Computational architecture for managing the transmittal and rendering of information, alerts, and notifications

• US 20030212646A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 11/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,002 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/902 Application using ai with detail of the ai system

Abstract

An architecture for managing alerts, notifications, and peripheral information is disclosed. In one embodiment, a computerized system includes three modules, an attentional status module, a peripheral information notification and alerts module, and an notifications decision-making module. The attentional-status module generates a probability distribution over the user'"'"'s focus of attention. In one embodiment the module also provides a probability distribution over the period of time until the user will become available to review alerts zero or minimal cost, or will review them without prompting In one embodiment, this module utilizes a decision-theoretic analysis to identify ideal actions about the timing and rendering of notifications or alerts, The peripheral information notification and alerts module receives alerts from different sources, including the operating system, standard applications, special plug-ins designed to work with the architecture, and, in particular embodiments, from special sensory apparatus including ambient acoustical information. The notification decision-making module is to alert the user of the alerts received by the peripheral information notification and alerts module, based on the probability generated by the attentional status module.

Claims

1. A computerized system comprising:

a peripheral information notification and alert module to receive alerts; and

,

a notification decision-making module to alert a user of the alerts based on probabilities inferred about a user'"'"'s focus of attention.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more probabilities comprises a probability distribution.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more probabilities comprises a probability distribution over a set of states considered to be a mutually exclusive and exhaustive set of foci of attention of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral information notification and alerts module is to receive alerts from at least one of:

one or more applications, one or more networks, one or more operating systems.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the peripheral information notification and alerts module is to receive alerts from one or more external devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification decision-making module is to alert the user of the alerts also baaed on a history of previous alerts.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification decision-making module is to alert the user of the alerts also based on available system resources.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification decision-making module is to alert the user in a visual manner of the alerts.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification decision-making module is to alert the user in an audio manner of the alerts.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification decision-making module is to alert the user on a mobile device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification decision-making module is to alert the user on the mobile device based on NEVA=EVTA−

ECA−

TC, where NEVA is a net expected value of alert, EVTA is an expected value of alert, ECA is an expected cost of alert, and TC is a transmission cost.

12. A computerized system comprising:

an attentional status module to generate one or more probabilities via a probabilistic model and based on at least one of;

one or more contextual events, and a user profile;

a peripheral information notification and alert module to receive alerts from at least one of;

one or more applications, one or more networks, one or more operating systems, and one or more external devices; and

,

a notification decision-making module to alert the user of the alerts based on the one or more probabilities in at least one of;

an audio manner and a visual manner.

13. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving an alert from at least one of;

one or more applications, one or more networks, one or more operating systems, and one or more external devices;

generating one or more probabilities about a user'"'"'s focus of attention; and

alerting the user based on the one or more probabilities.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein alerting the user comprises alerting the user in at least one of:

an audio manner and a visual manner.