Haptic notification manager

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to manage user notifications, the managing comprising:

identifying a plurality of different device types capable of providing a notification of an event occurrence;

detecting a notification event;

determining a context of the notification event;

determining a target device from among the plurality of different device types to receive the notification event based on the determined context and the identified plurality of different device types; and

generating a notification on a first directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types, the notification being an effect adapted to generate a cue to direct a user's attention to the target device, and the target device being different than the first directing device.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the notification is a haptic effect adapted to generate a vibration as the cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the notification is a visual effect adapted to generate a visual cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 2 , wherein the haptic effect is generated by an actuator.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein determining the context includes:

determining a nature of the notification;

determining one or more available displays;

determining a current task being performed by the user;

determining a proximity of each of the one or more available displays to the user;

determining a privacy level associated with the notification event; and

determining a priority of the notification event.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein determining the nature of the notification includes performing natural language processing.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein determining a current task being performed by the user includes performing eye-tracking to determine where the user's attention is being directed.

8. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein determining a proximity of each of the one or more available displays to the user includes analyzing video from a head-mounted display.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein determining a proximity of each of the available displays to the user includes analyzing signal strength of inter-device communications to determine a relative distance between devices and performing indoor positioning in an instrumented environment.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 ,

wherein the generating a notification on the first directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types includes sequentially generating a first notification and a second notification respectively on the first directing device and a second directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types, and

wherein the sequentially generating a first notification and a second notification includes generating a first effect and a second effect, collectively, adapted to generate a perception of flow in a directional path towards the target device as the cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 ,

wherein the generating a notification on the first directing device from among the identified plurality of different device includes generating a predefined common type of notification, and

wherein the predefined common type of notification includes one or more predefined notifications adapted to provide a similar experience to the user when the one or more predefined notifications are generated on a plurality of different types of directing devices.

12. A computer-implemented method for managing user notifications, the computer-implemented method comprising:

identifying a plurality of different device types capable of providing a notification of an event occurrences;

detecting a notification event;

determining a context of the notification event;

determining a target device from among the plurality of different device types to receive the notification event based on the determined context and the identified plurality of different device types; and

generating a notification on a first directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types, the notification being an effect adapted to generate a cue to direct a user's attention to the target device, and the target device being different than the first directing device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the notification is a haptic effect adapted to generate a vibration as the cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the notification is a visual effect adapted to generate a visual cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein the haptic effect is generated by an actuator.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein determining the context includes:

determining a nature of the notification;

determining one or more available displays;

determining a current task being performed by the user;

determining a proximity of each of the one or more available displays to the user;

determining a privacy level associated with the notification event; and

determining a priority of the notification event.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein determining the nature of the notification includes performing natural language processing.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein determining a current task being performed by the user includes performing eye-tracking to determine where the user's attention is being directed.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein determining a proximity of each of the one or more available displays to the user includes analyzing video from a head-mounted display.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 16 , wherein determining a proximity of each of the one or more available displays to the user includes analyzing signal strength of inter-device communications to determine a relative distance between devices and performing indoor positioning in an instrumented environment.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the generating a notification on the first directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types includes sequentially generating a first notification and a second notification respectively on the first directing device and a second directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types, and

wherein the sequentially generating a first notification and a second notification includes generating a first effect and a second effect, collectively, adapted to generate a perception of flow in a directional path towards the target device as the cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 ,

wherein the generating a notification on the first directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types includes generating a predefined common type of notification, and

wherein the predefined common type of notification includes one or more predefined notifications adapted to provide a similar experience to the user when the one or more predefined notifications are generated on a plurality of different types of directing devices.

23. A system, comprising:

a memory device storing a notification manager module; and

a processing device in communication with the memory device, the processing device executing the notification manager module stored in the memory device to manage user notifications, the managing comprising:

identifying a plurality of different device types capable of providing a notification of an event occurrence;

detecting a notification event;

determining a context of the notification event;

determining a target device from among the plurality of different device types to receive the notification event based on the determined context and the identified plurality of different device types; and

generating a notification on a directing device from among the identified plurality of different device types, the notification being an effect adapted to generate a cue to direct a user's attention to the target device, and the target device being different than the directing device.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the notification is a haptic effect adapted to generate a vibration as the cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

25. The system of claim 23 , wherein the notification is a visual effect adapted to generate a visual cue to direct the user's attention to the target device.

26. The system of claim 24 , wherein the haptic effect is generated by an actuator.

27. The system of claim 23 , wherein determining the context includes:

determining a nature of the notification;

determining one or more available displays;

determining a current task being performed by the user;

determining a proximity of each of the one or more available displays to the user;

determining a privacy level associated with the notification event; and

determining a priority of the notification event.

28. The method of claim 12 , wherein

the user is a target user of a plurality of users, and

the determining the target device comprises determining the target user from the plurality of users and selecting a device associated with the target user as the target device.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein

the plurality of users are occupants of a vehicle, and

the determining the target user from the plurality of users is based at least on a determination of a driver among the plurality of users.