Context server for associating information based on context

• US 20080126961A1
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc E., Naaman, Mor
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/35 Clustering; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries

Abstract

A system, method, and computer readable medium are provided for associating information (including information and services) based upon context. In one example, an apparatus includes interface logic for receiving, during a session (e.g., during a media object capture, upload session, data transfer session, or the like), context information from a user device, and user-generated information associated with the context information. The context information may relate to time, date, location, ambient conditions, biometric (e.g., relating to the user of the device), device/user identification, or combinations thereof. The apparatus further including association logic for associating service information, different from the context information, with the user-generated information based on the context information. The associated service information may include empirical information such as a map of a particular location, the map including points of interest.

Claims

1. An apparatus for associating information based upon context, the apparatus comprising:

interface logic for receiving, during a session;

context information from a user device, and

user-generated subjective characterization information associated with the context information; and

association logic for associating service information, different from the context information, with the user-generated subjective characterization information based on the context information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the associated service information comprises empirical information.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context information from the user device originates at a device other than the user device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the context information comprises biometric information associated with the user.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising service logic for providing the associated service information to at least one user based on the association of service information with the user-generated subjective characterization information or the context.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user other than a first user who created the user-generated subjective characterization information.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising permissions logic for enabling the first user to grant the second user access to the service information.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service information is based on a plurality of inputs from multiple user devices.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the association logic is operable to associate the service information with user-generated subjective characterization information and context information from a plurality of user devices.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the inputs comprise context information.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the inputs comprise user-generated subjective characterization information.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service information relates to a scavenger hunt.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service information relates to a scavenger hunt, the apparatus further comprising logic for providing a user device with a media object and requesting that the user find a location associated with the media object.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service information relates to a travel log, the travel log comprising a map overlaid with at least one media object associated with the user.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the service information comprises a travel guide.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further comprising logic for providing a user device with a suggestion in response to user input and the context information.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further comprising logic for providing a user device with a tour.

18. The apparatus of claim 5, the apparatus further comprising logic for initiating a transfer of a context-based message to a user device in response to the context information.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the logic for initiating the transfer is operable to transfer the context-based message in response to a location of the user.

20. The apparatus of claim 5, the service information relating to an advertisement, the advertisement based on the context information.

21. The apparatus of claim 5, the service information relating to a sponsored search, the apparatus further comprising logic for initiating transfer to a user device of an advertisement based on the context information and a user search query received from the user device.

22. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising logic for generating an away message based on the context information.

23. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising logic for providing information to a user based on context information and user profile information.

24. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising logic for providing to a user device at least one user-created subjective characterization based on the context information.

25. An method for associating information based upon context, the method comprising:

receiving context information relating to a user device;

receiving user-generated subjective characterization information associated with the context information, wherein the context information and user-generated subjective characterization information are received during a common session with the user device; and

associating service information, different from the context information, with the user-generated subjective characterization information based on the context information

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the associated service information comprises empirical information.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the context information from the user device originates at a device other than the user device.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the context information comprises biometric information associated with the user.

29. The method of claim 25, further comprising directing the associated service information to at least one user based on the association of service information with the user-generated subjective characterization information or the context.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user other than a first user who created the user-generated subjective characterization information.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information is based on a plurality of inputs from multiple user devices.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the inputs comprise context information.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the inputs comprise user-generated subjective characterization information.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information relates to a scavenger hunt.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information relates to a scavenger hunt, the method further comprising providing a user device with a media object and requesting that the user find a location associated with the media object.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information relates to a travel log, the travel log comprising a map overlaid with at least one media object associated with the user.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information comprises a travel guide.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing a user device with a suggestion in response to user input and the context information.

39. The method of claim 37, further comprising providing a user device with a tour.

40. The method of claim 29, further comprising initiating a transfer of a context-based message to a user device in response to the context information.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein initiating the transfer is in response to a location of the user.

42. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information relates to an advertisement, the advertisement based on the context information.

43. The method of claim 29, wherein the service information relates to a sponsored search, the method further comprising initiating a transfer to a user device of an advertisement based on the context information and a user search query received from the user device.

44. The method of claim 29, further comprising generating an away message based on the context information.

45. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing information to a user based on context information and user profile information.

46. The method of claim 29, further comprising providing to a user device at least one user-created subjective characterization based on the context information.

47. A computer-readable medium encoded with computer program instructions for performing a process, the process comprising:

receiving, during a common session;

context information from a user device, and

user-generated subjective characterization information associated with the context information; and

associating service information, different from the context information, with the user-generated subjective characterization information based on the context information.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the associated service information comprises empirical information.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the context information from the user device originates at a device other than the user device.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the context information comprises biometric information associated with the user.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50, the process further comprising directing the associated service information to at least one user based on the association of service information with the user-generated subjective characterization information or the context.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the at least one user comprises a second user other than a first user who created the user-generated subjective characterization information.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the service information is based on a plurality of inputs from multiple user devices.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the inputs comprise context information.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 53, wherein the inputs comprise user-generated subjective characterization information.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 47, wherein the service information relates to a scavenger hunt.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the service information relates to a scavenger hunt, the process further comprising providing a user device with a media object and requesting that the user find a location associated with the media object.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the service information relates to a travel log, the travel log comprising a map overlaid with at least one media object associated with the user.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the service information comprises a travel guide.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, the process further comprising providing a user device with a suggestion in response to user input and the context information.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 59, the process further comprising providing a user device with a tour.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, the process further comprising initiating a transfer of a context-based message to a user device in response to the context information.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 62, wherein initiating the transfer is in response to a location of the user.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the service information relates to an advertisement, the advertisement based on the context information.

65. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, wherein the service information relates to a sponsored search, the process further comprising initiating transfer to a user device of an advertisement based on the context information and a user search query received from the user device.

66. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, the process further comprising generating an away message based on the context information.

67. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, the process further comprising providing information to a user based on context information and user profile information.

68. The computer-readable medium of claim 56, the process further comprising providing to a user device at least one user-created subjective characterization based on the context information.