Method and apparatus for providing group context sensing and inference

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9414183-B2
Application number	US-201214375415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2012
Priority date	Mar 20, 2012
Publication date	Aug 9, 2016
Grant date	Aug 9, 2016

Abstract

An approach is provided for providing group context sensing and inference. The group context platform determines at least one group of one or more devices that have one or more group contexts that are at least substantially similar, at least substantially correlated, or a combination thereof. Next, the group context platform causes, at least in part, a distribution of one or more context sensing tasks among the one or more devices of the at least one group. Then, the group context platform processes and/or facilitates a processing of one or more results of the one or more context sensing tasks to (a) modify the one or more group contexts; (b) enhance the one or more group contexts; (c) determine one or more other group contexts; or (d) a combination thereof.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising;
determining at least one group of two or more devices that have one or more group contexts that are at least substantially similar, at least substantially correlated, or a combination thereof,
wherein the determining comprises accessing a profile database storing at least data with respect to context sensors that are available to the two or more devices, data relating to data plans available to the two or more devices, and costs associated with the data plans;
distributing one or more context sensing tasks among the two or more devices of the at least one group based on the data with respect to context sensors that are available to the two or more devices, the data relating to data plans available to the two or more devices, and the costs associated with the data plans, wherein one of the one or more context sensing tasks is not distributed to one of the two or more devices of the at least one group; and
processing one or more results of the one or more context sensing tasks to (a) modify the one or more group contexts; (b) enhance the one or more group contexts; (c) determine one or more other group contexts; or (d) a combination thereof.

2. A method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing initial context data associated with the two or more devices to determine the at least one group, the one or more group contexts for determining the at least one group, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the one or more group contexts, the one or more modified group contexts, the one or more enhanced group contexts, the one or more other group contexts, or a combination thereof to determine inferred context data for at least some of the two or more devices.

4. A method of claim 3 , wherein the inferred context data are associated with one or more context sensors that are not available to the at least some of the two or more devices.

5. A method of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the one or more context sensing tasks are heterogeneous context sensing tasks.

6. A method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining resource information, performance information, or a combination thereof associated with the two or more devices,
wherein the distribution of the one or more context sensing tasks is based on the resource information, the performance information, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 6 , further comprising:
assigning at least one of two or more context sensing tasks to at least one of the two or more devices, another assignment of at least another one of the two or more context sensing tasks to at least another one of the two or more devices, or a combination thereof based the resource information, the performance information, or a combination thereof,
wherein the distribution of the two more context sensing tasks is further based on the assignment, the other assignment, or a combination thereof.

8. A method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the one or more group contexts, the one or more modified group contexts, the one or more enhanced group contexts, the one or more other group contexts, or a combination thereof to determine activity information relating to the at least one group, the two or more devices, or a combination thereof.

9. A method of claim 8 , further comprising:
presenting one or more notifications, one or more recommendations, or a combination thereof for the at least one group, the two or more devices, or a combination thereof based on the activity information.

10. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,
the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,
determine at least one group of two or more devices that have one or more group contexts that are at least substantially similar, at least substantially correlated, or a combination thereof,
wherein the determining comprises accessing a profile database storing at least data with respect to context sensors that are available to the two or more devices, data relating to data plans available to the two or more devices, and costs associated with the data plans;
distribute one or more context sensing tasks among the two or more devices of the at least one group based on the data with respect to context sensors that are available to the two or more devices, the data relating to data plans available to the two or more devices, and the costs associated with the data plans, wherein one of the one or more context sensing tasks is not distributed to one of the two or more devices of the at least one group; and
process one or more results of the one or more context sensing tasks to (a) modify the one or more group contexts; (b) enhance the one or more group contexts; (c) determine one or more other group contexts; or (d) a combination thereof.

11. An apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
process initial context data associated with the two or more devices to determine the at least one group, the one or more group contexts for determining the at least one group, or a combination thereof.

12. An apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
process the one or more group contexts, the one or more modified group contexts, the one or more enhanced group contexts, the one or more other group contexts, or a combination thereof to determine inferred context data for at least some of the two or more devices.

13. An apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the inferred context data are associated with one or more context sensors that are not available to the at least some of the two or more devices.

14. An apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least some of the one or more context sensing tasks are heterogeneous context sensing tasks.

15. An apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine resource information, performance information, or a combination thereof associated with the two or more devices,
wherein the distribution of the one or more context sensing tasks is based on the resource information, the performance information, or a combination thereof.

16. An apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
assign at least one of two or more context sensing tasks to at least one of the two or more devices, another assignment of at least another one of the two or more context sensing tasks to at least another one of the two or more devices, or a combination thereof based on the resource information, the performance information, or a combination thereof,
wherein the distribution of the two or more context sensing tasks is further based on the assignment, the other assignment, or a combination thereof.

17. An apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
process the one or more group contexts, the one or more modified group contexts, the one or more enhanced group contexts, the one or more other group contexts, or a combination thereof to determine activity information relating to the at least one group, the two or more devices, or a combination thereof.

18. An apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
present one or more notifications, one or more recommendations, or a combination thereof for the at least one group, the two or more devices, or a combination thereof based on the activity information.

19. A non-trans

Assignees

• Wang Wei
• Cao Huanhuan
• Tian Jilei
• Wang Xia
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Wang Wei
• Cao Huanhuan
• Tian Jilei
• Wang Xia

Classifications

• H04W4/006 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W8/24

  Transfer of terminal data · CPC title

• H04W4/08

  User group management · CPC title

• H04W4/02

  Services making use of location information · CPC title

• H04W4/38 Primary

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title