Application module for managing interactions of distributed modality components

• US 20050138647A1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McCobb, Gerald M., Bou-ghannam, Akram A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,409,690 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/544 Remote
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method for managing application modalities using dialogue states can include the step of asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application. Each of the activation conditions can be linked to at least one programmatic action, wherein different programmatic actions can be executed by different modality components. The application conditions can be monitored. An application event can be detected resulting in an associated application condition being run. At least one programmatic action linked to the application condition can be responsively initiated.

Claims

1. A method for managing application modalities using dialogue states comprising the steps of:

asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application;

publishing each of said activation conditions, wherein different programmatic actions are executed by different modality components, and wherein each of said modality components publishes a set of programmatic actions for that modality component;

monitoring for said activation conditions;

running said activation conditions based upon an application event; and

responsively initiating the at least one programmatic action linked to an occurrence of a fired activation condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said programmatic action is a modality component action executed remotely from said application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a modality manager that is remotely located from said application, wherein said asserting step, publishing step, monitoring step, running step, and initiating step are performed by said modality manager.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

activating a modality component; and

identifying a plurality of activation conditions associated with said activated modality component, where said activating step occurs before said assertion step, and wherein said asserted set of activation conditions includes said plurality of activation conditions.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising steps of:

determining that a dialogue state of the application changes from said dialogue state to a new dialogue state;

asserting a new set of activation conditions associated with said new dialogue state; and

updating said publishing, monitoring, and running steps to reflect the new set of application conditions.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said application change results from said initiated programmatic action.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said new dialogue state determination, deactivating said previously activated modality component, wherein said plurality of activation conditions associated with said deactivated modality component are not included within said new set of activation conditions.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said new dialogue state determination, activating a previously deactivated modality component, wherein a plurality of activation conditions associated with said newly activated modality component are included in said new set of activation conditions.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

loading each activation condition into a centralized memory space, wherein said monitoring step utilizes said centralized memory space.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the application changes from said dialogue state to a new dialogue state; and

updating the activation conditions contained within the centralized memory space to reflect activation conditions of said new dialogue state.

11. A machine-readable storage having stored thereon, a computer program having a plurality of code sections, said code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

asserting a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application;

publishing each of said activation conditions, wherein different programmatic actions are executed by different modality components, and wherein each of said modality components publishes a set of programmatic actions for that modality component;

monitoring for said activation conditions;

running said activation conditions based upon an application event; and

responsively initiating the at least one programmatic action linked to an occurrence of a fired activation condition.

12. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, wherein said programmatic action is a modality component action executed remotely from said application.

13. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

providing a modality manager that is remotely located from said application, wherein said asserting step, publishing step, monitoring step, running step, and initiating step are performed by said modality manager.

14. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

activating a modality component; and

identifying a plurality of activation conditions associated with said activated modality component, where said activating step occurs before said assertion step, and wherein said asserted set of activation conditions includes said plurality of activation conditions.

15. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising steps of:

determining that a dialogue state of the application changes from said dialogue state to a new dialogue state;

asserting a new set of activation conditions associated with said new dialogue state; and

updating said publishing, monitoring, and running steps to reflect the new set of application conditions.

16. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, wherein said application change results from said initiated programmatic action.

17. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said new dialogue state determination, deactivating said previously activated modality component, wherein said plurality of activation conditions associated with said deactivated modality component are not included within said new set of activation conditions.

18. The machine-readable storage of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to said new dialogue state determination, activating a previously deactivated modality component, wherein a plurality of activation conditions associated with said newly activated modality component are included in said new set of activation conditions.

19. The machine-readable storage of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

loading each activation condition into a centralized memory space, wherein said monitoring step utilizes said centralized memory space.

20. The machine-readable storage of claim 19, further comprising the steps of:

determining that the application changes from said dialogue state to a new dialogue state; and

updating the activation conditions contained within the centralized memory space to reflect activation conditions of said new dialogue state.

21. A system for managing application modalities using dialogue states comprising:

means for determining a set of activation conditions associated with a dialogue state of an application;

means for publishing each of said activation conditions, wherein said activation conditions are published by a multitude of different modality components;

means for monitoring for said activation conditions;

means for running the activation conditions and detecting an occurrence of one of said activation conditions based upon an application event; and

means for responsively initiating at least one programmatic action.