TASK PREDICTION

• US 20110107242A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Paek, Timothy S., Meek, Christopher A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,326,859 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

This patent application pertains to computing scenarios that allow users to more readily accomplish desired tasks. One implementation includes at least one dictionary of potential auto-suggestions that can be generated in relation to user-input. The implementation also includes a text framework configured to weight at least some of the potential auto-suggestions based upon one or more parameters. This implementation further includes a task engine configured to associate tasks with at least some of the potential auto-suggestions.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

multiple topic specific dictionaries of potential auto-suggestions corresponding to user-input;

a text framework configured to weight at least some of the potential auto-suggestions based upon one or more parameters and to rank individual auto-suggestions based upon the weight, wherein the text framework is configured to allow a user to predefine at least one of the one or more parameters; and

,

a task engine configured to associate tasks with individual ranked auto-suggestions and to obtain corresponding task shortcuts for the associated tasks, wherein upon receipt of user-input the task engine is configured to present the ranked auto-suggestions and associated task-shortcuts so that the user can accomplish an individual associated task in a single step by selecting an individual corresponding task shortcut.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the task engine is further configured to allow the user to select individual dictionaries for inclusion in the multiple topic specific dictionaries.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the task engine is further configured to allow the user to define conditions associated with individual dictionaries of the multiple topic specific dictionaries, wherein the defining comprises pre-defining which occurs prior to presenting the user with auto-suggestions from the individual dictionaries, or defining responsive to presentation of the auto-suggestions from the individual dictionaries.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the task engine is further configured to, upon user selection of an individual task shortcut, accomplish the individual associated task according to the defined conditions of a corresponding individual dictionary.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the task engine is further configured to allow a third party to influence the tasks that are associated with the individual ranked auto-suggestions.

6. A computing device, comprising:

at least one dictionary of potential auto-suggestions;

a text framework configured to weight at least some of the potential auto-suggestions based upon one or more parameters; and

,

a task engine configured to associate tasks with at least some of the potential auto-suggestions.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the at least one dictionary comprises multiple dictionaries and wherein individual dictionaries are venue specific.

8. The computing device of claim 7, wherein a user can specify the venues or adjust a relative importance of individual venues.

9. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the at least one dictionary is updated periodically based upon queries of a user or queries of other users.

10. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the one or more parameters include:

monetization of individual dictionary entries, geographical information of the computing device, or user preferences.

11. The computing device of claim 6, further comprising a library of user-selectable graphics that is accessible by the task engine, and wherein the task engine is configured to select individual user-selectable graphics to associate with the at least some of the potential auto-suggestions to allow a user to accomplish the task by selecting an individual user-selectable graphic.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the task engine is configured to cause the at least some of the potential auto-suggestions and associated tasks to be displayed in a ranked manner on a user-interface of the computing device.

13. A computer-readable storage media having instructions stored thereon that when executed by a computing device cause the computing device to perform acts, comprising:

obtaining data relating to potential auto-suggestion matches selected by users and associated tasks to be accomplished by the users; and

,

synchronizing the data with other data contained on an individual computing device to allow determination of individual potential auto-suggestion matches and the associated tasks responsive to user-input.

14. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the user-input from a user of the individual computing device;

predicting user-intent of the user-input based at least in part on the synchronized data; and

,

displaying individual auto-suggestions for completing the user-input and associated task shortcuts that allow the user to accomplish the user-intent by selecting an individual task shortcut.

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13, further comprising storing task shortcuts that correspond to the associated tasks and wherein the synchronizing comprises synchronizing the auto-suggestion matches and the task shortcuts.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, further comprising tracking user selection of an individual task shortcut and charging an entity for the user selection.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the obtaining further comprises obtaining advertising data relating to individual auto-suggestion matches and associated individual task shortcuts.

18. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the synchronizing comprises updating cached content of the computing device to reflect temporally significant changes to the data.

19. The computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the other data relates to multiple venues into which potential auto-suggestion matches can be organized and wherein the user can pre-rank individual venues by relative importance.

20. The computer-readable storage media of claim 15, wherein the synchronizing comprises allowing an advertiser to influence displaying of individual auto-suggestions for completing the user-input and associated task shortcuts and further comprising tracking user selection of an individual influenced task shortcuts.