Representation, decision models, and user interface for encoding managing preferences, and performing automated decision making about the timing and modalities of interpersonal communications
First Claim
1. A system to facilitate communications between parties, comprising:
- a user interface that is configurable by a contactor and/or a contactee; and
a data store adapted to receive N parameters from the user interface, N being an integer, the N parameters relating to a communications preference, context and/or policy, the N parameters to guide decisions that facilitate optimal communications between parties,the data store further comprising a formula to guide the decisions, the formula including the following equation;
where A* is the ideal, selected communication modality for the communication;
Aj represents each of all communication modalities being considered;
ACk is the initial communication modality employed by the contactor;
C refers to an identity or group membership of the contactor;
contextR is the known or assumed context of the contactee;
contextC is the known or assumed context of the contactor; and
u() represents a utility function to operate on the arguments that provides an encoding of preferences about communications for the recipient or another entity whose preferences are being used to guide the handling of the communications in order to determine optimal communication actions that maximize the utility of communications between the contactor and the contactee.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing a user interface that can be employed by contactors and contactees in conjunction with a communications architecture for identifying and establishing an optimal communication based on preferences, capabilities, contexts and goals of the parties to engage in the communication. The user interface can include a graphical display having a plurality of display objects and associated input fields operable by one or more parties to a communication in order to facilitate convenient access, control, personalization and communications via the communications architecture. For example, configuration capabilities are provided in the user interface to enable operational adjustments to one or more operating parameters, communications groupings, policies and/or context preferences relating to a preferred modality of communication and to potential parties of communication between the contactors and contactees. User interface controls are also provided for defining deterministic policies and for encoding preferences for cost-benefit analyses.
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Citations
84 Claims
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1. A system to facilitate communications between parties, comprising:
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a user interface that is configurable by a contactor and/or a contactee; and a data store adapted to receive N parameters from the user interface, N being an integer, the N parameters relating to a communications preference, context and/or policy, the N parameters to guide decisions that facilitate optimal communications between parties, the data store further comprising a formula to guide the decisions, the formula including the following equation; where A* is the ideal, selected communication modality for the communication; Aj represents each of all communication modalities being considered; ACk is the initial communication modality employed by the contactor; C refers to an identity or group membership of the contactor; contextR is the known or assumed context of the contactee; contextC is the known or assumed context of the contactor; and u() represents a utility function to operate on the arguments that provides an encoding of preferences about communications for the recipient or another entity whose preferences are being used to guide the handling of the communications in order to determine optimal communication actions that maximize the utility of communications between the contactor and the contactee. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system to facilitate communications between parties, comprising:
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a user interface that is configurable by a contactor and/or a contactee; and a data store adapted to receive N parameters from the user interface, N being an integer, the N parameters relating to a communications preference, context and/or policy, the N parameters to guide decisions that facilitate optimal communications between parties, the data store further comprising a decision-theoretic formula to guide the decisions, the formula including the following equation; where A* is the ideal, selected communication modality for the communication; Aj represents each of all communication modalities being considered; ACk is the initial communication modality employed by the contactor; C refers to an identity or group membership of the contactor; contextRi represents each of the contexts being considered for the contactee, representing the situation of the contactee; p(contextRi|E) represents the probability distribution over the context of the contactee, representing the conditional probabilities that the contactee is in a certain context given the evidence E; contextC is a known or assumed context of the contactor; and u( ) represents a utility function to operate on the arguments that provides an encoding of preferences about communications for the recipient or another entity whose preferences are being used to guide the handling of the communications in order to determine optimal communication actions that maximize the utility of communications between the contactor and the contactee. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A system to facilitate communications between parties, comprising:
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a user interface that is configurable by a contactor and/or a contactee; and a data store adapted to receive N parameters from the user interface, N being an integer, the N parameters relating to a communications preference, context and/or policy, the N parameters to guide decisions that facilitate optimal communications between parties, the data store further comprising a decision-theoretic formula to guide the decisions, the formula including the following equation; where A* is the ideal, selected communication modality for the communication; Aj represents each of all communication modalities being considered; ACk is the initial communication modality employed by the contactor; C refers to an identity or group membership of the contactor; contextCi represents each of the contexts being considered for the contactor, representing the situation of the contactor; p(contextCi|E) represents the probability distribution over the context of the contactor, representing the conditional probabilities that the contactor is in a certain context given the evidence E; contextR is a known or assumed context of the contactee; and u( ) represents a utility function to operate on the arguments that provides an encoding of preferences about communications for the recipient or another entity whose preferences are being used to guide the handling of the communications, in order to determine optimal communication actions that maximize the utility of communications between the contactor and the contactee. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63)
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64. A system to facilitate communications between parties, comprising:
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a user interface that is configurable by a contactor and/or a contactee; and a data store adapted to receive N parameters from the user interface, N being an integer, the N parameters relating to a communications preference, context and/or policy, the N parameters to guide decisions that facilitate optimal communications between parties, the data store further comprising a decision-theoretic formula to guide the decisions, the formula including the following equation; where A* is the ideal, selected communication modality for the communication; Aj represents each of all communication modalities being considered; ACk is the initial communication modality employed by the contactor; C refers to an identity or group membership of the contactor; contextRi represents each of the contexts being considered for the contactee, representing the situation of the contactee; p(contextRi|E) represents the probability distribution over the context of the contactee, representing the conditional probabilities that the contactee is in a certain context given the evidence E; contextCn represents each of the contexts being considered for the contactor, representing the situation of the contactor; p(contextCn|E) represents the probability distribution over the context of the contactor, representing the conditional probabilities that the contactor is in a certain context given the evidence E; and u( ) represents a utility function to operate on the arguments that provides an encoding of preferences about communications for the recipient or another entity whose preferences are being used to guide the handling of the communications, in order to determine optimal communication actions that maximize the utility of communications between the contactor and the contactee. - View Dependent Claims (65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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Specification