Display and human-computer interaction for a notification platform

• US 7,417,650 B1
• Filed: 06/17/2000
• Issued: 08/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Horvitz, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMJOO, MANUCHEHR
• Application Number:
  US09/595,401
• Time in Patent Office: 2,992 Days
• Field of Search: 345/765, 345/767, 345/768, 345/769, 345/789, 345/811, 345/812, 345/821, 345/764
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

User interfaces for relaying notifications to users are disclosed. In a pulsing mode, information is faded into a predetermined area of a display, where the information has a net value greater than a predetermined or dynamically computed threshold. In a stream-cycling mode, for a number of different information sources, a display time is determined for each notification based on the information'"'"'s importance. Each information is displayed in turn for a length of time equal to the display time, within the predetermined area of the display. In a stream-stacking mode, information from each of a number of sources is displayed in a corresponding source summary window. When the net value of information in a notification is greater than a predetermined or computed threshold, the information may be streamed in a main notification window and can be journaled in a journal window.

Claims

1. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause a processor of a computer to perform a method comprising:

fading notification-related information having an importance greater than a threshold into a predetermined area of display over data located within the predetermined area via increasing an opacity of the notification-related information upon receipt of the notification-related information, the notification-related information being at least one of dynamically truncated or automatically expanded in accordance with the predetermined area of display or based at least in part on a sink type, the importance of the notification-related information based at least in part on a user location a device availability and a fee associated with disruption to a user based on a device location or an attentional state of the user;

delaying for a length of time based on the importance of the information; and

fading the information out of the predetermined area of display via decreasing the opacity of the notification-related information.

2. The medium of claim 1, the information comprises unrequested information unrelated to a primary task of a user.

3. The medium of claim 1, fading the information into the predetermined area of the display comprises increasing an alpha value of the information to a predetermined level based on the importance of the information, and fading the information out of the predetermined area of the display comprises decreasing the alpha value from the predetermined level.

4. The medium of claim 3, the method further comprising:

playing an audio herald to alert the user to the information faded into the predetermined area of the display;

within a predetermined length of time, in response to a first predetermined user gesture relevant to the fading of the information into the predetermined area of the display,

increasing the alpha value of the information to a second predetermined level greater than the predetermined level;

waiting for a second predetermined user gesture relevant to the fading of the information into the predetermined area of the display; and

,

decreasing the alpha value of the information to the predetermined level.

5. A computer-implemented method comprising:

for each of a plurality of unrequested information unrelated to a primary task of a user and having an importance, determining a display time based on the importance of the information when the unrequested information is obtained; and

,

for a given time period, displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information for a length of time equal to the display time of the information within a predetermined area of a display above data positioned in the predetermined area, the importance of the information ascertained based at least in part on a user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based on the device location or an attentional state of the user.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

for each of the plurality of unrequested information, determining a periodicity based on the importance of the information,

for the given time period, displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information further comprises displaying each a number of times equal to the periodicity of the information.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising at least one of:

adding new unrequested information to the plurality of unrequested information; and

,

deleting at least one of the plurality of unrequested information from the plurality.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining a new display time for each of the plurality of unrequested information based on the importance of the information; and

,

for the given time period, displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information for a length of time equal to the new display time of the information.

9. The method of claim 5, displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information comprises setting an alpha value of the information to a predetermined level.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to a first predetermined user gesture relevant to a currently displayed information of the plurality of unrequested information, increasing temporarily the display time of the currently displayed information until a second predetermined user gesture relevant to the currently displayed information occurs.

11. The method of claim 10, displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information comprises setting an alpha value of the information to a first predetermined level less than a second predetermined level, the method further comprising, in response to the first predetermined user gesture, increasing the alpha value of the currently displayed information temporarily to the second predetermined level.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising in response to the first predetermined user gesture, displaying more detailed information regarding the currently displayed information on the display.

13. The method of claim 10, the first predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor over the predetermined area of the display and the second predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor away from the predetermined area of the display.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising playing an audio herald coincident with displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information when the importance of the unrequested information is greater than a threshold.

15. The method of claim 5, further comprising in response to a predetermined user gesture displaying a previously displayed information of the plurality of requested information.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving notification-related information having an importance greater than a threshold, the importance of the notification-related information determined based at least in part on a user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based on the device location and an attentional state of the user; and

,

fading the notification-related information into a predetermined area of display on top of disparate data included in the predetermined area by increasing an opacity of the notification-related information subsequent to the receipt of the notification-related information, the fading includes ascertaining a net expected value of fading the notification-related information into the predetermined area of display based at least in part on a fidelity or transmission reliability of an available sink associated with the predetermined area of display, an attentional cost of disturbing a user, or a novelty of the notification-related information in relation to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, the information comprises information unrequested by a user.

