Methods and apparatus for complementing user entries associated with events of interest through context

• US 8,688,549 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ebling, Maria Rene, Stern, Edith Helen, Vortman, Pnina
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilder, Hunter
• Application Number:
  US13/873,547
• Publication Number:
  US 20130238567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 707/999.107, 709/217, 715/FOR.217, 715/225, 704/4, 705/30
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2365 Ensuring data consistency and integrity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/10 Tax strategies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

Data validation techniques are provided. For example, such techniques complement user entries associated with events of interest through context. In one aspect of the invention, a technique for processing one or more user entries associated with one or more events of interest includes the following steps/operations. Context associated with the one or more events of interest is obtained. At least a portion of the obtained context is associated with one or more user entries representing events of interest. At least a portion of the one or more user entries is evaluated, responsive to at least a portion of the context. An indication of the one or more events of interest is provided, responsive to the evaluation.

Claims

1. A method of processing one or more user entries in a user data entry system, comprising the steps of:

obtaining context data associated with one or more events of interest, wherein the events of interest are pre-specified events for which pre-specified types of context data are collected and stored for use as validation data to validate and reconcile user entries of a user, wherein the obtained context data comprises information regarding a physical environment of the user;

associating at least a portion of the obtained context data of the user with one or more user entries representing at least one of the one or more events of interest;

evaluating at least a portion of the one or more user entries responsive to at least a portion of the obtained context data; and

providing an indication of the evaluation indicating the validity of the one or more user entries,

wherein obtaining, associated, evaluating and providing are steps that are performed by a computer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of obtaining a specification of context data associated with the one or more events of interest.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of specifying the one or more events of interest.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining context data further comprises obtaining at least one of a location, a time at location, a proximity to a location, a proximity to a person, a proximity to a device, a proximity to a person satisfying a condition, a proximity to a location during a specified time interval, an application invocation, a duration of an application invocation, a duration of an application focus on a particular subject, an application invocation during a specified time interval, a user input, a duration of a user input session, a proximity to multiple persons and a location, a calendar, a work assignment, and a workflow stage.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein obtaining a location comprises obtaining a physical location.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of mapping a physical location onto a logical location.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one of the proximities is determined in accordance with an identification device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the context data is obtained through at least one of a computer program, a file transfer, a batch mode, a communications network, a communications-enabled device, and a polling mechanism.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the context data is obtained from one or more sources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the context data is obtained from at least one of a calendar, a global positioning system, user entry, a video, a sensor associated with a person, a sensor not associated with a person, and a proximity to a wireless access point.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating at least a portion of the obtained context data is responsive to at least one of a time of day, a time of the one or more events of interest, a location of the one or more events of interest, a location of entity, a source of context, and an entity associated with the context data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein evaluating the one or more user entries responsive to the obtained context data comprises at least one of a determination of validity, a determination of a likelihood of validity, a determination of a missing entry, and a determination of a missing element of an entry.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a workflow exists and at least one of the determinations comprises determining at least one workflow stage, the at least one workflow stage being associated with at least one context data type.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein providing an indication comprises at least one of providing a log, an error message, a warning, a default entry, an amended entry, a new entry, a deleted entry, a workflow, an e-mail, and a notification.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating step comprises the step of, responsive to at least two sources of context data, creating a composed source of context data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the composed source is created through a calculation.

17. An apparatus for processing one or more user entries in a user data entry system, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

(i) obtain context data associated with one or more events of interest, wherein the events of interest are pre-specified events for which pre-specified types of context data are collected and stored for use as validation data to validate and reconcile user entries of a user, wherein the obtained context data comprises information regarding a physical environment of the user;

(ii) associate at least a portion of the obtained context data of the user with one or more user entries representing at least one of the one or more events of interest;

(iii) evaluate at least a portion of the one or more user entries responsive to at least a portion of the obtained context data; and

(iv) provide an indication of the one or more events of interest responsive to the evaluation indicating the validity of the one or more user entries.

18. An article of manufacture processing one or more user entries associated with one or more events of interest, the article of manufacture comprising a physical machine readable storage medium containing one or more programs which when executed by a computer, implement the steps of:

obtaining context data associated with one or more events of interest, wherein the events of interest are pre-specified events for which pre-specified types of context data are collected and stored for use as validation data to validate and reconcile user entries of a user, wherein the obtained context data comprises information regarding a physical environment of the user;

associating at least a portion of the obtained context data of the user with one or more user entries representing at least one of the one or more events of interest;

evaluating at least a portion of the one or more user entries responsive to at least a portion of the obtained context data; and

providing an indication of the evaluation indicating the validity of the one or more user entries.

19. A method of providing a service for validating one or more user entries in a user data entry system, comprising the steps of:

a service provider providing a service to a customer which comprises obtaining context associated with one or more events of interest, wherein the events of interest are pre-specified events for which pre-specified types of context data are collected and stored for use as validation data to validate and reconcile user entries of a user, wherein the obtained context data comprises information regarding a physical environment of the user, associating at least a portion of the obtained context data of the user with one or more user entries representing at least one of the one or more events of interest, evaluating at least a portion of the one or more user entries responsive to at least a portion of the obtained context data; and

providing an indication of the evaluation indicating the validity of the one or more user entries, wherein obtaining, associated, evaluating and providing are steps that are performed by a computer of the service provider.