ROLE-SPECIFIC SERVICE CUSTOMIZATION

• US 20170257373A1
• Filed: 03/02/2016
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Furtado, Andre Wilson Brotto, Rounthwaite, Robert L., Shi, Xiaohan, Richardson, Matthew, White, Ryen, Shah, Syed Fahad Allam, Sharma, Shantanu
• Granted Patent: US 10,171,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

In many computing scenarios, an individual may choose to interact with a service in a variety of roles, and may therefore create a set of accounts respectively representing the service. However, the use of multiple accounts by the same individual may introduce considerable administrative complications (e.g., failing to update all accounts with new information results in stale and/or conflicting account information), and may reduce the efficiency and/or scalability of the service. Presented herein are techniques for enabling individuals to interact with services through various roles. Such techniques involve evaluating the individual'"'"'s role determinants to identify and automatically select the individual'"'"'s current role; selecting a current role profile, as a subset of the details of the individual profile that are associated with the current role, and excluding details that are not associated with the current role; and performing the service according to the current role profile of the individual.

Claims

1. A server that provides a service to an individual represented by an individual profile, the server comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, provide;

a current role selector that, responsive to detecting a role determinant of the individual, selects, among at least two roles of the individual, a current role that is associated with the role determinant;

a role profile selector that selects, from the individual profile, a current role profile comprising at least one selected individual profile detail that is associated with the current role, and excluding at least one excluded individual profile detail that is not associated with the current role; and

a service provider that provides the service to the individual according to the current role profile of the individual.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the service provider provides the service to the individual by describing the individual to a second individual only according to the at least one selected individual profile detail of the current role profile.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein:

the individual is associated with a first contact that is associated with the current role of the individual, and a second contact that is associated with a non-current role of the individual; and

the service provider provides the service to the individual by, responsive to the role profile selector selecting the current role of the individual;

notifying the first contact that the individual is available in association with the current role; and

notifying the second contact that the individual is not available in association with the non-current role.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein:

the individual is associated with a first contact that is associated with the current role of the individual, and a second contact that is associated with a non-current role of the individual; and

the service provider provides the service to the individual by, responsive to the role 1 profile selector selecting the current role of the individual;

notifying the individual of an availability of the first contact that is associated with the current role; and

refraining from notifying the individual of an availability of the second contact that is associated with the non-current role.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the service provider provides the service to the individual by:

identifying, among an item set, a recommended item that is associated with the at least one selected individual profile detail of the current role profile; and

presenting to the individual a recommendation of the recommended item.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein the service provider provides the service to the individual by, responsive to receiving from the individual a search query:

evaluating the search query in accordance with the at least one selected individual profile detail of the current role profile to identify at least one search query result; and

present the at least one search query result to the individual.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein:

the respective at least one role is associated with a privacy filter applicable to the individual profile; and

the service provider provides the service to the individual by applying the privacy filter associated with the individual profile.

8. The server of claim 1, wherein executing the instructions by the processor of the server further causes the server to provide the service to the individual by:

among an individual set, identifying a second individual having a second individual profile matching the current individual profile associated with the current role of the individual; and

introducing the second individual to the individual.

9. The server device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least two roles are respectively associated with a sharing identity of the individual; and

executing the instructions by the processor of the server further causes the server to provide the service to the individual by, responsive to receiving a request from the individual to share a content item;

identify a selected sharing identity that is associated with the current role of the individual; and

share the content item through the selected sharing identity of the individual.

10. The server of claim 1, wherein executing the instructions by the processor of the server further causes the server to provide the service to the individual by, responsive to receiving a request to perform a transaction with the individual, performing the transaction according to the at least one selected individual profile detail of the current individual profile associated with the current role of the individual.

11. The server of claim 1, wherein executing the instructions by the processor of the server further causes the server to provide the service to the individual by, responsive to receiving from a second individual a request to initiate a communication with the individual in a selected role:

determining whether the selected role matches the current role of the individual; and

only responsive to determining that the selected role matches the current role of the individual, initiating the communication session by the second individual with the individual.

12. The server of claim 11, wherein executing the instructions by the processor of the server further causes the server to provide the service to the individual by, responsive to determining that the selected role does not match the current role of the individual:

predict a subsequent time when the individual is predicted to be associated with the selected role; and

inform the second individual of the subsequent time when the individual is predicted to be associated with the selected role.

13. The server of claim 1, wherein:

the at least two roles are respectively associated with a communication modality; and

executing the instructions by the processor of the server further causes the server to provide the service to the individual by, responsive to receiving a request from the individual to initiate a communication session;

identify a selected communication modality that is associated with the current role of the individual; and

initiate the communication session using the selected communication modality.

14. A device that facilitates a service in providing a service to an individual, the device comprising:

a processor;

a sensor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, provide;

a role determinant detector that correlates input from the sensor to a role determinant of the individual;

a current role selector that, responsive to the role determinant of the individual, selects, among at least two roles of the individual, a current role that is associated with the role determinant; and

a service notifier that notifies the service of the current role of the individual to facilitate provision of the service in accordance with the current role of the individual.

15. A method of providing a service to an individual represented by an individual profile, the method utilizing at least one device having a processor and comprising:

executing, by the processor, instructions that cause at least one the device to, responsive to detecting a role determinant of the individual;

among at least two roles of the individual, select a current role of the individual that is associated with the role determinant;

select, from the individual profile, a current role profile comprising at least one selected individual profile detail that is associated with the current role, and excluding at least one excluded individual profile detail that is not associated with the current role; and

represent the individual to the service according to the current role profile of the individual.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein:

the device further comprises a trigger that associates a condition with a selected role; and

selecting the current role of the individual further comprises;

monitoring the condition to detect a condition fulfillment of the trigger; and

responsive to detecting the condition fulfillment of the trigger, selecting the selected role as the current role of the individual.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the individual profile further comprises a base profile, comprising at least one base individual profile detail that is included in the current role profiles of the respective at least two roles.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein:

a second role of the individual is associated with a second role determinant and with a second role profile comprising a second individual profile detail that is not associated with the current role profile; and

executing the instructions by the processor further causes the device to, responsive to detecting the second role determinant of the individual while the individual is associated with the current role;

add the second role to the current role of the individual; and

add the second role profile to the current role profile of the individual.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein executing the instructions by the processor further causes the device to, responsive to detecting a new role determinant of the individual that is not associated with any of the at least two roles of the individual:

add to the at least two roles of the individual a new role that is associated with the new role determinant; and

generate, from the individual profile, a new current role profile comprising at least one selected individual profile detail that is associated with the new current role, and excluding at least one excluded individual profile detail that is not associated with the new current role.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein:

executing the instructions by the processor further causes the device to;

present to the individual a role catalog comprising at least one role template for a suggested role of the individual, and

responsive to receiving from the individual a selection of a selected role template;

add the suggested role of the selected role template to the at least two roles of the individual, and

store the selected role template; and

selecting the current role profile further comprises;

responsive to selecting the suggested role as the current role, selecting, from the individual profile, the current role profile by applying the selected role template to the individual profile.