Automated selection of appropriate information based on a computer user's context

• US 7,073,129 B1
• Filed: 04/12/2001
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tangis Corporation
• Inventors: Robarts, James O., Newell, Dan, Abbott, Kenneth H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hailu, Tadesse
• Application Number:
  US09/835,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 345733-749, 345/771, 345/864, 709/200, 709/203, 709/206, 709/214, 709/217, 709/224, 709/220, 725 0- 13, 725/32, 725/42, 725/46, 725/37, 719/313, 719/318, 715733-749, 715/771, 715/864, 715/778, 463/20, 463/29, 463/43, 463/32
• US Class Current: 715/740
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

A system filters received messages (e.g., unsolicited advertisements) to determine if they are appropriate for a user based on the non-static, constantly evolving, context of the user. The system can track the user'"'"'s context by monitoring various environmental parameters, such as related to the user'"'"'s physical, mental, computing and data environments, and can model the current context of the user based at least in part on the monitoring. The system selects a set of one or more filters to apply to incoming messages based on the user'"'"'s context, and the selected filters can be updated as the user'"'"'s context changes. Messages that survive the filters are then evaluated against the user'"'"'s context to determine whether they should be presented immediately or stored for delayed presentation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring a computer user'"'"'s context;

receiving an indication of game information that is to be presented to the user;

receiving an indication from the user to generate a virtual device that can be triggered by a context of another player;

generating the indicated virtual device; and

presenting the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the computer user has an associated wearable computing device, and wherein the presenting of the indicated game information is performed using at least one output device of the wearable computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes modifying the information that is presented based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the presented information includes monitored computer user'"'"'s context information.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes modifying a manner in which the indicated game information is presented based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

6. The method of claim 1 including modifying functionality provided to the user based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes presenting the indicated game information in a manner that is integrated with real world information that is perceived by the user.

8. The method of claim 1 including sharing monitored computer user'"'"'s context information with other players of the game.

9. The method of claim 1 including sharing monitored computer user'"'"'s context information with observers of the game.

10. The method of claim 1 including gathering monitored context information about other players of the game.

11. The method of claim 1 including presenting information to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by another player.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the presenting of the information to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes revealing the another player to the user.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the information presented to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes location information about the another player.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the information presented to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes context information about the another player.

15. The method of claim 1 including, after triggering of the virtual device by a player, presenting information to other users regarding the triggering.

16. The method of claim 1 including, after triggering of the virtual device by a player, visually augmenting information presented to the player.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information includes presenting to the user an indication of the generated virtual device.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information includes presenting information to the another user in such a manner that the generated virtual device is not indicated.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device is a virtual sensor that detects game players.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device is a virtual landmine that reveals game players when triggered.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the monitoring of the computer user'"'"'s context is performed by a body-supported computing device of the computer user.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the computer used by the user is the body-supported computing device.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information includes presenting the indicated game information to one or more of the user, the another player, one or more other players, and one or more observers.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device is stationary.

25. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device moves.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device acts independently of the user.

27. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device can be affected by the monitored context of the computer user.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein the triggering of the virtual device is based at least in part on an action of the virtual device in relation to the context of the another player.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the context of the another player is computer simulated.

30. The method of claim 1 wherein the another player is computer simulated.

31. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the context of the user of the computer is based on a physical location and a physical activity of the user.

32. The method of claim 1 further comprising monitoring the context of the another player.

33. The method of claim 1 wherein the generated virtual device can be triggered by a context of any of multiple other players.

34. The method of claim 1 wherein the generated virtual device can be triggered by a context of any of one or more other players indicated by the user, the one or more indicated other players including the another player.

35. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device is further generated so as to act upon the another player upon triggering.

36. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device is further generated so as to initiate an activity upon triggering.

37. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual device is a virtual object and/or a virtual effect that is present within a game experience provided to one or more players of the game.

38. The method of claim 1 wherein the user is one of multiple players of the game.

39. The method of claim 1 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information is further performed in such a manner as to reflect the context of the another player.

