Context sensitive web services

• US 6,714,778 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2001
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Paloniemi, Jari, Nykänen, Petri, Kangas, Petri
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Simon
• Application Number:
  US09/854,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20020173295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.03, 455/402, 455/405, 455/410-411, 455/412--42, 455/459, 455/466, 455/550.1, 455/515, 455/556.2, 455/575.1, 709/105, 709/226, 709/223
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0018 Transmission from mobile station to base station
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/60 Context-dependent security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/65 Environment-dependent, e.g. using captured environmental data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 : Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

The context sensitive web services method enables a mobile phone or wireless device to use context inference techniques to sense the user'"'"'s environment and in response, to provide useful information to the user that is appropriate to the user'"'"'s perceived environment. The method includes the steps of receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device; processing the sensor signals with a context inference engine; outputting a current context result from the processing by context inference engine; and providing useful information to the user in response to the current context result. A further aspect of the method provides user control of access by application programs to the user'"'"'s private data, including private data in a server. Still further, this can also include providing user control of access by application programs in a web server, to the user'"'"'s private data. Another aspect of the method is providing the current context result to an application program in response to the user control and receiving the useful information from the application program. The invention enables the user to grant access permission to the application program to access the current context result. This can be performed in the user'"'"'s wireless device or in the network server. The network server can carry out the control of access by application programs in web servers, in response to a user privacy profile received from the user'"'"'s wireless device.

Claims

1. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device, including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing the composite sensor signals with a context inference engine in the wireless device;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine;

appending to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result information to the user in response to the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the sensor signals with a context inference engine is embodied as programmed instructions executed within the user'"'"'s wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs to the user'"'"'s private data.

4. The method of claim 1, which further comprises:

providing the authorization to enable access by the application program to the user'"'"'s private data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said providing authorization further comprises:

providing a digital certificate verified by a trusted authority to the application program.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said granting access permission to the application program further comprises:

receiving a request for the application program to access the user'"'"'s private data or the current context result; and

automatically checking the digital certificate to verify the application program

automatically granting access permission to the application program, in accordance with the digital certificate.

7. An apparatus to enable a wireless device to provide useful information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, programmed to perform the steps of;

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device, including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing the composite sensor signals with a context inference engine in the wireless device;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine;

appending to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processing of the sensor signals with a context inference engine is embodied as programmed instructions executed within the user'"'"'s wireless device to offload computationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, which further comprises:

a second context inference engine in a separate network server processing the sensor signals in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless device to offload computationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the server accesses files from a web server, for selective forwarding to the user'"'"'s wireless device.

11. A wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a first environmental sensor and a second environmental sensor for providing first environmental signals and second environmental signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device;

logic to combine the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

a context inference engine in the wireless device, coupled to the sensors, for processing the composite sensor signals;

said context inference engine providing a current context result from the processing;

an output device coupled to the context inference engine for outputting a current context from the processing by the context inference engine;

authorization control for appending to application program, to access the current context results;

said access control automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result,

logic for providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

logic for receiving the information from the application program.

12. A wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a privacy control for providing the user control of access by an application program including an appended authorization code to the user'"'"'s private data;

a sensor for providing composite sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device;

a context inference engine in the wireless device, coupled to the sensor, for processing the sensor signals;

said context inference engine coupled to the privacy control, for providing a current context result from the processing to the application program if authorized by the authorization code appended to the application; and

an output device coupled to the privacy control, for providing information to the user in response to the application program.

13. A system to provide information to the user of a wireless device that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a privacy control in a server for receiving a user privacy profile from the wireless device and providing the user control of access security to the user'"'"'s private data by an application including an appended authorization code;

a privacy control in a server for receiving a user privacy profile from the wireless device and providing the user control of access security to the user'"'"'s private data by an application program including an appended authorization code

a sensor in the wireless device for providing composite sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device;

a context inference engine in the server coupled to the wireless device, for processing sensor information derived from the sensor signals;

said context inference engine coupled to the privacy control, for providing a current context result from the processing to the application program if authorized by the authorization code appended to the application; and

an output device in the server, coupled to the privacy control, for transmitting information to the wireless device in response to the application program.

14. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

running a program in the wireless device that provides application data to the wireless device;

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device, including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing the composite sensor signals and the application data with a context inference engine in the wireless device;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine;

appending to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the processing of the sensor signals with a context inference engine is embodied as programmed instructions executed within the user'"'"'s wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of running a program occurs in the wireless device.

17. The method of claim 14, which further comprises:

processing of the composite sensor signals with a second context inference engine embodied as programmed instructions executed within a separate network server in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless device to offload computational intensive load from the wireless device to the server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of running a program occurs in a web server coupled to the network server.

19. A system to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, programmed to perform the steps of;

running a program that provides application data to the wireless device;

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device, including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing the composite sensor signals and the application data with a context inference engine in the wireless device;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine;

appending information to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processing of the sensor signals and the application data with a context inference engine is embodied as programmed instructions executed within the user'"'"'s wireless device.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the step of running a program occurs in the wireless device.

22. The system of claim 19, which further comprises:

a second context inference engine embodied as programmed instructions executed within a separate network server, for processing the sensor signals and the application data in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless device to offload computationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the step of running a program occurs in a web server coupled to the network server.

24. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

partially processing the composite sensor signals with a first context inference engine within the user'"'"'s wireless device;

sending the partially processed sensor signals to a second context inference engine within a separate network server device to offload some of the computationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server;

completing the processing the sensor signals with the second context inference engine;

sending a current context result from the second context inference engine to the wireless device;

appending information to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the_current context result, in response to the authorization;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

25. A system to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a wireless device for receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

logic for combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

a first context inference engine within the user'"'"'s wireless device for partially processing the composite sensor signals;

a second context inference engine within a separate network server for receiving the partially processed sensor signals sent from the wireless device to offload some of the computationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server and completing the processing the sensor signals;

said second context inference engine sending a current context result from the second context inference engine to the wireless device;

authorization control for providing to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

access control for automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization;

logic for providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

logic for receiving the information from the application program.

26. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

partially processing the composite sensor signals with a first context inference engine within the user'"'"'s wireless device;

sending the partially processed sensor signals to a second context inference engine within a separate network server to offload some of the commutationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server;

completing the processing the sensor signals with the second context inference engine;

forwarding a current context result from the network server to a second server;

sending information from the second server to the user'"'"'s wireless device in response to the current context result;

appending to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the_current context result, in response to the authorization;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

27. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing the composite sensor signals with a context inference engine in the wireless device;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine;

providing user control of access by an application program to the current context result if authorized by an authorization code appended to the application;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the user control; and

receiving the information from the application program in response to the current context result.

28. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing of the composite sensor signals with a context inference engine embodied as programmed instructions executed within a separate network server in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless devices;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine;

providing user control of access by an application program to the current context result, if authorized by an authorization code appended to the application;

wherein said user control is embodied as programmed instructions executed within the separate network server in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless device;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the user control; and

receiving the information from the application program.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein a personal profile of the user is maintained by the server.

30. The method of claim 29, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs to the user'"'"'s personal profile.

31. The method of claim 30, which further comprises:

enabling context sensitive applications and services within the network server while providing to the user control over the privacy of the user'"'"'s current context result.

32. A computer program product to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

a computer readable medium;

program code in said computer readable medium for receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

program code in said computer readable medium for combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

program code in said computer readable medium for processing the composite sensor signals with a context inference engine in said wireless device;

program code in said computer readable medium for outputting a current context result from the processing by the context inference engine; and

program code in said computer readable medium for appending to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result;

program code in said computer readable medium for automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization;

program code in said computer readable medium for providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

program code in said computer readable medium for receiving the information from the application program.

33. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device having a limited processing power and storage capacity;

context inference processing the sensor signals, said context inference processing being characterized by a computationally intensive load and a storage requirement;

said context inference processing being partially performed by a first context inference engine within the user'"'"'s wireless device, producing partially processed sensor signals;

sending the partially processed sensor signals to a second context inference engine within a separate server, to offload some of the computationally intensive load from the wireless device to the server;

said context inference processing being completed with the second context inference engine, producing a current context result; and

providing information to the user in response to the current context result.

34. The method of claim 33, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs in a web server, to the user'"'"'s private data.

35. The method of claim 33, which further comprises:

providing the current context result to an application program; and

receiving the information for the user from the application program.

36. The method of claim 33, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by an application program to the current context result;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the user control; and

receiving the useful information from the application program.

37. The method of claim 36, which further comprises:

granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, based on the user'"'"'s data stored in a privacy profile.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein providing user control of access is embodied as programmed instructions executed within a separate network server in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless device.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the server accesses files from a web server, for selective forwarding to the user'"'"'s wireless device.

40. The method of claim 38, wherein the wireless device offloads a portion of the processing of providing user control of access, to the server.

41. The method of claim 38, wherein a personal profile of the user is maintained by the server.

42. The method of claim 41, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs to the user'"'"'s personal profile.

43. The method of claim 38, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs to the user'"'"'s personal profile in the server.

44. The method of claim 36, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs in a web server, to the user'"'"'s private data.

45. The method of claim 44, which further comprises:

enabling context sensitive applications and services within the wireless device while providing to the user control over the privacy user'"'"'s current context result.

46. The method of claim 44, which further comprises:

enabling context sensitive applications and services within the network server while providing to the user control over the privacy user'"'"'s current context result.

47. A method to enable a wireless device to provide information to its user that is related to the device'"'"'s current environment, comprising:

receiving sensor signals characterizing a current environment of the wireless device, including first environmental signals and second environmental signals;

combining the first environmental signals and the second environmental signals into composite sensor signals;

processing the composite sensor signals with a context inference engine in the wireless device;

processing the composite sensor signals with a second context inference engine embodied as programed instructions executed within a separate network server in response to signals from the user'"'"'s wireless device to offload some of the computationally intensive load from wireless device to the server;

outputting a current context result from the processing by the first and second context inference engines;

appending to an application program, an authorization to access the current context result information to the user in response to the current context result;

automatically granting access permission to the application program to access the current context result, in response to the authorization;

providing the current context result to the application program in response to the authorization; and

receiving the information from the application program.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the server accesses files from a web server, for selective forwarding to the user'"'"'s wireless device.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the wireless device offloads a portion of the processing of the sensor signals with a context inference engine to the server.

50. The method of claim 47, wherein a personal profile of the user is maintained by the server.

51. The method of claim 47, which further comprises:

providing user control of access by application programs to the user'"'"'s private data in the server.