Performing an operation during inferred periods of non-use of a wearable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9612862-B2
Application number	US-201414313835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2014
Priority date	Jun 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A wearable computing device is described that predicts, based on movement detected, over time, by the wearable computing device, one or more future periods of time during which the wearable computing device will not be used. Responsive to determining that the wearable computing device is not being used at a current time, the wearable computing device determines whether the current time coincides with at least one period of time from the one or more future periods of time. Responsive to determining that the current time coincides with the at least one period of time, the wearable computing device performs an operation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
determining, based on movement of a wearable computing device over time, a recurring period of time during which a frequency of movement associated with the movement satisfies a threshold for indicating that the wearable computing device is not being worn;
predicting, by a processor, based on the recurring period of time, one or more future periods of time during which the wearable computing device will not be worn;
responsive to determining that the wearable computing device is not being worn at a current time, determining, by the processor, whether the current time coincides with at least one period of time from the one or more future periods of time; and
responsive to determining that the current time coincides with the at least one period of time, performing, by the wearable computing device, an operation by at least outputting, for display during the at least one period of time, a security challenge graphical user interface in response to detecting future movement of the wearable computing device during the at least one period.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the operation is performed responsive to determining that the operation can be performed before termination of the at least one period of time.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
identifying a plurality of operations to be performed by the wearable computing device at the current time, wherein the operation is one of the plurality of operations; and
responsive to determining that the operation can be performed before the termination of the at least one period of time, selecting the operation from the plurality of operations, wherein the operation is performed in response to the selection.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is a first threshold determining the recurring period of time further comprises:
determining, based on the movement, the recurring period of time as being a duration of time during which a magnitude of change associated with the movement satisfies a second threshold for indicating that a user of the wearable computing device is sleeping.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the movement comprises at least one of an acceleration of wearable computing device, a level of tilt of wearable computing device, or a rotation of wearable computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the operation comprises at least one of:
installing a software package for subsequent execution at the wearable computing device, or
updating an operating system or computing platform executing at the wearable computing device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the operation comprises deactivating, by the wearable computing device, a display device associated with the wearable computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the operation comprises refraining from outputting, by the wearable computing device, at least one of audible type alerts, visual type alerts, or haptic feedback type alerts.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the recurring period of time comprises identifying, by the processor, one or more recurring patterns of movement associated with the movement.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining that the wearable computing device is not being worn at the current time comprises determining that current movement of the wearable computing device coincides with at least one of the one or more recurring patterns of movement.

11. A wearable computing device comprising:
at least one motion sensor;
at least one processor; and
at least one module operable by the at least one processor to:
determine, based on movement, over time, detected by the at least one motion sensor, a recurring period of time during which a frequency of movement associated with the movement satisfies a threshold for indicating that the wearable computing device is not being worn;
predict, based on the recurring period of time, one or more future periods of time during which the wearable computing device will not be worn;
responsive to determining that the wearable computing device is not being worn at a current time, determine whether the current time coincides with at least one period of time from the one or more future periods of time; and
responsive to determining that the current time coincides with the at least one period of time, perform an operation by at least outputting, for display during the at least one period of time, a security challenge graphical user interface in response to detecting future movement of the wearable computing device during the at least one period.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to perform the operation in response to determining that the operation can be performed before termination of the at least one period of time.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to:
identify a plurality of operations to be performed by the wearable computing device at the current time, wherein the operation is one of the plurality of operations; and
responsive to determining that the operation can be performed during the at least one period of time, select the operation from the plurality of operations, wherein the operation is performed in response to the selection.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the threshold is a first threshold and the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine the recurring period of time by at least:
determining, based on the movement, the recurring period of time as being a duration of time during which a magnitude of change associated with the movement satisfies a second threshold for indicating that the wearable computing device is not being worn.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to perform the operation by at least:
installing a software package for subsequent execution at the wearable computing device;
updating an operating system or computing platform executing at the wearable computing device;
deactivating a display device; or
refraining from outputting at least one of audible type alerts, visual type alerts, or haptic feedback type alerts.

16. A method comprising:
obtaining, by a computing system, an indication of movements detected by a wearable computing device on a plurality of prior days;
identifying, by the computing system, based on the movements, a recurring period of time of the plurality of prior days during which a frequency of movement associated with the movements satisfies a threshold for indicating that the wearable computing device is not being worn by at least:
determining, by the computing system, based on the detected movements, a respective first time on at least two of the plurality of prior days when the wearable computing device was initially not being worn;
determining, by the computing system, based on the detected movements, a respective second time on the at least two of the plurality of prior days when the wearable computing device was initially worn subsequent to the first time; and
determining, by the computing system, based on the respective first time and the respective second time of each of the at least two of the plurality of prior days, the recurring period of time of the plurality of prior days during which the frequency of movement associated with the movements satisfies the threshold

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Faaborg Alexander
• Chang Jeffrey Albert

Classifications

• G06F9/4843

  by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system · CPC title

• G06F8/65 Primary

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title

• G06F9/46 Primary

  Multiprogramming arrangements · CPC title

• G06F1/163

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

• G06N5/04

  Inference or reasoning models · CPC title