Automatically changing a mobile device configuration

[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/330,562, filed Dec. 30, 2002, and titled Automatically Changing a Mobile Device Configuration, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0002] This description relates to making changes to configuration information for a mobile communications device based on a detected change of an environmental characteristic.

[0003] Various user-selectable configuration settings, such as a notification mode, are available for mobile communication devices. A mobile communications device user may prefer to select one or more of various notification modes based on the user's environment. For example, when a user is in a loud environment, such as a eating in a cafe, walking in an urban environment, or using public transportation, the user may prefer an audible notification mode, such that a ring or beep is used to alert the user of an incoming communication to the mobile communications device. Similarly, when a user is in a quiet environment, such as a business meeting, a movie theater, or a religious service, the user may prefer a haptic notification mode to invoke a vibration, or a visual notification mode to invoke a displayed message or a flashing light.

[0004] When a user's environment changes from one type to another, the user may wish to change the notification mode correspondingly. When a user moves, for example, from the relatively loud environment of an urban street to the relatively quiet environment of a business meeting, the user may wish to change the notification configuration of the mobile communications device from an audible notification mode to a haptic notification mode or visual notification mode. To do so, the user manually changes the notification mode of the mobile communications device from one notification mode to a different notification mode. Thereafter, when the user returns to the original setting, the user manually initiates and completes the reconfiguration of the mobile communications device.

[0005] In one general aspect, a configuration of a mobile communications device may be automatically changed by monitoring sensory input, at the mobile communications device, that is reflective of an environmental characteristic for the mobile communications device. A change in the environmental characteristic of the mobile communications device is detected based on a change in the sensory input. In response to the detected change in the environmental characteristic, the notification mode of the mobile communications device is automatically adjusted.

[0006] Implementations may include one or more of the following features. For example, when a change is detected, the notification mode may be automatically changed without user manipulation. The notification mode may be changed from one of audible notification, visual notification, and haptic notification to another of audible notification, visual notification, and haptic notification. Adjusting the notification mode may include configuring the mobile communications device to alert a user to an incoming communication by using an audible mode, a visual mode, or a haptic mode. Adjusting the notification mode also may include configuring the mobile communications device to alert a user to an incoming communication by a notification mode other than an audible notification, other than a visual notification, or other than a haptic notification. An environmental characteristic may include one or more of motion, light, sound, and heat.

[0007] A change from below a threshold of motion to above a threshold of motion may be detected, and the notification mode may be adjusted from a haptic notification to an audible notification. Similarly, a change from above a threshold of motion to below a threshold of motion may be detected, and the notification mode may be adjusted from an audible notification to a haptic notification. A change from above a threshold of light to below a threshold of light may be detected, and the notification mode may be adjusted to a visual notification. Similarly, a change from below a threshold of light to above a threshold of light may be detected, and the notification mode may be adjusted from a visual notification to an audible notification or a haptic notification.

[0008] The notification configuration associated with the mobile communications device may be changed only when the detected environmental characteristic change exceeds a predetermined threshold of magnitude. The magnitude threshold may be user configurable. The notification configuration associated with the mobile communications device may be automatically adjusted only when the detected environmental characteristic change is experienced for a predetermined threshold time period. The threshold time period may be user configurable.

[0009] The notification mode of the mobile communications device may be automatically adjusted in response to a detected change in the environmental characteristic only when a predetermined condition is also met. A predetermined condition may be one or more of a predetermined time of day, a predetermined day of week, and a predetermined day of year.

[0010] When a change is detected, the notification mode also may be changed in response to user confirmation. The user confirmation may include user manipulation of the device.

[0011] In another general aspect, handling user-selectable configuration options for automatically adjusting notification configuration information includes providing an interface to user-selectable configuration options for enabling automatic adjustment of notification configuration for a mobile communications device in response to a change in an environmental characteristic experienced at the mobile communications device. Access to the user-selectable configuration options for the mobile communications device may be enabled using the interface.

