Computer system architecture for automatic context associations
First Claim
1. Context association software in a computer readable medium, comprising:
- a system activity monitor that monitors user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document;
a computer system database of metadata relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer;
an association system that determines a degree of a strength of association between at least a pair of computer objects based at least in part upon metadata of each of the computer objects from the database of metadata;
a chunking system that uses the degree of the strength of association determined by the association system for a set of objects and groups them into a number of sub-groups;
an importance calculator that determines an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and
a user interface system that utilizes information stored in the computer system database by the system activity monitor and information determined by the association system, the chunking system, and the importance calculator to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer system models human memory by deriving associations between objects, events, and the context of the computer user or users. These associations can be dynamically generated, changing depending on the behavior of the user and context. Examples of areas in which this system can be used include time management (e.g., a calendar that presents time-based groupings of objects), people management (e.g., use analysis of user communications to rank importance of people to the user, groupings, and associations between people/groups and other objects such as documents, email), and general computer management (e.g., use analysis of user behavior to identify important objects and objects that are related to a current focus and context of the computer user).
534 Citations
52 Claims
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1. Context association software in a computer readable medium, comprising:
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a system activity monitor that monitors user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer; an association system that determines a degree of a strength of association between at least a pair of computer objects based at least in part upon metadata of each of the computer objects from the database of metadata; a chunking system that uses the degree of the strength of association determined by the association system for a set of objects and groups them into a number of sub-groups; an importance calculator that determines an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and a user interface system that utilizes information stored in the computer system database by the system activity monitor and information determined by the association system, the chunking system, and the importance calculator to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. In a computer readable medium, context association software for automatically collecting information about plural computer objects and for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising:
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objects that are accessed or used on a computer by at least two different user-operated software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to the objects that are accessed or used on the computer; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association; software for mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; an association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Computer system user interface software in a computer readable medium, comprising:
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a system database of metadata relating to computer objects accessed or activities carried out on a computer with two or more different user-operated software applications, the objects or activities are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities monitored include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects or activities of the two or more different user-operated software applications; software for mapping the computer objects or activities based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A context association method for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising:
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automatically collecting information about plural computer objects that are accessed or used on a computer by two or more different user-operated software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; storing the information in a computer system database as metadata relating to the objects that are accessed or used on the computer; analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects; mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the strength of association and the importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. In a computer readable medium, context association software for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising:
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software for automatically collecting information about plural computer objects that are accessed or used on one or more computers by at least two different software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to objects that are accessed or used on the one or more computers; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects; software for mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52)
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Specification