Patent Application
20090117881
The method, apparatus and system method disclosed, illustrated and claimed in this document pertains generally to applying a context management protocol, which includes one or more sets of rules, to messages. More particularly, the new and useful context aware message presentation system provides messages to users with a specific context desired by a message recipient.
Numerous examples in the field of communications arise in which the entity receiving and reading information displayed on the entity must interpret the information depending on the context in which it is being read. The term “entity” as used in this document means and includes at least a wireless mobile wireless communication instrument and/or wireless communication instrument. The context aware message presentation method, system, and apparatus disclosed, illustrated and claimed in this document is capable of exchanging information with one or more entities and with one or more groups of entities sharing common parameters in a way that presentation of the information is a function of the context of the entity at the time of presentation.
A non-exclusive example of context is location: a context aware message itself may include data and information about how a context aware message should be presented to the user of an entity, and a recipient of the messages on a wireless mobile wireless communication instrument, depending on the location where the context aware message is to be presented.
Other attempts to solve the problems solved by the method, system, and apparatus disclosed, illustrated and claimed in this document include a central managing entity, generally including one or more servers. The central managing entity monitors and keeps track of the context of each entity that is receiving and sending different messages to the central managing entity to match context. Use of a central managing entity substantially increases the complexity of design of a context-oriented system because the central managing entity must track each entity that the central managing entity is managing, and must format messages on a case-by-case basis. In addition, because each message sent and received may differ for each individual entity, the central managing entity is unable to use a general broadcast mechanism to send the messages. Accordingly, such a system will be unable to reduce messaging costs.
The apparatus, system, method, and system disclosed, illustrated, and claimed in this document address the above-stated needs by providing a system for presenting context aware messages. The system includes a mobile wireless communication. The mobile wireless communication instrument is capable of receiving and transmitting information and data to a number of additional mobile wireless communication instruments. The mobile wireless communication instruments are operatively connectable to a data processor. The data processor is adapted to generate, receive, store, execute, process and compose information and data into a global message. The global message may be transmitted across a communication network to which the mobile wireless communication instruments are operatively connected. At least one context management protocol is stored in the mobile wireless communication instruments. The context management protocol is adapted to selectively modify the global message into one or more context aware messages for receipt by any of the plurality of mobile wireless communication instruments. The global message itself, however, includes a context management protocol that contains all rules necessary for enabling a message receiving entity to interpret the message based on the current context.
Thus, the context aware message presentation system of this document does not include the limitations of context messaging systems that rely on central managing entity. There is no need for a central managing entity. Alternatively, any central managing entity may be a simple broadcast system that is not required to monitor and keep track of the context of any entity; it may broadcast the same message to all the entities.
Accordingly, a context aware message includes a set of rules that defines how to interpret the same information in different ways depending on which rule or combination of rules is appropriate at the time the information is received and read by a user of an entity such as a wireless mobile wireless communication instrument. One non-exclusive example is a rule included in the context management protocol that determines how to interpret the information accompanying a message at various SPS position coordinates. Such a rule might provide, for example, that the information in a message is valid only if being received and interpreted within an area identified by certain GPS coordinates. Another example is a message with a time expiration that is valid only if received and interpreted within a certain time interval. Neither location, position, nor time, however, are limitations of the context aware message presentation system disclosed, illustrated and claimed in this document. Rather, a wide range of parameters and conditions may be applied to create a context aware message.
Contextual information may contain information and data to be presented to one or more users of entities. The contextual information also may include one or more first sets of rules (in this document, “context rules”) that define a variety of contexts expressing when and how the data will be useful to the user of an entity. The contextual message also includes one or more second sets of rules for each context rule (in this document, “presentation rules”) that assist in interpreting data within a given context. Non-exclusive examples of application of the context aware message presentation method, system, and apparatus disclosed, illustrated and claimed in this document is a ‘To Do list’ which might be contextually valid only if near defined locations; or a discount coupon negotiable only in certain stores; and/or a greeting message contextually valid on a certain date and at a certain location.
It will become apparent to one skilled in the art that the claimed subject matter as a whole, including the structure of the system, and the cooperation of the elements of the system, combine to result in a number of unexpected advantages and utilities. The structure and co-operation of structure of the context aware message presentation system will become apparent to those skilled in the art when read in conjunction with the following description, drawing figures, and appended claims.