[0012] Implementations may include one or more of the features noted above and one or more of the following features. For example, the interface may be provided using an Internet Protocol network. The user-selectable configuration options may be modified. Modification of the user-selectable configuration options may include adding, updating, and deleting user-selectable configuration options.

[0013] Implementations of the techniques discussed above may include a method or process, an apparatus or system, or computer software on a computer-accessible medium. The details of one or more of the implementations are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a communications system capable of automatically changing the notification mode of a mobile communications device.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile communications device capable of detecting changes in an environmental characteristic and automatically changing the notification mode of the mobile communications device based on the detected environmental characteristic change.

[0016] FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a process for detecting changes in an environmental characteristic and automatically changing a notification mode based on the detected environmental characteristic change.

[0017] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system capable of implementing a process for handling mobile communications device notification mode configuration information.

[0018] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a process for handling mobile communications device notification mode configuration information.

[0019] Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

[0020] The described techniques automatically change the notification mode used by a mobile communications device to alert a user of an incoming communication to the mobile communications device. The notification mode is changed in response to a detected change in an environmental characteristic.

[0021] In one example, the mobile communications device monitors one or more environmental characteristics, such as motion, light, sound, and heat. When the mobile communications device detects a changed environmental characteristic, the mobile communications device automatically adjusts the notification mode used to alert a user to an incoming communication or otherwise. For example, when the mobile communications device detects a change to a relatively or absolutely quiet environment, the mobile communications device changes the notification mode to a haptic mode, such as using a vibration to provide notifications for incoming communications and the like. Similarly, when a mobile communications device detects a change to a relatively or absolutely loud environment, the mobile communications device changes the notification mode to an audible mode, such as a bell or ring. Additionally or alternatively, the notification mode is adjusted automatically only when the magnitude of the detected environmental change exceeds a predetermined threshold, or when a change in an environmental characteristic persists for a predetermined interval of time.

[0022] Adjustments also may be made within a particular notification mode. For example, the volume of an audible notification mode may be changed based on a detected environmental sound level (i.e., the volume may be increased in response to increased background noise.)

[0023] In some implementations, the types of automatic notification mode changes used may be based on a preference of a user. User preferences for the types of the notification mode changes to be made may be user-selectable or user-configurable, through the use of an Internet protocol (IP) interface or otherwise. The IP interface also may send the user preferences to the mobile communications device.

[0024] For illustrative purposes, FIG. 1 depicts a communications system 100 which is capable of directing communications between mobile communications devices, each of which is configured to implement techniques for automatically changing the notification mode based on a detected change in an environmental characteristic. The illustrated communications system 100 may include additional or alternative mobile communications devices that are not shown, or the communications system 100 may include only a subset of the mobile communications devices that are shown.

[0025] The communications system 100 may include a mobile communications network or a satellite communications network. The communications system 100 may use a cellular tower 120 of a mobile services provider to communicate analog or digital signals 120a-120d between two or more remotely-located devices. The communications system 100 may use any technology, or combination of technologies, for transmitting signals. These technologies include, for example, Advanced Cellular telephone System (AMPS), Narrowband Advanced Cellular telephone Service (NAMPS), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), or any standard, such as Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) or Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD).

[0026] The mobile devices that communicate using the communications system 100 typically include a mobile telephone 130, a pager 135, a personal digital assistants (PDA) 140, and a portable personal communicator 145 (such as a mobile communicator), or other two-way messaging devices that are capable of communicating a variety of content, such as e-mail messages and instant messages. The communications system 100 may use a satellite 150 to enable communications between two or more remotely-located devices. The satellite 150 may communicate directly with a device, such as a satellite telephone 155, through signal 155a, or the satellite 150 may communicate indirectly with a particular mobile communications device, such as the mobile telephone 130, the pager 135, the PDA 140, or the portable personal communicator 145, by communicating signals 150b to a ground station 160 that communicates with the mobile communications devices through another communications network, such as a cellular tower 120. Some mobile devices, such as the mobile telephone 130 or the PDA 140, may be able to receive wireless communications from a cellular tower 120 or a satellite 150.

