CONTEXT AWARE SERVICE PROVISION METHOD AND APPARATUS OF USER DEVICE

• US 20140082501A1
• Filed: 09/16/2013
• Published: 03/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jinsung, JUN, Jinha, BAE, Jooyoon, KO, Minjeong, KIM, Sungsoo, KIM, Hwakyung
• Granted Patent: US 10,042,603 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/728
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/74 with voice recognition means voice activated dialling H04M1/271; voice recognition algorithms G10L15/00

Abstract

A context aware service provision method and apparatus for recognizing the user context and executing an action corresponding to the user context according to a rule defined by the user and feeding back the execution result to the user interactively are provided. The method for providing a context-aware service includes receiving a user input, the user input being at least one of a text input and a speech input, identifying a rule including a condition and an action corresponding to the condition based on the received user input, activating the rule to detect a context which corresponds to the condition of the rule, and executing, when the context is detected, the action corresponding to the condition.

Claims

1. A method for providing a context-aware service of a user device, the method comprising:

receiving a user input, the user input being at least one of a text input and a speech input;

identifying a rule including a condition and an action corresponding to the condition based on the received user input;

activating the rule to detect a context which corresponds to the condition of the rule; and

executing, when the context is detected, the action corresponding to the condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input corresponds to one of a natural language-based text input and a natural language-based speech input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating of the rule comprises activating the rule in response to a command corresponding to one of a natural language-based text input and a natural language-based speech input including at least one of a word and a phrase included in the condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the context comprises a change in the user device, and

wherein the change in the user device corresponds to at least one of a posture change and a location change of the user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the context comprises receiving at least one of an inbound message and an inbound sound.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the action comprises an operation performed by the user device when the context is detected.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the action comprises at least one of feeding back context information corresponding to the rule through the user device by controlling internal components of the user device, and feeding back context information through an external device by controlling the external device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the rule comprises identifying one or more rules, and

wherein the activating of the rule comprises activating the rule in response to a command.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the rule is configured in one of a singular structure including one action and a plural structure including a plurality of actions according to interaction between the user and the user device for receiving the user input.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the user input comprises providing at least one of a user interface allowing the user to designate at least one of an action supported by the user device, and a guidance on the action supported by the user device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying of the rule comprises:

feeding back, when a first user input is received, a query to prompt the user to provide supplementary information necessary for the rule;

receiving a second user input in response to the query; and

skipping, when the user input requires no supplementary information, a request for supplementary information.

12. A method for providing a context-aware service of a user device, the method comprising:

providing a user interface for configuring a rule;

receiving at least one of a natural language-based speech input and a natural language-based text input through the user interface;

configuring the rule with a condition and an action identified from the user input;

activating the rule to detect an event which corresponds to the condition of the rule; and

executing, when the event is detected, the action corresponding to the condition.

13. The method of claim 12, the method further comprises receiving a command for activating the rule.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the condition and the command corresponds to at least one of natural language-based speech, natural language-based text, a motion detection event of the user device, a receipt of inbound sound, and a receipt of an inbound message.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the activating of the rule comprises:

determining, when a command is received, whether a rule matching the command exists;

outputting, when no rule matches the command, a guidance;

determining, when a rule matching the command exists, whether a number of matched rules is greater than 1; and

activating at least one rule according to the number of matched rules.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the activating of the rule further comprises:

prompting, when the number of matched rules is greater than 1, to select one of the rules.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the activating of the rule further comprises:

releasing, when a rule release condition is satisfied in the state in which the rule is activated, the activated rule; and

feeding back release information notifying of the release of the rule.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the feeding back of the release information comprises at least one of audio feedback, video feedback, and tactile feedback.

19. A user device comprising:

a storage unit which stores a rule including a condition and an action corresponding to the condition;

a display unit which displays a user interface for receiving a user input and execution information in a state in which the rule is activated and an execution result of the action; and

a control unit which controls identifying the rule including the condition and the action based on the user input, the user input being at least one of a text input and a speech input, activating the rule to detect a context which corresponds to the condition of the rule, and executing, when the context is detected, the action corresponding to the condition.

20. The user device of claim 19, wherein the control unit comprises:

a rule configuration module which receives user input for configuring the rule by identifying at least one condition and at least one action based on least one of natural language-based speech and natural language-based text inputs;

a rule execution module which receives a command for activating the rule, the command being one of a natural language-based speech, a natural language-based text, a motion detection event of the user device, a receipt of inbound sound, and a receipt of an inbound message, and which executes the rule corresponding to the command;

a condition check module which detects at least one context which corresponds the at least one condition as specified in the rule; and

an action execution module which executes, when the at least one context is detected, at least one action corresponding to the detected context.

21. The user device of claim 19, wherein the control unit controls executing, when an event detected in the user device satisfies the condition specified in the activated rule, at least one action corresponding to the condition, and controls feeding back an execution result.

22. The user device of claim 19, wherein the control unit controls releasing, when a rule release condition is fulfilled in the state in which the at least one rule is activated, the activated rule and controls feeding back release information notifying of the release of the at least one rule.

23. A user device comprising:

a rule configuration module which is computer-implemented for receiving a user input and for identifying a rule including a condition and an action corresponding to the condition based on the user input, the user input being at least one of a natural language-based speech input and a natural language-based text input;

a rule execution module which is computer-implemented for receiving a command for activating the rule, the command being one of a natural language-based speech, a natural language-based text, a motion detection event of the user device, a receipt of inbound sound, and a receipt of inbound message, and for executing the rule corresponding to the command;

a condition check module which is computer-implemented for detecting a context which corresponds the condition as specified in the rule; and

an action execution module which is computer-implemented for executing, when the context is detected, the action corresponding to the condition.

24. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium storing a program that, when executed, causes at least one processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a user input, the user input being at least one of a text input and a speech input, identifying a rule including a condition and an action corresponding to the condition based on the received user input, activating the rule to detect a context which corresponds to the condition of the rule, and executing, when the context is detected, the action corresponding to the condition.