Cognitive agent

• US 8,428,908 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2012
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lawler, Stephen L., Ofek, Eyal, Kimchi, Gur, Smith, Leonard, Bar-Zeev, Avi
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, John H
• Application Number:
  US13/455,899
• Publication Number:
  US 20120210171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 363 Days
• Field of Search: 702/182, 702/183, 702/184, 702/186, 702/188, 704/270, 705/7.13, 705/7.15, 705/7.36, 705/14.69, 706/12, 706/46, 706/62, 707/10, 714/37, 715/706, 715/762
• US Class Current: 702/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/006 based on simulated virtual individual or collective life forms, e.g. social simulations or particle swarm optimisation [PSO]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Aspects relate to a cognitive agent that performs functions associated with a desired result. The functions performed by cognitive agent supplement other activities performed at a same time. In such a manner, the cognitive agent can function as a surrogate for a user. A performed activity can trigger implementation of another activity that is an extension of the performed activity. Cognitive agent can perform functions that can be represented as an avatar. Further, cognitive agent can be associated with a diagnostics component that evaluates an operating condition. Based on the operating condition cognitive agent can implement automatic actions associated with mitigating failures and/or prolonging the life of machinery.

Claims

1. A method performed by a computing device for automatically providing requested information to supplement other activities performed at a same time, comprising:

receiving a request for one or more actions to be performed without user intervention;

the computing device performing at least one action and evaluating results of the action;

determining a user environment before the results are presented; and

displaying the results of the action to a user, wherein the at least one action is performed while the user is performing another action, and wherein a presentation of the results is modified based on the user environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the results are displayed using a virtual avatar.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is inferred from observance of a user-initiated activity being performed.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising operating a cognitive agent to function as a surrogate for the user.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing user actions and inferring the request based on a user action.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising analyzing user actions and inferring the request based on a user inaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a displayed user interface based the results.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising altering the display of the results as a function of device parameters.

9. A system that facilitates automatic implementation of actions, comprising:

a receiver component that accepts a request for one or more actions to be performed without user intervention;

a cognitive agent component that automatically performs at least one action and evaluates the results of the action;

a context component that evaluates a user environment before the results are presented; and

an output component that presents the results of the action to a user, wherein the at least one action is performed while the user is performing another action and wherein a presentation of the results is modified based on the user environment.

10. The system of claim 9, the cognitive agent operates as a surrogate for the user.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising an observation component that analyzes user actions and infers the request based on a user action or a user inaction.

12. The system of claim 9, the cognitive agent accesses at least one of preferences, historical data, parameters, or combinations thereof to perform the at least one action.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a context component that ascertains a device type and alters the presented results as a function of the device type.

14. The system of claim 9, the results are presented though implementation of an avatar.

15. The system of claim 9, the request for one or more actions is implementation of diagnostics on at least one piece of machinery.

16. A computer-readable memory device storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, perform a method for automatically providing requested information to supplement other activities performed at a same time, the method comprising:

inferring a request to perform an action without user intervention, the request being inferred from a user-initiated activity;

generating results of the action while the user-initiated action is performed;

determining a user environment before the results are presented; and

displaying the results of the action, wherein a presentation of the results is modified based on the user environment.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the results are presented though implementation of an avatar and wherein the presentation of the results by the avatar is modified based on the user environment.