[0027] The communications system 110 may use a communications pathway 165 to connect with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 170. The PSTN 170 is a telephone system that is capable of connecting a variety of devices, such as telephones, fax machines, or answering machines (none of which are shown), through a communications system that directs calls to a particular location, generally using land lines.

[0028] Each of the mobile communications devices 130-145 includes multiple notification modes to alert a user of an incoming communication. For example, the mobile telephone 130 includes a haptic mode that causes the mobile telephone 130 to vibrate when an incoming communication is received by the mobile telephone 130, an audible mode that causes the mobile telephone 130 to ring when an incoming communication is received, a visual mode that causes a light emitting diode (LED) to flash when an incoming communication is received, and another visual mode that causes scrolling text to be displayed when an incoming communication is received. The pager 135 and the portable personal communicator 145 both have notification modes that are the same as or similar to those of the mobile telephone 130. The PDA 140 includes a visual mode that causes scrolling text to be displayed when an incoming communication is received and an audible mode that causes a beep to be sounded when an incoming communication is received. The PDA 140 also may include a haptic mode to invoke a vibration.

[0029] Each of the mobile communications devices 130-145 is capable of automatically detecting a change of one or more environmental characteristics, such as motion, sound, light or heat. Each of the mobile communications devices 130-145 also is capable of effecting a change in one or more of the notification modes used to alert a user of an incoming communication automatically in response to a detected change in one or more environmental characteristics.

[0030] For example, a user of the pager 135 may desire to invoke a haptic mode when wearing the pager 135 such that the pager 135 alerts the user of an incoming communication by vibrating. The user may desire to invoke an audible mode when not wearing the pager 135 (e.g., when the pager 135 is nearby the sleeping user during the night) such that the pager 135 beeps to alert the user of an incoming communication. The pager 135 may detect a change in one or more environmental characteristics that is consistent with the pager no longer being worn by the user. For instance, the pager 135 may detect a change in the amount of body heat detected and a change in the amount of motion detected. In response to the detected change in the amount of body heat and/or the amount of motion, the pager 135 may change the notification mode used to alert the user from a haptic mode to an audible mode. Similarly, when the pager 135 detects a change in one or more environmental characteristics that is consistent with the pager being worn by the user (e.g., motion and/or body heat is detected), the pager 135 may change the notification mode used to alert the user from an audible mode to a haptic mode.

[0031] In another example, a user of the mobile telephone 130 may wish to manually turn off the audible notification mode and have the notification mode automatically adjusted to a ring once motion is detected. This type of automatic adjustment may be particularly useful, for example, when a user brings the mobile telephone 130 into a meeting during which the user desires that the mobile telephone 130 does not ring. Once the meeting has ended and the user moves the mobile telephone 130, the notification mode of the mobile telephone 130 is automatically adjusted to ring in response to receiving an incoming communication.

[0032] In some implementations, turning off all types of notification modes may be initiated by the user using an explicit command (e.g., pressing a particular key on the keypad of the mobile telephone 130) or by the user using an implicit command (e.g., placing the mobile telephone 130 face down on a table). Once the environmental characteristic change of motion from an absence of motion is detected, the mobile telephone 130 automatically activates the audible notification mode. Enabling the automatic adjustment of the notification mode used by a mobile communications device may prove useful in various contexts. For example, the automatic adjustment may relieve the user from having to manually adjust one or more notification modes when an environmental characteristic changes. By relieving the user of the need to manually adjust the notification mode used, the user also is relieved of the burden of remembering to change or reset the notification mode.

[0033] Referring to FIG. 2, a mobile communications device 200 is capable of automatically configuring the notification mode in response to detected changes in environmental characteristics. The mobile communications device 200 may be, for example, an implementation of the mobile telephone 130, the pager 135, the PDA 140, or the portable personal communicator 145, all of FIG. 1.

