Patent Abstract:
To switch a profile in a mobile device, the mobile device captures an input when the mobile device detects a predetermined condition, and the mobile device switches the profile according to the input. The predetermined condition could include detection of motion or rest, or recurring update periods. Examples of inputs captured include digital images, sounds, videos, location, and time.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to methods of switching profiles in mobile devices, and more particularly, to a method of switching a profile in a mobile device based on time, date, location, or environmental factors. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    Mobile devices, such as mobile phones, PDAs, and smartphones, offer great convenience to users by allowing users to access communications and organization functions at any time and any place. In addition, most mobile devices are designed small enough to be carried in a pocket or clipped to a belt. 
         [0005]    For this reason, mobile devices often accompany their users at all times. Most mobile devices include speakers for notifying users of incoming calls, scheduled events, and low battery charge. Unfortunately, if any of these notifications goes off while the user is at work, in a meeting, or at an important event, such as a wedding, disruption of the event, and consequent embarrassment of the user, ensues. 
         [0006]    A number of options are available for the user to prevent such disruptions, including turning off the mobile device, muting the mobile device, activating a vibration feature, or some combination of these options. For example, the user may choose to mute all battery status notifications, but vibrate on incoming calls. Most mobile devices now include customizable “profiles,” which are used to define how the mobile device handles each type of notification event. Please refer to  FIG. 1 , which is a diagram of profile options of various profiles for the mobile device. Depending on the environment the user is in, the user can select an appropriate profile, which includes settings such as volume, silent mode, vibration, and answering mode. If the user is in a meeting, the volume is turned off, silent mode is on, and vibration is on as long as silent mode remains on. If the user is in the car, then the volume is on, vibration is off, and the user can answer incoming calls with any key. The user can also customize each profile to suit their environment, or create new profiles. 
         [0007]    While the creation, customization, and selection of the appropriate profile for each environment is a large step in the right direction, the user is very likely to forget to switch profiles when they change environments. So, the user may continue to use the meeting profile when they are driving, such that they miss calls, or have to look for the answer call key while driving, which is dangerous. Or, the user may forget to switch profiles before a meeting, and the mobile device may ring or make noises during the meeting, defeating the purpose of having the profiles in the first place. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]    According to the present invention, a method of switching a profile in a mobile device comprises the mobile device capturing an input when the mobile device detects a predetermined condition, and the mobile device switching the profile according to the input. 
         [0009]    According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a method of switching a profile in a mobile device comprises the mobile device capturing an input when the mobile device detects a motion of the mobile device, and the mobile device selectively switching the profile according to the input. 
         [0010]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of profile options for a mobile device according to the prior art. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of switching a profile in a mobile device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of a mobile device with a switchable profile according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]    Please refer to  FIG. 2 , which is a flowchart of a method used for switching a profile in a mobile device according to the present invention. The method begins with detecting motion on a device, such as the mobile device mentioned above (Step  200 ). When motion is detected, the device may proceed to perform a number of steps to obtain information about its current environment. The device can record sounds through a microphone (Step  202 ), capture images of the environment through a camera (Step  204 ), obtain current time and date information (Step  206 ), or even obtain location information, e.g. through a GPS receiver (Step  208 ). The device can perform any combination of the above steps (Steps  202 - 208 ) to obtain information about its current environment. Then, based on the information obtained, the device may compare the information with a statistical model to estimate the current environment (Step  210 ). 
         [0015]    In Step  200 , the mobile device detects motion of the mobile device. The motion may be detected when the mobile device begins moving from a state of rest, or when the mobile device stops moving from a state of motion. Other more refined methods of motion detection could also be employed, which take into account degrees of acceleration, acceleration along particular axes, etc. Further, instead of triggering the following steps of the method (Steps  202 - 208 ) by detecting motion, the mobile device could use a timer to activate the following steps (Steps  202 - 208 ) periodically. Other simple triggers, involving low power consumption light, heat, or sound sensors could also be used to detect a change in the environment. The mobile device may also utilize changes in the time to determine when to activate a profile change. For example, if the mobile device has been stationary for a long period of time after work, the profile may be changed from a home profile to a sleep profile. The following steps (Steps  202 - 210 ) may also be activated through a button press, such as an “auto-profile” button, which the user may press to tell the mobile device to determine on its own which profile to set depending on the current environment. 
