Mobile phones that know when you’re busy?

Sick of mobile phone calls interrupting you at the worst possible time? A scientific solution is on the way.

Though mobile phones keep getting ‘smarter’, they still seem to interrupt us at the worst possible moments, like when we’re talking on another phone, typing an assignment, or running to catch the bus. But mobile phones may soon be able to detect whether you want to be interrupted by incoming phone calls.

Scientists at the Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania are working on a creative software solution that uses microphones, touch sensors, and cameras as detectors to ascertain your level of "busyness".

The computer program analyses inputs from these detectors to determine whether you want to be interrupted. The program might decide that you are too busy to be interrupted if you are typing on a keyboard, talking to someone else, or making another phone call.

The program can be applied in a variety of ways for use in mobile phones, office phones, and on computers to prevent unimportant ‘spam’ email messages interrupting your work.

Keep an eye out for this technology because according to the scientists, there is no technological roadblock to it being deployed in a couple of years.