Intelligent collaborative expression in support of socialization of devices

• US 20060010240A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Chuah, Mei
• Granted Patent: US 8,489,769 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users

Abstract

A method and apparatus for socialization of electronic devices is provided. Communications from a first person to a second person or to a group of persons may be enhanced, such as modified or supplemented, based on a user profile of the first person, the second person, and/or the group of persons. The user profile may comprise any one or any combination of the following: presence, expression, shared context, surrounding context, and device context. Moreover, enhancing the communication may comprise modifying or supplementing text, audio, video, image, scent, tactile and taste output. In addition, a communication is sent based on changes in a user profile. Changes in the user profile may comprise manual changes or automatic changes. Further, the content of the communication sent may depend on the aspect changed in the user profile

Claims

1. A network server for modifying a communication from a user on a first electronic device to a recipient on a second electronic device, the network server comprising logic for:

receiving the communication;

extracting data representative of identification of the user from the communication;

accessing a user profile for the user associated with the extracted identification data, the user profile resident on a database and comprising data representative of attributes for identity, awareness, or expression information of the user;

selecting a data attribute from the user profile;

modifying the communication based the selected data attribute from the user profile; and

sending the modified communication to the recipient.

2. The network server of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device comprises a computer;

and

wherein the logic for extracting identification information comprises logic for extracting an electronic mail address.

3. The network server of claim 1, wherein the attributes of the user profile are selected from the group consisting of presence, expression, histories, shared context, rules context, surrounding context, and device context.

4. The network server of claim 1, wherein the user profile further comprises shared context.

5. The network server of claim 1, wherein the user profile further comprises surrounding context.

6. The network server of claim 1, wherein the user profile further comprises device context.

7. The network server of claim 1, wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying at least one sensory output related to the communication, the sensory output selected from the group consisting of text, audio, video, image, scent, tactile, and taste.

8. The network server of claim 1, wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying the communication based on at least one of identity or awareness information in the user profile.

9. The network server of claim 1, further comprising logic for determining whether the communication comprises text;

and

wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying format of the text.

10. The network server of claim 9, wherein the first electronic device is of a different type than the second electronic device;

further comprising logic for formatting the communication for the second electronic device; and

wherein the logic for determining whether the communication comprises text comprises logic for determining, after formatting, whether the communication comprises text.

11. The network server of claim 9, wherein the logic for modifying format of the text comprises logic for changing font, font size or case of the text based on the user profile.

12. The network server of claim 1, wherein the logic for modifying comprises logic for modifying the communication to convey an expression selected from the user profile.

13. The network server of claim 12, wherein the selected expression in the user profile comprises an emotion;

and

wherein the logic for modifying comprises logic for modifying format to convey the emotion.

14. The network server of claim 1, further comprising logic for determining whether the communication comprises audio;

and

wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying at least one property of the audio.

15. The network server of claim 14, wherein the property of the audio is selected from the group consisting of pitch and volume.

16. The network server of claim 1, further comprising logic for determining whether the communication comprises an image;

and

wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying at least one property of the image.

17. The network server of claim 1, further comprising:

logic for accessing a recipient profile associated with the recipient, the recipient profile residing in the database and comprising device context; and

logic for determining the second electronic device in which to send the modified communication to based on the device context.

18. The network server of claim 17, wherein the device context comprises which devices of the recipient are turned on.

19. The network server of claim 1, further comprising:

logic for accessing a recipient profile associated with the recipient based on the communication, the recipient profile residing in database and comprising external environment data; and

wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile and the external environment data.

20. The network server of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the user profile is determined based on histories.

21. A network server for supplementing a communication from a user on a first electronic device to a recipient on a second electronic device, the network server comprising logic for:

receiving the communication;

extracting data representative of identification of the user from the communication;

accessing a user profile for the user associated with the extracted identification data, the user profile resident on a database and comprising data representative of attributes for identity, awareness, or expression information of the user;

determining supplemental information to send to the second electronic device based on the user profile and based on the second electronic device; and

sending the supplemental information and the communication to the recipient.

22. The network server of claim 21, further comprising logic for determining type of format which the second device supports;

and

wherein the logic for determining supplemental information to send to the second electronic device comprises logic for selecting the supplemental information that is of the determined type of format which the second device supports.

23. The network server of claim 22, wherein the type of format comprises text;

and

wherein the supplemental information comprises at least one character.

24. The network server of claim 23, wherein the expression information in the user profile comprises emotion;

and

wherein the character in the supplemental information is selected to convey the emotion.

25. The network server of claim 21, wherein the logic for determining supplemental information comprises logic for determining supplemental information based on the user profile, the second electronic device, and the communication.

26. The network server of claim 25, wherein the communication is of a type of format;

and

wherein the supplemental information is the same type of format.

27. The network server of claim 25, wherein the communication is of a type of format;

and

wherein the supplemental information is a different type of format.

28. The network server of claim 21, further comprising logic for integrating the supplemental information with the communication to form an integrated communication;

and

wherein the logic for sending the supplemental information and the communication to the recipient comprises logic for sending the integrated communication.

29. The network server of claim 21, further comprising:

logic for accessing a recipient profile for the recipient based on the communication, the recipient profile resident on the database and comprising external environment; and

wherein the logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile comprises logic for modifying the communication based on the user profile and the recipient profile.

30. A network server for sending a communication to an electronic device based on changes to a user profile, the network server comprising logic for:

determining whether an aspect of a user profile has changed;

determining whether to send a communication if the aspect of the user profile has changed;

determining the electronic device to send the communication to;

determining content of the communication based on the aspect changed in the user profile; and

sending the communication to the electronic device.

31. The network server of claim 30, wherein the user profile comprises presence, expression, and shared context information.

32. The network server of claim 30, wherein the logic for determining content of the communication is further based on the electronic device which is sent the communication.

33. The network server of claim 30, wherein the aspect of the user profile is changed based on histories.