13

 Although in one embodiment, the social mixing engine (described elsewhere herein—see 555-557 of FIG. 5C) that automatically composes invitations to would-be-participants is structured to generate mixing recipes that make each in-room party (“party” in a manner of speaking here) more “interesting”, it is within the contemplation of the present disclosure that the nascent room mix can be targeted for additional or other purposes, such as to try and generate a room mix that would, as a group, welcome certain targeted promotional offerings (described elsewhere herein—see 555 i 2 of FIG. 5C). More specifically, the active CpCCp's (Current personhood-based Chat Compatibility Profiles) of potential invitees (into a STAN—3 spawned room) may include information about income, spending tendencies and/or other demographic attributes of the various players (assuming the people agree to share such information, which they don't have to). In that case, the social cocktail mixing engine (555-557) may be commanded to use a recipe and/or recipe modifications (e.g., different social dynamic spices that try to assemble a social group fitting into a certain age, income, spending categorizing range and/or other pre-specified demographic categories). In other words, the invited guests to the STAN—3 spawned room (or system-maintained other forum) will not only have a better than fair likelihood of having one or more of their top N current topics in common and having good exchange co-compatibilities with one another, but also of welcoming promotional offerings targeted to their age, gender, income and/or spending (and/or other) demographically common attributes. In one embodiment, if the users so allow, the STAN—3 system creates and stores in its database, personal histories of the users including past purchase records and past positive or negative reactions to different kinds of marketing promotion attempts. The system tries to automatically cluster together into each spawned forum (e.g., chat room), people who have similar such records so they form a collective group that has exhibited a readiness to welcome certain kinds of marketing promotion attempts. Then the system automatically offers up the about-to-be formed social group to correspondingly matching marketers where the latter bid for exclusive or nonexclusive access (but limited in number of permitted marketers and number of permitted promotions—see 562 of FIG. 5C) to the forming chat room or other such STAN—3 spawned forum. In one embodiment, before a planned marketing promotion attempt is made to the group as a whole, it is automatically run by in private before the then reigning discussion leader for his approval and/or commenting upon. If the leader provides negative feedback in private (see FB1 of FIG. 5C), then the planned marketing promotion attempt is not carried out. The group leader's reactions can be explicit or implicitly voted on (with CVi's) reactions. In other words, the group leader does not have to explicitly respond to any explicit survey. Instead, the system uses its biometrically directed sensors (where available) to infer what the leader's visceral and emotional reactions are to each planned marketing promotion attempt. Often this can be more effective than asking the leader to respond out right because a person's subconscious reactions usually are more accurate than their consciously expressed (and consciously censored) reactions. In one embodiment, rather than relying on just one person's subconscious reactions, the system samples the subconscious reactions of at least three representative forum participants and filters out one or more of the reactions that deviate beyond a predetermined threshold from the group average reaction. In this way, if a given user is mad at his girlfriend for some reason (as an example), and is making facial and/or body gestures due to an argument or thinking about his girlfriend rather than what is currently presented to him online, that deviating response will be filtered out.
The above method of automatically filtering out an excessively deviant response from a group of collected responses of STAN—3 system users is not limited to just emotional or other responses to test promotional offerings. The process may be applied to other telemetry based determinations such as for example, implicit or explicit votings by STAN—3 system users. In one embodiment, if for example, the CFi's or CVi's of one out of 5 sampled users within a non-customized group deviates from the rest by a percentage exceeding a predetermined threshold, that deviant feedback result is automatically tossed out or given a reduced weight when the result report is generated and/or transmitted for use in an appropriate way (e.g., displaying results to an end user). The response of the group as a whole may be based on an average of the individualized responses of the members or based on another collectivized method of representing a group response such as, but not limited to, a weighted average where some members receive more weight than others due to credentials, social dynamic role within the group, etc., or a mean response or a median response.
