Method and apparatus for providing an ordering metric for a multi-dimensional contextual query

Patent No. US9390137 (titled "Method and apparatus for providing an ordering metric for a multi-dimensional contextual query") on Jun 29, 2011. The application was issued on Jul 12, 2016.

’137 is related to the field of context-aware data retrieval and mobile information services. Specifically, it addresses the technical challenge of delivering relevant content to mobile devices when the user’s situation involves complex, overlapping variables such as multiple people, varying locations, and specific behavioral needs that change over time.

The underlying idea behind ’137 is that a single user profile is insufficient for modern mobile queries; instead, the system utilizes a multi-dimensional query framework that incorporates situational personas. By defining a persona based on a group of people (e.g., a family with an infant and a teenager) rather than a lone individual, the system can correlate specific user contextual attributes with object attributes in a database to provide highly targeted results.

The claims of ’137 focus on a method and apparatus for determining a multi-dimensional query that specifies one or more personas representing more than one person. The claims further cover executing this query against a context-sensitive database and generating an ordering metric to rank the results based on the specific contextual attributes of the user device and its current situation.

In practice, the invention functions by monitoring device sensors and user-defined profiles to establish a situational awareness layer. When a user searches for a point of interest, such as a restaurant, the system doesn't just look for proximity; it filters and ranks results based on whether the venue meets the specific needs of the group persona, such as the availability of a baby changing room or a kids' menu.

This approach differs from prior solutions by decoupling the initial database query from the final result ranking. By using a dynamic ordering metric, the system can reorder results locally on the mobile device as the context changes—such as the time of day or the user's movement—without requiring a new, bandwidth-heavy execution of the query against the remote database.

How does this patent fit in bigger picture?

Technical Landscape

In the early 2010s when ’137 was filed, mobile information retrieval was typically implemented using static keyword searches or simple location-based filters at a time when systems commonly relied on single-parameter queries rather than multi-dimensional contextual modeling. During this era, hardware and software constraints, specifically limited mobile processing power and restricted wireless bandwidth, made the real-time synchronization and processing of complex, multi-user situational datasets non-trivial. Consequently, data delivery to handheld devices often lacked granular relevance because server-side architectures were not yet optimized to dynamically rank results based on the intersection of shifting user personas and temporal environmental attributes.

Prosecution Position

The disclosed invention addresses the technical challenge of providing relevant content in mobile environments where processing resources are scarce and user contexts are highly fluid. By implementing an architectural shift that utilizes multi-dimensional queries specifying both user personas and specific contexts, the system enables the execution of queries against context-sensitive databases to generate highly targeted results. The integration of a dynamic ordering metric, calculated based on real-time user contextual attributes, achieves the technical effect of prioritizing data that is most applicable to the user's current situational state. This approach overcomes the constraints of traditional search methods by providing a structured mechanism to rank and present complex datasets efficiently on mobile interfaces.

Claims

This patent contains a total of 20 claims, with claims 1 and 11 serving as the independent claims. The independent claims focus on a method and an apparatus for processing multi-dimensional queries that incorporate multiple user personas and contextual attributes to generate and rank results from a context-sensitive database. The dependent claims serve to further define the system by specifying the use of object contextual attributes, detailing the calculation of ordering metrics through weighted dimensions, and incorporating data quality factors such as accuracy and precision derived from sensors or user updates.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)	Support for Specification	Interpretation
Context-sensitive database (Claim 1, Claim 11)	The method also comprises causing, at least in part, an execution of the multi-dimensional query on at least one context-sensitive database to generate one or more results. Device manufacturers and service providers face significant technical challenges to providing rich, situational-aware, context-sensitive datasets in a mobile environment.	A data storage system capable of storing and retrieving information that is indexed or filtered based on situational parameters such as user environment or device state.
Multi-dimensional query (Claim 1, Claim 11)	The multi-dimensional query specifies, at least in part, one or more personas, one or more contexts, or a combination thereof associated with the at least one user device. The approach provides an ordering metric for a multi-dimensional contextual query to provide context-aware querying, retrieval and presentation of results on a mobile interface.	A search request that incorporates multiple parameters or dimensions, specifically specifying one or more personas and one or more contexts associated with a user device.
Ordering metric (Claim 1, Claim 11)	The method further comprises determining at least one ordering metric for the one or more results based, at least in part, on one or more user contextual attributes of the at least one user device. There is a need for an approach for providing an ordering metric for a multi-dimensional contextual query to provide context-aware querying, retrieval and presentation of results.	A measurement or criteria used to rank, sort, or prioritize query results based on the specific situational data of the user.
Personas (Claim 1, Claim 11)	The multi-dimensional query specifies, at least in part, one or more personas, based, at least in part, on more than one person, associated with the at least one user device. The invention addresses the need for rich, situational-aware, context-sensitive datasets that span different context-aware situations to allow applications to be useful for multiple contexts and/or multiple users.	Profiles or characterizations based on the attributes or behaviors of more than one person, used to define the scope or nature of a query.
User contextual attributes (Claim 1, Claim 11)	The method further comprises determining at least one ordering metric for the one or more results based, at least in part, on one or more user contextual attributes of the at least one user device. Network and content services rely on the context of the users accessing the network services or the devices by which the users access the network services.	Specific data points representing the environment, situation, or state of the user or their device used to influence the relevance of data results.

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case Number	Filing Date	Title
1:23-cv-01236	Oct 31, 2023	Nokia Technologies Oy V. Amazon.Com, Inc.

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US9390137

Application Number: US13172425A
Filing Date: Jun 29, 2011
Publication Date: Jul 12, 2016
External Links: Slate, USPTO , Google Patents

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