Thematic response to a computer user's context, such as by a wearable personal computer

• US 7,614,001 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2006
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tangis Corporation Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Robarts, James O., Newell, Dan, Abbott, Kenneth H., Freedman, Joshua M., Apacible, Johnson
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US11/450,971
• Publication Number:
  US 20070022384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,244 Days
• Field of Search: 715734-747, 706 45- 61, 706/10, 706/15, 709/201, 709/203, 709/223
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for creating, modifying, categorizing, modeling, distributing, purchasing, selling, and otherwise using themes and theme-related information. Themes can represent various types of contextual aspects or situations, and can model high-level concepts of activities or states not reflected in individual contextual attributes that each model a single aspect of the state of a user, their computing device, the surrounding physical environment, and/or the current cyber-environment. Such themes specify inter-relationships among a set of contextual attributes, and can have associated theme-related information such as theme-specific attributes, theme layouts used to present information and functionality, CSes that provide theme attribute values, and CCs that process theme information. Disclosed techniques can identify one or more themes that currently match the modeled context, select one of the matching themes as a current theme, and provide an appropriate response (e.g., by presenting appropriate information and/or providing appropriate functionality) based on the current theme.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for defining a theme for use by a computing device in presenting information that is appropriate to a contextual situation represented by the theme, the method comprising:

receiving one or more indications of multiple context attributes that are related to the represented contextual situation;

receiving one or more indications of criteria for determining values of the indicated context attributes that match the represented contextual situation;

receiving one or more indications of information that is appropriate to the represented contextual situation; and

defining a theme based on the received indications that can be used by the computing device to present the appropriate information when context information for a contextual situation includes values for the indicated context attributes that are determined by the indicated criteria to match the represented contextual situation.

2. The method of claim 1 including:

receiving an indication of context information for a current contextual situation that includes values for context attributes;

determining that the defined theme matches the current contextual situation by using the indicated criteria for the defined theme to determine that the included context attribute values contain values of the indicated context attributes for the defined theme that are determined to match the represented contextual situation; and

in response, presenting the indicated information for the defined theme.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the received indications are from a user of the computing device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the represented contextual situation is a contextual situation of the computing device and/or of a user of the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating a priority with the defined theme for use when selecting one of multiple defined themes that each represent a contextual situation.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the priority is based on a degree of interest of a user in the represented contextual situation.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the priority is based on a degree of importance of the represented contextual situation.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the priority is based on a degree of urgency of the represented contextual situation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating logic with the defined theme that can perform appropriate functionality when the defined theme matches a contextual situation.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating permission information with the defined theme that specifies types of access to the defined theme that are allowed.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating security information with the defined theme that specifies access information needed to obtain access to the defined theme.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating a privacy setting with the defined theme that specifies a level of privacy for the defined theme.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating a theme-sharing setting with the defined theme that specifies whether information about the defined theme is to be made available to other themes.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating the defined theme with a category of themes.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating the defined theme with a group of related themes.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes defining a hierarchical relationship of the defined theme to other themes.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating a theme layout with the defined theme that includes one or more indications of the indicated appropriate information for the defined theme.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the associated theme layout further includes one or more indications of a manner of presenting the indicated appropriate information.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the defining of the theme includes defining the theme layout based on received indications.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the defining of the theme includes associating multiple distinct theme layouts with the defined theme that each include indications of distinct information to be presented when that theme layout is selected.