System and method of using context in selecting a response to user device interaction

• US 10,649,619 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2013
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Yahoo Assets LLC
• Original Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Chan, Christopher, Calegari, Maud, Murphy, Stephen, Ding, Lu, Rotta, Maurice, Levinson, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Theriault, Steven B
• Application Number:
  US13/772,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,637 Days
• Field of Search: 715810, 715808, 715811, 715825, 715826, 715708, 715711, 715715
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus

Abstract

A system, method and architecture of using context in determining a response to user interaction with a device, such context may be context of content being output by the device, the device'"'"'s context, the user'"'"'s content, or some combination of contexts. In accordance with one or more embodiments, a response may comprise a menu the content of which, e.g., one or more user-selectable actions or options, can be determined based on a determined context, or contexts, or a determination may be made to provide a response other than an option menu, which determination may be made based on a determined context or combination of contexts. As yet another alternative, a determination may be made to provide a response that includes a menu, the content of which is determined based on one or more determined contexts, and another response, such as an answer identified based on one or more determined contexts.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, via at least one processing unit, a context of content being output by a device of a user;

determining, via the at least one processing unit, a device context identifying a geographic location of the device;

determining, via the at least one processing unit, a user context comprising information about the user'"'"'s interaction with menu options previously provided to the user, the determining comprising gathering user input indicating the user'"'"'s previous interaction with menu options;

detecting, via the at least one processing unit, user interaction by the user with the device, the current user interaction comprising interaction with selected content output by the device;

determining, via the at least one processing unit, a number of options using the context of the content, the device context and the user context;

making a determination, via the at least one processing unit, that none of the number of options has a threshold likelihood of being an option sought by the user, the determination being made using the context of the content, the device context and the user context;

in response to the determination that none of the number of options has a threshold likelihood of being an option sought by the user, selecting, via the at least one processing unit, a first reply of displaying a menu comprising the number of determined options selectable by the user, the first reply being selected rather than selecting a second reply of displaying a result of a performance of an option sought by the user, the second reply being available for selection in a case that an option sought by the user is determinable; and

instructing, via the at least one processing unit, the device to output the selected first reply in response to the user interaction.

2. The method of claim 1, the selected content comprising preselected content.

3. The method of claim 2, the preselected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device.

4. The method of claim 2, the preselected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device and the context of the device.

5. The method of claim 2, the selected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device, the context of the device and the context of the user.

6. The method of claim 1, the menu further comprising additional content.

7. The method of claim 6, the additional content comprising an advertisement.

8. The method of claim 1, at least one option of the number of user-selectable options is included in the menu based on user preference.

9. The method of claim 1, the number of user-selectable options comprising at least one non-search option and at least one search option to perform a search using the selected content.

10. The method of claim 9, the context of the content and the context of the device influence the search results returned in response to selection of the search option from the menu.

11. The method of claim 9, the context of the content, the context of the device and the user context influence the search results returned in response to selection of the search option from the menu.

12. The method of claim 1, the number of user-selectable options comprising at least one option selectable to share the selected content via at least one social media network.

13. The method of claim 1, the selected content is selected by the user interaction.

14. A system comprising:

at least one computing device comprising a processor and a non-transitory storage medium for tangibly storing thereon program logic for execution by the processor, the stored program logic comprising;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a context of content being output by a device of a user;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a device context identifying a geographic location of the device;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a user context comprising information about the user'"'"'s interaction with menu options previously provided to the user, the determining comprising gathering user input indicating the user'"'"'s previous interaction with menu options;

detecting logic executed by the processor for detecting user interaction by the user with the device, the current user interaction comprising interaction with selected content output by the device;

determining logic executed by the processor for determining a number of options using the context of the content, the device context and the user context;

making logic executed by the processor for making a determination that none of the number of options has a threshold likelihood of being an option sought by the user, the determination being made using the context of the content, the device context and the user context;

in response to the determination that none of the number of options has a threshold likelihood of being an option sought by the user, selecting logic executed by the processor for selecting a first reply of displaying a menu comprising the number of determined options selectable by the user, the first reply being selected rather than selecting a second reply of displaying a result of a performance of an option sought by the user, the second reply being available for selection in a case that an option sought by the user is determinable; and

instructing logic executed by the processor for instructing, via the at least one processing unit, the device to output the selected first reply in response to the user interaction.

15. The system of claim 14, the selected content comprises preselected content.

16. The system of claim 15, the preselected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device.

17. The system of claim 15, the preselected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device and the context of the device.

18. The system of claim 15, the selected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device, the context of the device and the context of the user.

19. The system of claim 14, the menu further comprising additional content.

20. The system of claim 19, the additional content comprising an advertisement.

21. The system of claim 14, at least one option of the number of user-selectable options is included in the menu based on user preference.

22. The system of claim 14, the number of user-selectable options comprising at least one non-search option and at least one search option to perform a search using the selected content.

23. The system of claim 22, the context of the content and the context of the device influence the search results returned in response to selection of the search option from the menu.

24. The system of claim 22, the context of the content, the context of the device and the context of the user influence the search results returned in response to selection of the search option from the menu.

25. The system of claim 14, the number of user-selectable options comprising at least one option selectable to share the selected content via at least one social media network.

26. The system of claim 14, the selected content is selected by the user interaction.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for tangibly encoded with computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor associated with a computing device perform a method comprising:

determining a context of content being output by a device of a user;

determining a device context identifying a geographic location of the device;

determining a user context comprising information about the user'"'"'s interaction with menu options previously provided to the user, the determining comprising gathering user input indicating the user'"'"'s previous interaction with menu options;

detecting user interaction by the user with the device, the current user interaction comprising interaction with selected content output by the device;

determining a number of options using the context of the content, the device context and the user context;

making a determination that none of the number of options has a threshold likelihood of being an option sought by the user, the determination being made using the context of the content, the device context and the user context;

in response to the determination that none of the number of options has a threshold likelihood of being an option sought by the user, selecting a first reply of displaying a menu comprising the number of determined options selectable by the user, the first reply being selected rather than selecting a second reply of displaying a result of a performance of an option sought by the user, the second reply being available for selection in a case that an option sought by the user is determinable; and

instructing, via the at least one processing unit, the device to output the selected first reply in response to the user interaction.

28. The medium of claim 27, the selected content comprises preselected content.

29. The medium of claim 28, the preselected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device.

30. The medium of claim 28, the preselected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device and the context of the device.

31. The medium of claim 28, the selected content is preselected based on the context of the content being output by the device, the context of the device and the context of the user.

32. The medium of claim 27, the menu further comprising additional content.

33. The medium of claim 32, the additional content comprising an advertisement.

34. The medium of claim 27, at least one option of the number of user-selectable options is included in the menu based on user preference.

35. The medium of claim 27, the number of user-selectable options comprising at least one non-search option and at least one search option to perform a search using the selected content.

36. The medium of claim 35, the context of the content and the context of the device influence the search results returned in response to selection of the search option from the menu.

37. The medium of claim 35, the context of the content, the context of the device and the context of the user influence the search results returned in response to selection of the search option from the menu.

38. The medium of claim 27, the number of user-selectable options comprising at least one option selectable to share the selected content via at least one social media network.

39. The medium of claim 27, the selected content is selected by the user interaction.