COMPUTING AND HARNESSING INFERENCES ABOUT THE TIMING, DURATION, AND NATURE OF MOTION AND CESSATION OF MOTION WITH APPLICATIONS TO MOBILE COMPUTING AND COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140120954A1
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Published: 05/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J., Subramani, Murugesan S., Apacible, Johnson T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,398,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.4
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 1/01 Detecting movement of traffic to be counted or controlled G08G1/07 - G08G1/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

An information delivery system comprises a receiver component that receives information about the movement, velocity, acceleration, and/or locations over time of a user. A computation component using a predictive model generates a probability distribution relating to one or more of when the user will next be stopped, how long the user will be stopped, how long a pattern of motion, such as walking, driving in stop and go traffic, and smooth highway motion will last, based at least in part upon signals about motion over time. The system can further comprise an alerting component that determines when to provide the user with information based at least in part upon the probability distribution over some aspect of motion or cessation of motion, and optionally the content, or tagged or inferred urgency or importance, of a message or communication.

Claims

1. A methodology for determining when to provide a user with information comprising the following computer-executable acts:

employing a processor to execute computer executable instructions stored in memory to perform the following acts;

receiving data that is indicative of a state of a user within a system and state of the system, the received data comprising movement of the user over time;

projecting a duration of a user stop, the projection being based at least in part upon the received data;

receiving information intended for the user;

analyzing at least one parameter of the information, the at least one parameter comprising at least one of content of the information, source of the information, device that the information is directed towards, priority of the information, sender of the information, or time the information was initially sent;

determining a measure of value with respect to providing the information to the user based at least in part on the at least one parameter; and

determining when to provide the information to the user based at least in part upon the projected duration, the analysis of the at least one parameter and the determined measure of value.

2. The methodology of claim 1, wherein projecting the duration of the user stop comprises:

analyzing changes in stability of a signal associated with the user; and

determining a probability distribution relating to how long the user will be stopped, the determination is based at least in part upon the analyzed changes in stability.

3. The methodology of claim 1, wherein:

the methodology further comprises determining a measure of cost with respect to deferring the information as time progresses; and

said determining when to provide the information to the user is further based on the measure of cost.

4. The methodology of claim 1, wherein:

the methodology further comprises projecting a time until the user stop; and

said determining when to provide the information to the user is further based on the a measure of cost of deferring provision of the information for the projected time until the user stop.

5. The methodology of claim 1, wherein:

the methodology further comprises determining an amount of time needed to review the received information; and

said determining when to provide the information to the user is further based upon the determined amount of time relative to the projected duration.

6. The methodology of claim 1, wherein said receiving information intended for the user comprises:

receiving at least one of a message, an alert, multimedia, or an advertisement intended for the user.

7. A system for determining when to provide a user with information comprising:

a receiver component configured to receive data that is indicative of a state of a user within a system and state of the system, the received data comprising movement of the user over time;

a computation component configured to project a duration of a user stop, the projection being based at least in part upon the received data;

an alerting component configured to receive information intended for the user, and to analyze at least one parameter of the information, the at least one parameter comprising at least one of content of the information, source of the information, device that the information is directed towards, priority of the information, sender of the information, or time the information was initially sent; and

a valuation component configured to determine a measure of value with respect to providing the information to the user based at least in part on the at least one parameter; and

the alerting component configured to determine when to provide the information to the user based at least in part upon the projected duration, the analysis of the at least one parameter and the determined measure of value.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computation component is configured to analyze changes in stability of a signal associated with the user, and to determine a probability distribution relating to how long the user will be stopped, the probability distribution determined based at least in part upon the analyzed changes in stability.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the alerting component comprises:

a deferral component configured to determine a measure of cost with respect to deferring the information as time progresses; and

the alerting component is configured to determine when to provide the information to the user based further on the measure of cost.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computation component is configured to project a time until the user stop;

and

the alerting component is configured to determine when to provide the information to the user based further on the a measure of cost of deferring provision of the information for the projected time until the user stop.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the alerting component comprises:

a deferral component configured to determine an amount of time needed to review the received information; and

the alerting component is configured to determine when to provide the information to the user based further upon the determined amount of time relative to the projected duration.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the received information intended for the user includes at least one of a message, an alert, multimedia, or an advertisement.

13. An electronic device comprising a notification system, the device comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method comprising;

receiving data that is indicative of a state of a user within a system and state of the system, the received data comprising movement of the user over time;

projecting a duration of a user stop, the projection being based at least in part upon the received data;

receiving information intended for the user;

analyzing at least one parameter of the information;

determining a measure of value with respect to providing the information to the user based at least in part on the at least one parameter; and

determining when to provide the information to the user based at least in part upon the projected duration, the analysis of the at least one parameter and the determined measure of value.

14. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein said projecting the duration of the user stop comprises:

analyzing changes in stability of a signal associated with the user; and

determining a probability distribution relating to how long the user will be stopped, the probability distribution determination is based at least in part upon the analyzed changes in stability.

15. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

determining a measure of cost with respect to deferring the information as time progresses; and

said determining when to provide the information to the user is further based on the measure of cost.

16. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

projecting a time until the user stop; and

said determining when to provide the information to the user is further based on the a measure of cost of deferring provision of the information for the projected time until the user stop.

17. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

determining an amount of time needed to review the received information; and

said determining when to provide the information to the user is further based upon the determined amount of time relative to the projected duration.

18. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein said determining an amount of time needed to review the received information comprises at least one of:

determining a time of a voice mail of the received information,

determining a time to read an email of the received information based at least in part upon a length of the email, or

determining a length of an advertisement of the received information.

19. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein said receiving information intended for the user comprises:

receiving at least one of a message, an alert, multimedia, or an advertisement intended for the user.

20. The electronic device of claim 13, wherein the information is a message, and the method further comprises:

scanning the message to determine an importance of the message, including at least one of

analyzing spoken words left in the message to determine an urgency of the message,

analyzing voice inflections and tones in connection with inferring an urgency of the message, or

reviewing language within the message to determine an amount of urgency associated the message.