US 8,195,203 B1Granted

Location-based mobile device alarm

AssigneeGoogle Inc.

InventorErick Tseng

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A user may rely on an alarm application on the wireless device. Oftentimes, users interface with an alarm application to ensure that the user alerted to certain information or awake at certain times. The alarm application may be configured to automatically surface various information upon activation of the alarm. User interest in a particular subject or piece of information may vary depending on the user's environment. For example, a user waking up at home may find it useful to review news traffic and weather. In contrast, a business traveler may be interested in a flight status, taxi availability, and information related to travel plans. In order to better serve a user, the wireless device may be configured to support various configurations responsive to a user's environment so that a user at home receives home environmental information and a business traveler receives travel environmental information.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method for presenting information to a user of a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

enabling a user to invoke an alarm application that includes (a) a home configuration that presents home environmental information supportive of the user as a result of determining that the user is located in a home environment, and (b) a travel configuration that presents travel environmental information supportive of the user as a result of determining that the user is located in a travel environment;
receiving a user instruction to invoke the alarm application in a specified circumstance;
determining whether the user is located in the home environment or the travel environment, including by (a) using a global positioning system receiver or a network address to determine a geographic location for the mobile computing device, (b) comparing the determined geographic location relative to prior travel patterns, and (c) determining, based on the comparison of the location relative to prior travel patterns, whether the user is located in the home environment or the travel environment;
based on determining whether the user is located in the home environment or the travel environment:
loading the home configuration, and accessing home environmental information required to present the home configuration, or
loading the travel configuration, and accessing travel environmental information required to present the travel configuration;
activating the alarm application automatically in response to detecting the specified circumstance;
and
presenting the home environmental information if the home configuration has been loaded, or the travel environmental information if the travel configuration has been loaded,
wherein the travel configuration defines presentation modules that (i) are different than modules for the home configuration, (ii) are common to multiple travel locations, and (ii) receive different content for each of the different travel locations, and
wherein activating the alarm application causes the home or travel configuration to replace a prior display on the mobile computing device.

8 more elements

A method for presenting information to a user of a mobile computing device, the method comprising:

determining that an alarm should be presented on the mobile computing device;
determining a location of the mobile computing device, including by (a) using a global positioning system receiver or a network address to determine a geographic location for the mobile computing device, (b) comparing the determined geographic location relative to prior travel patterns, and (c) determining, based on the comparison of the location relative to prior travel patterns, whether the user is located in a home environment or a travel environment;
selecting an alarm configuration based on the determination of the location of the mobile computing device, wherein the alarm configuration is a home configuration when the location is the home environment, and the alarm configuration is a travel configuration when the location is the travel environment;
and
causing the alarm to be presented according to the selected alarm configuration;
wherein the travel configuration defines presentation modules that (i) are different than modules for the home configuration, (ii) are common to multiple travel locations, and (ii) receive different content for each of the different travel locations, and
wherein causing the alarm application to be presented causes the home or travel configuration to replace a prior display on the mobile computing device.

4 more elements

A tangible non-transitory recordable storage medium having recorded therein instructions, that when executed, perform actions comprising:

determining that an alarm should be presented on the mobile computing device;
determining a location of the mobile computing device, including by (a) using a global positioning system receiver or a network address to determine a geographic location for the mobile computing device, (b) comparing the determined geographic location relative to prior travel patterns, and (c) determining, based on the comparison of the location relative to prior travel patterns, whether the user is located in a home environment or a travel environment;
selecting an alarm configuration based on the determination of the location of the mobile computing device, wherein the alarm configuration is a home configuration when the location is the home environment, and the alarm configuration is a travel configuration when the location is the travel environment;
and
causing the alarm to be presented according to the selected alarm configuration;
wherein the travel configuration defines presentation modules that (i) are different than modules for the home configuration, (ii) are common to multiple travel locations, and (ii) receive different content for each of the different travel locations, and
wherein causing the alarm application to be presented causes the home or travel configuration to replace a prior display on the mobile computing device.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/249,457Filed 30 Sep 2011 · continuation
Priority: 2 Nov 2010
Granted: 5 Jun 2012
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04M 1/72454
With means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions: according to context-related or environment-related…
G06Q 10/109
Office automation; Time management: time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting
H04W 4/029
Services making use of location information: location-based management or tracking services
H04W 4/50
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: service provisioning or reconfiguring