Enhanced notification for relevant communications

• US 9,621,619 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maplebear Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Ahmed, Maryam, Chakra, Al, Thomason, Michael S., Yu, Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, ANDREW M
• Application Number:
  US13/772,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,510 Days
• Field of Search: 709201, 709204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for providing a severity of a notification for a communication. A computing device determines a topic and associated information of a current activity, operating on the computing device. The computing device receives a communication and determines the topic and associated information of the communication. The computing device determines a level of relevance between the topic and associated information of the received communication and the topic and associated information of the current activity. The computing device determines whether the level of relevance exceeds a predefined threshold, and in response to determining that the level of relevance exceeds the predefined threshold, the computing device provides a notification, wherein the severity of the notification for the communication is proportional to the level of relevance.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a notification to a user, the method comprising:

determining a topic and context information of content included in an active window of one or more open windows displayed by a computing device based on an analysis of the content included in the active window;

selecting a first topic and context information of the content included in the active window from a plurality of possible topics and context information of content included in the active window, based on a probability determined for each of the plurality of possible topics and context information of content included in the active window, wherein the first topic and context information has a highest probability of probabilities for the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the active window;

receiving a communication;

determining a topic and context information of the communication based on an analysis of content included in the communication that is received;

selecting a second topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, from a plurality of possible topics and context information of the communication that is received, based on a probability determined for each of the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, wherein the second topic and context information has a highest probability of probabilities for the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the communication that is received;

determining the second topic and context information as the topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, and the first topic and context information as the topic and context information of the content included in the active window;

determining a level of relevance between the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received, and the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window, based on a comparison of the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window and the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received;

determining whether the level of relevance exceeds a predefined threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of relevance exceeds the predefined threshold, providing a notification to the user, wherein a greater level of relevance of the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window to the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received, results in a greater severity level of the notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the severity level of the notification includes one or a combination of an audible notification and a visual notification, wherein the one or the combination of the audible notification and visual notification increases in intensity or changes pattern, as the level of relevance increases, wherein the changes in pattern of the audible notification include one or a combination of:

duration, repetition, pitch frequency, and type of audible sound, and wherein the changes in pattern of the visual notification includes one or a combination of;

brightness, color change, flashing, movement, shape, size, and positioning near a cursor position.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined threshold includes a plurality of predefined thresholds, each predefined threshold having a different level of relevance between the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window and the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication, and each predefined threshold having a corresponding severity of notification in which a greater predefined level of relevance threshold generates a higher severity level notification.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a previously determined level of relevance of an unread communication is replaced with a newly determined level of relevance of the unread communication, upon a change of the active window.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining the level of relevance fails to exceed the predefined threshold, suppressing the notification, such that the notification is not displayed to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication that is received and the topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, are stored in response to determining that the level of relevance fails to meet the predefined threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a new active window is interrupted by displaying a second notification, in response to determining a level of relevance of a topic and context information of content included in a received communication that has been stored, exceeds the threshold level of relevance, as compared to a topic and context information of content included in the new active window.

8. A computer program product for providing a notification to a user, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage media are not transitory signals per se, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a topic and context information of content included in an active window of one or more open windows displayed by a computing device based on an analysis of the content included in the active window;

program instructions to select a first topic and context information of the content included in the active window from a plurality of possible topics and context information of content included in the active window, based on a probability determined for each of the plurality of possible topics and context information of content included in the active window, wherein the first topic and context information has a highest probability of probabilities for the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the active window;

program instructions to receive a communication;

program instructions to determine a topic and context information of the communication based on an analysis of content included in the communication that is received;

program instructions to select a second topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, from a plurality of possible topics and context information of the communication that is received, based on a probability determined for each of the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, wherein the second topic and context information has a highest probability of probabilities for the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the communication that is received;

program instructions to determine the second topic and context information as the topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, and the first topic and context information as the topic and context information of the content included in the active window;

program instructions to determine a level of relevance between the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received and the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window, based on a comparison of the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window and the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received;