18. The method of claim 16, the information comprises information unrelated to a primary task.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

delaying for a length of time based on the importance of the information; and

,

fading the information out of the predetermined area of the display.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising repeating receiving new information;

and,

fading the new information into the predetermined area.

21. The method of claim 16, fading the information into the predetermined area of the display comprises increasing an alpha value of the information to a predetermined level.

22. The method of claim 21, the predetermined level is based on the importance of the information.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising playing an audio herald to alert the user to the information faded into the predetermined area of the display.

24. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

within a predetermined length of time, in response to a first predetermined user gesture relevant to the fading of the information into the predetermined area of the display, waiting for a second predetermined user gesture relevant to the fading of the information into the predetermined area of the display.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

delaying for a length of time based on the importance of the information; and

,

fading the information out of the predetermined area of the display.

26. The method of claim 24, the first predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor over the predetermined area of the display.

27. The method of claim 26, the second predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor away from the predetermined area of the display.

28. The method of claim 24, fading the information into the predetermined area of the display comprises increasing an alpha value of the information to a predetermined level less than 100%.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising, in response to the first predetermined user gesture, increasing the alpha value of the information to 100% until the second predetermined user gesture occurs.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising, in response to the first predetermined user gesture, displaying more detailed information regarding the information on the display.

31. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause a processor of a computer to perform a method comprising:

for each of a plurality of unrequested information having an importance, determining at least a display time based on the importance of the information subsequent to receipt of each of the plurality of unrequested information, the importance of the information ascertained based at least in part on a user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based on the device location or an attentional state of the user, the unrequested information includes utilization of an animated dialog that alerts a user to at least one of information associated with scheduling a message, data derived from a background query, or errors generated by the device;

over a recurring time period, displaying a summary of each of the plurality of unrequested information within a predetermined area of a display for a length of time equal to the display time of the information; and

,

continually updating the plurality of unrequested information, such that the display time of each of the plurality of unrequested information is also updated.

32. The medium of claim 31, the method further comprising:

in response to a first predetermined user gesture relevant to a currently displayed information of the plurality of unrequested information, increasingly temporarily the display time of the currently displayed information until a second predetermined user gesture relevant to the currently displayed information occurs.

33. The medium of claim 32, displaying each of the plurality of unrequested information comprises setting an alpha value of the information to a first predetermined level less than a second predetermined level, the method further comprising, in response to the first predetermined user gesture, increasing the alpha value of the currently displayed information temporarily to the second predetermined level.

34. The medium of claim 32, the method further comprising in response to the first predetermined user gesture, displaying more detailed information regarding the currently displayed information on the display.

35. A computer-implemented method comprising:

for each of a plurality of sources generating unrequested information, displaying a summarized version of the unrequested information in a source summary window for the source upon receipt of the unrequested information by a sink; and

,

display-streaming the unrequested information of each source having an importance greater than a threshold in a main notification window and excluding at least the unrequested information with an importance less than the threshold from the main notification window, the display-streaming of the unrequested information of each source having an importance greater than the threshold prioritized based at least in part on an attentional cost of disturbing a user, the unrequested information associated with one or more of scheduling a message, reviewing results from a background query, or viewing alerts generated by the sink, the importance of the unrequested information ascertained based at least in part on the user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based on the device location and an attentional state of the user.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising journaling the unrequested information of each source display-streamed in the main notification window in a journal window.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising journaling the unrequested information of each source displayed-streamed in the main notification window in a journal window that a user has not viewed.

38. The method of claim 37, the user indicates that the unrequested information of a source displayed-streamed in the main notification window has been viewed by the user by performing a predetermined user gesture relevant to the unrequested information.

39. The method of claim 38, the predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor over the main notification window when the unrequested information of the source is being displayed-streamed in the main notification window.

40. The method of claim 35, further comprising performing an action in response to a predetermined user gesture relevant to the unrequested information of a source currently being display-streamed in the main notification window.

41. The method of claim 40, the predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor over the main notification window and selecting the unrequested information of the source currently being displayed-stream in the main notification window.

42. The method of claim 40, the predetermined action comprises displaying further information regarding the unrequested information.

43. The method of claim 35, further comprising performing an action in response to a predetermined user gesture relevant to the unrequested information of a user-desired source displayed in the source summary window for the user-desired source.

44. The method of claim 43, the predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor over the source summary window and selecting the unrequested information of the user-desired source.

45. The method of claim 43, the predetermined action comprises displaying further information regarding the unrequested information.

