Method and apparatus for context-based grouping

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509792-B2
Application number	US-81211010-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2010
Priority date	Jun 29, 2010
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

An approach is provided for determining context-based groups based on context information. An input from a device specifying one or more criteria to determine a context-based group from among a plurality of other devices is received. The context information associated with the plurality of other devices is determined. The context-based group is determined based, at least in part, on the context information and the criteria.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising facilitating a processing of and/or processing (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal, the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal based, at least in part, on the following:
an input from a device specifying one or more criteria to determine a context-based user group from among a plurality of other devices, the one or more criteria specifying one or more context parameters;
at least one determination of one or more context values of the one or more context parameters associated with the plurality of other devices;
at least one determination of the context-based user group based, at least in part, on the context values and the one or more criteria;
at least one determination of one or more updates to the context values of the one or more context parameters;
at least one update to the context-based user group in response to the one or more updates to the context values of the one or more context parameters;
at least one determination of one or more actions available at the device relevant to the context-based user group;
at least one determination to present a user interface for initiating at least one of the one or more actions,
wherein the one or more updates to the context values occur while the one or more context parameters remain unchanged,
and the at least one update to the context-based user group occurs in real-time with the one or more updates to the context values;
and at least one determination of one or more structured queries based, at least in part, on the one or more criteria,
wherein the determining of the context-based user group is based, at least in part, on application of the one or more structured queries to the context values.

2. A method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more criteria is based, at least in part, on one or more contexts of the device.

3. A method of claim 1 , wherein the (1) data and/or (2) information and/or (3) at least one signal are further based, at least in part, on the following:
at least determination of one or more keywords, one or more operators, or a combination thereof from the input,
wherein the determining of the one or more structured queries is based, at least in part, on the one or more keywords, the one or more operators, or a combination thereof.

4. 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,
receive an input from a device specifying one or more criteria to determine a context-based user group from among a plurality of other devices, the one or more criteria specifying one or more context parameters;
determine one or more context values of the one or more context parameters associated with the plurality of other devices;
determine the context-based user group based, at least in part, on the values and the one or more criteria;
determine one or more updates to the context values of the one or more context parameters;
update the context-based user group in response to the one or more updates to the context values of the one or more context parameters;
determine one or more actions available at the device relevant to the context-based user croup;
determine to present a user interface for initiating at least one of the one or more actions;
and determine one or more structured queries based, at least in part, on the one or more criteria,
wherein the determining of the context-based user group is based, at least in part, on application of the one or more structured queries to the context values.

5. An apparatus of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the one or more criteria is based, at least in part, on one or more contexts of the device.

6. An apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is further caused to:
determine one or more keywords, one or more operators, or a combination thereof from the input,
wherein the determining of the one or more structured queries is based, at least in part, on the one or more keywords, the one or more operators, or a combination thereof.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to at least perform the following steps:
receiving an input from a device specifying one or more criteria to determine a context-based user group from among a plurality of other devices, the one or more criteria specifying one or more context parameters;
determining one or more context values of the one or more context parameters associated with the plurality of other devices;
determining the context-based user group based, at least in part, on the values and the one or more criteria;
determining one or more updates to the context values of the one or more context parameters;
updating the context-based user group in response to the one or more updates to the context values of the one or more context parameters;
determining one or more actions available at the device relevant to the context-based user croup;
determining to present a user interface for initiating at least one of the one or more actions;
and determining one or more structured queries based, at least in part, on the one or more criteria,
wherein the determining of the context-based user group is based, at least in part, on application of the one or more structured queries to the context values.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the one or more criteria is based, at least in part, on one or more contexts of the device.

9. A method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more context parameters include a distance from the device.

10. A method of claim 9 , wherein the context-based user group is a carpool group associated with one or more traffic route measurement parameters.

11. An apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more context parameters include a distance from the device.

12. An apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the context-based user group is a carpool group associated with one or more traffic route measurement parameters.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the one or more context parameters include a distance from the device.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the context-based user group is a carpool group associated with one or more traffic route measurement parameters.

Assignees

• Liu Dong
• Xue Wenwei
• Song Zhanjiang
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Liu Dong
• Xue Wenwei
• Song Zhanjiang

Classifications

• G06F17/30035

  Physics · mapped topic

• H04L67/24 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G06F16/437 Primary

  Administration of user profiles, e.g. generation, initialisation, adaptation, distribution · CPC title

• H04L67/54 Primary

  Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users · CPC title