40. A computer-readable medium whose contents cause a computing device to present game information, by performing a method comprising:

monitoring a context of a user of the computing device;

receiving an indication from the user to generate a virtual device that can be triggered by a context of another player;

receiving an indication of game information that is to be presented to the user, the indicated game information including an indication of the virtual device; and

presenting the indicated game information to the user in such a manner as to reflect the monitored context of the user.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the computer user has an associated wearable computing device, and wherein the presenting of the indicated game information is performed using at least one output device of the wearable computing device.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes modifying the information that is presented based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the presented information includes monitored computer user'"'"'s context information.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes modifying a manner in which the indicated game information is presented based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes modifying functionality provided to the user based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes presenting the indicated game information in a manner that is integrated with real world information that is perceived by the user.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes sharing monitored computer user'"'"'s context information with other players of the game.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes sharing monitored computer user'"'"'s context information with observers of the game.

49. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes gathering monitored context information about other players of the game.

50. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes presenting information to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by another player.

51. The computer-readable medium of claim 50 wherein the presenting of the information to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes revealing the another player to the user.

52. The computer-readable medium of claim 50 wherein the information presented to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes location information about the another player.

53. The computer-readable medium of claim 50 wherein the information presented to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes context information about the another player.

54. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes, after triggering of the virtual device by a player, presenting information to other users regarding the triggering.

55. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the method further includes, after triggering of the virtual device by a player, visually augmenting information presented to the player.

56. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information includes presenting to the user an indication of the generated virtual device.

57. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the presenting of the indicated game information includes presenting information to the another user in such a manner that the generated virtual device is not indicated.

58. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the virtual device is a virtual sensor that detects game players.

59. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the virtual device is a virtual landmine that reveals game players when triggered.

60. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the computer-readable medium is a memory of a computing device.

61. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the computer-readable medium is a data transmission medium transmitting a generated data signal containing the contents.

62. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the contents are instructions that when executed cause the computing device to perform the method.

63. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the contents include one or more data structures for use in generating virtual devices, the data structure comprising one or more entries that each contain information regarding a virtual device so that the virtual device can be generated.

64. The computer-readable medium of claim 40 wherein the contents include one or more data structures for use in triggering virtual devices, the data structure comprising one or more entries that each contain information regarding a context of a user so that the virtual device can be triggered by the context of the user.

65. A computing system configured to provide game information, comprising:

a memory;

a first module configured to, when executed in the memory, monitor a context of a user;

a second module configured to, when executed in the memory, receive an indication from the user to generate a virtual device that can be triggered by a context of another player and to generate the indicated virtual device; and

a third module configured to, when executed in the memory, receive an indication of game information that is to be provided to the user and to provide the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored context of the user.

66. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is a wearable computing device, and wherein the providing of the indicated game information is performed using at least one output device of the wearable computing device.

67. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the providing of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes modifying the information that is provided based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

68. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the provided information includes monitored computer user'"'"'s context information.

69. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the providing of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes modifying a manner in which the indicated game information is provided based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

70. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to modify functionality provided to the user based on the monitored computer user'"'"'s context.

71. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the providing of the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored computer user'"'"'s context includes providing the indicated game information in a manner that is integrated with real world information that is perceived by the user.

72. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to share monitored computer user'"'"'s context information with other players of the game.

73. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to share monitored computer user'"'"'s context information with observers of the game.

74. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to gather monitored context information about other players of the game.

75. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to provide information to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by another player.

76. The computing system of claim 75 wherein the providing of the information to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes revealing the another player to the user.

77. The computing system of claim 75 wherein the information provided to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes location information about the another player.

78. The computing system of claim 75 wherein the information provided to the user based on the triggering of the virtual device by the another player includes context information about the another player.

79. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to, after triggering of the virtual device by a player, provide information to other users regarding the triggering.

80. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the computing system is further configured to, after triggering of the virtual device by a player, visually augment information provided to the player.

81. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the providing of the indicated game information includes providing to the user an indication of the generated virtual device.

82. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the providing of the indicated game information includes providing information to the another user in such a manner that the generated virtual device is not indicated.

83. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the virtual device is a virtual sensor that detects game players.

84. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the virtual device is a virtual landmine that reveals game players when triggered.

85. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the first, second and third modules are software modules executing in memory of the computing system.

86. The computing system of claim 65 wherein the first module consists of a means for monitoring a context of a user, wherein the second module consists of a means for receiving an indication from the user to generate a virtual device that can be triggered by a context of another player and to generate the indicated virtual device, and wherein the third module consists of a means for receiving an indication of game information that is to be provided to the user and to provide the indicated game information in such a manner as to reflect the monitored context of the user.