Method, System and Device for Inferring a Mobile User's Current Context and Proactively Providing Assistance

• US 20140052680A1
• Filed: 08/14/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SRI International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Rukman Senanayake
• Inventors: Nitz, Kenneth C., Lincoln, Patrick D., Myers, Karen L., Bui, Hung H., Senanayake, Rukman, Denker, Grit, Mark, William S., Winarsky, Norman D., Weiner, Steven S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,163,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

A device, method and system for automatically inferring a mobile user'"'"'s current context includes applying a user activity knowledge base to real-time inputs and stored user-specific information to determine a current situation. Automated reasoning is used to infer a user-specific context of the current situation. Automated candidate actions may be generated and performed in accordance with the current situation and user-specific context.

Claims

1. A method for automatically inferring a user-specific current context with a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

monitoring one or more real-time sensor inputs at the mobile electronic device;

applying an activity knowledge base to determine a current location-related situation from the one or more real-time sensor inputs and stored user-specific information; and

using automated reasoning, inferring a user-specific context relating to the current location-related situation from a plurality of possible contexts based on the one or more real-time sensor inputs and stored user-specific information.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically generating a suggestion based on the inferred user-specific context and the current location-related situation, wherein the suggestion comprises at least one of a notification, a recommended action, and a prompt for user input, and presenting the suggestion at the mobile electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising presenting the suggestion in one or more of a textual, graphical, visual and audible form.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising selecting a method of presenting the suggestion based on one or more of the inferred user-specific context and the current location-related situation.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising communicating the suggestion to another electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising comparing the real-time sensor inputs to at least one stored pattern of user activity.

7. The method of claim 6, comprising modifying at least one stored pattern of user activity in response to one or more of the real-time sensor inputs.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising determining whether the current location-related situation relates to an often-repeated pattern of user activity.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising determining whether to generate a suggestion based on whether the current location-related situation relates to an often-repeated pattern of user activity.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising monitoring the real-time sensor inputs and the stored user-specific information over time and automatically learning a user-specific pattern of activity based on the monitoring.

11. The method of claim 1, comprising automatically generating the plurality of possible contexts based on the one or more real-time sensor inputs and the stored user-specific information.

12. A computing device comprising at least one processor and computer circuitry coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the computer circuitry is arranged to cause the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 1.

13. At least one machine-accessible storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed result in a computing device performing the method of claim 1.

14. A method for automatically inferring a user-specific current context with a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

receiving one or more real-time inputs from one or more sources, at the mobile electronic device;

applying an activity knowledge base to determine a current situation based on the one or more real-time inputs and stored user-specific information from a plurality of software applications; and

using automated reasoning to infer a user-specific context of the current situation from a plurality of possible contexts based on the one or more real-time inputs and the user-specific information from a plurality of software applications.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the sources of real-time inputs comprises one or more of:

sensors, peripheral devices, software applications, communication networks and embedded systems.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more sensors comprises one or more of:

sensors that are integrated with the mobile electronic device and sensors that are not integrated with the mobile electronic device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the sources of real-time inputs comprise one or more social-media software applications, instant messaging systems, voice communication systems, and real-time information feeds.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising determining, based on the one or more real-time inputs, a location-related aspect of the current situation, wherein the location-related aspect relates to a geographic location or a change in geographic location detected by the source of the real-time input.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the real-time inputs comprises publicly available information, and the method comprises determining a degree of urgency associated with the publicly available information and generating a suggestion based on the inferred user-specific context of the current situation and the degree of urgency associated with the publicly available information.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein one or more of the real-time inputs comprises a digital image, and the method comprises deriving information relating to the current location-related situation from the digital image.

21. A computing device comprising at least one processor and computer circuitry coupled to the at least one processor, wherein the computer circuitry is arranged to cause the at least one processor to perform the method of claim 14.

22. At least one machine-accessible storage medium comprising a plurality of instructions that in response to being executed result in a computing device performing the method of claim 14.