Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-20
2003-03-25
Mizrahi, Diane D. (Department: 2175)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C446S026000, C463S042000, C463S043000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539400
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to information gathering and personalization techniques. The invention particularly relates to techniques used to perceive a user's needs and circumstances and to tailor to those needs and circumstances information that may be offered to the user, such as IT services offered across a communications network.
The possibilities presented and challenges raised by ever-burgeoning levels of information have led information technology companies to develop ‘intelligent agents’. Intelligent agents are software applications that gather data about a user's preferences, habits, and interests, and can then use that data to deliver personalized services to the user. The aim is to ensure that of all the information with which a user could potentially be bombarded, the user is presented only with information deemed to be of most relevance to that user. The user benefits from such tailored information by suffering less irritating distraction, and by learning of information that he or she wishes or needs to know. Of course, the provider of tailored information benefits too, because the user is more likely to buy something that is relevant to his or her needs and aspirations.
At present, intelligent agent systems can only collect data about a user's activities when that person is using a computer. Notably these days, such use will often involve browsing the Internet and interacting with web sites, for example when buying goods or services displayed there, or clicking-through a banner advert on a web page. Even though information technologies are, increasingly, personally owned and portable, this means that a large part of the user's everyday life remains unknown to the agent. The agent is therefore vulnerable to drawing incorrect inferences from the limited data available to it, and so may be unable properly to tailor a service or other information that is presented to the user.
Even if tailored properly, information can only be presented when the user chooses to access it and so, unless fortuitously synchronized with the user's constantly-changing needs and circumstances, this information may lose whatever carefully-tailored relevance it~once had.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention solves these problems by proposing a portable data capture device that can collect environmental data about a user's whereabouts and upload that data from time to time for use in offering information such as services to the user. The invention extends to a system that interacts with the portable data capture device and to which that device, in more than one sense of the word, is a key. The invention also encompasses related methods, as will be set out more formally below.
The portable data capture device contemplated in preferred embodiments of the invention comprises a processor, an amount of memory, a timekeeping device, and at least one (and preferably several) environmental sensors. Such sensors can take many forms, but could for example include means responsive to temperature, light, humidity, movement, sound or RF signals. The data capture device is carried about the body and so is preferably wearable, for example in the sense of being attachable to the body or to clothing.
While the data capture device is being carried or more preferably worn, environmental data is recorded from the sensors either continuously or periodically. The record thus collected can be described as a plurality of time-series.
When physically or wirelessly connected to a PC, the records on the data capture device can be uploaded to the PC and from there to a network facility accessed through the PC, such as a personal data warehouse. During or after upload, the time-series can be analyzed, for example by cluster analysis. This enables an agent software application eventually to recognize distinct locations that the user regularly visits and events that the user regularly experiences, by identifying approximately correlated values in the record of sensor data.
The user is prompted to name the recognized locations and events, especially by looking back at the time and date and remembering where he or she was then or what he or she was doing, and the locations are added to the vocabulary of the application by correlating them with the sensor data values. The user is then able to instruct the application to alert him or her at a certain time and location. The application interprets this command and stores it in the data capture device.
This way, a unique record tailored to the user is built up and, with further use, refined. Preferably, the user assigns voice keywords to the locations and events.
For example, a software application analyzing sensor data could quite easily infer that there is some meaning in a regular pattern of distinctive noise, movement and humidity most mornings and evenings from Monday to Friday. Recognizing the time, dates and environmental characteristics then prevailing, the user can tell the application that this regular location or event is time spent commuting on an overcrowded train.
The RF sensor optionally included in the data capture device provides the further possibility of recognizing a location directly if that location is equipped with a radio beacon broadcasting within its immediate vicinity. The RF sensor can thus detect the broadcast RF signal when the user nears or enters the relevant location, whereupon that event and its time can be stored for later analysis.
To enable direct recognition from just the broadcast RF signal, that signal may include a code identifying the location, for example a code specific to a particular chain of stores or indeed to a particular one of those stores. Such direct identification could be used to identify the location to the aforementioned software application without further user input being necessary. Otherwise, if the RF signal does not include a code specific as to the precise location but, for example, merely indicates that the user is in a particular town, it can be just one of the sensor inputs used to infer location.
In any event, when the data capture device perceives, to a given degree of approximation, a match between the current state of the sensors and the state previously identified and if necessary named by the user, the device alerts the user by means of vibration, sound and/or light.
The data capture device may also include means to connect to a certain resource on a computer network. In this way, when the data capture device is connected to a PC, the user can instruct the device to deliver a resource to him or her when he or she is in a particular place. In this case, the data capture device will store the command and the address of the resource, such as a URL. When the data capture device alerts the user that he or she is in the place at which the resource is to be delivered, the user can plug the device into another PC at or near to that location, and access the resource upon that other PC for retrieval of information from the resource.
Whilst reference is made above to a PC, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that other computing/communications devices can be used as terminals instead. Such devices are becoming more widespread and promise to continue doing so, as resistance to the PC format is encountered and simpler, more intuitive but no less powerful alternatives come to fruition. For example, existing communications devices such as Internet-enabled mobile telephones, PDAs, ATMs, kiosks and point of sale terminals are contemplated for the purposes of the invention, as are portable screens, digital televisions and set-top boxes, data appliances, desk-top telephones and writing instruments if suitably equipped. The invention can also employ future devices such as so-called street screens, chat booths and retail wands. For convenience, all of these computing/communications devices will be referred to collectively hereinafter as terminals, unless the context demands otherwise.
The invention also resides in a system comprising a portable data capture devic
Bloomfield Mark E.
Cheyne Tanya
Gates & Cooper LLP
Mizrahi Diane D.
NCR Corporation
Spiegel Michael
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