System and method for contextual addressing of communications on a network

• US 8,671,154 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: R2 Solutions LLC (Acacia Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Marc Eliot, Herendeen, Julie, Boerries, Marco, Higgins, Christopher William, O'Sullivan, Joseph James, Martinez, Ronald, Trout, Robert Carter
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARON, JAMES T
• Application Number:
  US11/953,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20090150514A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/365 Application layer names, e.g. buddy names, unstructured names chosen by a user or home appliance name
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/30 Managing network names, e.g. use of aliases or nicknames name-to-address mapping H04L61/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

The disclosure describes systems and methods delivering communications based on contextual addresses. An address string containing two or more identifiers, which may not be unique identifiers, and at least one conditional operator are provided as the address for a message or communication. The system identifies contextual relationships between a plurality of entities based on prior communications between the entities over the network. Based the contextual relationships, each identifier in the address string is disambiguated to identify one of the entities as a recipient and any associated delivery conditions controlling the delivery of the communication. The communication is then delivered to the identified recipient in accordance with the delivery condition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, a request from a sender real-world entity (RWE) to deliver a first IO to a recipient RWE, such that the request identifies the recipient RWE by providing an address string including at least a first non-unique descriptor, a second non-unique descriptor and a conditional operator identifying a relationship between the first and second non-unique descriptors;

retrieving, via a network, social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data available to the network associated with the sender RWE, a plurality of other RWEs and a plurality of IOs potentially related to the descriptors in the address string;

graphing, using the computing device, the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data to identify relationships between the sender RWE, the first IO, each RWE of the plurality of other RWEs and each IO of the plurality of IOs potentially related to the descriptors in the address string, the graphing comprising creating a combined graph of combinations of RWEs and IOs to which the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data relate;

selecting, via the computing device, the recipient RWE from the plurality of other RWEs based on the results of the graphing operation;

identifying, at the computing device, a delivery condition in the address string;

determining, at the computing device, the delivery condition is met by monitoring social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data available to the network related to the delivery condition; and

in response to determining the delivery condition is met, transmitting, over the network, the first IO to the selected recipient RWE using a unique identifier associated with the recipient RWE.

2. The method of claim 1, such that selecting further comprises:

identifying, based on the results of the graphing operation, a first plurality of identified RWEs comprising at least a subset of the plurality of other RWEs identified by the first non-unique descriptor;

identifying, based on the results of the graphing operation, a second plurality of identified RWEs comprising at least a subset of the plurality of other RWEs identified by the second non-unique descriptor and the delivery condition;

generating, based on the results of the graphing operation, a respective probability score for each combination of a respective one of the first plurality of identified RWEs and a respective one of the second plurality of identified RWEs;

selecting one of the combinations based on the respective probability score of the respective combination; and

selecting the recipient RWE from the RWEs in the selected combination based on the conditional operator.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the unique identifier for the recipient RWE from a set of unique identifiers associated with the recipient RWE.

4. The method of claim 3, such that each unique identifier in the set of unique identifiers is associated with a respective one of a plurality of channels and the method further comprises:

selecting, based on the request, a selected one of the plurality of communication channels for transmitting the first IO to the recipient RWE; and

selecting the unique identifier for the recipient RWE associated with the selected one of the plurality of communication channels.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, based on the results of the graphing operation, a plurality of identified RWEs comprising at least a subset of the plurality of other RWEs identified by the first non-unique descriptor;

generating a respective probability score for each RWE of the plurality of identified RWEs based on the results of the graphing operation;

selecting the recipient RWE from the plurality of identified RWEs based on probability scores.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying the first non-unique descriptor as a generic identifier for a service; and

selecting the recipient RWE from a list of third RWEs associated with the service.

11. The method of claim 1, such that combined graph comprises a histogram.

12. The method of claim 1, such that the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data comprise a feature vector comprising raw sensed data relating to RWEs and contextual and periodic patterns of the states and action of RWEs.

13. The method of claim 12, such that graphing comprise processing the feature vector to determine similarity, difference, clustering, hierarchical and graph and inferential relationships between RWEs to which the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data relate.

14. The method of claim 1, such that graphing operation comprises:

graphing, using the computing device, the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data to identify relationships between the sender RWE, the plurality of other RWEs and the plurality of IOs, the graphing comprising creating a combined graph of combinations of RWEs and IOs to which the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data relate;

a first graphing operation to determine the relationships between the sender RWE, the first IO and other RWEs potentially identified by the first identifier in the address string;

a second graphing to determine the relationships between the sender RWE, the first IO and other RWEs potentially be identified by the second identifier in the address string; and

a third graphing operation to determine relationships between the other RWEs potentially identified by the first identifier in the address string and other RWEs potentially be identified by the second identifier in the address string.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium tangibly encoding instructions, which when executed by a computer, perform a method:

receiving, at a computing device, a request from a sender real-world entity (RWE) to deliver a first IO to a recipient RWE, such that the request identifies the recipient RWE by providing an address string including at least a first non-unique descriptor, a second non-unique descriptor and a conditional operator identifying a relationship between the first and second non-unique descriptors;

retrieving, via a network, social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data available to the network associated with the sender RWE, a plurality of other RWEs and a plurality of IOs potentially related to the descriptors in the address string;