[0034] The mobile communications device 200 includes input components 210 to detect changes in environmental characteristics or to enable input of data or selections to the mobile communications device. The input components 210 include a motion detector 212, a light sensor 214, a sound sensor 216, a heat sensor 217, an input/output (I/O) port 218, and a keypad 219. The motion detector 212 is capable of detecting the presence, absence, or degree of motion. The light sensor 214 is capable of discerning light intensity or lack thereof. The sound sensor 216 is capable of measuring the level of sound (e.g., the number of decibels). In some implementations, the sound sensor 216 may be able to detect ambient noise levels. For example, the sound sensor 216 or hardware/software (not shown) operating within the sound sensor 216 may distinguish background noise from human speech. The heat sensor 217 may include commercially-available hardware that is capable of detecting heat, e.g., the body heat of a user holding the device 200. The I/O port 218 enables communication with a remote computing device through the use of a cable or a cradle connection. In some implementations, an alternative or additional I/O port may enable wireless communications with another computing device. The keypad 219 allows a user to manually configure the one or more notification modes used by the mobile communications device 200 to alert the user of an incoming communication.

[0035] The mobile communications device 200 also includes output components 220 to alert a user to an incoming communication. The output components 220 include a LED 222 or other type of light indicator (not shown), a sound-producing device (e.g., a speaker) 224, a haptic control 226 for producing a vibration, and a display 228. The LED 222 may be used to provide visible notification, such as a flashing light, of an incoming communication. The speaker 224 may be used to provide an audible notification of an incoming communication. Examples of audible notifications may include rings, beeps, songs, or recorded messages, some or all of which may be played at various volumes. The haptic control 226 may be used to provide a vibrating notification of an incoming communication. The display 228 may be used to provide stationary and/or scrolling text to visually notify the user of an incoming communication.

[0036] The mobile communications device 200 also includes a processing component 230 that includes a central processing unit (CPU) 232, storage 234, and a clock 236. The CPU 232 monitors the environmental characteristics by receiving and/or analyzing data from the input components 210. When the CPU 232 discerns a change in an environmental characteristic, the CPU 232 determines whether a notification mode change is necessary. The CPU 232 may make that determination based on, for example, notification configuration information accessed from storage 234, the type of change discerned, the magnitude or degree of the change, and the period of time that the change has persisted. The notification configuration information may include one or more notification modes set to be used for alerting a user to an incoming communication (e.g., the notification modes that are activated), other notification modes that may be used (e.g., the notification modes that are deactivated), and decision logic (or other executable instructions) for determining the notification modes to be selected or changed in response to particular changes in environmental characteristics. In some implementations, the notification configuration information also may include user preferences for activating or deactivating particular notification modes for particular types of environmental characteristic changes.

[0037] The CPU 232 changes the notification mode to be used when an incoming communication is received. The CPU 232 may do so by modifying appropriate notification configuration information and/or by sending commands to change one or more settings on output components 220.

[0038] For example, the CPU 232 may detect a change in the level of sound by receiving and analyzing data from the sound sensor 216. The CPU 232 may determine that the level of ambient sound has increased and that the volume of the speaker 224 should be increased as a result of the environmental characteristic change. To do so, the CPU 232 sends a command to speaker 224 to increase the volume control used by speaker 224 to provide an audible notification of an incoming communication. When a subsequent incoming communication is received, the audible notification is played at an increased volume based on the detected environmental characteristic change and the automatic adjustment of the notification mode.

[0039] In another example, the CPU 232 may determine that the notification mode should be switched to a vibration mode by accessing notification configuration information from storage 234. The CPU 232 modifies the notification configuration information to indicate that the haptic control 236 should be activated and the audible mode should be deactivated. The CPU 232 sends a command to the haptic control 226 to activate the haptic control and sends a command to the speaker 224 to deactivate the speaker. When a subsequent incoming communication is received, the mobile communications device vibrates (and does not ring) to notify the user of the incoming communication.

[0040] In yet another example, the CPU 232 may detect a change in the level of temperature and determine that the change is consistent with the body heat of a user holding the mobile communications device 200. The CPU 232 may change the notification mode to a haptic mode to alert the user to subsequent incoming communications.

