# US 10,372,193 B2 · User interface adaptation based on detected user location > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,193 B2 - Document ID: US10372193B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/677,274 - Filed: 2017-08-15 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-07-31 - Assignees: Google Technology Holdings LLC - Applicants: Google Technology Holdings LLC - Inventors: Roger W. Ady; Rachid Alameh; Paul R. Steuer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372193B2 ## CPC - G06F 1/3231: Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users - G06F 1/3265: {Power saving in display device} - G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)} - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract A device (102) detects when a user is in close physical proximity to the device, such as within a few feet of the device. While the user is in close physical proximity to the device, the device also detects the location of the user relative to the device, and optionally a speed at which the user is moving. The user interface presented by the device is adapted to the location of the user relative to the device and optionally the speed at which the user is moving, but without needing physical manipulation of the device by the user. The adaptation can include, for example, orienting content presented on a display of the device based on the location of the user relative to the device so that the content appears “upright” or “right side up” for the user to view given their location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computing device comprising: a display that presents content; two or more microphones, wherein a first microphone of the two or microphones detects a sound that includes a voice; and a user interface adaptation system configured to: determine, based on the sound, whether a user is in close physical proximity to the computing device; and responsive to determining that the user is in close physical proximity to the computing device: activate at least a second microphone from the two or more microphones, wherein, after the second microphone is activated, the first and second microphones detect speech of the user; determine, based on the speech of the user as detected by each of the first and second microphones, a direction of the user relative to the computing device; and change, based on the direction of the user relative to the computing device, an orientation of content presented to the user. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, the user interface adaptation system being further configured to change, based on one or more of a distance between the user and the computing device or a speed at which the user is moving relative to the computing device, the content presented to the user by at least changing one or more of a size a portion of the content, a brightness of the display, or one or more colors of the content. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the user interface adaptation system is further configured to change the orientation of the content presented to the user by at least being configured to change the orientation of the content presented to the user in the absence of physical manipulation of the computing device by the user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the user interface adaptation system is further configured to repeat determining the direction of the user relative to the computing device and changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device as the direction of the user relative to the computing device changes. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computing device of claim 1, wherein the user interface adaptation system is further configured to: determine, based on the sound detected by the first microphone, that multiple users are in close physical proximity to the computing device; and select one of the multiple users, wherein the direction of the user relative to the computing device is the direction of the selected user relative to the computing device, and wherein the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device is changed based on the direction of the selected user relative to the computing device. ### Claim 6 A method comprising: detecting, by a microphone of a computing device, sound that includes a voice; determining, by the computing device and based on the sound, whether a user is in close physical proximity to the computing device; and responsive to determining that the user is in close physical proximity to the computing device: activating at least one additional microphone of the computing device; detecting, by two or more microphones of the computing device, speech of the user; determining, by the computing device, based on the speech of the user as detected by each of the two or more microphones, a direction of the user relative to the computing device; and changing, based on the direction of the user relative to the computing device, an orientation of content presented to the user. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining, based on the speech of the user as detected by each of the two or more microphones, a speed at which the user is moving relative to the computing device; and changing, based on the speed at which the user is moving relative to the computing device, the content presented to the user by at least changing one or more of a size a portion of the content, a brightness of a display of the computing device, or one or more colors of the content. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining, based on the speech of the user as detected by each of the two or more microphones, a distance between the user and the computing device; changing, based on the distance between the user and the computing device, an appearance of the content presented to the user by at least changing one or more of a size of a portion of the content, a brightness of a display of the computing device, or one or more colors of the content. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein changing the orientation of the content presented to the user comprises changing the orientation of the content presented to the user in the absence of physical manipulation of the computing device by the user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein changing the orientation of the content comprises changing the orientation of the content presented to the user in increments. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising repeating determining the direction of the user relative to the computing device and changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device as the direction of the user relative to the computing device changes. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising imposing a time limit on changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device so that the orientation of the content presented to the user is not changed at greater than a threshold frequency. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device only if movement of the user relative to the computing device exceeds an angular threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising: determining, based on the sound detected by the microphone of the computing device, that multiple users are in close physical proximity to the computing device; and selecting one of the multiple users, wherein determining the direction of the user relative to the computing device comprises determining the direction of the selected user relative to the computing device, and wherein changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device comprises changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device based on the direction of the selected user relative to the computing device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein selecting one of the multiple users includes one or more of: selecting the one of the multiple users who is closest to the computing device; selecting the one of the multiple users who is moving fastest; selecting the one of the multiple users having a face recognized by the computing device; or selecting the one of the multiple users who is moving towards the computing device. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors of a computing device to: determining, by the computing device and based on sound detected by a microphone of the computing device, whether a user is in close physical proximity to the computing device; and responsive to determining that the user is in close physical proximity to the computing device: activate at least one additional microphone of the computing device; determining, by the computing device, based on speech of the user as detected by each of the two or more microphones, a direction of the user relative to the computing device; and change, based on the direction of the user relative to the computing device, an orientation of content presented to the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: change, based on one or more of a distance between the user and the computing device or a speed at which the user is moving relative to the computing device, one or more of a size a portion of the content, a brightness of a display of the computing device, or one or more colors of the content presented to the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to change the orientation of the content presented to the user in the absence of physical manipulation of the computing device by the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to repeat determining the direction of the user relative to the computing device and changing the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device as the direction of the user relative to the computing device changes. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to: determine, based on the sound detected by the microphone of the computing device, that multiple users are in close physical proximity to the computing device; and select one of the multiple users, wherein the direction of the user relative to the computing device is the direction of the selected user relative to the computing device, and wherein the orientation of the content presented to the user of the computing device is changed based on the direction of the selected user relative to the computing device.