Smart reminder management

• US 8,825,510 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hamilton, Rick A., Kozloski, James R., Pickover, Clifford A., Rish, Irina
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYCE, ANDRE D
• Application Number:
  US13/611,397
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.21
• US Class Current: 705/7.21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Techniques for smart reminder management. A method includes receiving input pertaining to a user task for which a schedule reminder is to be managed, automatically determining a timing and repetition management scheme for the schedule reminder based on a user model, analysis of current user context and a model of oscillators, determining a confidence level for the schedule reminder, associating the confidence level with the timing and repetition management scheme, and conveying the schedule reminder to the user in accordance with the timing and repetition management scheme.

Claims

1. A method for automatically managing a schedule reminder, the method comprising steps of:

receiving input pertaining to a user task for which a schedule reminder is to be managed;

automatically determining a timing and repetition management scheme for the schedule reminder based on (i) a user model that associates a value with each of multiple needs of the user relative to each of the other multiple needs of the user, (ii) analysis of current user context and (iii) a model of coupled nonlinear oscillators, wherein;

one or more oscillators in said model of coupled nonlinear oscillators adjust in connection with said received input from the user via a user interface, thereby dynamically altering the timing and repetition management scheme based on a coupling interaction with the one or more other oscillators in said model of coupled nonlinear oscillators; and

one or more oscillators in said model of coupled nonlinear oscillators adjust in connection with an oscillator associated with one or more additional users corresponding to the task for which the schedule reminder is to be managed, thereby dynamically altering the timing and repetition management scheme by synchronizing the one or more oscillators in said model of coupled nonlinear oscillators with the oscillator associated with the one or more additional users;

determining a confidence level for the schedule reminder based on one or more probabilistic models and one or more information-theoretic computations;

requesting from the user one or more items of information pertaining to the schedule reminder if the confidence level is below a threshold;

associating the confidence level with the timing and repetition management scheme; and

conveying the schedule reminder to the user in accordance with the timing and repetition management scheme;

wherein each of the steps is carried out by a computer device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing and repetition management scheme is further based on an analysis of the user'"'"'s past use of a timing and repetition management scheme, an analysis of other tasks and/or reminders currently competing for the user'"'"'s attention, and/or an analysis of other tasks and/or reminders forecast to be competing for the user'"'"'s attention.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

quantifying a risk of forgetting the task associated with the schedule reminder; and

translating the risk of forgetting the task into a frequency.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

quantifying an interruption risk for the task associated with the schedule reminder; and

translating the interruption risk into a phase shift.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a user voice command.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a user interface input.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a physiological measure of the user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises the user model.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a communication link from a timing and repetition management scheme for a separate task.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the input comprises a communication link from a timing and repetition management scheme for a separate user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the timing and repetition management scheme for the schedule reminder comprises a determined delay time for the schedule reminder.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the current user context comprises other schedule reminders for the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically determining a timing and repetition management scheme for the schedule reminder is further based on models of other users of a similar demographic to the user.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user model comprises information pertaining to at least one of a user characteristic, a user preference, and a user limitation.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein conveying the schedule reminder to the user comprises conveying a visual display of the schedule reminder that associates at least one of urgency, need, and proximity in time with a visual dimension.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the visual dimension comprises at least one of color, size, contrast, and a depth cue.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein conveying the schedule reminder to the user comprises conveying an audio signal to the user.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically triggering an amelioration action in response to an ineffective schedule reminder conveyance.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the timing and repetition management scheme for the schedule reminder based on additional inputs.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

implementing an active-learning component to query user to provide additional information about at least one of a potential scheduler reminder and an existing schedule reminder.