Multi-tasking interference model

• US 7,673,088 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Batrouny, Talal A., Pritchett, Thaddeus C., Wong, Curtis G., Horvitz, Eric J., Sather, Dale A., Reneris, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Rinehart; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huynh; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/771,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 710260-269, 710240-244, 386/66, 386/68, 386/83
• US Class Current: 710/262
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The subject disclosure pertains to a multi-tasking interference system. A gatekeeper receives primary and secondary inputs, and a quantifier ascertains attention values associated with primary inputs and interruption values associated with secondary inputs. Attention values are ascertained based on attributes associated with primary inputs such as type or genre of media presentation, temporal location within media presentation, or a likelihood of impending commercials. Based on a comparison between attention values and interruption values the gatekeeper determines whether, when, and how to interrupt the primary input with the secondary input and accordingly thereafter interrupts the primary input with the secondary input based on the foregoing assessment.

Claims

1. A multi-tasking interference system, comprising:

a processing unit configured by computer-executable instructions to implement the multi-tasking interference system;

a gatekeeper that receives a primary input comprising a media presentation and a secondary input comprising a detectable event, the gatekeeper comprising a data store and implemented as at least a part of the multi-tasking interference system;

a quantifier that ascertains an attention value associated with the primary input, and an interruption value associated with the secondary input, wherein the attention value is ascertained based at least on an attribute associated with the primary input, wherein the attribute comprises at least one of;

a category, a description, or a user preference score related to a user affinity for the primary input or a user distaste for interruptions; and

the gatekeeper determines whether to interrupt the primary input with the secondary input based at least upon;

a comparison between the attention value and the interruption value, wherein the attention value fluctuates with fluctuations in the user preference score; and

user preferences.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the attention value and interruption value are determined based at least upon explicit user preferences and implicit user preferences.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an interruption generator that generates an interruption by altering characteristics of at least one of the secondary input or the primary input.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the interruption generator alters at least one of the secondary input or the primary input by at least one of delaying delivery, altering duration, altering the means of delivery, altering volume, or altering appearance.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the secondary input comprises any detectable distraction from the media presentation.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the quantifier determines an initial attention value, and refreshes the attention value upon receiving the secondary input.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein during a presentation of the interrupting secondary input, the gatekeeper receives and filters newly arising secondary inputs.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the explicit user preferences comprise the user preference score assigned to at least one of the primary input or the secondary input.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the user preference score comprises a plurality of numerical values applied to a plurality of categories that describe the input.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the implicit user preference score comprises inferences made by monitoring actions taken by a user.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the attribute associated with the primary input comprises at least one of:

type of media presentation, genre of media presentation, an ascertained temporal location within a media presentation, or a probabilistically determined likelihood of an impending commercial based on the type of media presentation.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the type of media presentation includes recorded presentations, live presentations, educational presentations, or sporting events.

13. A processor-implemented method for filtering interruptions, comprising:

filtering the interruptions under control of one or more processors via operations including;

receiving a primary input;

obtaining a secondary input;

creating secondary input metadata categories, the secondary input metadata categories comprising at least one of;

identity, wherein identity refers to an initiator of the secondary input;

medium, wherein medium refers to a technology by which secondary input is conveyed;

level of emergency;

projected duration, wherein projected duration refers to an estimated time that the secondary input will last;

or

time of day;

determining an attention value from the primary input;

ascertaining an interruption value from the secondary input and

secondary input metadata categories; and

comparing the attention value to the interruption value and determining whether to interrupt the primary input with the secondary input based at least in part upon the comparison.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving at least one of explicit user preferences or implicit user preferences.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the attention value and interruption value are based, at least in part, upon user preferences.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising creating an interruption by altering at least one characteristic of at least one of the secondary input or the primary input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the altered characteristic comprise at least one of:

time of delivery, duration, volume, appearance, or frequency.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving a new secondary input during an interruption created from an earlier secondary input.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising interrupting the primary input with the secondary input if the secondary input is marked as a per se interrupter.

20. A computer readable storage medium having computer executable instructions encoded thereon, the computer executable instructions upon execution configuring a processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a primary input comprising a media presentation;

receiving a secondary input comprising a detectable event;

creating secondary input metadata categories, the secondary input metadata categories comprising at least one of;

identity, wherein identity refers to an initiator of the secondary input;

medium, wherein medium refers to a technology by which secondary input is conveyed;

level of emergency;

projected duration, wherein projected duration refers to an estimated time that the secondary input will last;

or

time of day;

assessing an attention value for the primary input, wherein the attention value is assessed based at least in part on an attribute associated with the primary input, wherein the attribute comprises at least one of;

a category, a description, or a user preference score related to a user affinity for the primary input or a user distaste for interruptions;

ascertaining an interruption value for the secondary input and secondary input metadata categories; and

determining whether, when, and how to interrupt the primary input with the secondary input based at least in part on the attention value and the interruption value.