MODIFYING MOBILE DEVICE SETTINGS FOR CONTEXTUAL SUBSTITUTION

1 . A method comprising:

monitoring, by a mobile communications device, current activities of the mobile communications device in use by a first user;

selecting, by the mobile communications device, based on the monitored current activities, a current context for operation of the mobile communications device by the first user from a plurality of stored contexts;

identifying, by the mobile communications device, based on the current context, a first activity scheduled to be performed by the mobile communications device using a first resource,

determining, by the mobile communications device, that the first resource may not be sufficient to perform the first activity as scheduled;

identifying, by the mobile communications device, an alternative resource that will be sufficient to perform the first activity as scheduled; and

modifying, by the mobile communications device, the current context to substitute the alternative resource for the first resource in order to perform the first activity as scheduled.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the alternative resource consumes less mobile communications device battery power than the first resource.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first resource is a first application configured to perform the first activity and the alternative resource is a second application configured to perform the first activity.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first activity scheduled to be performed is establishing a voice connection for the mobile communications device and the first resource is a first communications network, and further comprising identifying a second communications network as the alternative resource, and establishing the voice connection with the second communications network.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first communications network is a cellular telephone network, and the second communications network is a Wi-Fi-enabled network or a VOIP-enabled network.

6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first communications network is a cellular telephone network, and further comprising modifying the current context to route inbound and outbound calls for the mobile communications device via the second communications network.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising modifying the current context to enable an application to route inbound and outbound calls for the mobile communications device via the second communications network.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first activity scheduled to be performed is establishing a data connection for the mobile communications device and the first resource is a first communications network, and further comprising identifying a second communications network as the alternative resource, and establishing the data connection with the second communications network.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

automatically modifying the current context to substitute the alternative resource for the first resource.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

requesting permission of the first user to modify the current context by substituting the alternative resource for the first resource; and

modifying the current context to substitute the alternative resource for the first resource when permission is received.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

suggesting to the first user an action step of modifying the current context to substitute the alternative resource for the first resource;

receiving a selection by the first user of the alternative resource; and

modifying the current context to substitute the alternative resource for the first resource.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a plurality of alternative resources that will be available to perform the first activity during the current context;

suggesting to the first user an action step of modifying the current context to substitute one of the plurality of alternative resources for the first resource; and

receiving a selection by the first user of one of the alternative resources; and

modifying the current context to substitute the selected alternative resource for the first resource.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first activity is receiving information from a server and the first resource is an application having settings configured by the current context to connect to the server at a first frequency to check for information, further comprising:

modifying the current context to change the application settings to reduce the frequency of connecting to the server to check for information.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first resource is a communications network coupled to a server and the first activity is communicating with the server via an application having settings to enable communicating with the server, further comprising,

losing a connection to the communications network; and

modifying the current context to change the application settings to disable communicating with the server until the connection to the communications network is restored.

15 . A method comprising:

monitoring, by a server, current activities of a mobile communications device in use by a first user;

selecting, by the server, based on the monitored current activities, a current context for operation of the mobile communications device by the first user from a plurality of stored contexts;

identifying, by the server, based on the current context, a first activity scheduled to be performed by the mobile communications device using a first resource,

determining, by the server, that the first resource may not be sufficient to perform the first activity as scheduled;

identifying, by the server, an alternative resource that will be sufficient to perform the first activity; and

modifying, by the server, the current context to substitute the alternative resource for the first resource in order to perform the first activity.