Notwithstanding the above, in one embodiment, pro-promotion chat or other forum participation sessions are preformulated by first automatically identifying one or more to-be-invited system users who are predetermined, based on their past online histories and based on their predetermined social dynamics profiles, to be likely group leaders who will also likely favor a to-be-promoted cognition (e.g., the idea of buying into a pre-specified good and/or service) and inviting those personas first into a nascent chat or other forum participation opportunity. If a sufficient number exceeding a predetermined threshold accept that invitation, then more users who are predetermined, based on their past online histories and based on their predetermined social dynamics profiles, to be likely to follow the accepting first invitees, are also invited into the forum. Thereafter, the to-be-promoted cognition is interjected into the forum discourse. In one embodiment, one or more of the first invited and likely to become group leaders is someone who has previously tried a to-be-promoted product or service (or one relatively similar to the be-promoted product/service) and has reacted positively to it (e.g., by posting a positive reaction on Yelp.com™ or another such product/service rating site.)
Referring next to FIG. 1J, shown here is another graphical user interface (GUI) option where the user is presented with an image 190 a of a street map and a locations identification selection tool 190 b. In the illustrated example, the street map 190 a has been automatically selected by the system 410 through use of the built in GPS location determining subsystem (not shown, or other such location determiner) of the tablet computer 100?? as well as an automated system determination of what the user's current context is (e.g., on vacation, on a business trip, etc.). If the user prefers a different kind of map than the one 190 a the system has chosen based on these factors, the user may click, tap, tongue-select (by sticking out tongue or pressing on in-mouth wirelessly communicative touchpad apparatus), or otherwise activate a show-other-map/format option 190 c. As with others of the GUI's illustrated herein, one or more of the selection options presented to the user may include expansion tools (e.g., 190 b+) for presenting more detailed explanations and/or further options to the user. In general, the displayed example shows to the user, locations of various kinds of resources that can enable and/or enhance a planned-for or even a spontaneously real life (ReL) gathering whose purpose may vary depending on which users accept or have accepted corresponding invitations and/or depending on what resources are or are not available at the prospective gathering location.
One or more pointer bubbles, 190 p.1, 190 p.2, etc. are displayed on or adjacent to the displayed map 190 a. The pointer bubbles, 190 p.1, 190 p.2, etc. point places on the map (e.g., 190 a.1, 190 a.3) where on-topic events are already occurring (e.g., on-topic conference 190 p.4) and/or where on-topic events may soon be caused to occur (e.g., good meeting place for topic(s) of bubble 190 p.1) and/or where resources are or can be made available (e.g., at a resource-rich university campus 190 p.6). The displayed bubbles, 190 p.1, 190 p.2, etc. are all, or for the most part, ones directed to topics that satisfy the filtering criteria indicated by the selection tool 190 b (e.g., a displayed filtering criteria box). In the illustrated example, My Top 5 Now Topics implies that these are the top 5 topics the user is currently deemed to be focusing-upon by the STAN—3 system 410. The user may click, tap or otherwise activate a more-menus options arrow (down arrow in box 190 b) to see and select other more popular options available through his system-supported data processing device 100??. Alternatively, if the user wants more flexible and complex selection tool options, the user may use the associated expansion tool 190 b+. Examples of other “filter by” menu options that can be accessed by way of the menus options arrow may include: My next 5 top topics, My best friends' 5 top topics, My favorite group's 3 top topics, and so on. Activation of the expansion tool (e.g., 190 b+) also reveals to the user more specifics about what the names and further attributes are of the selected filter category (My Top 5 Topics, My best friends' 5 top topics, etc.). When the user activates one of the other “filter by” choices, the pointer bubbles and the places on the map they point to automatically change to satisfy the new criteria. The map 190 a may also change in terms of zoom factor, central location and/or format so as to correspond with the newly chosen criteria and perhaps also in response to an intervening change of context for the user of computer 100??.
