US7343365B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computer system architecture for automatic context associations
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 2002-06-28
•
Granted: 2008-03-11
•
Expires: 2022-06-28
Abstract
Abstract A computer system models human memory by deriving associations between objects, events, and the context of the computer user or users. These associations can be dynamically generated, changing depending on the behavior of the user and context. Examples of areas in which this system can be used include time management (e.g., a calendar that presents time-based groupings of objects), people management (e.g., use analysis of user communications to rank importance of people to the user, groupings, and associations between people/groups and other objects such as documents, email), and general computer management (e.g., use analysis of user behavior to identify important objects and objects that are related to a current focus and context of the computer user).
Inventors
- 👤 Shelly D. Farnham
- 👤 Andrzej Turski
- 👤 David P. Vronay
- 👤 Lili Cheng
- 👤 Sean U. Kelly
- 👤 Cezary Marcjan
- 👤 Richard F. Rashid
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:09
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/01; G06F3/048; G06F3/0481; G06Q10/109
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 57
Claim 1
Independent Claim
225 words
Context association software in a computer readable medium, comprising: a system activity monitor that monitors user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer; an association system that determines a degree of a strength of association between at least a pair of computer objects based at least in part upon metadata of each of the computer objects from the database of metadata; a chunking system that uses the degree of the strength of association determined by the association system for a set of objects and groups them into a number of sub-groups; an importance calculator that determines an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and a user interface system that utilizes information stored in the computer system database by the system activity monitor and information determined by the association system, the chunking system, and the importance calculator to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
225 words
Context association software in a computer readable medium, comprising: a system activity monitor that monitors user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer; an association system that determines a degree of a strength of association between at least a pair of computer objects based at least in part upon metadata of each of the computer objects from the database of metadata; a chunking system that uses the degree of the strength of association determined by the association system for a set of objects and groups them into a number of sub-groups; an importance calculator that determines an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and a user interface system that utilizes information stored in the computer system database by the system activity monitor and information determined by the association system, the chunking system, and the importance calculator to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the system activity monitor discerns automatically a user context based upon user activity on the computer and in which the user interface system renders on a display screen a user interface based upon the user context.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the system activity monitor includes a universal input activity monitor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medium of claim 1 further comprising a history manager that provides in a tree structure a representation of user activity on the computer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medium of claim 4 in which the tree structure representation of user activity on the computer is accessible through a calendar user interface.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
The medium of claim 4 in which the tree structure representation of user activity on the computer is editable by a user to effect changes in the user activities represented by the tree structure.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the user interface system includes a context association control panel that provides user-control of a determination of association between at least a pair of computer objects.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 1 in which the user interface system displays in a calendar format information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
42 words
The medium of claim 8 in which the user interface system renders on a display screen an overview calendar-based user interface that includes one or more visualizations relating to user activity on the user-operated computer as determined by the system activity monitor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The medium of claim 8 in which the user interface system renders on a display screen an overview calendar-based user interface that includes one or more visualizations relating to information that is automatically stored in the computer system database without user activity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The medium of claim 8 in which the metadata relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer includes dates, the medium farther comprising a database query user interface for creating a database query directed to dates associated with the metadata, the dates in the database query being selectable directly from the calendar format display.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 4 in which a database query user interface includes a database query directed to metadata other than dates stored in the computer system database.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
226 words
In a computer readable medium, context association software for automatically collecting information about plural computer objects and for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising: objects that are accessed or used on a computer by at least two different user-operated software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to the objects that are accessed or used on the computer; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association; software for mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; an association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
226 words
In a computer readable medium, context association software for automatically collecting information about plural computer objects and for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising: objects that are accessed or used on a computer by at least two different user-operated software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to the objects that are accessed or used on the computer; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association; software for mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; an association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The medium of claim 13 further comprising software for rendering a visualization of a mapping on a computer display screen.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
25 words
The medium of claim 14 in which the visualization of the mapping includes a sector view to show extents of similarity between the computer objects.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
48 words
The medium of claim 13 further comprising: software for clustering the plural computer objects into groups according to the extents of the strength of association between them; and software for rendering a visualization of a mapping on a computer display screen and including the groups in the visualization.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
38 words
The medium of claim 13 further comprising software for filtering the computer objects according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain a number of the computer objects associated with each other at or below a selected threshold.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 17 in which the filtering of the computer objects includes filtering according to a number of occurrences in which each computer object is identified.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 17 in which the filtering of the computer objects includes filtering according to whether the computer objects are associated with a predefined time period.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
25 words
The medium of claim 13 in which the computer objects include computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in communication with each other.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
40 words
The medium of claim 20 in which a mapping of the plural computer objects includes a social mapping of the multiple contacts, the medium farther comprising software for rendering a visualization of the social mapping on a computer display screen.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
34 words
The medium of claim 13 further comprising a history manager that provides in a tree structure a representation of user activity on the computer in connection with one or more of the computer objects.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The medium of claim 22 in which the tree structure representation of user activity on the computer is accessible through a calendar user interface.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
34 words
The medium of claim 22 in which the tree structure representation of user activity on the computer is editable by a user to effect changes in the user activities represented by the tree structure.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
40 words
The medium of claim 13 in which a user interface system includes a context association control panel that provides user-control of a determination of association between at least a pair of computer objects by the software for analyzing the metadata.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
215 words
Computer system user interface software in a computer readable medium, comprising: a system database of metadata relating to computer objects accessed or activities carried out on a computer with two or more different user-operated software applications, the objects or activities are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities monitored include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects or activities of the two or more different user-operated software applications; software for mapping the computer objects or activities based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
