System and method for a context-awareness platform

• US 7,716,651 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2005
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Dayakar, Kamesh Chander Tumsi, Soin, Ravipal, Hahn, Christopher Michael, Cukierman, Ryan Edward, Madan, Vikram
• Primary Examiner(s): Yigdall; Michael J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wang; Ben C
• Application Number:
  US11/044,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 717/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/543 Local
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

An improved system and method for a context-awareness platform that may be used to adapt an execution environment is provided. A framework with interfaces for setting, tracking, and getting context information about the execution environment of a computer system includes a context engine and a unified data store for aggregating context information at a platform level for access by executables running on the platform. The context engine may receive requests to perform context information operations from executables such as setting, tracking and getting context information in the data store. Upon receiving a notification of a change in context information, one or more executables may change the execution environment such as reconfiguring system settings. In this way, an executable may adapt its execution environment using context information.

Claims

1. In a computing device on which multiple executables run, a method for receiving updates to context information from a first executable and notifying a second executable of the updates, the method comprising:

receiving, at a context engine, a request from the second executable to register the second executable to receive notifications of updates to the context information of the computing device;

the context engine associating the second executable with the context information, wherein the context information is stored in a computer storage medium;

receiving, at the context engine, a request from the first executable to update the context information;

the context engine updating the context information, wherein the context information is stored as a client object that contains the following;

a first context object that defines the context information before the context information was updated, a second context object that defines the current context information, a property that identifies the type of the first and second context objects, and a flag that indicates whether the first executable is currently resident in memory;

upon updating the context information, the context engine determining that the second executable is registered to receive notifications of updates to the context information; and

the context engine sending a notification to the second executable that the context information has been updated; and

upon receiving the notification, the second executable accessing the client object and updating system settings of the computing device based on the contents of the client object, wherein the system settings comprise one or more of;

a default printer setting;

a default internet browser home page; and

internet browser proxy settings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the context information represents a context of a network to which the computing device is connected, and wherein the notification indicates the current context and the previous context of the network, such that the current context indicates that the computing device is connected to the a first network and the previous context indicates that the computing device was either connected to another network, or was not connected to any network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the context engine updating the context information further comprises:

the context engine storing the client object and any executables that have requested notifications of changes in the context information in an update object;

the context engine placing the update object in a queue and awakening a context notifier by spawning a separate thread; and

wherein the context engine sending the notification further comprises;

the context notifier accessing the update object to determine that the notification should be sent to the second executable; and

the context notifier spawning a notifier thread to asynchronously send the notification to the second executable.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

storing the update object in persistent memory after a predetermined time has elapsed without receiving an update to the context information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the context engine stores a list of the executables that have requested notifications of changes in the context information in a separate notification list that associates the context information with each of the executables.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the context engine, a request from a third executable to register the third executable to receive notifications of changes to second context information, wherein the second context information comprises one of;

user context information;

executable context information; and

system context information; and

the context engine associating the third executable with the second context information such that upon the second context information being updated, the context engine sends a notification of the update to the third executable.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

user context information comprises an indication that the user is performing one of surfing the web and using a presentation program;

executable context information comprises one of program settings and opened files; and

system context information comprises one of battery power level and network connectivity.

8. A computer storage media having stored computer executable instructions which when executed, by a processor of a computing device on which multiple executables run, perform a method for receiving updates to context information from a first executable and notifying a second executable of the updates comprising:

receiving, at a context engine, a request from the second executable to register the second executable to receive notifications of updates to the context information of the computing device;

the context engine associating the second executable with the context information;

receiving, at the context engine, a request from the first executable to update the context information;

the context engine updating the context information, wherein the context information is stored as a client object that contains the following;

a first context

object that defines the context information before the context information was updated, a second context object that defines the current context information, a property that identifies the type of the first and second context objects, and a flag that indicates whether the first executable is currently resident in memory;

upon updating the context information, the context engine determining that the second executable is registered to receive notifications of updates to the context information; and

the context engine sending a notification to the second executable that the context information has been updated; and

upon receiving the notification, the second executable accessing the client object and updating system settings of the computing device based on the contents of the client object, wherein the system settings comprise one or more of;

a default printer setting;

a default internet browser home page; and

internet browser proxy settings.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the context information represents a context of a network to which the computing device is connected, and wherein the notification indicates the current context and the previous context of the network, such that the current context indicates that the computing device is connected to the a first network and the previous context indicates that the computing device was either connected to another network, or was not connected to any network.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the context engine updating the context information further comprises:

the context engine storing the client object and any executables that have requested notifications of changes in the context information in an update object;

the context engine placing the update object in a queue and awakening a context notifier by spawning a separate thread; and

wherein the context engine sending the notification further comprises;

the context notifier accessing the update object to determine that the notification should be sent to the second executable; and

the context notifier spawning a notifier thread to asynchronously send the notification to the second executable.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

storing the update object in persistent memory after a predetermined time has elapsed without receiving an update to the context information.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 8, wherein the context engine stores a list of the executables that have requested notifications of changes in the context information in a separate notification list that associates the context information with each of the executables.

13. The computer storage medium of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, at the context engine, a request from a third executable to register the third executable to receive notifications of changes to second context information, wherein the second context information comprises one of;

user context information;

executable context information; and

system context information; and

the context engine associating the third executable with the second context information such that upon the second context information being updated, the context engine sends a notification of the update to the third executable.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

user context information comprises an indication that the user is performing one of surfing the web and using a presentation program;

executable context information comprises one of program settings and opened files; and

system context information comprises one of battery power level and network connectivity.