[0041] In some implementations, the CPU 232 also may change the notification mode based on known scheduled information and the time of day and/or day of the week provided by a clock 236. For example, when a user has a meeting scheduled for a particular interval of time, the mobile communications device may automatically change the notification mode to an audible mode based on motion detected after the interval of time has passed. This may relieve the user from the burden of remembering to switch the notification mode from a haptic mode to an audible mode. This may be accomplished, for example, by having the CPU 232 search calendar information for the term meeting and, when the term meeting is found, determine the scheduled end time of the meeting. When the CPU 232 detects a movement change at or relatively soon after the scheduled end time of the meeting, the CPU 232 changes the notification mode to an audible mode.

[0042] Additionally or alternatively, the CPU 232 may determine that the notification mode may be changed only in response to a change in an environmental characteristic in combination with another type of criteria. For example, the CPU 232 may modify the notification mode only when an environmental characteristic changed during a predetermined time of day. Similarly, the CPU 232 may only invoke one or more particular notification mode adjustments based on the day, the day of the week, or the day of the year. This may be useful in helping to personalize or customize the notification change adjustments made to a user's schedule or habitual patterns.

[0043] In some implementations, the CPU 232 may modify the notification configuration information accessible in storage 234 to indicate the notification modes that should be activated when an incoming communication is received. When an incoming communication is received, the CPU 232 accesses the notification configuration information in storage 234 and sends the appropriate commands to each one of the output components 220 that should be used to notify the user.

[0044] In some implementations, the user may be able to selectively enable or disable the feature to automatically change the notification mode based on a detected change in an environmental characteristic. Additionally or alternatively, a user may be able to set a preferred notification mode that overrides any attempts to change that particular mode. For example, a user may prefer to always be notified of an incoming communication using a haptic mode of vibration.

[0045] In some implementations, the CPU 232 may notify the user that the notification mode should be modified based on a detected change in an environmental characteristic and only automatically modify the notification mode after receiving confirmation from the user. Typically, the confirmation from the user requires only a single user manipulation, such as a single button push using keypad 219. For example, when the CPU 232 determines that the notification mode should be modified due to the detected change in environmental characteristics, the CPU 232 displays text that describes a proposed notification mode change and requests user confirmation on display 228. The user may accept, reject, or modify the proposed notification mode change, for example, by using the keypad 219 to indicate the user's preference. When the user confirms the proposed notification mode change (e.g., by accepting the proposed change), the CPU 232 automatically modifies the notification mode. When the user does not confirm the proposed notification mode change (e.g., by rejecting the proposed change), the CPU 232 does not modify the notification mode.

[0046] FIG. 3 illustrates a process 300 for detecting a change in an environmental characteristic and automatically changing the notification mode of a mobile communications device based on the detected change. The process 300 may be performed by a mobile communications device such as an implementation of the mobile telephone 130, the pager 135, the PDA 140, the portable personal communicator 145, or the satellite telephone 155, all of which have been previously described with respect to FIG. 1, or by the mobile communications device 200 of FIG. 2.

[0047] The process 300 begins with the mobile communications device monitoring the environment (step 310). This may be accomplished by using one or more of particular sensory devices to monitor a particular environmental characteristic. For example, a motion detector, such as motion detector 212 of FIG. 2, may be used to detect whether the mobile communications device is stationary or moving. A light sensor, such as the light sensor 214 of FIG. 2, may be used to detect the amount of light (e.g., dim light or bright light) around the mobile communications device. A sound sensor, such as the sound sensor 216 of FIG. 2, may detect the level of sound (e.g., as measured in decibels) or the type of sound (e.g., the amount of ambient noise) proximate to the mobile communications device.

[0048] The mobile communications device determines whether a change has occurred in a monitored environmental characteristic (step 320). For example, the mobile communications device may determine that the movement environmental characteristic has changed from moving to stationary or from stationary to moving. Similarly, the mobile communications device may determine that the light environmental characteristic has changed from bright light to dim light or from dim light to bright light. The mobile communications device may determine that the sound environmental characteristic has changed from loud to moderately quiet, or from moderately quiet to very quiet. In general, the mobile communications device may detect a change in an environmental characteristic by continuously or periodically monitoring an environmental characteristic and comparing the most-recent level(s) of the environmental characteristic with one or more previously-detected levels. A difference results in a detected change.

