be configured with exceptions to quiet hour notification suppression. In some implementations, the user can identify contacts to which the quiet hours notification suppression should not be applied.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, at a first time, an input defining a specified time period on a mobile device, wherein:
the specified time period comprises a start time and an end time,
the first time is before the start time,
the mobile device is configured to generate a notification in response to detecting a notification event, the notification comprising sound, light, movement or a combination thereof,
the specified time period is associated with a restricted-notification mode in which the generation of notifications at the mobile device in response to detected notification events is restricted, and
the restricted-notification mode is associated with a location;

while a plurality of restricted-notification mode criteria are met, including a criterion that is met when a current time at the mobile device is within the specified time period, and a criterion that is met when the mobile device is at the location associated with the restricted notification mode, such that the mobile device is in the restricted notification mode, detecting a notification event on the mobile device;
in response to detecting the notification event on the mobile device:
determining whether, during the restricted-notification mode and before detecting the notification event, the mobile device initiated a communication with a person associated with the notification event;
in accordance with a determination that the mobile device, during the restricted-notification mode and before detecting the notification event, did not initiate the communication with the person associated with the notification event, preventing the mobile device from generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event; and
in accordance with a determination that the mobile device, during the restricted-notification mode and before detecting the notification event, initiated the communication with the person associated with the notification event, generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event.

2. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the communication with the person associated with the notification event comprises a phone call, a text message or an email initiated by the mobile device to the person.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the notification event comprises a reply communication, from the person associated with the communication event, to the communication initiated from the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event comprises:
in accordance with a determination that the notification event was detected within a time threshold of the communication initiated with the person associated with the notification event, generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event; and
in accordance with a determination that the notification event was not detected within the time threshold of the communication initiated with the person associated with the notification event, preventing the mobile device from generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein
the time threshold is user-specified.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is in the restricted-notification mode in accordance with a determination that the restricted-notification mode criteria are met, the method further comprising:
in response to detecting the notification event on the mobile device, in accordance with a determination that the restricted-notification mode criteria are met and that the mobile device was in use when the notification event was detected, exiting the restricted-notification mode and generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is in the restricted-notification mode in accordance with a determination that the restricted-notification mode criteria are met, the restricted-notification mode criteria at least partially automatically determined based on mobile device use patterns detected by the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while the restricted-notification mode criteria are not met such that the mobile device is not in the restricted notification mode, detecting a second notification event on the mobile device; and
in response to detecting the second notification event on the mobile device, generating the notification on the mobile device.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
receiving, at a first time, an input defining a specified time period on a mobile device, wherein:
the specified time period comprises a start time and an end time,
the first time is before the start time,
the mobile device is configured to generate a notification in response to detecting a notification event, the notification comprising sound, light, movement or a combination thereof,
the specified time period is associated with a restricted-notification mode in which the generation of notifications at the mobile device in response to detected notification events is restricted, and
the restricted-notification mode is associated with a location;

while a plurality of restricted-notification mode criteria are met, including a criterion that is met when a current time at the mobile device is within the specified time period, and a criterion that is met when the mobile device is at the location associated with the restricted notification mode, such that the mobile device is in the restricted notification mode, detecting a notification event on the mobile device; in response to detecting the notification event on the mobile device:
determining whether, during the restricted-notification mode and before detecting the notification event, the mobile device initiated a communication with a person associated with the notification event;
in accordance with a determination that the mobile device, during the restricted-notification mode and before detecting the notification event, did not initiate the communication with the person associated with the notification event, preventing the mobile device from generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event; and
in accordance with a determination that the mobile device, during the restricted-notification mode and before detecting the notification event, initiated the communication with the person associated with the notification event, generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein
the communication with the person associated with the notification event comprises a phone call, a text message or an email initiated by the mobile device to the person.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein
the notification event comprises a reply communication, from the person associated with the communication event, to the communication initiated from the mobile device.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event comprises:
in accordance with a determination that the notification event was detected within a time threshold of the communication initiated with the person associated with the notification event, generating the notification in response to detecting the notification event; and
in accordance with a determination that the notification event

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chaudhri Imran A
• Novick Gregory
• Forstall Scott
• Grainger Morgan
• Dicker George R
• Hawkins Tyler

Classifications

• H04M1/72463

  to restrict the functionality of the device · CPC title

• H04M19/045

  Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal · CPC title

• G06F2203/04803

  Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title