AUTOMATICALLY PERFORMING USER ACTIONS BASED ON DETECTED CONTEXT-TO-USER-ACTION CORRELATIONS

1 . A method of operation for a user device, comprising:

detecting a plurality of context-to-user-action correlations, each context-to-user-action correlation of the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations defining a context of the user device and a user action historically performed by a user of the user device for the context;

obtaining a current context of the user device;

identifying a matching context-to-user-action correlation for the current context of the user device from the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations; and

automatically performing a user action correlated to the current context by the matching context-to-user-action correlation.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations comprises:

monitoring user actions taken by the user of the user device and corresponding contexts of the user device at times at which the user actions were taken by the user; and

detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations based on monitoring the user actions taken by the user of the user device and corresponding contexts of the user device at times at which the user actions were taken by the user.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations comprises:

detecting a user action taken by the user at the user device;

obtaining a current context of the user device at the time of detecting the user action; and

determining that a context-to-user-action correlation for the current context and the user action is detected if a number of occurrences of the user action for contexts that match the current context is greater than a predefined threshold number of occurrences.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations comprises:

detecting a user action taken by the user at the user device;

obtaining a current context of the user device at the time of detecting the user action; and

determining that a context-to-user-action correlation for the current context and the user action is detected if a frequency of occurrence of the user action for contexts that match the current context is greater than a predefined threshold frequency of occurrence.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations comprises:

detecting a user action taken by the user at the user device;

obtaining a current context of the user device at the time of detecting the user action;

determining whether the user action has been previously detected for a context that matches the current context; and

storing a potential context-to-user-action correlation for the current context and the user action if the user action has not been previously detected for a context that matches the current context.

6 . The method of claim 5 wherein detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations further comprises, if the user action has been previously detected for a context that matches the current context:

determining whether a context-to-user-action correlation has already been detected and stored for the user action and a context that matches the current context;

if a context-to-user-action correlation has not already been detected and stored, determining whether a pattern is detected for the user action and the current context;

if a pattern is detected, prompting the user for approval to store a context-to-user-action correlation for the user action and the current context; and

if the user provides approval, storing a context-to-user-action correlation for the user action and the current context as one of the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations.

7 . The method of claim 5 wherein detecting the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations further comprises, if the user action has been previously detected for a context that matches the current context:

determining whether a context-to-user-action correlation has already been detected and stored for the user action and the context that matches the current context;

if a context-to-user-action correlation has not already been detected and stored, determining whether a pattern is detected for the user action and the current context; and

if a pattern is detected, storing a context-to-user-action correlation for the user action and the current context as one of the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations without user interaction.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein automatically performing the user action comprises:

prompting the user of the user device for approval to perform the user action correlated to the current context; and

performing the user action correlated to the current context in response to receiving approval from the user to perform the user action.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein automatically performing the user action comprises automatically performing the user action correlated to the current context without user interaction.

10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing a user-defined context-to-user-action correlation that defines a context of the user device and a user action defined by the user of the user device; and

automatically performing the user action defined by the user-defined context-to-user-action correlation when a current context of the user device matches the context defined by the user-defined context-to-user-action correlation.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein for each context-to-user-action correlation of the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations, the context of the user device defined by the context-to-user-action correlation comprises at least one of a group consisting of: one or more device identifiers of one or more other user devices located proximate to the user device and information identifying one or more other users of one or more other user devices located proximate to the user device.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the context of the user device defined by the context-to-user-action correlation further comprises at least one ambient condition.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein for each context-to-user-action correlation of the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations, the context of the user device defined by the context-to-user-action correlation comprises information identifying other users in a social network of the user located proximate to the user device.

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the current context of the user device comprises obtaining device identifiers of devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining device identifiers of devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication comprises passively monitoring local wireless communications for device identifiers of devices located proximate to the user device.

16 . The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining device identifiers of devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication comprises actively querying devices located proximate to the user device for the device identifiers of the devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication.

17 . The method of claim 14 wherein obtaining the current context of the user device further comprises obtaining at least one ambient condition.

18 . The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the current context of the user device comprises obtaining user identifiers of users of devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein obtaining user identifiers of users of devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication comprises passively monitoring local wireless communications for user identifiers of users of devices located proximate to the user device.

20 . The method of claim 18 wherein obtaining user identifiers of users of devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication comprises actively querying devices located proximate to the user device for the user identifiers of users of the devices located proximate to the user device via local wireless communication.

21 . The method of claim 18 wherein obtaining the current context of the user device further comprises obtaining at least one of a group consisting of: temperature, weather, ambient light level, ambient sound level, and accelerometer data indicative of movement.

22 . The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining the current context of the user device comprises obtaining information identifying users in a contact list maintained on the user device that are located proximate to the user device.

23 . The method of claim 1 wherein the user device is a mobile device.

24 . A user device, comprising:

a communication interface; and

a controller associated with the communication interface and adapted to:

detect a plurality of context-to-user-action correlations, each context-to-user-action correlation of the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations defining a context of the user device and a user action historically performed by a user of the user device for the context;

obtain a current context of the user device;

identify a matching context-to-user-action correlation for the current context of the user device from the plurality of context-to-user-action correlations; and

automatically perform a user action correlated to the current context by the matching context-to-user-action correlation.