[0049] Where appropriate, when the mobile communications device does not detect an environmental characteristic change (step 320), the mobile communications device continues monitoring the environment (step 3 10).

[0050] When the mobile communications device detects an environmental characteristic change (step 320), the mobile communications device determines whether a predetermined magnitude threshold is exceeded for the type of environmental characteristic change detected (step 330). If not, the mobile communications device continues monitoring the environment (step 310) and does not change the notification mode for the mobile communications device in response to the detected environmental characteristic change. The use of a predetermined magnitude threshold may help improve the efficiency of the process 300 by reducing the number of inconsequential or minor environmental changes that cause a change in the notification mode of the mobile communications device.

[0051] Optionally, when the mobile communications device determines that the detected environmental characteristic change has exceeded the predetermined magnitude threshold (step 330), the mobile communications device determines whether the change has persisted or otherwise been experienced for a predetermined threshold period of time (step 340). The predetermined time period threshold indicates the shortest time interval (that is, a time period) during which the environmental change must persist for a change to be made to the notification mode of the mobile communications device. In other words, the predetermined time period threshold indicates the minimum amount of time during which the environmental change must persist to warrant a change in the notification mode. The same predetermined time period threshold may be used for all types of environmental characteristics or an individual predetermined time period threshold may be used for each monitored environmental characteristic. The use of a predetermined time period threshold may help improve the efficiency of the process 300 by reducing the number of brief environmental changes that cause a change in the notification mode of the mobile communications device.

[0052] When the predetermined threshold period of time is not exceeded (step 340), the mobile communications device continues monitoring the environment (step 310) and does not change the notification mode for the mobile communications device in response to the detected environmental characteristic change.

[0053] In some implementations, the user may configure or otherwise determine the predetermined magnitude threshold for each type of environmental characteristic monitored (e.g., a user-configurable magnitude threshold). Similarly, the predetermined threshold period of time also may be user-configurable in some implementations.

[0054] When the mobile communications device determines that the detected environmental characteristic change has exceeded the predetermined time period threshold (step 340), the mobile communications device determines whether action is required (step 350). The mobile communications device may determine whether action is required based on the type and/or degree of the detected change in the environmental characteristic. This may be accomplished, for example, by accessing a table or list that indicates the notification mode settings to be set for a particular type of detected change, as illustrated in the table below.

	Detected changes in environment	Notification Modes
	of mobile communications device	Settings
	Sound level change -	Haptic mode on
	from loud to quiet	Audible mode off
		Visual mode unchanged
	Sound level change -	Haptic mode off
	from quiet to loud	Audible mode on
		Visual mode on
	Movement change -	Haptic mode on
	from moving to stationary	Audible mode off
		Visual mode on
	Movement change -	Haptic mode off
	from stationary to moving	Audible mode on
		Visual mode off
	Light change -	Haptic mode on
	from bright to dim	Audible mode off
		Visual mode on
	Light change -	Haptic mode off
	from dim to bright	Audible mode on
		Visual mode off

[0055] For example, when a sound level change from loud to quiet is detected, the mobile communications device may determine that the haptic mode is to be on, the audible mode is to be off, and the visual mode is not to be modified. When the sound level changes from loud to quiet, a user may prefer to be notified through the use of the haptic mode of vibration rather than through the use of the audible mode of a ring. Here, the mobile communications device does not modify the visual notification mode. This may be, for example, because the propriety of using of a visual mode to notify the user may depend on the particular circumstances.