Referring to the specifics of the top left pointer bubble, 190 p.1 as an example, this one is pointing out a possible meeting place where a not-yet-fully-arranged, real life (ReL) meeting may soon take place between like-minded STAN users. First, the system 410 has automatically located for the user of tablet computer 100??, neighboring other users 190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc. who happen to be situated in a timely reachable radius relative to the possible meeting place 190 a.1. Needless to say, the user of computer 100?? is also situated within the timely reachable radius 190 a.11. By timely reachable, what is meant here is that the respective users have various modes of transportation available to them (e.g., taxi, bus, train, walking, etc.) for reaching the planned destination 190 a.1 within a reasonable amount of time such that the meeting and its intended outcome can take place and such that the invited participants can thereafter make any subsequent deadlines indicated on their respective computer calendars/schedules. In addition to presenting one or more first transport mechanisms (e.g., taxi, bus, etc.) by way of which one or more of the potential participants in the being-planned (or pre-planned) meeting can timely get to the proposed or planned meeting place, the STAN—3 system may optionally present indications (e.g., icons) of one or more second transport mechanisms (e.g., taxi, bus, etc.) by way of which one or more of the potential participants can, at the conclusion of the meeting; timely get to a next desired destination (e.g., back to the office, to a hotel having vacancies, to a convention center, to a customer site, etc.). The first and/or second transport mechanisms may serve as meeting enabling and/or facilitating means in that, without them, some or all of the invited (or to be invited) participants would not be able to attend or would be inconvenienced in attempting to attend. By providing representations of the first and/or second transport mechanisms, the STAN—3 system can encourage potential participants who otherwise may not have attended (e.g., due to worry over how to timely get back to the convention center) to attend because one or more impediments to their attending the proposed or planned meeting is removed.
In one embodiment, the user of computer 100?? can click, tap or otherwise activate an expansion tool (e.g., a plus sign starburst like 190 b+) adjacent to a displayed icon of each invited other user to get additional information about their exact location or other situation, to optionally locate their current mobile telephone number or other communication access means (e.g., a start private chat now option) and to thereby call/contact the corresponding user so as to better coordinate the meeting, including its timing, venue and planned topic(s) of discussion. (It is to be understood that when the locations and/or other situations of the other potential invitees is ascertained, typically their exact identities, locations, age or other demographics are not revealed or the users are in pre-existing privity with one another and have agreed ahead of time to share such information whose revelation may, in some circumstances otherwise compromise the safety or privacy of those involved. The meeting generating process may, in one embodiment, occur only over a secured communication channel to which only users who trusted one another have access.)
Once an acceptable quorum number of invitees have agreed to the venue, as to the timing and/or the topics; one of them may volunteer to act as coordinator (social leader) and to make a reservation at the chosen location (e.g., restaurant) and to confirm with the other STAN users that they will be there (e.g., how many will likely show up and is the facility sized to suite that number?). In one embodiment, the system 410 automatically facilitates one or more of the meeting arranging steps by, for example automatically suggesting who should act as the meeting coordinator/leader (e.g., because that person can get to the venue before all others and he or she is a relatively assertive person), automatically contacting the chosen location (e.g., restaurant) via an online reservation making system or otherwise to begin or expedite the reservation making process and automatically confirming with all that they are committed to attending the meeting and agreeable to the planned topic(s) of discussion. In short; if by happenstance the user of computer 100?? is located within timely radius (e.g., 190 a.11) of a likely to be agreeable to all venue 190 a.1 and other socially co-compatible other STAN users also happen to be located within timely radius of the same location and they are all likely agreeable to lunching together, or having coffee together, etc. and possibly otherwise meeting with regard to one or more currently focused-upon topics of commonality (e.g., they all share in common three topics which topics are members of their personal top 5 current topics of focus), then the STAN—3 system 410 automatically starts to bring the group of previously separated persons together for a mutually beneficial get together. Instead of each eating alone (as an example) they eat together and engage socially with one another and perhaps enrich one another with news, insights or other contributions regarding a topic of common and currently shared focus. In one embodiment, various ones of the social cocktail mixing attributes discussed above in conjunction with FIG. 1M for forming online exchange groups also apply to forming real life (ReL) social gatherings (e.g., 190 p.1).
