Sentiment aware user interface customization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9348479-B2
Application number	US-201113315047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 8, 2011
Priority date	Dec 8, 2011
Publication date	May 24, 2016
Grant date	May 24, 2016

Abstract

The customization of an application user interface with a skin package based on context data that includes the emotional states of a user may strengthen the emotional attachment for the application by the user. The customization includes determining an emotional state of a user that is inputting content into an application. A skin package for the user interface of the application is selected based on the emotional state of the user. The selected skin package is further applied to the user interface of the application.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform acts comprising:
receiving a user selection, the user selection identifying:
one or more sources from which context data is to be used for generating emotional state determinations, the one or more sources including an application, and
one or more other sources from which context data is not to be used for making emotional state determinations;
determining an emotional state of a user that is inputting content into the application, the content including inputted textual communication for transmission to another application through the application as part of an online chat session, and the emotional state being determined based at least partly on at least one word or phrase in the textual communication being associated with the emotional state;
determine a classification confidence value for the determination of the emotional state of the user;
selecting a skin package for a user interface of the application based at least on the classification confidence value for the emotional state meeting a confidence value threshold; and
applying the skin package to the user interface of the application to at least alter an appearance of the user interface.

2. The computer storage medium of claim 1 , further comprising ascertaining an operation scenario type of the application, the operation scenario type corresponding to a usage formality of the application, wherein the selecting includes selecting a skin package for a user interface of the application based on the emotional state and the operation scenario type.

3. The computer storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the ascertaining includes:
polling the application for application information that includes one or more of application process names, field classes, an application object model, and screen pixel information of output data generated by the application; and
classifying the application as operating in one of multiple operation scenario types and generating a type confidence value for the classifying based at least on the application information.

4. The computer storage medium of claim 3 , wherein the skin package is one of a first skin package or a second skin package, and wherein selecting includes:
selecting the first skin package that corresponds to the emotional state and a usage formality of the application indicated by the operation scenario type of the application when the type confidence value at least meets a corresponding predefined confidence threshold; and selecting the second skin package that corresponds to the emotional state and a most formal usage formality when the type confidence value is below the corresponding predefined confidence threshold.

5. The computer storage medium of claim 2 , wherein the operation scenario type is one of a plurality of operation scenario types that include an online chat scenario and a document authoring scenario.

6. The computer storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the determining includes: normalizing the context data into context features that are expressed as name value pairs.

7. The computer storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the skin package for a user interface is a first skin package for a user interface, and wherein the selecting includes:
selecting a second skin package that corresponds to a neutral emotional state when the classification confidence value is below the confidence value threshold.

8. The computer storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the context data includes at least one of application specific data, environmental data, or user status data.

9. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the environmental data includes at least one of data on a real-world environment, a software status or event of an electronic device that is executing the application, or a hardware status or event of the electronic device.

10. The computer storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the user status data includes data collected from personal web services used by the user that provide implicit or explicit clues regarding the emotional state of the user.

11. The computer storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the skin package includes an image and at least one of a sound or an animation.

12. The computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the animation is displayed according to an emotion term inputted into the application by the user.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein selecting a skin package for a user interface of the application is further based at least on an emotional state of a second user associated with the user.

14. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving a user selection, the user selection identifying:
one or more sources from which context data is to be acquired, the one or more sources including a principle application, and
one or more other sources from which context data is not to be used for making emotional state determinations;
determining, based at least in part on the context data, an emotional state of a user that is inputting content into the principal application;
ascertaining a level of formality associated with a current operation scenario;
selecting a skin package for a user interface of a language input method editor application that is executing cooperative with the principal application based on the emotional state and the level of formality associated with the current operation scenario; and
applying the skin package to the user interface of the language input method editor application to alter the user interface, the skin package including an image and at least one of a sound and an animation.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the
selecting includes selecting the skin package to reflect or alter the emotional state of the user.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the principal application is a communication application, further comprising applying the skin package to an additional user interface of another communication application that is used to send communication to the instant messaging client application.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the determining includes:
translating content that is inputted into the principal application from a first language into a second language; and
determining the emotional state of the user based on context data that includes the content that is in the second language.

18. A computing device, comprising:
one or more processors; and
a memory that includes a plurality of computer-executable components, the plurality of
computer-executable components comprising:
a sentiment analysis component that:
receives a user selection, the user selection identifying:
one or more sources from which context data is to be used, the one or more sources including an application, and
one or more other sources from which context data is not to be used for making emotional state determinations;
determines an emotional state of a user that is inputting content into the application based on the context data, the context data including content inputted into the application by the user or communication that the user transmitted through the application; and
determines a classification confidence value for the determination of the emotional state of the user;
an application classification component that ascertains a social context for an operation of the application, the social context being selected from multiple social contexts

Assignees

• Liu Weipeng
• Scott Matthew Robert
• Hou Huihua
• Zhou Ming
• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Liu Weipeng
• Scott Matthew Robert
• Hou Huihua
• Zhou Ming

Classifications

• G06F3/0481 Primary

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F9/44

  Arrangements for executing specific programs · CPC title

• G06F9/4443

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04M1/72552

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F3/048 Primary

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title