Contextual inference of non-verbal expressions

• US 10,540,348 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2014
• Issued: 01/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rios, III, Roque, Walsh, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Ansari, Azam A
• Application Number:
  US14/492,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085802A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,947 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1466
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/245 Query processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/68 Gesture-dependent or behaviour-dependent

Abstract

Contextual awareness is used to reveal non-verbal expressions. A current context of a device is evaluated to infer a user'"'"'s body posture and emotional state. The user'"'"'s body posture and emotional state may then be used for improved services and targeted advertising.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a contextual database that stores different contexts associated with their corresponding sensory outputs;

a body language database that maps the different contexts to different human body postures, at least one of the different contexts being an authentication context, and at least one of the different human body postures being an authentication body posture, the authentication body posture being a unique one of the different human body postures used for authentication purposes and being mapped with the authentication context;

an emotional database that maps the different contexts and the different human body postures to different emotional states;

a processor; and

a non-transitory memory storing instructions that when executed cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving an identifier of a device;

receiving a request for authentication;

receiving a plurality of sensory outputs from the device, one of the plurality of sensory outputs pertaining to how a user is holding the device;

evaluating the plurality of sensory outputs from the device;

determining a hand orientation of a user of the device based on the evaluating;

inferring a forearm orientation, a shoulder orientation, a torso orientation, and a head orientation of the user based on the hand orientation of the user of the device;

determining, using the plurality of sensory outputs evaluated, a current context associated with a time and a location of the identifier of the device, wherein the determining the current context includes querying, using the plurality of sensory outputs, the contextual database for determining whether there is a matching different context with the plurality of sensory outputs, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching different context;

inferring a corresponding body posture and an emotional state from the current context by;

querying, using the current context and the hand orientation, the forearm orientation, the shoulder orientation, the torso orientation, and the head orientation of the user of the device, the body language database for determining whether there is a matching different human body posture, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching different human body posture; and

querying, using the current context and the corresponding body posture inferred, the emotional database for determining whether there is a matching emotional state, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching emotional state;

querying the body language database for determining whether there is a matching entry based on matching the corresponding body posture inferred and the authentication body posture; and

if the matching entry is found, authenticating the device then;

transmitting the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred; and

receiving, in response to the transmitting the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred, a product recommendation selected based on at least one of the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises:

an e-commerce server for determining the product recommendation selected.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the identifier of the device to the e-commerce server.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding body posture inferred indicates a lower back ailment, and the product recommendation includes one of a heating pad, a pillow, a chair, and a medication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the emotional state inferred indicates one of a stress and a sadness, and the product recommendation is one of a movie, a book and a counseling service.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise retrieving an advertisement associated with the one of the different human body postures.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the authentication body posture.

8. A method, comprising:

maintaining, in a memory, a contextual database that stores different contexts associated with their corresponding sensory outputs;

maintaining, in the memory, a body language database that maps the different contexts to different human body postures, at least one of the different contexts being an authentication context, and at least one of the different human body postures being an authentication body posture, the authentication body posture being a unique one of the different human body postures used for authentication purposes and being mapped with the authentication context;

maintaining, in the memory, an emotional database that maps the different contexts and the different human body postures to different emotional states;

receiving an identifier of a device;

receiving a request for authentication;

receiving a plurality of sensory outputs from the device, one of the plurality of sensory outputs pertaining to how a user is holding the device;

evaluating the plurality of sensory outputs from the device and, using the plurality of sensory outputs evaluated, determining, by a processor, a hand orientation of a user of the device and a current context associated with a time and a location of the identifier of the device, wherein the determining the current context includes querying, using the plurality of sensory outputs, the contextual database for determining whether there is a matching different context with the plurality of sensory outputs, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching different context;

inferring a forearm orientation, a shoulder orientation, a torso orientation, and a head orientation of the user based on the hand orientation of the user of the device;

inferring a corresponding body posture and an emotional state from the current context by;

querying, using the current context and the hand orientation, the forearm orientation, the shoulder orientation, the torso orientation, and the head orientation of the user of the device, the body language database for determining whether there is a matching different human body posture, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching different human body posture; and

querying, using the current context and the corresponding body posture inferred, the emotional database for determining whether there is a matching emotional state, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching emotional state;

determining whether there is a matching entry based on matching the corresponding body posture inferred and the authentication body posture;

and

if the matching entry is found, authenticating the device then;

transmitting the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred; and

receiving, in response to the transmitting the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred, a product recommendation selected based on at least one of the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by an e-commerce server, the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred; and

selecting, by the e-commerce server, the product recommendation based on the at least one of the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting the identifier of the device to the e-commerce server.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the corresponding body posture inferred indicates a lower back ailment, and the product recommendation includes one of a heating pad, a pillow, a chair, and a medication.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the emotional state inferred indicates one of a stress and a sadness, and the product recommendation is one of a movie, a book and a counseling service.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving an advertisement associated with the one of the different human body postures.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving the authentication body posture.

15. A non-transitory memory storing instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

maintaining, in a memory, a contextual database that stores different contexts associated with their corresponding sensory outputs;

maintaining, in the memory, a body language database that maps the different contexts to different human body postures, at least one of the different contexts being an authentication context, and at least one of the different human body postures being an authentication body posture, the authentication body posture being a unique one of the different human body postures used for authentication purposes and being mapped with the authentication context;

maintaining, in the memory, an emotional database that maps the different contexts and the different human body postures to different emotional states;

receiving an identifier of a device;

receiving a request for authentication;

receiving a plurality of sensory outputs from the device, one of the plurality of sensory outputs pertaining to how a user is holding the device;

evaluating the plurality of sensory outputs from the device and determining, using the plurality of sensory outputs evaluated, a hand orientation of a user of the device and a current context associated with a time and a location of the identifier of the device, wherein the determining the current context includes querying, using the plurality of sensory outputs, the contextual database for determining whether there is a matching different context with the plurality of sensory outputs, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching different context;

inferring a forearm orientation, a shoulder orientation, a torso orientation, and a head orientation of the user based on the hand orientation of the user of the device;

inferring a corresponding body posture and an emotional state from the current context by;

querying, using the current context and the hand orientation, the forearm orientation, the shoulder orientation, the torso orientation, and the head orientation of the user of the device, the body language database for determining whether there is a matching different human body posture, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching different human body posture; and

querying, using the current context and the corresponding body posture inferred, the emotional database for determining whether there is a matching emotional state, and if a matching entry is found, retrieving the matching emotional state;

querying the body language database for determining whether there is a matching entry based on matching the corresponding body posture inferred and the authentication body posture; and

if the matching entry is found, authenticating the device then;

transmitting the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred; and

receiving, in response to the transmitting the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred, a product recommendation selected based on at least one of the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred.

16. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by an e-commerce server, the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred; and

selecting, by the e-commerce server, the product recommendation based on the at least one of the corresponding body posture and the emotional state inferred.

17. The non-transitory memory of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting the identifier of the device to the e-commerce server.

18. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the corresponding body posture inferred indicates a lower back ailment, and the product recommendation includes one of a heating pad, a pillow, a chair, and a medication.

19. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the emotional state inferred indicates one of a stress and a sadness, and the product recommendation is one of a movie, a book and a counseling service.

20. The non-transitory memory of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise receiving the authentication body posture.