46. A machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon to cause a processor of a computer to perform a method comprising:

for each of a plurality of sources generating unrequested information, displaying a summary of the unrequested information in a source summary window for the source upon the computer obtaining the unrequested information;

for the unrequested information of each source having an importance greater than a threshold, display-streaming the unrequested information in a main notification window, the importance determined based at least in part on a user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based on the device location and an attentional state of the user; and

,

journaling the unrequested information of each source displayed stream in the main notification window that satisfies a predetermined criteria in a journal window, the predetermined criteria include a net expected value associated with the unrequested information of each source, the net expected value determined based at least in part on a fidelity or transmission reliability of each source, an attentional cost of disturbing a user, or a time period until the user unaided reviews the unrequested information.

47. The medium of claim 46, the predetermined criteria comprises a user-controllable criteria.

48. The medium of claim 46, the predetermined criteria comprises the unrequested information not having been viewed by the user.

49. The medium of claim 46, the method further comprising performing an action in response to a predetermined user gesture relevant to the unrequested information of a source currently being display-streamed in the main notification window.

50. The medium of claim 46, the method further comprising performing an action in response to a predetermined user gesture relevant to the unrequested information of a user-desired source displayed in the source summary window for the user-desired source.

51. The medium of claim 46, the method further comprising performing an action in response to a predetermined user gesture relevant to user-desired unrequested information journaled in the journal window.

52. The medium of claim 51, the predetermined user gesture comprises causing movement of a cursor over the user-desired unrequested information as journaled in the journal window and selecting the information.

53. The medium of claim 51, the predetermined action comprises displaying further information regarding the user-desired unrequested information.

54. A computerized system comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

,

a machine-readable medium storing a computer program executed by the processor to cause entry into one of a pulsing mode, a stream-cycling mode, and a stream-stacking mode;

the pulsing mode comprising receiving unrequested information unrelated to a primary task of a user, the information having an importance greater than a threshold, and fading the information into a predetermined area of the display via increasing an opacity of the information subsequent to receipt of the unrequested information, the fading the information into a predetermined area of the display includes assessing the processor and expanding or summarizing the unrequested information unrelated to the primary task of the user based on the assessing of the processor the importance ascertained based at least in part on a user location a device availability and a fee associated with disruption to the user based at least in part on the device location and an attentional state of the user;

the stream-cycling mode comprising, for each of a plurality of unrequested information unrelated to the primary task of the user, determining a display time based on an importance of the information subsequent to receipt of the unrequested information, and for a given time period, displaying each for a length of time equal to the display time within the predetermined area of the display,

the stream-stacking mode comprising, for each of a plurality of sources generating unrequested information, displaying a summary of the information in a corresponding source summary window subsequent to receipt of the unrequested information, and for the information having an importance greater than the threshold, display-streaming the information in a main notification window.

55. The system of claim 54, the user is able to switch among the modes.

56. The system of claim 54, the pulsing mode further comprises delaying for a length of time based on the importance of the information, and fading the information out of the predetermined area of the display.

57. The system of claim 54, the stream-cycling mode further comprises continually updating the plurality of unrequested information, such that the display time of each of the plurality of unrequested information is also updated.

58. The system of claim 54, the stream-stacking mode further comprises journaling the unrequested information of each source display-streamed in the main notification window that satisfies a predetermined criteria in a journal window.

59. A method that facilitates conveying notifications, comprising:

receiving a notification; and

performing a decision-theoretic analysis in connection with determining whether or not to disrupt a user via presenting the notification to the user above disparate displayed data by increasing opacity of the notification upon receipt of the notification, the decision-theoretic analysis further comprising determining and considering cost of interrupting the user with the notification, the cost of interrupting the user based at least in part on a current attentional state associated with the user, the decision-theoretic analysis further comprising determining a relative importance of the notification based at least in part on a user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based at least in part on the device location and the current attentional state associated with the user.

60. The method of claim 59, further comprising determining a length of time to display the notification.

61. The method of claim 60, the determination of the length of time being based at least in part on importance of the notification.

62. The method of claim 60, the determination of the length of time being based at least in part on content of the notification.

63. The method of claim 60, the determination of the length of time being based at least in part on context of the notification.

64. A system that facilitates conveying notifications, comprising:

means for receiving a notification;

means for determining a relative importance of the received notification given a cost of disruption to a user, the cost of disruption to the user based at least in part on a current attentional state associated with the user, relative importance of the received notification based at least in part on the user location, a device availability, and a fee associated with disruption to the user based at least in part on the device location and the current attentional state associated with the use; and

means for selectively fading in the notification to the user on top of disparate data for a length of time via increasing an opacity of the notification subsequent to receipt of the notification.

65. The system of claim 64, further comprising means for fading out the notification.