US6750883B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Identity-based context aware computing systems and methods
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 2000-04-05
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Granted: 2004-06-15
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Expires: 2020-04-05
Abstract
Abstract Context-aware computing systems and methods are described. In some embodiments the context of a computing device is determined by assigning privacy levels to one or more applications that are configured to call a context service module on the computing device to obtain context information from the context service module. A device context is determined with the context service module using context information that is provided by multiple different context providers. A query is received from an application that requests context information pertaining to the context of the computing device and a privacy level associated with the application from which the query was received is determined. Device context information is then selected in accordance with the privacy level of the application from which the query was received. The selected device context information is then returned to the application from which the query was received.
Inventors
- 👤 Gopal Parupudi
- 👤 Edward F. Reus
- 👤 Stephen S. Evans
- 👤 Mario C. Goertzel
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 16:10
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06F; G06F21/00; G06F21/60; G06F21/62; G06F21/6218; G06F21/6227
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 47
Claim 1
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of determining the context of a computing device comprising: assigning privacy levels to one or more applications that are configured to call a context service module on the computing device to obtain context information from the context service module; determining a device context with the context service module using context information that is provided by multiple different context providers; receiving a query from an application that requests context information pertaining to the context of the computing device; determining a privacy level associated with the application from which the query was received; selecting device context information in accordance with the privacy level of the application from which the query was received; and returning the selected device context information to the application from which the query was received.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of determining the context of a computing device comprising: assigning privacy levels to one or more applications that are configured to call a context service module on the computing device to obtain context information from the context service module; determining a device context with the context service module using context information that is provided by multiple different context providers; receiving a query from an application that requests context information pertaining to the context of the computing device; determining a privacy level associated with the application from which the query was received; selecting device context information in accordance with the privacy level of the application from which the query was received; and returning the selected device context information to the application from which the query was received.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a handheld computing device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining of the device context comprises traversing a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes, each node comprising a portion of the device's context, the traversing defining a complete context for the device.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 4 , wherein each node has a privacy level associated with it, and the selecting of the device context information comprises traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches the privacy level of the application from which the query was received.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 4 , wherein the nodes each comprise geographical divisions of the Earth, and the device context comprises a device location.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 6 , wherein each node has a privacy level associated with it, and the selecting of the device context information comprises traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches the privacy level of the application from which the query was received.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 4 , wherein the nodes each comprise physical or logical representations, and the device context comprises a device location.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 8 , wherein each node has a privacy level associated with it, and the selecting of the device context information comprises traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches the privacy level of the application from which the query was received.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
210 words
One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to: assign privacy levels to one or more applications that are configured to call a context service module on the computing device to obtain context information from the context service module; determine a device context with the context service module using context information that is provided by multiple different context providers, the device context being determined by traversing a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes, each node comprising a portion of the device's context and having a privacy level associated therewith, the traversing defining a complete context for the device; receive a query from an application that requests context information pertaining to the context of the computing device; determine a privacy level associated with the application from which the query was received; select device context information in accordance with the privacy level of the application from which the query was received by traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches or is less than the privacy level of the application from which the query was received; and return the selected device context information to the application from which the query was received.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
210 words
One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to: assign privacy levels to one or more applications that are configured to call a context service module on the computing device to obtain context information from the context service module; determine a device context with the context service module using context information that is provided by multiple different context providers, the device context being determined by traversing a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes, each node comprising a portion of the device's context and having a privacy level associated therewith, the traversing defining a complete context for the device; receive a query from an application that requests context information pertaining to the context of the computing device; determine a privacy level associated with the application from which the query was received; select device context information in accordance with the privacy level of the application from which the query was received by traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches or is less than the privacy level of the application from which the query was received; and return the selected device context information to the application from which the query was received.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
15 words
A mobile computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 10 .
