Method and apparatus for dynamically grouping items in applications

• US 9,335,893 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2009
• Issued: 05/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Original Assignee: HERE Global B.V. (HERE Holding Corporation)
• Inventors: Vayrynen, Jarno, Kennedy, Ian, Mikkonen, Teemu, Kytokorpi, Katja, Land, Jrg, Winner, Caitlin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Kieu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BASOM, BLAINE T
• Application Number:
  US12/649,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20110161883A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,324 Days
• Field of Search: 715/739, 715/751, 715/837
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions

Abstract

Techniques for dynamically grouping items include determining context associated with each group comprising one or more items; and determining current context at a device. In response to determining that prompted prompt is presented for input to indicate an item, a suggested group is determined based on the current context at the device and relevance of a context associated with the suggested group. The suggested group is presented. In some embodiments, prompted prompt is presented to name a suggested group; and, in response, data indicating the suggested group is stored as a permanent group associated with the name. In some embodiments, relevance is determined for each item of a group. A group avatar is generated based on M images associated with the items that have the most relevance.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, at an apparatus, a context associated with each of a plurality of groups, each of the groups comprising items;

determining, at the apparatus, a current context at a device, wherein the current context specifies one or more time conditions and one or more geographic locations associated with the device;

causing, at least in part by the apparatus, a generation of at least one relevance metric for the each group based, at least in part, on one or more factors associated with the items;

determining, at the apparatus, a multi-dimensional relevance metric of each item of the each group;

causing, at least in part by the apparatus, a generation of a group image for the each group based on a number M of images associated with the number M of items that are determined to have a multi-dimensional relevance metric value above a threshold value;

in response to a prompt presented for input to indicate at least one of the items, causing, at least in part by the apparatus, a presentation of at least two group images, wherein each of the group images includes a collage of representative images of the each presented group, and the each presented group matches a group multi-dimensional relevance metric threshold value based on the at least one relevance metric;

in response to one or more user inputs, generating, at the apparatus, a new group of items using the at least one of the items and one or more of the at least two group images;

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the new group;

determining, by the apparatus, an update to the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item based, at least in part, on a decay factor;

updating, by the apparatus, the collage of representative images of the each presented group based, at least in part, on the update to the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item; and

causing, at least in part by the apparatus, an updated presentation of the at least two group images based on the updated collage of representative images of the each presented group,

wherein the representative images of the each presented group are determined as most relevant to the current context at the device, and

wherein the presented group images are identical-sized and distinguishable from each other.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the current context further specifies at least one of a user identifier, an application executed on the device, a network service communicating with the device, a keyword from a sample of text, a topic for the sample of text, one or more network conditions, one or more applications being executed on the device, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the one or more network conditions include one or more network bandwidth conditions, one or more network noise conditions, or a combination thereof.

4. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a presentation of a prompt that requests a name for the new group; and

in response to receiving a name for the new group, storing data indicating the new group as a permanent group associated with the name received.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the collage of representative images are presented as identical-sized thumbnails within the each group image while distinguishable from each other.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item is based, at least in part, on one or more current context, one or more past context, one or more key word, counts, expired counts, a weighted sum of numbers of the counts and expired counts, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the images of the number of items to be included in the group image are determined as most relevant further based on one or more past context, one or more updates, one or more key words, one or more counts, one or more expired counts, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1,

wherein the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item includes at least two of recent activities, time periods, event frequencies, applications, and geolocations.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein each item is a contact for communications, an event, or a shopping item, and the most relevant items are presented as within the group image in order of most recently updated context.

10. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine a context associated with each of a plurality of groups, each of the groups comprising items;

determine a current context at a device, wherein the current context specifies one or more time conditions and one or more geographic locations associated with the device;

cause, at least in part, a generation of at least one relevance metric for the each group based, at least in part, on one or more factors associated with the items;

determine a multi-dimensional relevance metric of each item of the each group;

cause, at least in part, a generation of a group image for the each group based on a number M of images associated with the number M of items that are determined to have a multi-dimensional relevance metric value above a threshold value;

in response to a prompt presented for input to indicate at least one of the items, cause, at least in part, a presentation of at least two group images, wherein each of the group images includes a collage of representative images of the each presented group, and the each presented group matches a group multi-dimensional relevance metric threshold value based on the at least one relevance metric;

in response to one or more user inputs, generate a new group of items using the at least one of the items and one or more of the at least two group images;

cause, at least in part, a presentation of the new group;

determine an update to the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item based, at least in part, on a decay factor;

update the collage of representative images of the each presented group based, at least in part, on the update to the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item; and

cause, at least in part, an updated presentation of the at least two group images based on the updated collage of representative images of the each presented group,

wherein the representative images of the each presented group are determined as most relevant to the current context at the device, and

wherein the presented group images are identical-sized and distinguishable from each other.

11. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein each items is a contact for communications.

12. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the current context further specifies at least one of a user identifier, an application executed on the device, a network service communicating with the device, a keyword from a sample of text, a topic for the sample of text, one or more network conditions, one or more applications being executed on the device, or a combination thereof.

13. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further caused, at least in part, to:

cause a prompt to be presented, wherein the prompt requests a name for the new group; and

in response to receiving a name for the new group, cause data indicating the new group to be stored as a permanent group associated with the name received.

14. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the collage of representative images are presented as identical-sized thumbnails within the each group image while distinguishable from each other.

15. An apparatus of claim 14, wherein causing the new group to be presented further comprises causing a group image for the new group to be presented.

16. An apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is a mobile device further comprising:

user interface circuitry and user interface software configured to facilitate user control of at least two functions of the mobile device through use of a display and configured to respond to user input; and

a display and display circuitry configured to display at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile device, the display and display circuitry configured to facilitate user control of the at least two functions of the mobile device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:

determining a context associated with each of a plurality of groups, each of the groups comprising items;

determining a current context at a device, wherein the current context specifies one or more time conditions and one or more geographic locations associated with the device;

causing, at least in part, a generation of at least one relevance metric for the each group based, at least in part, on one or more factors associated with the items;

determining a multi-dimensional relevance metric of each item of the each group;

causing, at least in part, a generation of a group image for the each group based on a number M of images associated with the number M of items that are determined to have a multi-dimensional relevance metric value above a threshold value;

in response to a prompt presented for input to indicate at least one of the items, causing, at least in part, a presentation of at least two group images, wherein each of the group images includes a collage of representative images of the each presented group, and the each presented group matches a group multi-dimensional relevance metric threshold value based on the at least one relevance metric;

in response to one or more user inputs, generating a new group of items using the at least one of the items and one or more of the at least two group images;

causing, at least in part, a presentation of the new group;

determining an update to the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item based, at least in part, on a decay factor;

updating the collage of representative images of the each presented group based, at least in part, on the update to the multi-dimensional relevance metric of the each item; and

causing, at least in part, an updated presentation of the at least two group images based on the updated collage of representative images of the each presented group,

wherein the representative images of the each presented group are determined as most relevant to the current context at the device, and

wherein the presented group images are identical-sized and distinguishable from each other.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the current context further specifies at least one of a user identifier, an application executed on the device, a network service communicating with the device, a keyword from a sample of text, a topic for the sample of text, one or more network conditions, one or more applications being executed on the device, or a combination thereof.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the apparatus is caused, at least in part, to further perform:

causing, at least in part, a presentation of a prompt that requests a name for the new group; and

in response to receiving a name for the new group, storing data indicating the new group as a permanent group associated with the name received.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the collage of representative images are presented as identical-sized thumbnails within the each group image while distinguishable from each other.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein causing the new group to be presented further comprises causing a group image for the new group to be presented.