         [0016]    After the mobile device obtains some combination of audio, image, time/date, and location data from Steps  202 - 208 , the mobile device may compare the data obtained with the statistical model (Step  210 ). For example, amplitude of the audio data obtained in Step  202  may be used to determine if the user is outdoors or in a building. Certain types of sounds, such as car engines and honking noises may indicate that the user is outdoors. On the other hand, a low volume level, or a low instance of human voices, may indicate that the user is in a meeting, in the office, or at a theater. The image data obtained in Step  204  may have fluorescent lighting, which may indicate an indoor location, or natural lighting that may indicate an outdoor location. Low lighting may indicate a concert hall or movie theater. The image data and audio data may also include video data, which may include flicker of light sources or other recognizable characteristics. Using the current time and date data obtained in Step  206 , the mobile device may determine that the user is at work, in the car, or at home. If the current date falls on a weekend, then the user may not be at work. In conjunction with a calendar/scheduler application, the mobile device may determine that the user is in a meeting, at lunch with a client, or at a theatrical performance from events programmed into the scheduler. Finally, if the mobile device has a GPS unit, the location data obtained in Step  208  may be used to determine that the user is at their desk, in a conference room, in the car, at the theater, in church, or at any number of locations that are recognized by the GPS unit. 
         [0017]    Based on the comparison with the statistical model, the mobile device then approximates the current environment in Step  210 , and selects a corresponding new profile that is appropriate for the environment the mobile device is in (Step  212 ). If the mobile device is in the office, the mobile device may select the office profile. If the mobile device is in a meeting, then it may select the meeting profile. As the mobile device may be making an approximation or estimate of where it is located, such that the location may be uncertain, the mobile device may further inform the user that it is changing to the new profile (Step  214 ). If the user approves of the profile change (Step  216 ), the mobile device applies the new profile (Step  220 ), and the behavioral model is updated (or learns) for future profile estimations (Step  222 ). On the other hand, if the user does not approve of the profile change, the user may manually select an appropriate new profile they feel fits the current environment, or simply keep the previous profile, and the mobile device may then set the new profile, or do nothing, and update the behavioral model accordingly. 
         [0018]    Please refer to  FIG. 3 , which is a diagram of a mobile device  30  with a switchable profile according to an embodiment of the present invention. The mobile device  30  may comprise a control circuit  300 , and a plurality of output and input devices  301 - 308 . Based on input from the plurality of input devices  301 - 304 , the control circuit  300  may select a profile  352  for controlling the plurality of output devices  305 - 308 . As shown, the control circuit  300  may comprise a processor  310 , a detection unit  320 , an input I/O  330 , an output I/O  340 , and memory  350 . The detection unit  320  may receive and process signals from a microphone  301 , a camera  302 , a temperature sensor  303 , and/or a motion sensor  304 , etc., through the input I/O  330 . Types of detection may include those described in Steps  200  to  208  shown in  FIG. 2 . Then, based on behavior models  351  stored in the memory  350 , the detection unit  320  may generate a detection result that may be passed to the processor  310 . The processor  310  may then select an appropriate profile  352  from the memory  350  based on the detection result. The profile  352  may correspond to the profiles shown in  FIG. 1 , and may be utilized by the processor  310  for modifying behavior of a ringer  305 , a display  306 , a vibration module  307 , and/or a power management module  308 , etc. For example, based on the profile  352 , the processor  310  may set a ring volume of the ringer  305  higher or lower, turn vibration of the vibration module  307  on or off, increase or lower backlight intensity of the display  306 , or activate a power-saving mode of the power management module  308 . The processor  310  may also be utilized to update the behavior model  351 . 
         [0019]    Compared to the prior art, which leaves responsibility for making appropriate profile changes up to the user, the present invention enables the mobile device to determine the appropriate profile automatically, which is a great convenience to the user, and reduces the likelihood of missing a call or interrupting an important event. 
         [0020]    Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.

Technology Classification (CPC): 7