Context aware computing devices having a common interface and related methods

• US 7,076,243 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2004
• Issued: 07/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Reus, Edward F., Parupudi, Gopal, Evans, Stephen S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gary, Erika A.
• Application Number:
  US10/925,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20050020307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• Field of Search: 455/557, 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/457, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/414.3
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location

Abstract

Context-aware computing systems and methods are described. In some embodiments, hierarchical tree structures are utilized to ascertain a device context. The tree structures can be stored on or accessible to mobile computing devices so that the devices can determine their own particular context. A unique device architecture permits context aware computing and comprises, in at least some embodiments, a context service module, a common interface, and one or more context providers. The context providers provide information, through the common interface, that pertains to the context of a device, and the context service module processes the information to device the device'"'"'s context.

Claims

1. A computing device comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a context service module on the computer-readable medium and configured to process information from multiple context providers to determine a current device context by conducting a tree traversal operation, wherein the tree traversal operation traverses a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth; and

a common context provider interface configured to receive information from the multiple context providers, which information can then be provided to the context service module by the interface.

2. The computing device of claim 1 embodied as a mobile computing device.

3. The computing device of claim 1 embodied as a desktop computing device.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the multiple context providers comprise multiple different location providers.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the common context provider interface is configured to constantly receive information from one or more of the context providers.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the common context provider interface is configured to periodically receive information from one or more of the context providers.

7. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the information can be received periodically at specified times.

8. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the information can be received periodically on the occurrence of specified events.

9. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the information can be received on the request of the context service module.

10. The computing device of claim 6, wherein the information can be received:

periodically at specified times;

periodically on the occurrence of specified events;

or

on the request of the context service module.

11. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the information from the multiple context providers includes one or more confidence parameters that provide a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in the information.

12. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the information from the multiple context providers includes one or more accuracy parameters that provide a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s information.

13. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the information from the multiple context providers includes:

one or more confidence parameters that provide a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in the information; and

one or more accuracy parameters that provide a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s information.

14. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the multiple context providers are configured to receive information from one or more location sources and provide the information to the context service module via the common context provider interface.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein at least some of the context providers are different and receive different forms of information.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein at least some of the context providers are configured to process the information that is received from their source to provide specific information that is directly used by the context service module to ascertain a device location.

17. A computing device comprising:

a computer-readable medium;

a context service module embodied on the computer-readable medium; and

multiple different context providers configured to receive information from one or more different sources of information and process the information to provide context information to the context service module,

the context service module being configured to process the context information to provide a current device context by conducting a tree traversal operation, wherein the tree traversal operation traverses a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth.

18. The computing device of claim 17 embodied as a mobile computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 17 embodied as a desktop computing device.

20. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to self-monitor their operation and to inform the context service module of an operation irregularity.

21. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to assign confidence parameters to the information that is provided to the context service module, the confidence parameters providing a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in the information.

22. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to assign accuracy parameters to the information that is provided to the context service module, the accuracy parameters providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s information.

23. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to:

assign confidence parameters to the information that is provided to the context service module, the confidence parameters providing a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in the information; and

assign accuracy parameters to the information that is provided to the context service module, the accuracy parameters providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s information.

24. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to continuously update information that is provided to the context service module.

25. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to periodically update information that is provided to the context service module.

26. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the one or more context providers are configured to update the information at specified times.

27. The computing device of claim 25, wherein the one or more context providers are configured to update the information on the occurrence of specified events.

28. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to receive a request from the context service module and update the information that is provided to the context service module based on the request.

29. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the computing device comprises a hand-held mobile computing device.

30. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is configured to accommodate dynamically adding or removing one or more context providers.

31. The computing device of claim 17, wherein the computing device is configured to continue operation when one or more of the context providers stops functioning.

32. The computing device of claim 17, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to process the information and provide the unique identification for one of the nodes of the hierarchical tree structure.

33. A method of determining the context of a computing device comprising:

providing multiple context providers that are configured to provide context information that pertains to a current context of the computing device;

receiving context information from the multiple context providers using a common interface;

using the information that is received from the multiple context providers to ascertain a current device context by conducting a tree traversal operation, wherein the tree traversal operation traverses a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the common interface accommodates multiple context providers that are different.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein the receiving of the context information comprises continuously receiving context information from at least one of the context providers.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein the receiving of the context information comprises periodically receiving context information from at least one of the context providers.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information at specific times.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information on the occurrence of specific events.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information responsive to a request to receive the information.

40. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to:

provide multiple different context providers that are configured to provide context information that pertains to a current context of the computing device;

receive context information from the multiple different context providers using a common interface; and

use the information that is received from the multiple context providers to ascertain a current device context by conducting a tree traversal operation, wherein the tree traversal operation traverses a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth.

41. The computer-readable media of claim 40, wherein the instructions cause the computing device to traverse a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that represent physical or logical entities in order to ascertain the current device context.

42. A method of determining the context of a mobile computing device comprising:

providing multiple different context providers that are configured to provide context information that pertains to a current context of the computing device;

monitoring one or more of the context providers;

assigning a confidence parameter to context information that is provided by one or more providers, the confidence parameter providing a measure of a provider'"'"'s confidence in its context information; and

sending the context information and the confidence parameter to a context service module on the mobile computing device, the context service module being configured to use the context information and the confidence parameter to ascertain a current device context by conducting a tree traversal operation, wherein the tree traversal operation traverses a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth.

43. The method of claim 42 further comprising assigning an accuracy parameter to the context information that is provided by one or more providers, the accuracy parameter providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s context information.

44. The method of claim 42 further comprising responsive to the monitoring, notifying the context service module upon the occurrence of an operation irregularity.

45. The method of claim 42 further comprising receiving a context query and responding to the query with a context provider.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to continuously send the context information to the context service module.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein one or more of the context providers are configured to periodically send the context information to the context service module.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the one or more context providers are configured to send the context information at specified times.

49. The method of claim 47, wherein the one or more context providers are configured to send the context information on the occurrence of specified events.

50. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a mobile computing device, implement the method of claim 42.

51. A method of determining the context of a mobile computing device comprising:

providing multiple different context providers that are configured to provide context information that pertains to a current context of the computing device;

monitoring one or more of the context providers;

assigning an accuracy parameter to context information that is provided by one or more providers, the accuracy parameter providing a measure of the accuracy of a provider'"'"'s context information; and

sending the context information and accuracy parameter to a context service module on the mobile computing device, the context service module being configured to use the context information and the accuracy parameter to ascertain a current device context by conducting a tree traversal operation, wherein the tree traversal operation traverses a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes that are each assigned a unique identification, the nodes representing geographical divisions of the Earth.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising, responsive to the monitoring, notifying the context service module on the occurrence of an operation irregularity of a context provider.

53. The method of claim 51 further comprising receiving a context query and responding to the context query with the context provider.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein one or more of the context providers continuously send context information to the context service module.

55. The method of claim 51, wherein one or more of the context providers periodically send context information to the context service module.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the one or more context providers send the context information at specified times.

57. The method of claim 55, wherein the one or more context providers send the context information on the occurrence of specified events.

58. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a mobile computing device, implement the method of claim 51.