Representation, decision models, and user interface for encoding managing preferences, and performing automated decision making about the timing and modalities of interpersonal communications

• US 8,402,148 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HIGA, BRENDAN Y
• Application Number:
  US11/965,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20080104517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,909 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709220-222, 709227-229, 709/240, 709/249, 379265-2661, 455414-420
• US Class Current: 709/228
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/59 Providing operational support to end devices by off-loading in the network or by emulation, e.g. when they are unavailable
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42229 Personal communication services, i.e. services related to one subscriber independent of his terminal and/or location diverting calls from one subscriber to another subscriber, i.e. two different subscriptions H04M3/54; selecting arrangements in intelligent networks H04Q3/005
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 : Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing a user interface that can be employed by contactors and contactees in conjunction with a communications architecture for identifying and establishing an optimal communication based on preferences, capabilities, contexts and goals of the parties to engage in the communication. The user interface can include a graphical display having a plurality of display objects and associated input fields operable by one or more parties to a communication in order to facilitate convenient access, control, personalization and communications via the communications architecture. For example, configuration capabilities are provided in the user interface to enable operational adjustments to one or more operating parameters, communications groupings, policies and/or context preferences relating to a preferred modality of communication and to potential parties of communication between the contactors and contactees. User interface controls are also provided for defining deterministic policies and for encoding preferences for cost-benefit analyses.

Claims

1. A system to facilitate communications between parties comprising at least one of a contactor and a contactee, the system comprising:

a user interface that receives input specifying N parameters, the N parameters comprising a cost to the contactee of deferring a communication between the parties until a predetermined time, the cost is specified for at least one contactor based on identity of the at least one contactor and a comparison of a current state of the contactee and a future state of the contactee at the predetermined time, the current state comprising at least one first communication modality currently available to the contactee and the future state comprising at least one second communication modality projected to be available to the contactee at the predetermined time;

a data store that receives the N parameters from the user interface, wherein;

N is an integer,

the N parameters relate to at least one of a communications preference, context, or policy,

the N parameters are employed to guide decisions that facilitate communications between the parties, and

at least one of the N parameters relates to the cost to the contactee of deferring the communication; and

at least one computer processor that facilitates communications between the parties based upon a negotiation of the N parameters, wherein the negotiation comprises assessing the cost to the contactee of deferring the communication and a cost to the contactor of deferring the communication until the predetermined time.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the N parameters further comprise one or more communications configuration parameters.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store further comprises monitoring information for at least one of the contactor and the contactee;

wherein the information includes at least one of an inferred or user setting regarding context of the parties or one or more gestures regarding communications preferences and capabilities of the parties; and

wherein the context of the parties includes at least one of an availability, a task, a location, a current or recent software usage, an attentional status, a busy-ness state, a calendar appointment status, a recent communication history between at least one of the contactor and the contactee, or a status of shared projects or files among at least one of the contactor and the contactee.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more gestures is at least one of a predetermined or an inferred gesture that provides information between the parties when communications are attempted;

and wherein the one or more gestures further comprise at least one of busy information, availability information, hardware information, channel reliability information, or urgency information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store further comprises K communications preferences, wherein K is an integer that relates to at least one of a present or future ability to communicate.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising L selected groupings of potential parties to a communication;

wherein L is an integer; and

wherein the selected groupings include at least one of a static, a relationship, or a dynamic grouping.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising M policy settings to control how, when, and if the patties communicate;

wherein M is an integer; and

wherein the policy settings are assigned to selected groupings via the user interface including at least one of a drag and drop assignment, an advanced assignment, a user-defined assignment, or a conditional assignment.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store further comprises at least one user state;

wherein the at least one user state includes at least one of a state of busy-ness or a state of availability; and

wherein the at least one user state is configured in at least one of a disjunctive manner or a conjunctive manner.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store further comprises a consideration of the utility of communications for different times in the future, based on current contexts of at least one of the contactor and the contactee, or based on forecasts of future contexts of at least one of the contactor and the contactee.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the data store further comprises an encoding of preference information in a parameter representing at least one of the cost to the contactor of deferring the communication and the cost to the contactee of deferring the communication as a function of time and at least one of an identity, group memberships, relationships, or contexts of at least one of the contactor and the contactee.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the encoding of preference information includes at least one of the cost of to the contactor deferring the communication and the cost to the contactee of deferring the communication, based on a decision-theoretic analysis of an expected utility of the best modality and time for scheduling a communication.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the encoding of preference information includes a contactee'"'"'s desire to communicate a stored message with contactors associated with at least one of particular identities, groups, or contexts to receive;

and wherein the encoding of preference information relating to the contactee is stored to capture preferences about communicating some portion of the present or future context of the contactee.

13. A method to facilitate communications between parties comprising a contactor and a contactee, the method comprising:

with at least one processor;

negotiating at least one of a communications preference, context, or policy between of the contactor and the contactee who desire to enter into a communication session, wherein the negotiation uses a cost to the contactor of deferring the communication session between the parties until a predetermined time and a cost to the contactee of deferring the communication session between the parties until the predetermined time, the cost to the contactee is specified by the contactee for the contactor based on an identity of the contactor and based on a comparison of a current state of the contactee and a projected state of the contactee at the predetermined time, the current state comprising at least one first communication modality currently available to the contactee and the projected state comprising at least one second communication modality projected to be available to the contactee at the predetermined time;

employing the at least one of the communications preference, context, or policy to guide decisions that facilitate communications between the contactor and the contactee; and

conducting the communication session based on the negotiation of the at least one of the communications preference, context, or policy.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

monitoring information for at least one of the contactor and the contactee that includes at least one of an inferred or user setting regarding context of the parties or one or more gestures regarding communications preferences and capabilities of the parties;

wherein the context of the parties includes at least one of an availability, a task, a location, a current or recent software usage, an attentional status, a busy-ness state, a calendar appointment status, a recent communication history between at least one of the contactor and the contactee, or a status of shared projects or files among at least one of the contactor and the contactee.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

providing information between the parties when communications are attempted as a function of the one or more gestures; and

wherein the one or more gestures further comprise at least one of busy information, availability information, hardware information, channel reliability information, or urgency information.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling how, when, and if the parties communicate as a function of policy settings;

wherein the policy settings are assigned to selected groupings via a user interface including at least one of a drag and drop assignment, an advanced assignment, a user-defined assignment, or a conditional assignment.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

considering the utility of communications for different times in the future, based on current contexts of at least one of the contactor and the contactee or based on forecasts of future contexts of at least one of the contactor and the contactee.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

encoding preference information in a parameter representing at least one of the cost to the contactor of deferring the communication and the cost to the contactee of deferring the communication as a function of time and at least one of an identity, group memberships, relationships, or contexts of at least one of the contactor and the contactee.

19. A computer system to facilitate communications between parties, the computer system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one first process configured to, when executed with the at least one processor, negotiate communication preferences between the parties, wherein the communications preferences are based on at least one of a present or future ability to communicate;

at least one second process configured to monitor information for the parties, wherein the information includes a recent communication history between the parties and a status of shared projects or files among the parties; and

at least one third process configured to facilitate optimal communications between the parties based on the monitored information and negotiated communications preferences.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

at least one fourth process configured to select groupings of potential parties to a communication, wherein the groupings comprise at least one of a static, a relationship, or a dynamic grouping.