METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMPROVING USER EXPERIENCE

• US 20140075385A1
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Wan, Chieh-Yih, Raffa, Giuseppe, Shahabdeen, Junaith Ahemed, Nachman, Lama, Asokan, Ashwini, Jordan, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 9,443,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/812
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1093 Calendar-based scheduling for persons or groups
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A data processing system includes components for providing a pleasant user experience. Those components may include a family interaction engine that provides a family channel. The family interaction engine may provide for creation of a user group. The family channel may present content of interest to multiple users in the user group. When a user is detected near the data processing system, the family interaction engine may automatically present content of interest to that user. When used for presenting media content, the data processing system may also cause supplemental data to automatically be presented, wherein the supplemental data is relevant to the media content and to a predetermined interest of the user. The data processing system may also provide a ranked list of applications for potential activation by the user. The applications may be ordered based on the current context. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. At least one machine accessible medium comprising computer instructions for dynamically presenting applications on a data processing system, wherein the computer instructions, in response to being executed on the data processing system, enable the data processing system to carry out a method comprising:

automatically determining multiple context attributes, wherein the context attributes identify at least one item from the group consisting of a currently active application, current time, current location, and type of activity being engaged in by a user;

while the data processing system comprises multiple applications, automatically calculating probabilities of activation for at least some of the applications, based at least in part on the context attributes;

automatically ranking at least some of the applications into a rank order of predicted activation, based at least in part on the calculated probabilities of activation; and

automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user, wherein the presented applications are presented according to the rank order of predicted activation.

2. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the applications comprise an active application that is being utilized by the user and multiple inactive applications;

the context attributes identify the active application and at least one item from the group consisting of current time, current location, and type of activity being engaged in by the user; and

the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user comprises automatically presenting one or more of the inactive applications, according to the rank order of predicted activation.

3. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

building a context application list that includes at least some of the applications, wherein the data processing system uses the calculated probabilities of activation to determine whether or not to include one or more of the applications in the context application list; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user comprises presenting one or more applications from the context application list for potential activation by the user.

4. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

saving user preference data that identifies one of the applications as a preferred application in a context having at least one particular context attribute; and

automatically utilizing the user preference data to influence the rank order of predicted activation.

5. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

automatically monitoring application usage patterns of the user;

automatically saving application usage pattern data, based on the monitored application usage patterns, wherein the application usage pattern data identifies at least one of the applications as being a preferred application in a context having at least one particular context attribute; and

automatically utilizing the application usage pattern data to influence the rank order of predicted activation.

6. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 5, wherein the application usage pattern data identifies different applications as being preferred applications in different contexts having different context attributes.

7. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein:

the operation of receiving user input comprises detecting that the user has performed a predetermined gesture with the data processing system; and

the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications according to the rank order of predicted activation is performed in response to detecting that the user has performed the predetermined gesture with the data processing system.

8. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

automatically adjusting a vocabulary of available voice commands, based at least in part on a current context;

receiving voice input from the user; and

automatically using the adjusted vocabulary of available voice commands when interpreting the voice input.

9. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 8, wherein the operation of automatically adjusting a vocabulary of available voice commands comprises constraining the vocabulary of available voice commands, based on vocabularies for one or more top ranked applications, based at least in part on the rank order of predicted activation.

10. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user input that selects one of the presented applications; and

in response to receiving the user input, activating the selected application.

11. At least one machine accessible medium according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user input; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user is performed in response to receiving the user input.

12. A data processing system that supports dynamic presentation of applications, the data processing system comprising:

a processing element;

a machine accessible medium responsive to the processing element;

multiple applications in the machine accessible medium; and

instructions in the machine accessible medium which, when executed, enable the data processing system to perform a method comprising;

automatically determining multiple context attributes, wherein the context attributes identify at least one item from the group consisting of a currently active application, current time, current location, and type of activity being engaged in by a user; and

automatically calculating probabilities of activation for at least some of the applications, based at least in part on the context attributes.

13. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein:

the applications comprise an active application that is being utilized by the user and multiple inactive applications;

the context attributes identify the active application and at least one item from the group consisting of current time, current location, and type of activity being engaged in by the user; and

the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user comprises automatically presenting one or more of the inactive applications, according to the rank order of predicted activation.

14. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

building a context application list that includes at least some of the applications, wherein the data processing system uses the calculated probabilities of activation to determine whether or not to include one or more of the applications in the context application list; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user comprises presenting one or more applications from the context application list for potential activation by the user.

15. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

saving user preference data that identifies one of the applications as a preferred application in a context having at least one particular context attribute; and

automatically utilizing the user preference data to influence the rank order of predicted activation.

16. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

automatically monitoring application usage patterns of the user;

automatically saving application usage pattern data, based on the monitored application usage patterns, wherein the application usage pattern data identifies at least one of the applications as being a preferred application in a context having at least one particular context attribute; and

automatically utilizing the application usage pattern data to influence the rank order of predicted activation.

17. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein:

the operation of receiving user input comprises detecting that the user has performed a predetermined gesture with the data processing system; and

the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications according to the rank order of predicted activation is performed in response to detecting that the user has performed the predetermined gesture with the data processing system.

18. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

automatically adjusting a vocabulary of available voice commands, based at least in part on a current context;

receiving voice input from the user; and

automatically using the adjusted vocabulary of available voice commands when interpreting the voice input.

19. A data processing system according to claim 18, wherein the operation of automatically adjusting a vocabulary of available voice commands comprises constraining the vocabulary of available voice commands, based on vocabularies for one or more top ranked applications, based at least in part on the rank order of predicted activation.

20. A data processing system according to claim 12, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving user input; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user is performed in response to receiving the user input.

21. A method for dynamically presenting applications on a data processing system, the method comprising:

in a data processing system with multiple applications, automatically determining multiple context attributes, wherein the context attributes identify at least one item from the group consisting of a currently active application, current time, current location, and type of activity being engaged in by a user;

automatically calculating probabilities of activation for at least some of the applications, based at least in part on the context attributes;

automatically ranking at least some of the applications into a rank order of predicted activation, based at least in part on the calculated probabilities of activation; and

automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user, wherein the presented applications are presented according to the rank order of predicted activation.

22. A method according to claim 21, wherein:

the applications comprise an active application that is being utilized by the user and multiple inactive applications;

the context attributes identify the active application and at least one item from the group consisting of current time, current location, and type of activity being engaged in by the user; and

the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user comprises automatically presenting one or more of the inactive applications, according to the rank order of predicted activation.

23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

building a context application list that includes at least some of the applications, wherein the data processing system uses the calculated probabilities of activation to determine whether or not to include one or more of the applications in the context application list; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user comprises presenting one or more applications from the context application list for potential activation by the user.

24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

saving user preference data that identifies one of the applications as a preferred application in a context having at least one particular context attribute; and

automatically utilizing the user preference data to influence the rank order of predicted activation.

25. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

automatically monitoring application usage patterns of the user;

automatically saving application usage pattern data, based on the monitored application usage patterns, wherein the application usage pattern data identifies at least one of the applications as being a preferred application in a context having at least one particular context attribute; and

automatically utilizing the application usage pattern data to influence the rank order of predicted activation.

26. A method according to claim 21, wherein:

the operation of receiving user input comprises detecting that the user has performed a predetermined gesture with the data processing system; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications according to the rank order of predicted activation is performed in response to detecting that the user has performed the predetermined gesture with the data processing system.

27. A method according to claim 21, further comprising:

automatically adjusting a vocabulary of available voice commands, based at least in part on a current context;

receiving voice input from the user; and

automatically using the adjusted vocabulary of available voice commands when interpreting the voice input.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the operation of automatically adjusting a vocabulary of available voice commands comprises constraining the vocabulary of available voice commands, based on vocabularies for one or more top ranked applications, based at least in part on the rank order of predicted activation.

29. A method according to claim 21 further comprising:

receiving user input; and

wherein the operation of automatically presenting one or more of the applications for potential activation by the user is performed in response to receiving the user input.