[0056] In some implementations, the mobile communications device may use configurable user-preferences that describe the processing logic for determining the particular types of notification mode changes that are to be made in certain specified conditions. This may be particularly useful when ambiguity is associated with automatically determining a preferred notification mode based environmental characteristics monitored (e.g., only sound, motion, and light). For example, when a mobile communications device is moved from a bright, loud, environment with motion to a dark, quiet, and stationary environment, the user generally may prefer to receive a haptic notification mode in response to an incoming call. A haptic notification may be appropriate when the change to a dark, quiet, stationary environment is associated with attending a theater performance or a business meeting. However, those same characteristics also may occur at night, when the user is sleeping and when the user may prefer to use an audible notification mode to be alerted to an incoming call. The use of configurable user-preferences may help resolve some ambiguity associated with the determination of whether action is required. In particular, when a user may associate a time of day and one or more environmental characteristic changes with a change in the notification mode. Thus, a change to a quiet, dim, and stationary environment during the daytime may result in the automatic change to a haptic notification mode, whereas the same environmental characteristic changes at night may result in the automatic change to an audible notification mode.

[0057] When the mobile communications device determines that no action is required (step 360), the mobile communications device continues monitoring the environment (step 310) without changing the notification mode configuration. When the mobile communications device determines that action is required (step 360), the mobile communications device modifies the notification mode configuration (step 370). This may be accomplished, for example, as described previously with respect to FIG. 2.

[0058] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, another aspect of the overall implementation involves handling notification configuration information for the mobile communications device by accessing an IP network. FIG. 4 depicts a programmable system 400 for handling notification configuration information for a mobile communications device. The programmable system 400 includes a variety of input/output (I/O) devices (e.g., mouse 403, keyboard 405, and display 407) and a computer 410 having a CPU 420, an I/O unit 430, a memory 440, and a data storage device 450. Data storage device 450 may store machine-executable instructions, data, and various programs, such as an operating system 452 and one or more application programs 454, for implementing a process for handling notification configuration information, all of which may be processed by CPU 420. Each computer program may be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-oriented programming language, or in assembly or machine language if desired; and, in any case, the language may be a compiled or interpreted language. Data storage device 450 may be any form of non-volatile memory, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, such as Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM), Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM), and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM).

[0059] The programmable system 400 may include one or more peripheral online storage devices 456 for storing notification configuration information. Peripheral online storage device 456 may use any storage media (including magnetic, optical or solid state storage media) or any type of storage device (including a drive, a microdrive, a compact disc (CD), a recordable CD (CD-R), a rewriteable CD (CD-RW), a flash memory, or a solid-state floppy disk card (SSFDC)).

[0060] The computer 410 also may include a communications card or device 460 (e.g., a modem and/or a network adapter) for exchanging data with a network 470 using a communications link 475 (e.g., a telephone line, a wireless network link, a wired network link, or a cable network). Examples of the network 470 include the Internet, the World Wide Web, WANs, LANs, analog or digital wired and wireless telephone networks (e.g., ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) including various forms of DSL such as SDSL (Single-line Digital Subscriber Line), ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Loop), HDSL (High bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line), and VDSL (Very high bit-rate Digital Subscriber Line)), radio, television, cable, satellite, and/or any other delivery mechanism for carrying data.

[0061] Other examples of system 400 may include a handheld device, a workstation, a server, a device, a component, other equipment, or some combination of these capable of responding to and executing instructions in a defined manner. Any of the foregoing may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits).

[0062] The computer 410 may use the communications link 475 to communicate over the network 470 with a mobile communications device 480. As shown, the mobile communications device 480 may be, for example, a mobile telephone, such as an implementation of the mobile telephone 130 of FIG. 1. The mobile communications device also may be another type of a mobile communications device (such as a pager, a PDA, or a portable personal communicator as described above with respect to FIG. 1, or a mobile communications device 200 such as is discussed with respect to FIG. 2). The computer 410 may receive notification configuration information from a user using one or more of input/output devices 403 and 405 and may send the received notification configuration information to mobile communications device 480. The mobile communications device then may store the received notification configuration information.

[0063] FIG. 5 illustrates a process 500 for handling notification configuration information for the mobile communications device by accessing an IP network. The process 500 generally is performed by a mobile communications device capable of accessing an IP network, such as the programmable system 400 of FIG. 4. In some implementations, one type of a mobile communications device, such as an implementation of the PDA 140, handles configuration for another type of a mobile communications device, such as an implementation of the mobile telephone 130 of FIG. 1. The process 500 may be particularly advantageous when the mobile communications device has a limited keypad, such as a mobile telephone, and/or the user-selectable or the user-configurable parameters for changing notification modes are many or complex.

