IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,831,799
Granted Patent B2
US 11,831,799 · App. 17/847,009 · Granted Nov 28, 2023

Propagating context information in a privacy preserving manner

Inventors: Golnaz Abdollahian (San Francisco, CA); Nathaniel B. Chapman (Mahomet, IL); Aaron R. Zinman (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04M1/72457H04M1/72454H04W4/029H04W4/21H04W4/38
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,831,799
App. No.
17/847,009
Granted
Nov 28, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure generally relates to propagating context information from a first electronic device to a second electronic device. In one example, in response to detecting the second electronic device satisfies a distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, the first electronic device determines whether propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted. If propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted and while the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, the context is transmitted to the second electronic device.

Claims (72)

1. A system, comprising a first electronic device and a second electronic device:

the first electronic device including:

one or more sensors, including a first sensor of a first type;

one or more first processors; and

first memory storing one or more first programs configured to be executed by the one or more first processors, the one or more first programs including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the first sensor of the first type has a higher performance metric than a second sensor of the first type included in the second electronic device, determining a context associated with a user of the first electronic device based at least in part on sensor data output by the first sensor of the first type;

after determining the context based at least in part on sensor data output by the first sensor of the first type, detecting the second electronic device satisfies a distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device;

in response to detecting the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, determining whether propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted;

in accordance with a determination that propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted and while the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, transmitting the context to the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that propagation of the context to the second electronic device is not permitted, forgoing transmission of the context to the second electronic device; and

the second electronic device including:

the second sensor of the first type;

one or more second processors; and

second memory storing one or more second programs configured to be executed by the one or more second processors, the one or more second programs including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the second sensor of the first type has a higher performance metric than the first sensor of the first type included in the first electronic device, determining the context associated with the user of the first electronic device based at least in part on sensor data output by the second sensor of the first type.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second programs further include instructions for:

receiving the context from the first electronic device; and

displaying a current status for the user of the first electronic device on the second electronic device, wherein the current status is based on the received context.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more second programs further include instructions for:

receiving the context from the first electronic device, wherein determining the context associated with the user of the first electronic device includes comparing a confidence value of the context determined by the second electronic device to a confidence value of the received context.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when a relationship criterion for the users associated with the first and second electronic devices is satisfied.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when the context is selected for sharing.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when the context meets a set of one or more privacy criteria.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user of the first electronic device is a first user, and a user of the second electronic device is a second user different from the first user.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the user of the first electronic device is a first user, and a user of the second electronic device is the first user.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device includes one or more types of sensors for determining context, wherein at least one type of the one or more types of sensors is not included in the second electronic device.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the context includes determining a confidence value of the context is greater than a threshold confidence value.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the context includes one or more of location, activity, or status.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums storing one or more first programs configured to be executed by one or more first processors of a first electronic device with one or more sensors, including a first sensor of a first type, and one or more second programs configured to be executed by one or more second processors of a second electronic device with a second sensor of the first type,

the one or more first programs including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the first sensor of the first type has a higher performance metric than the second sensor of the first type included in the second electronic device, determining a context associated with a user of the first electronic device based at least in part on sensor data output by the first sensor of the first type;

after determining the context based at least in part on sensor data output by the first sensor of the first type, detecting the second electronic device satisfies a distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device;

in response to detecting the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, determining whether propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted;

in accordance with a determination that propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted and while the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, transmitting the context to the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that propagation of the context to the second electronic device is not permitted, forgoing transmission of the context to the second electronic device; and

the one or more second programs including instructions for:

in accordance with a determination that the second sensor of the first type has a higher performance metric than the first sensor of the first type included in the first electronic device, determining the context associated with the user of the first electronic device based at least in part on sensor data output by the second sensor of the first type.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein the one or more second programs further include instructions for:

receiving the context from the first electronic device; and

displaying a current status for the user of the first electronic device on the second electronic device, wherein the current status is based on the received context.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein the one or more second programs further include instructions for:

receiving the context from the first electronic device, wherein determining the context associated with the user of the first electronic device includes comparing a confidence value of the context determined by the second electronic device to a confidence value of the received context.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when a relationship criterion for the users associated with the first and second electronic devices is satisfied.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when the context is selected for sharing.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when the context meets a set of one or more privacy criteria.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein the user of the first electronic device is a first user, and a user of the second electronic device is a second user different from the first user.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein the user of the first electronic device is a first user, and a user of the second electronic device is the first user.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein the first electronic device includes one or more types of sensors for determining context, wherein at least one type of the one or more types of sensors is not included in the second electronic device.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein determining the context includes determining a confidence value of the context is greater than a threshold confidence value.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage mediums of claim 12 , wherein the context includes one or more of location, activity, or status.

23. A method, comprising:

at a first electronic device with one or more sensors, including a first sensor of a first type:

in accordance with a determination that the first sensor of the first type has a higher performance metric than a second sensor of the first type included in a second electronic device, determining a context associated with a user of the first electronic device based at least in part on sensor data output by the first sensor of the first type;

after determining the context based at least in part on sensor data output by the first sensor of the first type, detecting a second electronic device satisfies a distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device;

in response to detecting the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, determining whether propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted;

in accordance with a determination that propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted and while the second electronic device satisfies the distance criterion with respect to the first electronic device, transmitting the context to the second electronic device; and

in accordance with a determination that propagation of the context to the second electronic device is not permitted, forgoing transmission of the context to the second electronic device; and

at the second electronic device:

in accordance with a determination that the second sensor of the first type has a higher performance metric than the first sensor of the first type included in the first electronic device, determining the context associated with the user of the first electronic device based at least in part on sensor data output by the second sensor of the first type.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

receiving the context from the first electronic device; and

displaying a current status for the user of the first electronic device on the second electronic device, wherein the current status is based on the received context.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the one or more second programs further include instructions for:

receiving the context from the first electronic device, wherein determining the context associated with the user of the first electronic device includes comparing a confidence value of the context determined by the second electronic device to a confidence value of the received context.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when a relationship criterion for the users associated with the first and second electronic devices is satisfied.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when the context is selected for sharing.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein propagation of the context to the second electronic device is permitted when the context meets a set of one or more privacy criteria.

29. The method of claim 23 , wherein the user of the first electronic device is a first user, and a user of the second electronic device is a second user different from the first user.

30. The method of claim 23 , wherein the user of the first electronic device is a first user, and a user of the second electronic device is the first user.

31. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first electronic device includes one or more types of sensors for determining context, wherein at least one type of the one or more types of sensors is not included in the second electronic device.

32. The method of claim 23 , wherein determining the context includes determining a confidence value of the context is greater than a threshold confidence value.

33. The method of claim 23 , wherein the context includes one or more of location, activity, or status.

Continuity (4)
Continuation 16937408 · Jul 23, 2020
Provisional Application 62971643 · Feb 7, 2020
Provisional Application 62885082 · Aug 9, 2019
Related Publication 20220329685A1 · Oct 13, 2022