It is useful to have one's cellphone behave differently in different locations - e.g. ring loudly when outdoors, softly in the office, or vibrate when in a pocket.

GPS can be used for some of these situations, but isn't as useful indoors or for very small changes in location.

Small, clearly marked paper mats could be left in various locations - office desk, office drawer, car cubbyhole, bedside table. The cellphone's built-in camera could identify which mat it had been placed on by reading a special pattern printed thereon. The cellphone could then be instructed on how to behave on each mat:

Office desk --> ring quietly if called

Office drawer --> keep quiet

Car cubbyhole --> look for bluetooth car kit, or take a message

Bedside table --> wake me up in time for my first meeting
-- FishFinger, Dec 18 2008

I'll Tell Him related idea I_27ll_20Tell_20Him
[theircompetitor, Dec 18 2008]

Scratch input for phones http://hackaday.com...1/14/scratch-input/
Slightly OT [Dub, Dec 18 2008]

[+] good spot for inductive charging too.
-- FlyingToaster, Dec 18 2008



random, halfbakery