Transmitting information given constrained resources

• US 20060167824A1
• Filed: 12/12/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/00 Machine learning
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 20/10 using kernel methods, e.g. support vector machines [SVM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

Prioritizing text such as e-mail messages, given constrained resources, is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method first receives a plurality of messages, such as e-mail messages. The method prioritizes the messages, based on a predetermined criteria given a constrained resource. The method then outputs the messages to a user, as prioritized given the constrained resource. Specific constrained resources include limited bandwidth, limited storage space, and limited time in which to receive the texts. Embodiments include policies that include priority-sensitive truncation and summarization. Furthermore, in one embodiment, if context is detected, the priorities for caching are affected. In another embodiment, the likelihood that a user already knows all or part of the information being transmitted is considered.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

prioritizing information about an event given a constrained resource based at least in part on a likelihood of prior knowledge of a user; and

transmitting the prioritized information to the user given the constrained resource.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the likelihood of the prior knowledge of the user based at least in part on whether the user has been notified of the event via an alternate communication medium.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining the likelihood of the prior knowledge of the user based on at least one of a first time the event occurred and a second time the event was publicly disseminated.

4. The method of claim 1, prioritizing the information via a probabilistic-based analysis.

5. The method of claim 1, prioritizing the event information by considering a likelihood that the event information is widespread based on a type of the event.

6. The method of claim 1, determining the prior knowledge of the user based at least in part on a likelihood that partial information about the event is available from an outside source.

7. The method of claim 6, the partial information is at least one of a high-level summary and a rumor.

8. The method of claim 1, the constrained resource comprises at least one of intermittent connectivity, limited bandwidth and expensive bandwidth.

9. A computerized system comprising:

an aggregation component that receives information about an event;

a prioritization component that prioritizes the information based at least in part on prior knowledge of a user given a constrained resource; and

a device that transmits the prioritized information.

10. The system of claim 9, the prioritization component considers a likelihood that the event information is widespread based on a type of the event.

11. The system of claim 9, the prioritization component employs a statistical classifier to perform a probabilistic-based analysis on the event information.

12. The system of claim 9, the prioritization component considers a likelihood that the information is available via an alternate communication medium.

13. The system of claim 12, the likelihood that the information is available via an alternate communication medium is based on at least one of a first time the event occurred and a second time the event was publicly disseminated.

14. The system of claim 9, the prior knowledge of the user is determined based at least in part on availability of partial information from an outside source.

15. The system of claim 14, the partial information is at least one of a high-level summary and a rumor.

16. The system of claim 9, the prioritized information is transmitted to mitigate an impact associated with the constrained resource.

17. A computerized system comprising:

means for receiving information about an event;

means for determining whether a user has been notified of the information via an alternate communication medium; and

means for reducing an effect of a constrained resource.

18. The system of claim 17, the means for reducing comprising prioritizing the information based at least in part on prior knowledge of the user.

19. The system of claim 18, the means for reducing further comprising considering a likelihood that the event information is widespread based on a type of the event.

20. The system of claim 17, the means for determining considers a first time the event occurred and a second time the event was publicly disseminated.