System for automatically creating a context information providing configuration

• US 7,269,650 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2002
• Issued: 09/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Deutschland GmbH (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hamdan, Amen
• Primary Examiner(s): Jahoenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chang; Julian
• Application Number:
  US10/255,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20030065501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,811 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/202, 709/203, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/224, 715/734, 715/744, 715/748
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/465 Distributed object oriented systems remote method invocation [RMI] G06F9/548

Abstract

A system for supplying context information on request includes a context attribute specifying a type, a format, and a focus entity for a data record representing a response to a request for context information, at least one context source providing context data relevant for the request of context information, and at least one context interpreter configured to establish an interconnection between the context attribute and the context source. The system also includes a configuration unit configured to keep track of availability and suitability of context sources and context interpreters and set-up a dynamic context graph configuration for assembling the context sources and the context interpreters based on the availability and suitability of the context sources and context interpreters to provide the data record.

Claims

1. A system providing context information on request comprising:

a context attribute specifying a type, a format, and a focus entity for a data record representing a response to a request for context information;

at least one context source providing context data relevant for the request of context information;

at least one context interpreter configured to establish an interconnection between the context attribute and the context source; and

a configuration unit configured to keep track of availability and suitability of context sources and context interpreters and set-up a dynamic context graph configuration for assembling the context sources and the context interpreters based on the availability and suitability of the context sources and context interpreters to provide the data record, wherein the configuration unit is further configured to generate the context graph configuration by

connecting to the context attribute a first context interpreter with an output connector matching the input connector of the context attribute or a context source with an output connector matching the input connector of the context attribute,

connecting, upon usage of the first context interpreter, each of the input connectors of the first context interpreter to an output of a context interpreter matching the respective input connector or to an output connector of a context source matching the respective input connector, and

connecting each of the input connectors of a context interpreter not yet connected to an output connector of a context source or to an output connector of a context interpreter to an output of a context interpreter matching the respective input connector or to a context source with an output connector matching the respective input connector.

2. The system providing context information according to claim 1, further comprising:

a feedback function configured to connect an input connector of a context interpreter to an output connector of a different context interpreter already connected to an input connector of a further context interpreter or to an input of a context attribute present in the context graph configuration.

3. The system providing context information according to claim 2, wherein:

a condition for creating the feedback function is specified by a constraint defined for the context interpreter, and an implementation of the feedback function is specified by a corresponding constraint-event defined for the context interpreter.

4. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein a repository containing a plurality of available context interpreters and context sources is configured to provide the context interpreters and the context sources to the configuration unit.

5. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the context sources are configured to access sensors providing physical data and/or information data.

6. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit is further configured to set-up the context graph configuration in compliance to predefined optimisation rules.

7. The system providing context information according to claim 1, a graph-cache provides pre-configured context graph configurations for use by the configuration unit.

8. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the focus entity defined for an input connector andlor output connector of a context interpreter or a context source to be used within a context graph is implemented as a variable to be bound to a real value upon initialisation of the context graph.

9. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein a context interpreter is configured to modify a type of its input connector and/or a type of its output connector according to changes in the availability or characteristics of data requested and/or received.

10. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a context graph creation unit configured to automatically assemble a context graph for a given context attribute.

11. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a change management unit configured to control a reconfiguration of a context graph upon changes in the availability and/or suitability of an element within the context graph.

12. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a context graph optimisation unit configured to control the set-up of a context graph according to a system of rules.

13. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a context graph validation unit configured to verify a consistency of a context graph and availability of elements used within the context graph.

14. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a context graph set-up unit configured to instantiate the context interpreters and context sources in a context graph.

15. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a pre-selection unit configured to select context sources and context interpreters suited for creating a context graph for a given context attribute.

16. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a sensor pre-selection unit configured to select sensors to be used with context sources suited for creating a context graph for a given context attribute.

17. The system providing context information according to claim 11, wherein the configuration unit further comprises a sensor management unit configured to monitor a status and the availability of each sensor used for a context graph and forwarding the status and the availability to the change management unit.

18. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises an access control unit configured to enforce access restrictions imposed on a usage of a component in the context graph.

19. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein the configuration unit further comprises an accounting unit configured to charge a focus entity for a usage of sensors and elements used for a context graph.

20. The system providing context information according to claim 1, wherein at least one pre-defined context graph is linked to the context graph being set-up.

21. A software product stored in a computer-readable medium adapted to implement a system providing context information on request according to claim 1 on a data handling device when being executed by a processing means of the data handling device.

22. A method for providing context information on request comprising:

specifying a type, a format, and a focus entity in a context attribute for a data record representing a response to a request for context information;

locating one or more context sources providing context data relevant for said request of context information;

locating one or more context interpreters for processing said provided context data related to said focus entity into the specified type and format for said data record;

tracking availability and suitability of context sources and context interpreters to provide said data record; and

setting-up a dynamic context graph configuration for assembling context sources and context interpreters based on the availability and suitability to provide said data record,

wherein the setting-up of the dynamic context graph further comprises

connecting to the context attribute a first context interpreter with an output connector matching the input connector of the context attribute or a context source with an output connector matching the input connector of the context attribute,

connecting, upon usage of the first context interpreter, each of the input connectors of the first context interpreter to an output of a context interpreter matching the respective input connector or to an output connector of a context source matching the respective input connector, and

connecting each of the input connectors of a context interpreter not yet connected to an output connector of a context source or to an output connector of a context interpreter to an output of a context interpreter matching the respective input connector or to a context source with an output connector matching the respective input connector.

23. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

Constantly monitoring the availability and suitability of each context source and/or each context interpreter.

24. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

invalidating and reconstructing a part of the context graph configuration constituted by a failed context source if a context source andlor a context interpreter is detected to fail by no longer being available andior being unsuited to provide or process context data.