Still referring to proposed meeting location 190 a.1 of FIG. 1J, sometimes it turns out that there are several viable meeting places within the timely reachable radii (e.g., 190 a.11) of all the likely-to attend invitees (190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc.). This may be particularly true for a densely populated business district (e.g., downtown of a city) where many vendors offer their facilities to the general public for conducting meetings there, eating there, drinking there, and so on. In this case, once the STAN—3 system 410 has begun to automatically bring together the likely-to attend invitees (190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc.), the system 410 has basically created a group of potential customers that can be served up to the local business establishments for bidding/auctioning upon by one or more means. In one embodiment, the bidding for customers takes the form of presenting enticing discounts or other offers to the would-be customers. For example, one merchant may present a promotional marketing offer as follows: If you schedule your meeting now at our Italian Restaurant, we will give you 15% off on our lunch specials. In one embodiment, a pre-auctioning phase takes place before the promotional offerings can be made to the nascent and not-yet-meeting group (190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc.). In that embodiment, the number of promotional offerings (190 q.1, 190 q.2) that are allowed to be displayed in offerings tray 104? (or elsewhere) is limited to a predetermined number, say no more than 2 or 3. However, if more than that number of local business establishments want to send their respective promotions to the nascent meeting group (190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc.), they first bid as against each other for the number 1, 2 and/or 3 promotional offerings spots (e.g., 190 q.1, 190 q.2) in tray 104? and the proceeds of that pre-auctioning phase go to the operators of the STAN—3 system 410 or to another organization that manages the auctioning process. The amount of bid that a local business establishment may be willing to spend to gain exclusive access to the number 1 promotional offering spot (190.q 1) on tray 104? may be a function of how large the nascent meeting group is (e.g., 10 participants as opposed to just two); whether the members of the nascent group are expected to be big spenders and/or repeat customers and so on. In one embodiment, the STAN—3 system 410 automatically shares sharable information (information which the target participants have pre-approved as being sharable) with the potential offerors/bidders so as to aid the potential offerors/bidders (e.g., local business establishments) with making informed decisions about whether to bid or make a promotional offering and if so at what cost. Such a system can be win-win for both the nascent meeting group (190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc.) and the local restaurants or other local business establishments because the about-to-meet STAN users (190 a.12, 190 a.13, etc.) get to consider the best promotional offerings before deciding on a final meeting place 190 a.1 and the local business establishments get to consider, as they fill up the seatings for their lunch business crowd or other event among a possible plurality of nascent meeting groups (not only the one fully shown as 190.p 1, but also 190 p.2 and others not shown) to thereby determine which combinations of nascent groups best fits with the vendors capabilities and desires. More specifically, a business establishment that serves alcohol may want to vie for those among the possible meeting groups (e.g., 190 p.1, 190 p.2, etc.) whose sharable profiles indicate their members tend to spend large amounts of money for alcohol (e.g., good quality beer as an example) during such meetings. In one embodiment, after the meeting concludes, the STAN—3 system automatically seeks out the reactions of participants (e.g., via a proposed online survey) who are likely to welcome such automated reaction solicitation as to their respective ratings of the establishment (e.g., was the food good? was the service good? what rating (how many stars) do you give the place? any additional comments? and so on). The collected information may be automatically relayed to the management of the restaurant (or other such establishment) for quality assurance purposes. If the rating-providing participants permit, their specific of generalized demographic information (as pulled from their personhood profile record) may be automatically attached to their response by the STAN—3 system so that analysis may be carried out as to what demographic attributes match up with which ratings. If the establishment rates well, they may want to publicize a STAN—3 system certified rating for their establishment (e.g., for a fee) which can show off their ratings for certain demographic matches. It is within the contemplation of the present disclosure that the mobile data processing devices of the respective participants can have monitoring turned on during the meeting and such devices can determine when their respective users are focusing their attention giving energies upon the served food (or other served product or service) and then, based on CFi and/or CVi signals then collected, the STAN—3 system can automatically use the same as votes directed to the topic of whether the place was good or not.
