SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING INTERACTIONS BETWEEN AN INDIVIDUAL AND AN ENTITY

• US 20100145890A1
• Filed: 12/04/2008
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Donovan, John, Bedingfield, James Carlton SR., Roden, Barbara
• Granted Patent: US 8,156,054 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/048 Fuzzy inferencing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• 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 system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a synthesis engine having a controller, and a storage medium for storing instructions to be executed by the controller. The instructions, when executed by the controller, can cause the controller to retrieve collected information associated with a behavior of an individual, synthesize from the information a measure of a mood of the individual to interact with others, and transmit the measure to a system associated with the individual to manage requests between the individual and the entity. The measure of the mood of the individual can indicate an availability of the individual and a receptiveness of the individual to accept a request to interact with an entity. The measure can be described by a plurality of dimensions. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A synthesis engine, comprising:

a controller; and

a storage medium for storing instructions to be executed by the controller;

wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

retrieve collected information associated with a behavior of an individual;

synthesize from the information a measure of a mood of the individual to interact with others, wherein the mood indicates an availability of the individual and a receptiveness of the individual to accept a request to interact with an entity, and wherein the measure has a plurality of dimensions; and

transmit the measure to a system associated with a communication device of the individual to manage communication requests between the individual and the entity.

2. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the plurality of dimensions comprise at least two of:

a first dimension to manage a metaphorical expression of the mood of the individual to interact with others;

a second dimension to manage a disclosure to the entity of one or more activities of the individual;

a third dimension to manage a negotiation with the entity to provide the entity a degree of access to the individual; and

a fourth dimension to manage an intermediary that conducts the negotiation with the entity.

3. The synthesis engine of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the first dimension to the system to manage the metaphorical expression presented to the entity expressing an interest to interact with the individual or the system.

4. The synthesis engine of claim 3, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine a fifth dimension to manage the metaphorical expression according to an identification of the entity; and

transmit the fifth dimension to the system.

5. The synthesis engine of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the second dimension to the system to manage the disclosure of the one or more activities of the individual to the entity.

6. The synthesis engine of claim 5, wherein the system presents the entity the disclosure of the one or more activities of the individual according to one of a metaphorical presentation or actual presentation of the one or more activities of the individual.

7. The synthesis engine of claim 6, wherein the system presents the metaphorical presentation or actual presentation of the one or more activities of the individual as part of a presentation of the metaphorical expression of the mood of the individual.

8. The synthesis engine of claim 5, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine a fifth dimension to manage the disclosure according to an identification of the entity; and

transmit the fifth dimension to the system.

9. The synthesis engine of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the third dimension to the system to manage the negotiation with the entity requesting to interact with the individual.

10. The synthesis engine of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine a fifth dimension to manage the negotiation according to an identification of the entity; and

transmit the fifth dimension to the system.

11. The synthesis engine of claim 2, wherein the controller is adapted to transmit the fourth dimension to the system to manage the intermediary that conducts the negotiation with the entity.

12. The synthesis engine of claim 11, wherein the controller is adapted to:

determine a fifth dimension to manage the intermediary according to an identification of the entity; and

transmit the fifth dimension to the system.

13. The synthesis engine of claim 11, wherein the intermediary corresponds to one of a human being and an interactive avatar controlled by an avatar engine.

14. The synthesis engine of claim 3, wherein the metaphorical expression presented to the entity comprises a visual component, an audible component, or combination thereof.

15. The synthesis engine of claim 5, wherein the disclosure presented to the entity comprises a visual component, an audible component, or combination thereof.

16. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the behavior of the individual is derived from at least one of past or present activities of the individual, and interactions between the individual and others.

17. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to synthesize from the collected information the measure of the mood of the individual according to one or more degrees of importance given to one or more aspects of the collected information.

18. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the collected information is supplied by a collection engine, and wherein the collection engine monitors activities of the individual from at least one of a wireless phone, a wireline phone, a computer, a set-top box, a sensor, and a gaming console, each operating in one or more communication systems.

19. The synthesis engine of claim 18, wherein the collection engine further monitors activities of the individual from one or more network elements of the one or more communication systems, wherein the one or more communication systems comprise at least one of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) communication system, a cable TV communication system, a satellite TV communication system, an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) communication system, a fixed-line circuit-switched communication system, a cellular communication system, and an Internet Service Provider (ISP) communication system.

20. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to synthesize from the collected information at least one of:

a context of activity of the individual;

a location of the individual;

a state of usage of each of one or more communication devices or computing devices of the individual; and

a behavioral profile of the individual.

21. The synthesis engine of claim 20, wherein the controller is adapted to synthesize the measure of the mood of the individual from at least one of the context of activity of individual, the location of the individual, the state of usage of each of one or more communication devices or computing devices of the individual, and the behavioral profile of the individual.

22. The synthesis engine of claim 20, wherein the context of activity comprises at least one of an entertainment context, an occupational context, and a privacy context.

23. The synthesis engine of claim 20, wherein the controller is adapted to:

detect activities of the individual across a plurality of communication networks operating according to disparate communication protocols; and

synthesize the behavioral profile of the individual according to the detected activities across the plurality of communication networks.

24. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to:

present the individual the synthesized measure of the mood of the individual;

receive from the individual at least one of a qualitative or quantitative adjustment to the measure of the mood of the individual; and

transmit an adjusted measure of the mood of the individual to the system.

25. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the system comprises one of a metaphor engine for presenting to the entity an expression of the mood of the individual or a disclosure of one or more activities of the individual, a negotiation engine to negotiate with the entity a degree of access to the individual, and an intermediary to conduct the negotiation with the entity as directed by the negotiation engine.

26. The synthesis engine of claim 1, wherein the entity comprises one of a human being or an artificial intelligence machine requesting to interact with the individual.

27. A negotiation engine, comprising:

a controller;

a storage medium for storing instructions to be executed by the controller;

the controller coupled to the storage medium,

wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to;

receive a measure of a mood of an individual to interact with others, the mood indicating an availability of the individual and a receptiveness for the individual to accept a request to interact with a party;

determine from the measure of the mood of the individual a strategy for negotiating with the party sending the request to interact with the individual;

detect the request; and

upon receipt of the request, negotiate with the party a degree of access to the individual according to the strategy, the negotiating comprising;

forwarding, to the party, a representation of the measure of the mood of the individual;

permitting the party to continue with the request to interact with the individual after receipt of the representation of the measure of the mood; and

if the party elects to continue with the request, applying the strategy to determine the degree of access to the individual.

28. The negotiation engine of claim 27, wherein the measure of the mood is received from a synthesis engine, and wherein the measure has a plurality of dimensions.

29. The negotiation engine of claim 28, wherein the controller is adapted to determine the strategy for negotiating with the party from at least one of the plurality of dimensions.

30. The negotiation engine of claim 27, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust the strategy according to an identity of the party.

31. The negotiation engine of claim 27, wherein the controller is adapted to:

establish communications with an avatar engine that presents the party an interactive avatar; and

instruct the avatar engine to engage in a communication exchange with the party by way of the avatar according to the strategy.

32. The negotiation engine of claim 27, wherein the controller is adapted to:

establish communications with a human agent who establishes communications with the party; and

instruct the human agent to engage in a communication exchange with the party according to the strategy.

33. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a collection of information associated with an individual;

synthesizing from the information a measure of a mood of the individual to interact with others, wherein the measure has a plurality of dimensions; and

transmitting the measure to a system associated with the individual to manage requests between the individual and an entity.

34. The storage medium of claim 33, wherein the mood indicates a receptiveness for the individual to accept a request from the entity to interact.

35. The storage medium of claim 33, wherein the plurality of dimensions comprise at least two of:

a first dimension to manage a metaphorical expression of the mood of the individual;

a second dimension to manage a disclosure to the entity of one or more activities of the individual;

a third dimension to manage a negotiation with the entity to provide the entity a degree of access to the individual; and

a fourth dimension to manage an intermediary that conducts the negotiation with the entity.

36. The storage medium of claim 35, comprising computer instructions for adjusting the plurality of dimensions according to at least one of an identification of the entity expressing an interest to interact with the individual, and a context of environment of the individual.

37. The storage medium of claim 33, wherein the collected information comprises at least one of past and present activities of the individual, and interaction activities between the individual and others.

38. The storage medium of claim 33, comprising computer instructions for determining from the collected information at least one of:

a context of activity of the individual;

a location of the individual;

a state of usage of each of one or more communication devices or computing devices of the individual; and

a behavioral profile of the individual.

39. The storage medium of claim 38, comprising computer instructions for synthesizing the measure of the mood of the individual from at least one of the context of activity of individual, the location of the individual, the state of usage of each of one or more communication devices or computing devices of the individual, and the behavioral profile of the individual.

40. A computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a measure of a mood of an individual to interact with an entity, wherein the measure has a plurality of dimensions, and wherein the measure indicates a receptiveness of the individual to accept a request from the entity to interact with the individual;

determining from the measure of the mood of the individual a strategy for negotiating with the entity;

detecting a request from the entity to interact with the individual; and

negotiating with the entity a degree of access to the individual according to the strategy.

41. The storage medium of claim 40, comprising computer instructions for adjusting the strategy according to an identity of the entity.

42. The storage medium of claim 40, comprising computer instructions for:

establishing communications with an intermediary that interfaces with the entity; and

instructing the intermediary to negotiate the degree of access to the individual according to the strategy.

43. The storage medium of claim 42, wherein the intermediary comprises a human agent or an interactive avatar controlled by an avatar engine.

44. A method, comprising:

synthesizing from collected information associated with an individual a measure of a mood of the individual to interact with an entity, wherein the measure has a plurality of dimensions; and

transmitting to a system the measure of the mood of the individual to manage requests of an entity to interact with the individual.

45. A method, comprising:

receiving a measure of a mood of an individual to interact with an entity, wherein the measure has a plurality of dimensions;

generating from the measure of the mood of the individual a strategy for negotiating with the entity;

detecting a request from the entity to interact with the individual; and

negotiating with the entity a degree of access to the individual according to the strategy.