"Please Hold" may be a thing of the past. At least Apple thinks so after its recent patent on "adaptive information" for Apple devices. The patent (U.S. Patent No. 8,412,164) shows that upcoming handheld devices authorized by Apple could have more dynamic caller hold and caller information on display, in addition to the traditional ticking clock that reminds you how costly your call is becoming.
The information could include things like location of the caller, upcoming meetings with the person, spouse's and children's names, or weather at the caller's location. "A system can also identify any unsuccessful attempts to communicate (e.g., unanswered calls, voice mails, unread emails) with another person and present a user with adaptive information related to those attempts" reads a part of the patent.
The information would also be able to give a user distracting information while on hold during a call, even depending on the time of day. During the morning a user might be informed about upcoming appointments, birthdays and weather forecasts, while in the evening it could focus more on the day's news or stock updates.
While we expect this addition to be featured on the upcoming iPhone and operating system, Apple has currently put the idea "on hold" with no further information, which is surprising considering that their patent is all about additional information while on hold. Would this feature add much to your calling experience, or do you think Apple is just writing patents for the sake of it?