The foregoing has outlined broadly the more important features of the context aware message presentation system to better understand the detailed description that follows, and to better understand the contributions to the art. The context aware message presentation system is not limited in application to the details provided in the following description or drawing figures, but is capable of other embodiments, and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. The phraseology and terminology employed in this disclosure are for purpose of description, and therefore should not be regarded as limiting. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the conception on which this disclosure is based may be used as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems. The claims, therefore, include equivalent constructions. Further, the abstract associated with this disclosure is intended neither to define the context aware message presentation system, which is measured by the claims, nor intended to limit the scope of the claims. The novel features of the context aware message presentation system are best understood from the accompanying drawing, considered in connection with the accompanying description of the drawing, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
To the extent that the numerical designations in the drawing figures include lower case letters such as “a,b” such designations include multiple references, and the letter “n” in lower case such as “a-n” is intended to express a number of repetitions of the element designated by that numerical reference and subscripts.
The term “context management protocol” means a set of rules and procedures for comparing, collating, and changing into a context aware message information and data included in a global message, as defined in this document. Presentation of the information is a function of the context of the person or entity receiving and/or reading the context aware message at the time of presentation. One non-exclusive example of context is location; the context management protocol will present information that is a function of the location of the person or entity. A context aware message may include related information based on shared context parameters that, in one aspect, are associated with one or more contextual communications groups. The context management protocol is capable of interpreting, classifying, and grouping information in a global message in a variety of ways to assemble and present a plurality of context aware messages deliverable to either a user of a mobile wireless communications instrument or wireless communications instrument, or to a contextual communication group. In one aspect of the context management protocol, the context aware message or context aware messages may vary as a function of the time when the context aware message is available for delivery and/or acceptance by a user and/or a contextual communication group. In another aspect, the context aware message or context aware messages may vary as a function of the location of the user and/or members of a contextual communication group. In yet another aspect, the context aware message or context aware messages may vary as a function of any number of conditions and/or rules included in the context management protocol. The context management protocol is included in the transmission of a global message. Either a user of an instrument, or one or more members of a contextual communication group who also are users of an instrument, may selectively modify a global message into a context-defined message for transmission to and among a contextual communication group.
The term “context aware message” means at least a message that has been modified to include both information, and the rules that define how to interpret the information, based on the context of the wireless communication instrument, as well as on selected shared context parameters of use or of interest to a recipient of the context aware message. Context aware messages may also include related information based on shared context parameters that, in one aspect, are associated with one or more contextual communications groups. Accordingly, the term “context” includes at least the environment in which information may be of use or interest to one or more users of a mobile wireless communications instrument or wireless communications instrument. Thus, a context aware message will include at least one set of rules that define how to interpret the same or similar information in different ways depending on, or as a function of, one or more context parameters. The context aware message also includes context aware information, at least one set of data that may change content or meaning depending on, or as a function of, the rules or context contained within the context aware information.
The term “contextual communication group” means a plurality of users of a plurality of mobile wireless communications instruments or wireless communications instruments who periodically accept receipt of one or more context aware messages. A member of a contextual communication group, alone or in combinations with another member of a contextual communication group, may change a context, context parameters, the contextual group, and/or the context aware message.
The term “shared context parameters” means at least a set or sets of data that include a family or collection of factors, one or more of which may be of use or interest to one or more users of, or one or more contextual communication groups associated with, a plurality of mobile wireless communications instruments or wireless communications instruments. The context management protocol is capable of changing the content and/or meaning of a context aware message to limit a transmission to such set or sets of data. Non-exclusive examples of such factors include temporal (or time-sensitive) factors; geographical or location factors; and frequency of acceptance of context aware messages that include including one or more such factors, among others.
As used in this document, the term “mobile wireless communication instrument” and/or “wireless communication instrument” means at least an entity, which may include a wireless communication instrument used in a wireless communications system that, in general, includes an array of operatively connected communication devices or entities adapted to receive and transmit at least electromagnetic signals without cables, using at least infrared light and radio signals, and also includes a telecommunications system in which electromagnetic waves, rather than some form of wire, carry the signal over all or part of the communication path. The mobile wireless communications instrument may also receive and transmit signals from satellites, including satellites that are part of the Global Positioning System (“GPS”), Galileo, GLONASS, NAVSTAR, GNSS, a system that uses satellites from a combination of these systems, or any Satellite Positioning System (“SPS”) subsequently developed (collectively referred to generally in this document as a “Satellite Positioning System” (“SPS”)). As used in this document, an SPS also includes pseudolite (pseudo-satellite) systems.