Still referring to FIG. 1J and the proposed in-person meeting bubble 190 p.1, optional headings and/or subheadings that may appear within that displayed bubble can include: (1) the name of a proposed meeting venue or meeting area (e.g., uptown) together with an associated expansion tool that provides more detailed information; (2) an indication of which other STAN users are nearby together with an associated expansion tool that provides more detailed information about the situation of each; (3) an indication of which topics are common as currently focused-upon ones as between the proposed participants (user of 100?? plus 190 a.12, 109 a.13, etc.) together with an associated expansion tool that provides more detailed information about the same; (4) an indication of which “subtext” topics (see above discussion re FIG. 1M) might be engaged in during the proposed meeting together with an associated expansion tool that provides more detailed information; and (5) a more button or expansion tool that provides yet more information if available and for the user to view if he so wishes.
A second nascent meeting group bubble 190 p.2 is shown in FIG. 1J as pointing to a different venue location and as corresponding to a different nascent group (Grp No. 2). In one embodiment, the user of computer 100?? may have a choice of joining with the participants of the second nascent group (Grp No. 2) instead of the with the participants of the first nascent group (Grp No. 1) based on the user's mood, convenience, knowledge of which other STAN users have been invited to each, which topic or topics are planned to be discussed, and so on. In one variation, both of nascent meeting group bubbles 190 p.1 and 190 p.2 point to a same business district or other such general location and each group receives a different set of discount enticements or other marketing promotions from local merchants. More specifically, Grp No. 1 (of bubble 190 p.1) may receive an enticing and exclusive offer from a local Italian Restaurant (e.g., free glass of champagne for each member of the group) while Grp No. 2 (of bubble 190 p.2) receives a different offer of enticement or just a normal advertisement from a local Chinese Restaurant; but the user (of 100??) is more in the mood for Chinese food than for Italian now and therefore he says yes to invitation bubble 190 p.2 and no to invitation bubble 190 p.1. This of course is just an illustrative example of how the system can work.
Contents within the respective pointer bubbles (e.g., 190 p.3, 190 p.4, etc.) of each event may vary depending on the nature of the event. For example, if the event is already a definite one (e.g., scheduled baseball game in the location identified by 190 p.3) then of course, some of the query data provided in bubble 190 p.1 (e.g., who is likely to be nearby and likely to agree to attend?) may not be applicable. On the other hand, the alternate event may have its own, event-specific query data (e.g., who has RSVP'ed in bubble 190.p 5) for the user to look at. In one embodiment, clicking, tapping or otherwise activating venue representing icons like 190 a.3 automatically provides the user with a street level photograph of the venue and it surrounding neighborhood (e.g., nearby landmarks) so as to help the user get to the meeting place. In one embodiment, the STAN—3 system automatically causes the user's data processing device (100??) to launch the Google Maps™ web site (or equivalent, e.g., MapQuest™) with the location address preloaded where the automatically launched web page shows the user automatically what public transit routes to take and what are the next arrival/departure times for buses, trams, etc. in the next hour as based on the user's desired estimated ETA (estimated time of arrival) for the planned meeting. More specifically, the STAN—3 system may preload into the web-map providing service link (e.g., Google Maps™ or MapQuest™) the origin and destination locations as well as the type of map information desired (e.g., public transit connections and times, street view, etc.) thereby easing the user's access to such web-map providing services based on information known the STAN—3 system about the planned meeting.
