System and method for providing context sensitive recommendations to digital services

• US 7,570,943 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Mannila, Heikki, Sorvari, Antti, Kahari, Markus, Salmenkaita, Jukka-Pekka, Toivonen, Hannu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; CongVan
• Application Number:
  US10/230,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20040043758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,532 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/466, 455/406, 455/408, 455/410, 455/418, 455/419, 709/219, 709/228, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9562 Bookmark management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72445 for supporting Internet browser applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/16 Sequence circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4938 comprising a voice browser which renders and interprets, e.g. VoiceXML
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/16 Discovering, processing access restriction or access information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

A system and method is disclosed to provide recommendations to a wireless device, based on stored bookmark/short-cut data. When a wireless device accesses services, data pertaining to the service access, along with any context related information is transmitted within the wireless device, or to a remote server. The data is processed in conjunction with bookmarks/short-cuts specified within the device, and are organized and presented to the wireless device in accordance with preference instructions specified within the wireless device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining network activity data comprising services previously accessed by a user, including context information describing sensed environment of a wireless device based on sensor data from a plurality of sensors, and short-cut data describing at least one bookmark for said wireless device, along with at least one preference instruction for describing services accessed by the user and related to the user'"'"'s usage of the services;

processing the network activity data in accordance with the at least one preference instruction; and

generating in a recommendation engine in the wireless device, in accordance with the at least one preference instruction, at least one recommended service from a plurality of services available, wherein each of the at least one recommended service having at least one short-cut associated therewith.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preference instruction is correlated to the network activity data.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said bookmark is further processed and transmitted as an icon.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises access times for services.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises optimizing the number of links embedded within the at least one service.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises optimizing links to a specified number of services.

7. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that cannot be used by following the known links from a current service.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be used by following a known link from a current service being accessed.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are not located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises access frequency of the services.

12. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are accessed for the first time.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be accessed using a hypertext link from the current service.

14. The method according to claim 2, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are currently accessed.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed environment of the wireless device.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the currently sensed environment is established through at least one sensor.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a position sensor, a compass, a touch sensor, an audio sensor, a light sensor and a temperature sensor.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed network access point of the wireless device.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said short-cut data is transmitted in an XML format.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information comprises a time of day.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information comprises a day of the week.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information comprises a logical terminal location.

23. The method according to claim 1 wherein the context information comprises a type of network connection.

24. The method according to claim 1, wherein the context information comprises an operational mode of the device.

25. Apparatus comprising:

a network access apparatus for receiving network activity data comprising services previously accessed by a user, including context information describing sensed environment of a wireless device based on sensor data from a plurality of sensors, and short-cut data describing at least one bookmark for said wireless device, along with at least one preference instruction for describing services accessed by the user and related to the user'"'"'s usage of the services;

a storage memory, coupled to the network access apparatus, for storing the network activity data, short-cut data and at least one preference instruction;

a processor, coupled to the network access apparatus, wherein said processor processes network activity data in accordance with the at least one preference instruction, and

a recommendation engine initiates transmission of at least one recommended service from plurality of services available to the wireless device in accordance with the at least one preference instruction, wherein each of the at least one recommended service having at least one short-cut associated therewith.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the preference instruction is correlated to the network activity data.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said bookmark is further processed and transmitted as an icon.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the network activity data further comprises context information.

29. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises access times for services.

30. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises the number of links embedded within the at least one service.

31. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises links to a specified number of services.

32. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services with that cannot be used by following the known links from a current service.

33. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be used by following a known link from a current service being accessed.

34. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

35. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are not located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

36. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises access frequency of the services.

37. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are accessed for the first time.

38. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be accessed using a hypertext link from the current service.

39. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are currently accessed.

40. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed environment of the wireless device.

41. The apparatus according to claim 40, wherein the currently sensed environment is established through at least one sensor.

42. The apparatus according to claim 41, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a position sensor, a compass, a touch sensor, an audio sensor, a light sensor and a temperature sensor.

43. The apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed network access point of the wireless device.

44. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said short-cut data is transmitted in an XML format.

45. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the context information comprises a time of day.

46. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the context information comprises a day of the week.

47. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the context information comprises a logical terminal location.

48. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the context information comprises a type of network connection.

49. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the context information comprises an operational mode of the device.

50. A method comprising:

storing at least one preference instruction for describing services accessed by a user and related to a user'"'"'s usage of the services for said wireless device for obtaining recommendation services;

obtaining network activity data comprising services previously accessed by a user, including context information describing sensed environment of a wireless device based on sensor data from a plurality of sensors, and short-cut data describing at least one bookmark for said wireless device;

processing network activity data and short-cut data in accordance with the at least one preference instruction; and

receiving from a recommendation engine at least one recommended service from a plurality of services available in accordance with the processed data, wherein each of the at least one recommended service having at least one short-cut associated therewith.

51. The method according to claim 50, wherein the preference instruction is correlated to the network activity data.

52. The method according to claim 50, wherein said bookmark is further processed and transmitted as an icon.

53. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises access times for services.

54. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises the number of links embedded within the at least one service.

55. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises links to a specified number of services.

56. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that cannot be used by following the known links from a current service.

57. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be used by following a known link from a current service being accessed.

58. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

59. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are not located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

60. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises access frequency of the services.

61. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are accessed for the first time.

62. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be accessed using a hypertext link from the current service.

63. The method according to claim 51, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are currently accessed.

64. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed environment of the wireless device.

65. The method according to claim 64, wherein the currently sensed environment is established through at least one sensor.

66. The method according to claim 65, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a position sensor, a compass, a touch sensor, an audio sensor, a light sensor and a temperature sensor.

67. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed network access point of the wireless device.

68. The method according to claim 50, wherein said short-cut data is transmitted in an XML format.

69. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises a time of day.

70. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises a day of the week.

71. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises a logical terminal location.

72. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises a type of network connection.

73. The method according to claim 50, wherein the context information comprises an operational mode of the device.

74. A wireless device comprising:

a storage memory for storing at least one preference instruction for describing services accessed by a user and related to the user'"'"'s usage of the services for a wireless device for obtaining recommendation services;

a network access apparatus comprising services previously accessed by a user for communicating network activity data, including context information describing sensed environment of the wireless device based on sensor data from a plurality of sensors, and short-cut data describing at least one bookmark for said wireless device and the at least one preference instruction; and

a processor for processing network activity data and short-cut data in accordance with the at least one preference instruction, wherein said network access apparatus receives from a recommendation engine at least one recommended service from a plurality of services available in accordance with the processed data, wherein each of the at least one recommended service having at least one short-cut associated therewith.

75. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the preference instruction is correlated to the network activity data.

76. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein said bookmark is further processed and transmitted as an icon.

77. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises access times for services.

78. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises the number of links embedded within the at least one service.

79. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises links to a specified number of services.

80. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that cannot be used by following the known links from a current service.

81. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be used by following a known link from a current service being accessed.

82. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

83. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are not located in the same host as a current service being accessed.

84. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises access frequency of the services.

85. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are accessed for the first time.

86. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that can be accessed using a hypertext link from the current service.

87. The wireless device according to claim 75, wherein the preference instruction comprises services that are currently accessed.

88. The wireless device according to claim 74 wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed environment of the wireless device.

89. The wireless device according to claim 88, wherein the currently sensed environment is established through at least one sensor.

90. The wireless device according to claim 89, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of a position sensor, a compass, a touch sensor, an audio sensor, a light sensor and a temperature sensor.

91. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the context information comprises a currently sensed network access point of the wireless device.

92. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein said short-cut data is transmitted in an XML format.

93. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the context information comprises a time of day.

94. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the context information comprises a day of the week.

95. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the context information comprises a logical terminal location.

96. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the context information comprises a type of network connection.

97. The wireless device according to claim 74, wherein the context information comprises an operational mode of the device.

98. A computer readable memory containing program instructions, executable in a computer system, for enabling user access to services through a wireless device and providing a recommendation service, comprising:

program instructions for obtaining network activity data comprising services previously accessed by a user, including context information describing sensed environment of a wireless device based on sensor data from a plurality of sensors, and short-cut data describing at least one bookmark for said wireless device, along with at least one preference instruction for describing services accessed by the user and related to a user'"'"'s usage of the services;

program instructions for processing the network activity data in accordance with the at least one preference instruction; and

program instructions for generating in a recommendation engine in the wireless device, in accordance with the at least one preference instruction, at least one recommended service from a plurality of services available, wherein each of the at least one recommended service having at least one short-cut associated therewith.