[0064] The process 500 to handle notification configuration information for the mobile communications device includes using an IP network interface to provide access to user-selectable parameters for automatically adjusting notification configuration information for a mobile communications device (step 510). The user-selectable parameters may include identifying the notification mode changes that should be made in response to identified environmental characteristic changes for a particular mobile communications device. The user-selectable parameters also may include an association of the time of day and/or the day of the week at which identified notification mode changes should be made.

[0065] The user-selectable parameters may be stored in a table or a list that identifies one or more type of changes to be made in response to identified environmental changes (as described previously with respect to step 350 in FIG. 3). Additionally, one or more user-selectable parameters may be associated with a time period and/or a day of the week on which the change is made. This may permit a user to preconfigure a mobile communications device to automatically change to only a haptic mode in response to a change to a quiet, stationary condition during a weekly religious service and to change to an audible mode when transitioning to a loud, brightly-lit, moving environment when the time period in which the religious service generally occurs has ended.

[0066] In some implementations, user-configurable options may be identified using an interface that provides a calendar for the ease of identifying times, some of which may be recurring and some of which may not be recurring, during which particular environmental changes are to trigger a change in the notification mode of the mobile communications device. For example, a business meeting may be identified using a calendar interface and the mobile communications device may be able to more accurately change the notification mode based on a change of movement in view of the scheduled start and end times of the meeting.

[0067] Additionally or alternatively, Boolean logic may be used to describe the notification mode changes that are to be triggered by particular combinations of one or more environmental characteristic changes, one or more current notification mode settings, the time of day, and/or the day of the week.

[0068] A mobile communications device may be identifiable (such as by using an IP address, a MAC address or other device identifier, or a telephone number) so as to enable notification configuration information to be sent to an identified communications device based on execution of an adjustment of notification configuration information settings.

[0069] Using an IP network interface to provide access to user-selectable options for automatically adjusting notification configuration information for a mobile communications device may allow convenient access to the options currently selected and convenient modification by a user of the selected options. In contrast, identifying and modifying user-configurable options to a process for automatically changing notification configuration information based on changes in environmental characteristics may be burdensome to perform using only a limited keypad associated with a mobile communications device. Leveraging such an IP network interface and identifiers associated with one or more mobile communications devices (e.g., an IP-address or telephone number), the user-configurable options for automatically adjusting notification configuration information for a mobile communications device based on a detected change in an environmental characteristic for one or more particular mobile communications device may be accessed and/or modified.

[0070] The ability to use an IP network to gain access to, and modify, user-selectable options may be convenient. For example, the ability to modify configurable options using an IP network interface may be useful, particularly to a user who desires to update the configuration notification information on a mobile device with limited input capability (e.g., a mobile telephone) while away from a desktop computer upon which configuration software resides. The IP network interface may free the user from the burden of carrying the software and wire (or other connection) to update configuration information on the mobile device while away from a desktop computer.

[0071] The process 500 enables access to user-selectable options for automatically adjusting notification configuration information for a mobile communications device using an interface (step 520) and enables inspection of the user-selected options for automatically adjusting notification configuration information for a mobile communications device using the interface (step 530).

[0072] The process 500 also may include enabling modification of the user-selection options using the interface (step 540). The modification may include one or more of adding, deleting, or updating user-selectable options.

[0073] Although the techniques have been described as automatically changing a notification mode or notification modes based on a detected change in one or more environmental characteristics, in some implementations other configuration settings may be changed based on one or more detected environmental characteristic changes. For example, the volume setting on a speaker may be changed based on the increase or the decrease of sound in the environment of a mobile communications device.

[0074] Implementations may include a method or process, an apparatus or system, or computer software on a computer medium. It will be understood that various modifications may be made that still fall within the following claims. For example, advantageous results still could be achieved if steps of the disclosed techniques were performed in a different order and/or if components in the disclosed systems were combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components.