program instructions to determine whether the level of relevance exceeds a predefined threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of relevance exceeds the predefined threshold, program instructions to provide a notification to the user, wherein a greater level of relevance of the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window to the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received, results in a greater severity level of the notification.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions for the severity level of the notification to include one or a combination of an audible notification and a visual notification, wherein the one or the combination of the audio notification and visual notification increases in intensity or changes pattern, as the level of relevance increases, wherein the changes in pattern of the audio notification includes one or a combination of;

volume, duration, repetition, pitch frequency, and type of audible sound, and the changes in pattern of the visual notification includes one or a combination of;

brightness, color change, flashing, movement, shape, size, and positioning near a cursor position.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predefined threshold includes a plurality of predefined thresholds, each predefined threshold having a different level of relevance between the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window and the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication, and each predefined threshold having a corresponding severity of notification in which a greater predefined level of relevance threshold generates a higher severity level notification.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a previously determined level of relevance of an unread communication, is replaced with a newly determined level of relevance of the unread communication, upon a change of the active window.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to determining the level of relevance fails to exceed the predefined threshold, program instruction to suppress the notification, such that the notification is not displayed to the user.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the communication that is received, and the topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, are stored in response to determining that the level of relevance fails to meet the predefined threshold.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein a new active window is interrupted by displaying a second notification, in response to determining a level of relevance of a topic and context information of content included in a received communication that has been stored, exceeds the threshold level of relevance, as compared to a topic and context information of content included in the new active window.

15. A computer system for providing a notification to a user, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer-readable storage media, wherein the one or more computer-readable storage media are not transitory signals per se;

program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more computer processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to determine a topic and context information of content included in an active window of one or more open windows displayed by a computing device based on an analysis of the content included in the active window;

program instructions to select a first topic and context information of the content included in the active window from a plurality of possible topics and context information of content included in the active window, based on a probability determined for each of the plurality of possible topics and context information of content included in the active window, wherein the first topic and context information has a highest probability of probabilities for the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the active window;

program instructions to receive a communication;

program instructions to determine a topic and context information of the communication based on an analysis of content included in the communication that is received;

program instructions to select a second topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, from a plurality of possible topics and context information of the communication that is received, based on a probability determined for each of the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, wherein the second topic and context information has a highest probability of probabilities for the plurality of possible topics and context information of the content included in the communication that is received;

program instructions to determine the second topic and context information as the topic and context information of the content included in the communication that is received, and the first topic and context information as the topic and context information of the content included in the active window;

program instructions to determine a level of relevance between the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received, and the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window, based on a comparison of the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window and the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received;

program instructions to determine whether the level of relevance exceeds a predefined threshold; and

in response to determining that the level of relevance exceeds the predefined threshold, program instructions to provide a notification to the user, wherein a greater level of relevance of the topic and the context information of the content included in the active window to the topic and the context information of the content included in the communication that is received, results in a greater severity level of the notification.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions for the severity level of the notification to include one or a combination of an audible notification and a visual notification, wherein the one or the combination of the audible notification and visual notification increases in intensity or changes pattern, as the level of relevance increases, wherein the changes in pattern of the audible notification include one or a combination of;

volume, duration, repetition, pitch frequency, and type of audible sound, and wherein the changes in pattern of the visual notification includes one or a combination of;

brightness, color change, flashing, movement, shape, size, and positioning near a cursor position.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the predefined threshold includes a plurality of predefined thresholds, each predefined threshold having a different level of relevance between the topic and context information of the content included in the active window and the topic and context information of the content included in the communication, and each predefined threshold having a corresponding severity of notification in which a greater predefined level of relevance threshold generates a higher severity level notification.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a previously determined level of relevance of an unread communication is replaced with a newly determined level of relevance of the unread communication, upon a change of the active window.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

in response to determining the level of relevance fails to exceed the predefined threshold, program instruction to suppress the notification, such that the notification is not displayed to the user.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein a new active window is interrupted by displaying a second notification, in response to determining a level of relevance of a topic and context information of content included in a received communication that has been stored, exceeds the threshold level of relevance, as compared to a topic and context information of content included in the new active window.