Notification Profile Configuration Based On Device Orientation

1 . A device comprising:

a memory storing instructions;

one or more processors operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

repeatedly and at predefined intervals of time, access an orientation sensor to determine an orientation of the device at a plurality of instances;

develop an orientation history based on the orientation of the devices at the plurality of instances;

using a sliding window on the orientation history to determine that the device has been in a current orientation for at least a threshold period of time and that the current orientation corresponds to a particular one of a plurality of notification profiles of the device; and

in response to determining that the device has been in the current orientation for at least a threshold period of time and that the current orientation corresponds to a particular one of the notification profiles, automatically transition the device to the particular one of the notification profiles.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the current orientation comprises a down-ward facing position such that a backside of the device faces upward, and

the particular one of the notification profiles is associated with a quiet mode.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

while the device is in the down-ward facing position and operating according to the particular one of the notification profiles, display content on a first display disposed on the back side of the device while maintaining a second display disposed on a front side of the device in a powered off state.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein:

the content comprises an indication of the current location of the device; and

the graphical user interface comprises a map comprising the indication.

5 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the content comprises an indication of a current location of a social contact of a user of the device.

6 . The device of claim 3 , wherein:

the content comprises a newsfeed generated by a social networking system, and

the one or more processors are operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

access one or more remote data stores; and

based on a user identifier associated with a user of the device, obtain the newsfeed from the social networking system.

7 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the content comprises a publication.

8 . The device of claim 3 , wherein the content comprises caller-identification information of an incoming call.

9 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the device, while in a communication session, was in a previous orientation prior to the current orientation, the previous orientation being different from the current orientation; and

automatically terminate the communication session in response to the device being transitioned to the particular one of the notification profiles.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

while the device is operating according to the particular one of the notification profiles, receive an incoming call;

determine that the device has transitioned to a new pre-determined orientation, the new pre-determined orientation being an upward-facing or vertical orientation; and

transition the device from the particular one of the notification profiles to another one of the notification profiles that is a communication profile.

11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

automatically connect the incoming call in response to the device being transitioned to the communication profile.

12 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more processors are further operable to execute the instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

automatically display caller-identification information on the device in response to the device being transitioned to the communication profile.

13 . A method comprising:

by a computing device, repeatedly and at predefined intervals, accessing an orientation sensor to determine an orientation of the computing device at a plurality of instances;

by the computing device, develop an orientation history based on the orientation of the computing devices at the plurality of instances;

by the computing device, use a sliding window on the orientation history to determine that the computing device has been in a current orientation for at least a threshold period of time and that the current orientation corresponds to a particular one of a plurality of notification profiles of the computing device; and

in response to determining that the computing device has been in the current orientation for at least a threshold period of time and that the current orientation corresponds to a particular one of the notification profiles, automatically transition the computing device to the particular one of the notification profiles.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:

the current orientation comprises a down-ward facing position such that a backside of the computing device faces upward, and

the particular one of the notification profiles is associated with a quiet mode.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

while the computing device is in the down-ward facing position and operating according to the particular one of the notification profiles, display content on a first display disposed on the back side of the computing device while maintaining a second display disposed on a front side of the computing device in a powered off state.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein:

the content comprises an indication of the current location of the computing device; and

the graphical user interface comprises a map comprising the indication.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the content comprises an indication of a current location of a social contact of a user of the computing device.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the content comprises a newsfeed generated by a social networking system, and the method further comprises:

accessing one or more remote data stores; and

based on a user identifier associated with a user of the computing device, obtaining the newsfeed from the social networking system.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the content comprises a publication.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the content comprises caller-identification information of an incoming call.

21 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

determining that the computing device, while in a communication session, was in a previous orientation prior to the current orientation, the previous orientation being different from the current orientation; and

automatically terminating the communication session in response to the computing device being transitioned to the particular one of the notification profiles.

22 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

while the computing device is operating according to the particular one of the notification profiles, receiving an incoming call;

determining that the computing device has transitioned to a new pre-determined orientation, the new pre-determined orientation being an upward-facing or vertical orientation; and

transitioning the computing device from the particular one of the notification profiles to another one of the notification profiles that is a communication profile.

23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising automatically connecting the incoming call in response to the computing device being transitioned to the communication profile.

24 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising automatically displaying caller-identification information on the computing device in response to the computing device being transitioned to the communication profile.