Referring to example 190 p.6 in FIG. 1J, that illustrated example assumes that a major university campus is a possible resource-providing facility for a pre-planned or spontaneously organized real life gathering where the gathering may require or may be enhanced by access to various resource such as, but not limited to: (1) large and/or fully equipped lecture halls that contain various kinds of multi-media equipment (e.g., large scale and/or 3D enabled computer projection and/or interconnection equipment; live tele-conferencing equipment; television broadcast support equipment; question-and-answer session portable microphones, etc.); (2) various types of physical demonstration and/or experiment enabling resources (e.g., chemistry labs, physics labs, engineering labs including computer engineering resources such as super-computers for enabling real time computational simulations and the like, biology/health care simulation or other labs, etc.); (3) library resources including computer database resources and/or access to subscription based data resources; (4) sports activities resources (e.g., gyms, running tracks, tennis/squash courts, etc.); (5) other performance-supporting resources such as music equipment, DJ mixing equipment, poetry jam rooms, choir practice rooms, etc.; (6) large scale dining facilities (e.g., campus cafeterias); (7) temporary housing facilities (e.g., dorm rooms); (8) college faculty personnel (e.g., professors who are experts and/or excellent lecturers on various topics, etc.). In addition to listing the resources (e.g., how many there are, how big? detailed specifications of each, etc.), the expansion tool (e.g., starburst+) of option 190 p.6 may provide automated means for reserving available ones of such resources for different times and/or for negotiating to obtain such resources for planned times of a nascent real life (ReL) gathering plan. It is of course understood that the example of a university campus is merely exemplary and that various other meeting facilitating resources are contemplated here such as commercial TV studios, leasable machine shops, leasable industrial equipment and so on.
Although FIG. 1J shows a presentation of meeting-enabling/enhancing resources (e.g., 190 a.1) displayed on a 2D map (190 a) for the sake of quickly showing the locations of such resources relative to locations of potential invitees (e.g., 190 a.13), it is within the contemplation of the present disclosure that similar information could instead be provided in list or tabular form (e.g., online name of each potential invitee plus approximate distance away from and/or travel time away from a prospective meeting place) and that the presented information need not be visual or only visual and can include an auditory presentation of the status of potential invitees and potential venues (e.g., 190 a.1) for a pre-planned or spontaneously created real life gathering. Accordingly, some of the organizers and/or potential invitees can be driving a car for example where they are not then able to safely view a visual display of the meeting proposals and yet they can hear them via an audio presentation also provided by the STAN—3 system and they can interact with the other members of the planned meeting via audio-only communications if need be. Alternatively or additionally the meeting coordinating map can be presented in a street view format whereby potential joiners to the gathering who are walking or driving nearby can use the street view format to guide themselves and others to the targeted meeting venue on the basis of nearby landmarks.
Additionally, while the above description of FIG. 1J assumes a real life (ReL) meeting to be attended by ReL people, it is within the contemplation of the disclosure that part or all of the meeting can take place in a virtual reality world where virtual characters (e.g., avatars) arrange to virtually meet. The pre-planned or being-planned meeting can also take place where part of it occurs in real life (ReL) while another part simultaneously takes place in a virtual reality world, where for example, the bridge between the two worlds is in the form of a teleconferencing communications means (e.g., large size TV screen) that displays to the real life (ReL) participants of the meeting the virtual characters (e.g., avatars) simultaneously disposed in the virtual reality world.
Referring to FIG. 1K, shown here is another smartphone and tablet computer compatible user interface method 100.4 for presenting an M out of N common topics and optional location based chat or other joinder opportunities to users of the STAN—3 system. More specifically, in its normal mode of display when using this M out of N GUI presentation 100.4, the left columnful of options information 192 would not be visible except for a deminimize tool that is the counter opposite of illustrated Hide tool 192.0. However, for the sake of better understanding what is being displayed in right column 193, the settings column 192 is also shown in FIG. 1K in deminimized (expanded) form.
