A computing device is described that receives a notification generated by a notification source, determines a set of notification channels defmed by the notification source, each notification channel having one or more parameters defmed by the notification source, and determines a particular notification channel from the set of notification channels assigned to the notification. The computing device determines one or more parameters of the particular notification channel and outputs an indication of the notification according to the one or more parameters of the particular notification channel. In this way, a user may be provided with an indication of the manner in which a given notification is being handled by the computing device. This may provide further information on the notification itself and allow efficient interaction in light of the knowledge thereby provided.

A wireless communications device includes a memory adapted to maintain profiles relating to user contacts, an output device operable to emit audible notifications responsive to incoming communications, at least one input device operable to receive a user selection of a silent notification mode of the device and a user selection of a silent mode disabled setting associated with the profiles and a processor coupled to the memory, the output device and the at least one input device. When the device is in the silent notification mode, audible notifications are not emitted from the output device responsive to incoming communications from the user contacts having profiles without the silent mode disabled and audible notifications are emitted from the output device responsive to incoming communications from the user contacts having profiles with the silent mode disabled.

A computing device is described that receives, from a source, a notification. The computing device determines content of the notification other than a quantity of notifications currently pending for the source of the notification and based at least in part on the content, determines a notification badge that reflects the content of the notification. The device displays the notification badge near a graphical element for launching the source of the notification. In reflecting content of the notification, the badge icon may facilitate efficient interaction with the computing device by resolving one or more ambiguities that would otherwise arise.

A computing device is described that receives one or more notifications, categorizes, each of the one or more notifications as either: important and ongoing, person-to-person, or regular, by-the-way, and groups the one or more notifications according to category. The computing device receives a user input for displaying a notification area of a graphical user interface and displays the notification area such that: by-the-way notifications are displayed least prominent, regular notifications are displayed more prominent than the by-the-way notifications, person-to-person notifications are displayed more prominent in than regular notifications, and important and ongoing notifications are displayed more prominently than person-to-person notifications. Appropriate categorization of notifications may provide a user with information relating to underlying operation of the computing device, and may for example immediately indicate the significance of one or more notifications to that operation.

Various additional and alternative aspects are described herein. In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a method of adjusting a ringtone volume of an electronic device. In certain aspects, the method includes determining whether a human body is within a proximity threshold of the electronic device using a proximity sensor, in response to a ringtone event. The method also includes using a first ringtone with a first volume to alert a user about the ringtone event upon determining that the human body is within the proximity threshold. The method also includes using a second ringtone with a second volume to alert the user about the ringtone event, upon determining that the human body is not within the proximity threshold wherein the first volume is lower than the second volume.

A communication apparatus for performing automatic reception processing of a calling signal received on a telephone line, by power supplied from a first power supply, includes an image processing unit, a detection unit, a counting unit, and a power supply control unit. The image processing unit performs image processing on image data received over the telephone line, by power supplied from a second power supply. The detection unit detects a calling signal received on the telephone line, by power supplied from the first power supply, while power supplied from the second power supply is stopped. The counting unit counts the number of calling signals detected by the detection unit. The power supply control unit starts supply of power from the second power supply on the basis that the number of detected calling signals counted by the counting unit reaches a predetermined number.

An information processing apparatus comprising: transceiver circuitry configured to receive a notification for a user; sensing circuitry configured to determine the position of the information processing apparatus; storage configured to store a notification mechanism in association with particular positions of the information processing apparatus; and control circuitry configured to control notification circuitry to perform the notification mechanism based on the position of the information processing apparatus.

The present invention provides a system for managing and disabling phone ring tone profiles, the system comprising: a storage system comprising (a) a plurality of ringtones adapted to be activated when an incoming call is made; (b) at least one list of identified callers to execute at least one data processing system, said at least one data processing system comprising: an acquiring module operable to read an identifier of said incoming call or an incoming message; a detecting module operable to detect if the identifier exists in said at least one list in the system, to determine the caller from said list, and to detect how many incoming calls have been made within a predetermined period of time and a disabling module adapted to either activate or disable said ringtones.

An aspect provides a method, including: detecting a received communication at a device; detecting, using a device orientation sensor, orientation data relating to device orientation; the orientation data being associated in time with the received communication; determining, using the orientation data, a value for a magnitude of a notification of the received communication; and adjusting, using a processor of the device, the magnitude of the notification of the received communication according to the value. Other aspects are described and claimed.

An information processing method and a user equipment, wherein the method includes receiving an information processing request message, when the information processing request message is not processed within a predetermined time, collecting at least two types of environment state information, generating prompt information according to the at least two types of the collected environment state information. Therefore, a user can perceive in time the information processing request message that has been received but not processed by the user equipment in time, and thus effectively increasing the usability of the user equipment.