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
A handheld mobile computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 10 .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
The one or more computer-readable media of claim 10 , wherein the device context comprises a device location.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of determining the context of a computing device comprising configuring a computing device with software code that: determines the device's current context; receives context queries from one or more applications; determines the source of the queries; and modulates information that is returned to the application as a function of the application's identity and a privacy level assigned thereto.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of determining the context of a computing device comprising configuring a computing device with software code that: determines the device's current context; receives context queries from one or more applications; determines the source of the queries; and modulates information that is returned to the application as a function of the application's identity and a privacy level assigned thereto.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the computing device comprises a handheld computing device.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the context is determined by using a hierarchical tree structure that is maintained on the device.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the context is determined by using a hierarchical tree structure that is maintained on the device, the context being determined by traversing multiple nodes of the tree structure where each node has different context information.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
65 words
The method of claim 14 , wherein the context is determined by using a hierarchical tree structure that is maintained on the device, the context being determined by traversing multiple nodes of the tree structure where each node has different context information, the context information that is returned to the application being returned from a node that is not an end point of the traversal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
51 words
A computing device having a processor that is configured to: determine the device's current context; receive context queries from one or more applications; determine the source of the queries; and modulate information that is returned to the application as a function of the application's identity and a privacy level assigned thereto.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
51 words
A computing device having a processor that is configured to: determine the device's current context; receive context queries from one or more applications; determine the source of the queries; and modulate information that is returned to the application as a function of the application's identity and a privacy level assigned thereto.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
The computing device of claim 20 embodied as a mobile computing device.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The computing device of claim 20 embodied as a handheld computing device.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computing device of claim 20 , wherein the device's current context comprises the device's current location.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
30 words
The computing device of claim 20 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the device's current context by using a hierarchical tree structure that is stored on the device.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
106 words
A computing device comprising: a computer-readable medium; a location service module on the computer-readable medium and configured to process information from multiple different location providers to determine the current location of the device, the location service module being configured to receive queries from one or more applications for location information, the applications having individual privacy levels associated therewith; and a privacy manager module on the device that is configured to: determine the privacy level that is associated with a particular application from which a query is received; select location information as a function of the application's privacy level; and return selected location information to the application.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
106 words
A computing device comprising: a computer-readable medium; a location service module on the computer-readable medium and configured to process information from multiple different location providers to determine the current location of the device, the location service module being configured to receive queries from one or more applications for location information, the applications having individual privacy levels associated therewith; and a privacy manager module on the device that is configured to: determine the privacy level that is associated with a particular application from which a query is received; select location information as a function of the application's privacy level; and return selected location information to the application.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
12 words
The computing device of claim 25 embodied as a mobile computing device.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
12 words
The computing device of claim 25 embodied as a handheld computing device.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
46 words
The computing device of claim 25 , wherein the location service module is configured to determine the device location by traversing a hierarchical tree structure comprising multiple nodes, each node comprising a portion of the device's location, the traversing defining a complete location for the device.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
63 words
The computing device of claim 28 , wherein each node has a privacy level associated with it, and the privacy manager module is configured to select the device location information by traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches or is less than the privacy level of the application from which the query was received.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
17 words
The computing device of claim 28 , wherein the nodes each comprise geographical divisions of the Earth.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
54 words
The computing device of claim 30 , wherein each node has a privacy level associated with it, and the selecting of the device location information comprises traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches the privacy level of the application from which the query was received.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
16 words
The computing device of claim 28 , wherein the nodes each comprise physical or logical representations.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
58 words
The computing device of claim 32 , wherein each node has a privacy level associated with it, and the selecting of the device context information comprises traversing the hierarchical tree structure to find a node that has a privacy level that matches or is less than the privacy level of the application from which the query was received.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
115 words
A system for determining the context of a computing device comprising: one or more computing devices; a location service module on each device and configured to process information from multiple different location providers to determine the current location of the device, the location service module being configured to receive queries from one or more applications for location information, the applications having individual privacy levels associated therewith; and a privacy manager module operably associated with each device and configured to: determine the privacy level that is associated with a particular application from which a query is received; select location information as a function of the application's privacy level; and return selected location information to the application.
Claim 40
Independent Claim
115 words
A system for determining the context of a computing device comprising: one or more computing devices; a location service module on each device and configured to process information from multiple different location providers to determine the current location of the device, the location service module being configured to receive queries from one or more applications for location information, the applications having individual privacy levels associated therewith; and a privacy manager module operably associated with each device and configured to: determine the privacy level that is associated with a particular application from which a query is received; select location information as a function of the application's privacy level; and return selected location information to the application.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein at least one of the computing device comprises a mobile computing device.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
19 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein at least one of the computing device comprises a handheld computing device.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein the privacy manager module is located on each device.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein the privacy manager module is not located on each device.
Claim 45
Dependent Claim
17 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein the privacy manager module is proxied by a trusted entity.
Claim 46
Dependent Claim
22 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein a privacy policy for an application can be selected by a user of the device.
Claim 47
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system of claim 34 , wherein one or more privacy policies for one or more respective applications can be selected by a central administrative authority.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-06-15 | 2007-12-15 | 2008-06-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-06-15 | 2011-12-15 | 2012-06-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-06-15 | 2015-12-15 | 2016-06-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |