IP Library Granted Patent US 8,737,950
Granted Patent B2
US 8,737,950 · App. 13/050,240 · Granted May 27, 2014

Verifying calendar information through proximate device detection

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,737,950
App. No.
13/050,240
Granted
May 27, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A device stores a context aware application, and a calendar application that further stores data related to a scheduled meeting. The device receives local connectivity identification (LCID) information from one or more other devices that are proximate to the device. The device determines a likelihood that a user of the device is present at the scheduled meeting based on data related to the received LCID information from the one or more other devices that are proximate to the device. The device selectively executes a function associated with a context aware application based on the likelihood that the user is present at the scheduled meeting.

Claims (50)

1. A method, comprising:

obtaining, at a mobile device associated with a user, local connectivity identification (LCID) information over short range wireless protocol connections from one or more proximate mobile user devices, carried by one or more other users, that are proximate to the mobile device;

retrieving a list of invited participants to a meeting from a calendar application installed at the mobile device;

obtaining user identification information associated with ones of the invited participants that are associated with the one or more proximate mobile user devices from which the LCID information was obtained over the short range wireless protocol connections;

obtaining a confidence value that is associated with a likelihood that the user is physically present at the meeting based on data related to the LCID information;

determining whether the meeting is a valid context for the user based on the confidence value; and

selectively executing one or more functions associated with at least one context aware application installed at the mobile device based on whether the meeting is a valid context for the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining confidence values associated with the invited participants to the meeting; and

comparing the confidence values associated with the invited participants with the confidence value that is associated with a likelihood that the user is physically present at the meeting.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining whether the meeting is a valid context for the user is further based on the comparison of the confidence values associated with the invited participants with the confidence value that is associated with the likelihood that the user is physically present at the meeting.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the LCID information comprises network addresses associated with the one or more proximate mobile user devices.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the network addresses comprise BlueTooth MAC addresses.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

obtaining location information associated with the mobile device, and

wherein determining whether the meeting is a valid context for the user is further based on the obtained location information.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the location information comprises a radio base station cell identifier or a wireless network access point identifier associated with a location of the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, from the calendar application, whether the meeting is actually currently occurring, or is about to occur; and

wherein obtaining the LCID information from the one or more devices is based on whether the meeting is currently occurring or is about to occur.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively executing the one or more functions comprises one of:

switching the mobile device to a silent mode such that mobile device does not ring, but only vibrates or displays a visual indication, when incoming calls and/or messages are received;

routing incoming calls to voicemail based on whether the meeting is a valid context for the user; or

displaying information associated with the meeting on the mobile device, wherein the information includes at least one of invited participant information, information showing which invited participants are actually present at the meeting, or documents associated with the meeting.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short range wireless protocol is associated with a Personal Area Network (PAN).

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the short range wireless protocol comprises BlueTooth.

12. A device, comprising:

a memory configured to store a context aware application and a calendar application that further stores data related to a scheduled meeting;

a first communication interface configured to receive local connectivity identification (LCID) information transmitted over short range wireless protocol connections from one or more other proximate mobile user devices, carried by one or more other users, that are proximate to the device, wherein the LCID information comprises network addresses of the one or more other proximate mobile user devices; and

a processing unit configured to retrieve a list of invited participants to the scheduled meeting,

a second communication interface configured to:

send the LCID information and the list of invited participants to a server, and

receive a confidence value, generated by the server based on the LCID information, that indicates a likelihood that a user of the device is present at the scheduled meeting;

wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

determine a likelihood that the user of the device is present at the scheduled meeting based on data related to the received LCID information from the one or more other proximate mobile user devices wherein the data related to the received LCID information comprises the confidence value, and

selectively execute a function associated with a context aware application based on the likelihood that the user is present at the scheduled meeting.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the second communication interface is further configured to receive confidence values associated with a plurality of invited participants to the scheduled meeting, and

wherein the data related to the received LCID information comprises the received confidences values associated with the plurality of invited participants.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the LCID information comprises Medium Access Control (MAC) addresses associated with the one or more other proximate mobile user devices that are proximate to the device.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the device comprises a desktop, laptop, palmtop, or tablet computer; a cellular telephone; a personal digital assistant (PDA); a media player device; or a digital camera.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein, when selectively executing the function, the processing unit is configured to:

switch the device to a silent mode such that the device does not ring, but only vibrates or displays a visual indication, when incoming calls and/or messages are received.

17. The device of claim 12 , wherein, when selectively executing the function, the processing unit is configured to:

route incoming calls to voicemail based on the likelihood that the user is present at the scheduled meeting.

18. The device of claim 12 , wherein, when selectively executing the function, the processing unit is configured to:

display information associated with the meeting on the device, wherein the information includes at least one of invited participant information, information showing which invited participants are actually present at the meeting, or documents associated with the meeting.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions executable by at least one processing unit, the computer readable medium comprising:

one or more instructions for managing calendar information associated with a calendar application installed at a mobile device;

one or more instructions for obtaining network addresses over short range wireless protocol connections from one or more proximate mobile user devices, carried by one or more users, that are proximate to the mobile device, wherein the network addresses comprise Medium Access Control (MAC) addresses associated with the one or more proximate mobile user devices; and

one or more instructions for verifying at least a portion of the calendar information based on the obtained network addresses from the one or more proximate mobile user devices.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 25, 2019
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048691/0134 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2017
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 043951/0529 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2017
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 043943/0631 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 14, 2014
From: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY CORPORATION; SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 032667/0082 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 14, 2014
From: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
To: SONY MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 032683/0012 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2011
From: JONSSON, HAKAN LARS EMANUEL
To: SONY ERICSSON MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS AB
Reel/Frame 025974/0794 →