Method of enabling a wireless information device to automatically modify its behaviour
View Patent ↗An end-user enters time sensitive information into an application; this, for example, may be an entry (e.g. ‘meeting’, or ‘lunch with Bob’) against specific times in an agenda or calendar application. Then, a different application on the device can utilize that information to modify the device behaviour appropriately. For example, say the ‘meeting’ in the calendar application is listed to last between 10 am and 11 am; then, during that hour, the telephone application in the device (that enables telephone functions of the device to be controlled) could automatically be set to a ‘silent’ profile so that the device does not ring on an incoming call, but instead only vibrates.
1. A method comprising: receiving, at an intermediate server, data sent by a first application running on a wireless information device, the data relating to time sensitive information and a meeting profile entered by an end-user into the first application, wherein the intermediate server is configured to present a generic application programming interface and runs on the wireless information device; and providing the data, over the generic application programming interface, from the intermediate server to a second abdication running on the wireless information device, the data triggering the second application to cause the wireless information device to automatically change its behavior appropriately in dependence on the time and meeting profile data and not in dependence on automatically acquired location sensor information, determining in an instance in which a conflict arises between the behavior change due to the time and meeting profile data from the first application and a different behavior change that depends on the automatically acquired location sensor information, whether the different behavior change prevails; and in response to determining that the different behavior change prevails, implanting the different behavior change.
2. The method of claim 1 in which the first application is a calendar or agenda application and the time sensitive information comprises an entry into the calendar or agenda application.
3. The method of claim 2 in which the end-user selects from a menu list a label to apply to the entry, the label defining the type of behavior change to be carried out by the second application.
4. The method of claim 1 in which the first application is an alarm application and the time sensitive information defines an alarm time.
5. The method of claim 1 in which the second application is a telephone application that enables telephone functions of the wireless information device to be controlled.
6. The method of claim 1 in which data provided to the second application triggers the second application to cause the wireless information device to automatically change one or more of the following:
(a) altering a telephone profile
(b) altering the wireless information device ring tone
(c) altering the wireless information device user interface
(d) switching off telephone functionality
(e) switching off the wireless information device entirely
(f) switching the wireless information device to a power save mode
(g) switching off one or more items of communications hardware.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein in an instance in which a conflict arises between the behavior change due to the data from the first application and a different behavior change input directly to the first or the second application, the different behavior change input directly to the first or the second application prevails.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein in an instance in which a conflict arises between the behavior change due to the data from the first application and a different behavior change input directly to the first or the second application, then a conflict resolution component determines which behavior change prevails.
9. The method of claim 1 in which an override component determines whether a behavior change due to the data from the first application is inappropriate and overrides that behavior change in an instance in which it is determined that the behavior change is inappropriate.
10. The method of claim 8 in which the conflict resolution component is the server.
11. The method of claim 9 in which the override component is the server.
12. The method of claim 1 in which the second application causes the device to automatically change its behavior appropriately in dependence on the data from the first application for a time period determined by that data.
13. A wireless information device programmed to automatically modify its behavior, the device programmed to run: an intermediate sever configured to present a generic application programming interface and to receive data sent by a first application running on the wireless information device, the data relating to time sensitive information and a meeting profile entered by an end-user into the first application; wherein the intermediate server is further configured to provide, over the generic application programming interface, the data to a second application running on the wireless information device, the data triggering the second application to automatically change the behavior of the wireless information device appropriately in dependence on the time and meeting data and not in dependence on automatically acquired location sensor information, and in an instance in which a conflict arises between the behavior change due to the time and meeting profile data from the first application and a different behavior change that depends on the automatically acquired location sensor, information, the device is further programmed to: determine whether the different behavior change prevails; and in response to determining that the different behavior change prevails, implement the different behavior change.
14. The wireless information device of claim 13 , wherein the first application is a calendar or agenda application and the time sensitive information comprises an entry into the calendar or agenda application.
15. The wireless information device of claim 13 , wherein the first application is an alarm application and the time sensitive information defines an alarm time.
16. The wireless information device of claim 13 , wherein the second application is a telephone application that enables telephone functions of the wireless information device to be controlled.
17. The wireless information device of claim 13 , wherein the data provided to the second application triggers the second application to automatically change one or more of the following:
(a) altering a telephone profile
(b) altering the wireless information device ring tone
(c) altering the wireless information device user interface
(d) switching off telephone functionality
(e) switching off the wireless information device entirely
(f) switching the wireless information device to a power save mode
(g) switching off one or more items of communications hardware.
18. The wireless information device of claim 13 , wherein in an instance in which a conflict arises between the behavior change due to the data from the first application and a different behavior change input directly to the first or the second application, the different behavior change input directly to the first or the second application prevails.
19. An apparatus comprising at least one processor, the at least one processor configured to cause the apparatus at least run a first application, a second application, and an intermediate sever, wherein the intermediate sever is configured, when run on the apparatus, to:
cause a generic application programming interface to be presented; receive data sent by the first application, the data relating to time sensitive information and a meeting profile entered by an end-user into the first application;
provide the data, over the generic application programming interface, to the second application, data triggering the second application to automatically change the behavior of the apparatus appropriately in dependence on the time and meeting profile data and not in dependence on automatically acquired location sensor information;
in an instance in which a conflict arises between the behavior change due to the time and meeting profile data from the first application and a different behavior change that depends on the automatically acquired location sensor information, determined whether the different behavior change prevails; and in response to determining that the different behavior change prevails, implement the different behavior change.
20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the apparatus comprises or is embodied on a wireless information device.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first application sends the data indirectly to the second application via the intermediate server.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate server operates as an insulation layer separating the first and second applications.