Context-based identification of entity with which communication occurs
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:
- a processor;
a data retention device coupled to said processor and that stores instructions that are executable on said processor; and
a service module coupled to said data retention device and that receives, from each entity in a plurality of entities, registrations of each of said entities'"'"' presence and first information other than location information, wherein said first information comprises an entity-specific value for a quantifiable and variable property associated with said entities, and wherein said service module receives, from a component, a request for said service module to identify which of said entities has a value for said property that satisfies a specified criterion, wherein said request further comprises a context, wherein said context comprises second information other than location information that generally describes a targeted entity but does not specifically identify said targeted entity and wherein a message is associated with said request, wherein in response to said request said service module performs a search of said first information and provides, to said component, identification of one or more of said entities whose respective value for said property satisfies said criterion and unique contact information for each of said one or more entities, and wherein in response to receiving said identification, said component causes said message to be automatically delivered to said one or more entities;
wherein said context comprises descriptions of locations of said entities, wherein said context comprises a description of a geographic position, wherein said service module ascertains said one or more of said entities based on which of said entities'"'"' description of location satisfies a positional predicate with respect to the geographic position described in said context.
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Abstract
An entity is made the target of a communication—such as instant messaging, E-mail, or VoIP—based on a specification of context that the entity satisfies. A user (or other type of entity) who wishes to communication with one or more entities that satisfy a particular context specifies that context at the time the communication is to be sent. A system resolves the context by ascertaining which one or more entities satisfy the context, and the communication is sent to the ascertained entities. In one example, a user can specify that a message is to be sent to an entity at a particular geographic location, and the system chooses the one or more entities that are nearest to the specified location.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a processor; a data retention device coupled to said processor and that stores instructions that are executable on said processor; and a service module coupled to said data retention device and that receives, from each entity in a plurality of entities, registrations of each of said entities'"'"' presence and first information other than location information, wherein said first information comprises an entity-specific value for a quantifiable and variable property associated with said entities, and wherein said service module receives, from a component, a request for said service module to identify which of said entities has a value for said property that satisfies a specified criterion, wherein said request further comprises a context, wherein said context comprises second information other than location information that generally describes a targeted entity but does not specifically identify said targeted entity and wherein a message is associated with said request, wherein in response to said request said service module performs a search of said first information and provides, to said component, identification of one or more of said entities whose respective value for said property satisfies said criterion and unique contact information for each of said one or more entities, and wherein in response to receiving said identification, said component causes said message to be automatically delivered to said one or more entities; wherein said context comprises descriptions of locations of said entities, wherein said context comprises a description of a geographic position, wherein said service module ascertains said one or more of said entities based on which of said entities'"'"' description of location satisfies a positional predicate with respect to the geographic position described in said context. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage media having stored thereon computer-executable instructions to implement a method comprising:
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receiving registrations from a first set of entities of a plurality of entities, each registration representing presence of a respective entity in said first set; receiving items of information descriptive of contexts associated with each entity in said first set of entities, wherein said contexts comprises first information comprising information other than locations of said entities in said first set, wherein said first set information comprises an entity-specific value for a quantifiable and variable property associated with said entities in said first set; receiving a request to identify which of said entities in said first set has a value for said property that satisfies a specified criterion, wherein said request further comprises a context, wherein said context comprises second information other than location information that generally describes a targeted entity but does not specifically identify said targeted entity and wherein a message is associated with said context; based on said registrations, said first information, and said second information and in response to said request, searching said first information and ascertaining a second set of entities selected from said first set, wherein entities contained in said second set have a value for said property that satisfies said criterion, wherein each of said entities in said second set is associated with an identifier comprising unique contact information for each entity in said second set; and providing identification of said second set of entities and said identifier for each entity in said second set, wherein in response to said identification being received, said message is automatically delivered to said second set of entities; wherein said context comprises descriptions of locations of said entities, wherein said context comprises a description of a geographic position, wherein said service module ascertains said one or more of said entities based on which of said entities'"'"' description of location satisfies a positional predicate with respect to the geographic position described in said context. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method comprising:
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receiving registrations from a first set of entities of a plurality of entities, each registration representing presence of a respective entity in said first set; receiving items of information descriptive of contexts associated with each entity in said first set of entities, wherein said contexts comprises first information comprising information other than locations of said entities in said first set, wherein said first set information comprises an entity-specific value for a quantifiable and variable property associated with said entities in said first set; receiving a request to identify which of said entities in said first set has a value for said property that satisfies a specified criterion, wherein said request further comprises a context, wherein said context comprises second information other than location information that generally describes a targeted entity but does not specifically identify said targeted entity and wherein a message is associated with said context; based on said registrations, said first information, and said second information and in response to said request, searching said first information and ascertaining a second set of entities selected from said first set, wherein entities contained in said second set have a value for said property that satisfies said criterion, wherein each of said entities in said second set is associated with an identifier comprising unique contact information for each entity in said second set; and providing identification of said second set of entities and said identifier for each entity in said second set, wherein in response to said identification being received, said message is automatically delivered to said second set of entities; wherein said context comprises descriptions of locations of said entities, wherein said context comprises a description of a geographic position, wherein said service module ascertains said one or more of said entities based on which of said entities'"'"' description of location satisfies a positional predicate with respect to the geographic position described in said context. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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Specification