graphing, using the computing device, the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data to identify relationships between the sender RWE, the first IO, each RWE of the plurality of other RWEs and each IO of the plurality of IOs potentially related to the descriptors in the address string, the graphing comprising creating a combined graph of combinations of RWEs and IOs to which the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data relate;

selecting, via the computing device, the recipient RWE from the plurality of other RWEs based on the results of the graphing operation;

identifying, at the computing device, a delivery condition in the address string;

determining, at the computing device, the delivery condition is met by monitoring social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data available to the network related to the delivery condition; and

in response to determining the delivery condition is met, transmitting, over the network, the first IO to the selected recipient RWE using a unique identifier associated with the recipient RWE.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, such that selecting further comprises:

transmitting information associated with the selected target RWE to the sender RWE; and

receiving confirmation from the sender RWE that the selected target RWE is the target RWE identified by the request.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, such that the method further comprises:

searching each IO of the plurality of IOs for data that relates to each non-unique descriptor of the plurality of non-unique descriptors;

for each IO of the plurality of IOs having data that relates to one or more non-unique descriptors of the plurality of non-unique descriptors, identifying a respective RWE of the plurality of RWEs on the network associated with the respective IO and an association context describing a relationship between the identified RWE and the one or more non-unique descriptors of the plurality of non-unique descriptors; and

generating the probability score for each RWE of one or more of the plurality of RWEs on the network based on the association contexts identified for the respective RWE.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, such that generating a probability score further comprises:

for each RWE of the plurality of RWEs on the network associated with a non-unique descriptor by one or more IOs of the plurality of IOs, generating a descriptor-specific probability score for the respective RWE based on the association contexts, the descriptor-specific probability score describing a probability that the non-unique descriptor refers to the respective RWE; and

generating, for each RWE of one or more of the of the plurality of RWEs on the network, an overall probability score based on the descriptor-specific probability scores, the overall probability score describing a probability that the address string identifies the respective RWE.

15. A computing device comprising:

a processor;

a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the program logic comprising;

logic executed by the processor for receiving a request from a sender real-world entity (RWE) to deliver a first IO to a recipient RWE, such that the request identifies the recipient RWE by providing an address string including at least a first non-unique descriptor, a second non-unique descriptor and a conditional operator identifying a relationship between the first and second non-unique descriptors;

logic executed by the processor for retrieving, via a network, social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data available to the network associated with the sender RWE, a plurality of other RWEs and a plurality of IOs potentially related to the descriptors in the address string;

logic executed by the processor for graphing the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data to identify relationships between the sender RWE, the first IO, each RWE of the plurality of other RWEs and each IO of the plurality of IOs potentially related to the descriptors in the address string, the graphing comprising creating a combined graph of combinations of RWEs and IOs to which the social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data relate;

logic executed by the processor for selecting the recipient RWE from the plurality of other RWEs based on the results of the graphing operation;

logic executed by the processor for identifying a delivery condition in the address string;

logic executed by the processor for determining the delivery condition is met by monitoring social data, spatial data, temporal data and logical data available to the network related to the delivery condition; and

logic executed by the processor for, in response to determining the delivery condition is met, transmitting, over the network, the first IO to the selected recipient RWE using a unique identifier associated with the recipient RWE.

16. The computing device of claim 15, such that logic for selecting the recipient RWE further comprises:

logic executed by the processor for identifying, based on the results of the graphing operation, a first plurality of identified RWEs comprising at least a subset of the plurality of other RWEs identified by the first non-unique descriptor;

logic executed by the processor for identifying, based on the results of the graphing operation, a second plurality of identified RWEs comprising at least a subset of the plurality of other RWEs identified by the second non-unique descriptor and the delivery condition;

logic executed by the processor for generating, based on the results of the graphing operation, a respective probability score for each combination of a respective one of the first plurality of identified RWEs and a respective one of the second plurality of identified RWEs;

logic executed by the processor for selecting one of the combinations based on the respective probability score of the respective combination; and

logic executed by the processor for selecting the recipient RWE from the RWEs in the selected combination based on the conditional operator.

17. The computing device of claim 15 further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for retrieving the unique identifier for the recipient RWE from a set of unique identifiers associated with the recipient RWE.

18. The computing device of claim 17, such that each unique identifier in the set of unique identifiers is associated with a respective one of a plurality of channels and the computing device further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for selecting, based on the request, a selected one of the plurality of communication channels for transmitting the first IO to the recipient RWE; and

logic executed by the processor for selecting the unique identifier for the recipient RWE associated with the selected one of the plurality of communication channels.

19. The computing device of claim 15 further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for identifying, based on the results of the graphing operation, a plurality of identified RWEs comprising at least a subset of the plurality of other RWEs identified by the first non-unique descriptor;

logic executed by the processor for generating a respective probability score for each RWE of the plurality of identified RWEs based on the results of the graphing operation;

logic executed by the processor for selecting the recipient RWE from the plurality of identified RWEs based on probability scores.

20. The computing device of claim 15 further comprising:

logic executed by the processor for identifying the first non-unique descriptor as a generic identifier for a service; and

logic executed by the processor for selecting the recipient RWE from a list of third RWEs associated with the service.