System and methods enabling a mix of human and automated initiatives in the control of communication policies
First Claim
1. A system that facilitates maximizing utility of a communication, the system comprising:
- an identifier that identifies an initially selected communication channel; and
an analyzer that determines whether the initially selected communication channel should be overridden by an overriding communication channel, wherein the initially selected communication channel is overridden if EU2−
cost>
EU1, where EU2=E[u(di,c)]=sj ε
s2 Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c), EU1=E[u(di,c)]=sj ε
s1Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c) and, cost measures actual dollar cost;
wherein p(sj|di,c) represents a probability of achieving a future state sj given a decision di concerning communication channel parameters and a context c;
each individual outcome state sj ε
s represents a possible match of preferences to related communication parameters; and
function u(sj,di) represents a utility of state sj after the decision di has been made.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for identifying communication channels and appropriate timing of communications that facilitate enhancing or maximizing the utility of a communication between communicating parties, based on the participants'"'"' preferences and capabilities is provided. The system and method implement policies for facilitating optimal communications between communicating parties based on deterministic and/or uncertain preferences, capabilities and context, both present and predicted, where a decision to employ an initially selected channel and timing of communication may be overridden by contactor or contactee based on user-configurable triggers. The system and method further provide for mixed/multi-initiative overriding of the identified optimal communication channel and indicated best time for a communication. The methods can be implemented on a widescale communication system or within a single portable device. In one approach, the system attempts to optimize the inferred or directly accessed preferences of a contactee given the accessed or inferred preferences, capabilities and goals of the contactor while keeping the rationale and context of the contactee private. Such optimization can be achieved using preferences and policies concerning handling the attempted contact based on a deterministic specification or through inferring context, content and task under uncertainty by employing probabilistic or decision-theoretic inferences to attempt to maximize the expected utility of the communication to the contactee.
197 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A system that facilitates maximizing utility of a communication, the system comprising:
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an identifier that identifies an initially selected communication channel; and an analyzer that determines whether the initially selected communication channel should be overridden by an overriding communication channel, wherein the initially selected communication channel is overridden if EU2−
cost>
EU1, where EU2=E[u(di,c)]=sj ε
s2 Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c), EU1=E[u(di,c)]=sj ε
s1Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c) and, cost measures actual dollar cost;
wherein p(sj|di,c) represents a probability of achieving a future state sj given a decision di concerning communication channel parameters and a context c;
each individual outcome state sj ε
s represents a possible match of preferences to related communication parameters; and
function u(sj,di) represents a utility of state sj after the decision di has been made. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for selecting a communication channel, the method comprising:
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identifying a communication channel that facilitates optimizing the utility of a communication between communicating parties; computing an override decision concerning whether the identified communication channel should be overridden, wherein the override decision is based at least in part upon EU2−
cost>
EU1, where EU2=E[u(di,c)]=sj ε
s2Σ
u (sj,di) p(sj|di,c), EU1=E[u(dj,c)]=sj ε
s1 Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c) and, cost measures actual dollar cost;
wherein p(sj|di,c) represents a probability of achieving a future state sj given a decision di concerning communication channel parameters and a context c;
each individual outcome state sj ε
s represents a possible match of preferences to related communication parameters; and
function u(sj,di) represents a utility of state sj after the decision di has been made; andselecting a communication channel for the communication based, at least in part, on the override decision. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A system for optimizing a contact between communicating parties, comprising:
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means for determining one or more expected utilities associated with a contact between the parties based, at least in part, on data associated with one or more contactors, data associated with one or more contactees and data associated with one or more communication channels; means for determining whether the contact should be based on the one or more expected utilities or whether the contact should be based on a communicating party response to an override interface, wherein the override interface presents an override decision based at least in part upon EU2−
cost>
EU1, where EU2=E[u(di,c)]=sj ε
s2 Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c) EU1=E[u(dj,c)]=sj ε
s1 Σ
u(sj,di) p(sj|di,c) and, cost measures actual dollar cost;
wherein p(sj|di,c) represents a probability of achieving a future state sj given a decision di concerning communication channel parameters and a context c;
each individual outcome state sj ε
s represents a possible match of preferences to related communication parameters; and
function u(sj,di) represents a utility of state sj after the decision di has been made; andmeans for establishing the contact.
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40. In a computer system having a graphical user interface that comprises a display and a selection device, a method of providing and selecting from a menu on the display, the method comprising:
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retrieving a first set of menu entries for the menu, each of the menu entries representing a communication with a calculated expected utility; displaying the first set of menu entries on the display; retrieving a second set of menu entries for the menu, each of the menu entries representing a potential overriding communication with a calculated expected utility; displaying the second set of menu entries on the display; receiving a menu entry selection signal indicative of the selection device selecting a selected menu entry from the first set and second set of menu entries; and in response to the menu entry selection signal, initiating a communication represented by the menu entry.
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Specification