215 words
Computer system user interface software in a computer readable medium, comprising: a system database of metadata relating to computer objects accessed or activities carried out on a computer with two or more different user-operated software applications, the objects or activities are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities monitored include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects or activities of the two or more different user-operated software applications; software for mapping the computer objects or activities based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The medium of claim 26 further comprising software for rendering a visualization of the mapping on a computer display screen.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
47 words
The medium of claim 26 further comprising: software for grouping plural computer objects into groups according to the extents of the strength of association between them; and software for rendering a visualization of the mapping on a computer display screen and including the groups in the visualization.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
44 words
The medium of claim 26 further comprising software for filtering the computer objects or activities according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain a number of the computer objects or activities that are associated with each other at or below a selected threshold.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The medium of claim 29 in which the software for filtering of the computer objects includes software for filtering according to a number of occurrences in which each computer object is identified.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
32 words
The medium of claim 29 in which the software for filtering of the computer objects includes software for filtering according to whether the computer objects are associated with a predefined time period.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
25 words
The medium of claim 26 in which the computer objects include computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in communication with each other.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
39 words
The medium of claim 32 in which a mapping of the computer objects includes a social mapping of the multiple contacts, the medium further comprising software for rendering a visualization of the social mapping on a computer display screen.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 26 in which a user interface system displays in a calendar format information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
34 words
The medium of claim 26 further comprising a history manager that provides in a tree structure a representation of user activity on the computer in connection with one or more of the computer objects.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
40 words
The medium of claim 26 in which a user interface system includes a context association control panel that provides user-control of a determination of association between at least a pair of computer objects by the software for analyzing the metadata.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
209 words
A context association method for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising: automatically collecting information about plural computer objects that are accessed or used on a computer by two or more different user-operated software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; storing the information in a computer system database as metadata relating to the objects that are accessed or used on the computer; analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects; mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the strength of association and the importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
209 words
A context association method for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising: automatically collecting information about plural computer objects that are accessed or used on a computer by two or more different user-operated software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; storing the information in a computer system database as metadata relating to the objects that are accessed or used on the computer; analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects; mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the strength of association and the importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 37 further comprising rendering a visualization of the mapping on a computer display screen.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 38 in which the visualization of the mapping includes a sector view to show extents of similarity between the computer objects.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method of claim 37 further comprising: clustering the plural computer objects into groups according to the extents of the strength of association between them; and rendering a visualization of the mapping on a computer display screen and including the groups in the visualization.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 37 further comprising filtering the computer objects according to one or more preselected criteria to maintain a number of them associated with each other at or below a selected threshold.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 41 in which the filtering of the computer objects includes filtering according to a number of occurrences in which each computer object is identified.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 41 in which the filtering of the computer objects includes filtering according to whether the computer objects are associated with a predefined time period.
Claim 48
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 37 in which the computer objects include computer communication information relating to multiple contacts who are in communication with each other.
Claim 49
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of claim 44 in which a mapping of the plural computer objects includes a social mapping of the multiple contacts, the method further comprising rendering a visualization of the social mapping on a computer display screen.
Claim 50
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 37 further comprising providing in a tree structure a representation of user activity on the computer in connection with one or more of the computer objects.
Claim 51
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 46 in which the tree structure representation of user activity on the computer is accessible through a calendar user interface; user activity on the computer is editable by the user to effect changes in the user.
Claim 52
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 46 in which the tree structure representation of user activity on the computer is editable by the user to effect changes in the user activities represented by the tree structure.
Claim 53
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 37 in which a user interface system includes a context association control panel that provides user-control of a determination of association between at least a pair of computer objects.
Claim 54
Dependent Claim
226 words
In a computer readable medium, context association software for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising: software for automatically collecting information about plural computer objects that are accessed or used on one or more computers by at least two different software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to objects that are accessed or used on the one or more computers; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects; software for mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 55
Dependent Claim
226 words
In a computer readable medium, context association software for providing context associations between computer objects, comprising: software for automatically collecting information about plural computer objects that are accessed or used on one or more computers by at least two different software applications, the objects are determined based on monitoring user activity on a user-operated computer, the user activities include at least one of search queries, opening of a file or document and modification of a file or document; a computer system database of metadata relating to objects that are accessed or used on the one or more computers; software for analyzing the metadata to determine extents of a strength of association between the computer objects; software for mapping the computer objects based upon the extents of the strength of association between the computer objects; software for determining an importance ranking between a target computer object and one or more other computer objects based at least in part upon duration of user interactions, recency of interactions, immediacy of user responses, amount of copying, duplication and backups, and extent computer objects are shared; and utilizing information stored in the computer system database by monitoring user activity and information determined by the software for analyzing the metadata and the software for determining an importance ranking, to display information relating to objects stored or activities carried out on the computer.
Claim 56
Dependent Claim
38 words
The medium of claim 50 in which the one or more computers are operated by plural users and the metadata relate to objects that are accessed or used on the one or more computers by the plural users.
Claim 57
Dependent Claim
28 words
The medium of claim 50 in which at least one of the one or more computers is located remotely from the others of the one or more computers.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5956486A
Cited
US6380959B1
Cited
US6125366A
Cited
US6052121A
Cited
US20020073056A1
Cited
US6473752B1
Cited
US6675197B1
Cited
US6369840B1
Cited
US6389372B1
Cited
US6714967B1
Cited
US6832245B1
Cited
US6748395B1
Cited
US20020138477A1
Cited
US6681108B1
Cited
US20040003028A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2011-03-11 | 2011-09-10 | 2012-03-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2015-03-11 | 2015-09-10 | 2016-03-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2019-03-11 | 2019-09-10 | 2020-03-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |