Multimodal or multi-device configuration

• US 20070157216A1
• Filed: 01/04/2006
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/320
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, system and machine-readable media for dynamic configuration and/or support for application using multiple modes and/or devices. Generally speaking, dynamic configuration and/or support for an application using multiple modes and/or devices can comprise accessing a multimodal and/or multi-device application via a user agent of a user device. The user agent can determine a plurality of modes or devices supported by the application and request multimodal services based on the modes or devices supported by the application. A multimodal/multi-device infrastructure can communicatively coupled with the user agent and can be adapted to register components of a multimodal service in a central repository. In response to the request for multimodal services from the user agent of the user device, the multimodal/multi-device infrastructure can locate services supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository.

Claims

1. A system for providing multimodal configuration and support, the system comprising:

a multimodal application;

a user agent adapted to access the multimodal application, determine a plurality of modes or devices supported by the application, and request multimodal services based on the modes or devices supported by the application; and

a set of multimodal infrastructure components communicatively coupled with the user agent and registered in a central repository wherein the components are adapted to, in response to the request for multimodal services from the user agent, launch a multimodal manager, initiate a session between the multimodal manager and the user agent, and determine one or more components supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein determining one or more components supporting the one or more modes or devices comprises locating components that are configured for operation with the application.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal manager is further adapted to, in response to receiving the application data from the user agent, determine one or more components for supporting execution of the application, initiate the one or more components, and synchronize the one or more components with the application data from the user agent of the user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user agent determines the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application based on information explicitly provided by the application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user agent determines the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application based on parsing application data and inferring the plurality of modes or devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user agent determines the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application based on information obtained from a source separate from the user agent and the multimodal infrastructure.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the source separate from the user agent and the multimodal infrastructure comprises a catalog of modes or devices.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the source separate from the user agent and the multimodal infrastructure is a Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration (UDDI) repository associated with a multimodal service.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user agent determines the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application based on information obtained from a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for the application.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the user agent determines the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application based on information obtained from an extension of a file returned by the application.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the user agent determines the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application based on information obtained from a content of a file.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure components locate services supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository and load balancing between the services.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the multimodal infrastructure components are further adapted to dynamically balance the load between services.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure locates components supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository and availability of the registered components.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure is further adapted to activate or deactivate the multimodal manager based on preferences of a user.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the preferences of the user comprise server-side preferences.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the preferences of the user comprise user-agent preferences.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the preferences of the user comprise multimodal manager preferences.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure is further adapted to activate or deactivate the multimodal manager based on application data from the user agent.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure is further adapted to activate or deactivate the multimodal manager based on a request from the user agent.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure is further adapted to end the session between the multimodal manager and the user agent based on the user agent deactivating itself.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimodal infrastructure is further adapted to end the session between the multimodal manager and the user agent based on the user agent deactivating another user agent.

23. A method of providing multimodal configuration and support, the method comprising:

accessing a multimodal application;

determining a plurality of modes or devices supported by the application;

requesting multimodal services based on the modes or devices supported by the application; and

reading information identifying one or more multimodal services related to the modes or devices supported by the application from a central repository.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising initiating a session with a multimodal manager of a multimodal infrastructure and providing application data from the multimodal application to the multimodal manager.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application is based on information explicitly provided by the application.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein determining the plurality of modes or devices supported by the application is based on parsing application data and inferring the plurality of modes or devices.

27. A method of providing multimodal configuration and support, the method comprising:

registering components of a multimodal service in a central repository;

receiving a request for multimodal services from a user agent of a user device the request indicating one of more modes or devices supported by an application accessed by the user agent of the user device; and

in response to the request for multimodal services from the user agent of the user device, locating services supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising launching a multimodal manager in response to the request for multimodal services from the user agent of the user device and initiating a session between the multimodal manager and the user agent of the user device.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising, in response to receiving application data related to a multimodal application from the user agent of the user device, determining one or more components for supporting execution of the application, initiating the one or more components, and synchronizing the one or more components with the application data from the user agent of the user device.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein locating services supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository is based on load balancing between the services.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising dynamically balancing the load between services.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein locating services supporting the one or more modes or devices based on the registered components of the multimodal service in the central repository is based on availability of the services.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising activating or deactivating the multimodal manager based on preferences of a user of the user device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the preferences of the user of the user device comprise server-side preferences.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the preferences of the user of the user devices comprise user-agent preferences.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the preferences of the user of the user device comprise multimodal manager preferences.

37. The method of claim 27, further comprising activating or deactivating the multimodal manager based on application data from the user agent of the user device.

38. The method of claim 27, further comprising activating or deactivating the multimodal manager based on a request from the user agent of the user device.

39. The method of claim 28, further comprising ending the session between the multimodal manager and the user agent of the user device based on the user agent of the user device deactivating itself.

40. The method of claim 28, further comprising ending the session between the multimodal manager and the user agent of the user device based on the user agent of the user device deactivating another user agent.