Supplying notifications related to supply and consumption of user context data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9559917-B2
Application number	US-201313942592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2013
Priority date	Dec 18, 1998
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

Techniques are described for providing information about a current state that is modeled with multiple state attributes. In some situations, the providing includes receiving from a module a request related to the modeling of the current state with the multiple state attributes. In such situations, the providing further includes, without further intervention related to the request by the module, determining that the request cannot currently be satisfied, and indicating to the module that the request cannot currently be satisfied, monitoring at later times after the indicating to determine whether the request can be satisfied, and indicating to the module that the request can be satisfied if it is determined at one of the later times that the request can currently be satisfied.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed in a body-mounted computer of a user for providing information about a current activity of the user that is modeled with multiple states, the method comprising:
receiving from a context client a request related to the modeling of the current activity of the user with at least one attribute of user activity of the multiple state attributes;
receiving a plurality of values from at least one context server of the user;
mediating the received plurality of values using a processor of the body-mounted computer to determine the at least one attribute of the user activity; and
providing the at least one attribute of the user activity to the context client.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mediating comprises:
caching the received plurality of values;
determining whether each value of the cached values is sufficiently accurate to determine whether multiple sufficiently accurate values are present in the cached values;
requesting an updated value for a cached value from a context server if the cached value is determined to not be sufficiently accurate; and
determining a mediated value for the cached values if multiple sufficiently accurate values are determined to be present.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mediating comprises:
using a default mediator to perform said mediating.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said mediating comprises:
using a mediator to perform said mediating that was requested by the context client or that was specified by a context server.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said providing comprises:
providing the at least one attribute to an eyeglass mounted display worn by the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving a plurality of values comprises:
receiving a value from an eyeglass mounted display worn by the user.

7. A method attribute performed in a body-mounted computer of a user for providing information about a current activity of the user that is modeled with multiple states, the method comprising:
receiving from a context client a request related to the modeling of the current activity of the user with at least one attribute of user activity of the multiple state attributes;
receiving a value from a context server carried or worn by the user, the value corresponding to the at least one attribute;
caching the received value; and
providing the cached value to the context client.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the request, determining whether the value for the at least one attribute is cached at the body-mounted computer;
if the cached value is determined to be present at the body-mounted computer, determining at least one of whether the cached value is sufficiently accurate or sufficiently recent; and
requesting an updated value for the cached value from a context server if the cached value is determined to be at least one of not sufficiently accurate or not sufficiently recent.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said receiving from a context client a request comprises:
receiving the request from an eyeglass mounted display worn by the user.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein said providing comprises:
providing the at least one attribute of the user activity to an eyeglass mounted display worn by the user.

11. A wearable computing device of a user for providing information about a current activity of the user, comprising:
at least one processor;
a storage device; and
a characterization module executed by the at least one processor, the characterization module configured to:
receive from a context client a request related to the modeling of the current activity of the user with at least one attribute of user activity of the multiple state attributes;
receive at least one value corresponding to the at least one attribute from at least one context server carried or worn by the user;
if a plurality of values are received from the at least one context server, mediate the received plurality of values to determine the at least one attribute of the user activity; and
provide the at least one attribute of the user activity to the context client.

12. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein if a plurality of values corresponding to the at least one attribute are received from the at least one context server, the characterization module is configured to:
cache the received plurality of values;
determine whether each value of the cached values is sufficiently accurate to determine whether multiple sufficiently accurate values are present in the cached values;
request an updated value for a cached value from a context server if the cached value is determined to not be sufficiently accurate; and
determine a mediated value for the cached values if multiple sufficiently accurate values are determined to be present.

13. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the characterization module is configured to use a default mediator to mediate the received plurality of values.

14. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein to mediate the received plurality of values, the characterization module is configured to use a mediator that was requested by the context client, to use a mediator that was specified by a context server, or to choose the mediator.

15. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein if a single value corresponding to the at least one attribute is received from the at least one context server, the characterization module is configured to:
cache the received value in the storage device; and
provide the cached value to the context client in response to the request.

16. The wearable computing device of claim 15 , wherein the characterization module is configured to:
determine at least one of whether the cached value is sufficiently accurate or sufficiently recent; and
request an updated value for the cached value from a context server if the cached value is determined to be at least one of not sufficiently accurate or not sufficiently recent.

17. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the context client is an eyeglass mounted display worn by the user.

18. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the context client is a phone carried by the user.

19. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the at least one context server includes at least one of an eyeglass mounted display worn by the user or a phone carried by the user.

20. The wearable computing device of claim 11 , wherein the wearable computing device is configured to wirelessly communicate with the context client.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Abbott Kenneth H
• Freedman Joshua M
• Newell Dan
• Robarts James O

Classifications

• G06F17/30041

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F3/016

  Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user · CPC title

• G06F21/00

  Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity · CPC title

• G06F2221/2149

  Restricted operating environment · CPC title

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · CPC title