The term “instrument” in combination with the words “mobile wireless communications,” means and includes at least a cellular phone and a pager, a satellite telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant (“PDA”) having wireless capabilities, a portable data processor having wireless capabilities, home entertainment system control boxes, wireless local area networks, and any other type of wireless device having transmission capabilities that may also be one or more versions of a personal communications services device (“PCS”) including time division multiple access (“TDMA”, a code division multiple access (“CDMA”), a global system for mobile (“GSM”), a universal mobile telecommunications system (“UMTS”), a wideband code division multiple access (“W-CDMA”), an evolution-data optimized (“EV-DO”), wireless local area network (“WLAN”) devices, wireless personal area network (“WPAN”) devices, non-voice communications apparatus, and text transmission apparatus, among others.
The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any aspect described in this document as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects.
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More specifically, as illustrated by cross-reference between
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A person of skill in the art will appreciate that there is substantial functional overlap between and among the components illustrated in
In addition, those skilled in the art also will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in this document may be implemented as electronic hardware, data processor software, or combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative and non-exclusive components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described in this document generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the particular application and design constraints imposed on an overall system. Skilled artisans may implement the described functionality in varying ways for each particular application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.
Likewise, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in connection with the system for medication management disclosed in this document may be implemented or performed with a general purpose data processor, a Digital Signal Processor (“DSP”), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”), a Field Programmable Gate Array (“FPGA”) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof, designed to perform the functions described in this document. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may be a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices such as, in a non-exclusive example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
Those of skill in the art also would understand that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.
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More specifically, the system for presenting context aware messages 10 includes a first set of rules adapted to define a variety of contexts expressing when and how the data will be useful to the user of a mobile Wireless communication instrument 12a-n or similar entity (“context rules”). The system for presenting a context aware message 10 also may include a second set of rules adapted to interpret the data within a defined context (“presentation rules”).
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A context aware device 20a-n may be either one or more mobile wireless communications instruments 12a-n, software applications, and/or one or more stand-alone devices, either or both of which is capable of sending and receiving contextual information; has the capability of interpreting the context rules contained within contextual information; has the logic and/or intelligence to know which contexts are valid at any given time; and/or has the capability of presenting desired information to a recipient of a context aware message in manner is dependent on interpreting the information context and determining the device's current valid context.
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A configuration manager 24 also is illustrated in
The context aware message presentation system 10 allows any member of a contextual communication group to define a contextual communication group, and to add or remove CADs 20a-n from a contextual communication group. The context aware message presentation system 10 also allows creation or modification of contextual information. The context aware message presentation system 10 also includes means for broadcasting and/or propagating contextual information, and changes to contextual information, within the contextual communication group.
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The information presentation engine 30 is capable of reading current valid context rules 32, as well as the contextual communication group configuration data 34, and applies the context rules 32 and the contextual communication group configuration data 34 to the presentation rules 36 contained within the current contextual information 38 being processed. Based on the results of the above computation, the context aware message presentation system 10 outputs information in a format desired by a recipient of a context aware message 40.
As illustrated, the context aware message presentation system 10 offers several advantages over alternative systems associated or based on a central management entity. The context aware message presentation system 10 eliminates or simplifies designs contemplating use of a central management entity. Because the same body of the message is being exchanged, it can reduce messaging costs by employing broadcast communication strategy instead of point-to-point communication. The system also is easy to modify by modifying the context rules of the system.
Claim elements and steps in this document have been numbered solely as an aid in understanding the description. The numbering is not intended to, and should not be considered as intending to, indicate the ordering of elements and steps in the claims. In addition, the system for presenting context aware messages 10 shown in drawing
The present Application for Patent claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/984,574 entitled “Context aware message presentation system” filed Nov. 1, 2007, which is assigned to the assignee hereof and are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60984574 | Nov 2007 | US |