It can be a common occurrence for some users of the STAN—3 system 410 to find themselves alone and bored or curious or needing a 5-minute or like short-duration break while they wait for a next, in-real life (ReL) event to take place; such as meeting with habitually-late friend at a coffee shop. In such a situation, the user will often have only his or her small-sized PDA or smart cellphone with them. The latter device may have a relatively small display screen 111??. As such, the device compatible user interface (GUI 100.4 of FIG. 1K) is preferably kept simple and intuitive. When the user flips open or otherwise activates his/her device 100.4, a single Instan-Chat™ participation opportunities stack 193.1 automatically appears in the one displayed column 193 (192 is minimized). By clicking, tapping or otherwise activating the Chat Now button of the topmost displayed card of stack 193.1, the user can be automatically connected with a corresponding and now-forming chat group or other such online forum participation opportunity (e.g., live web conference) which is targeted for similarly situated other system users who intend to chat (and/or otherwise exchange information) for only a relatively short duration of time (e.g., less than an hour, less than 30 minutes, . . . , no more than about 5 minutes). There is substantially no waiting for the system 410 to monitor and figure out over a long duration what topic or topics the user is currently most likely focused-upon based on recent click streams or screen tap streams or the like (CFi's, CVi's, etc.) acquired over a relatively long duration. The interests monitor 112?? may be partially or fully turned off in this instance, but the user is nonetheless logged into the STAN—3 system 410 and at least his/her location (as well as date and time in location time zone) and/or other context-indicating data (including history of recent user activities and trending projections made from such historical activities) and/or habit/routine indicating data is available to be acquired by the STAN—3 system. Based on availability or not of such context-indicating data as well as likely current availability of other co-compatible system users, the system 410 may pick among a number of possibilities to present as a proposal to the user. If the system has no context hinting clues but remembers what top 5 topics were last the current top 5 topics of focus for the user, the system can assume that the same are also now the top 5 topics which the user remains currently focused-upon. On the other hand, if the system has access to user context-indicating data beyond just time of day (which alone may be enough if the specific user is a creature of strong habit and routine per his/her PHAFUEL record) such as the system receiving an indication of where the user is located (e.g., at the coffee shop, working late at the office but needing a break, standing outside the movie theater, parked alongside a long stretch of highway, etc.), then the system can pick a more context appropriate group of topics (e.g., topic space subregions) as the top N now based on likely availability of similarly situated other system users who want to now engage in a system-spawned Instan-Chat™. It is to be understood in the course of this description that the system-proposed Instan-Chat™ or Instan™-other forum participation opportunity need not center around nodes or subregions of the system-maintained topic space (e.g., 313? of FIG. 3E) but may instead revolve around one or more respective points, nodes or subregions of a corresponding one or more other Cognitive Attention Receiving Spaces (CARSs; e.g., keyword space, URL space, etc.) maintained by the system. As in other instances throughout the present disclosure, topic space is used as a more readily understandable example.
Additionally, it is to be understood that, although FIG. 1K shows an intuitive-to-use GUI for presenting the proposed Instan-Chat™ or other online forum participation opportunity to the user, it is within the contemplation of the disclosure to present the proposals in one or more alternative or additional ways including, but not limited to, audio presentation and tabular or list or navigatable menus presentation (where audio presentation can be in the form of audible lists or voice controlled navigation through audible menus). Such alternative or additional ways of presenting system-generated information to the user are to be understood as being applicable throughout the present disclosure.
When the STAN—3 system presents the user with a proposed one or more Instan-Chat™ or Instan™-other online forum participation opportunities, such proposal routinely comes in an abbreviated format (e.g., card stack 193.1).
However, if the user wants to see in more detail what the proposed 5 topics are, the user can click, tap or otherwise activate the proposal-stack's expansion tool 193.h+ for more information and for the option of quickly switching to a previous one of a set of system recalled lists of other top 5 topics that the user may previously have focused-upon at earlier times or for indicating to the system that a different context is active and thereby implicitly (or explicitly) requesting that the system present a different set of, more context appropriate, Instan-Chat™ proposals. The user can then quickly click, tap or otherwise activate on one of those alternate options and thus switch to a different set of top 5 topics (or top N points, nodes or subregions of other CARSs). Alternatively, if the user has time, the user may manually define a new collection of current top 5 topics that the user feels he/she is currently focused-upon.
In an alternate embodiment, the system 410 uses the current detected context of the user (e.g., sitting at favorite coffee shop waiting for politically oriented friend to show up as indicated in online calendar) in combination with a randomizer to automatically pick likely current points, nodes or subregions of context appropriate CARSs for the user to consider. Examples include: picking a top 5 topics that the user and the to-be-met friend(s) have in common recently or over the past week or month; picking a top 5 recent keywords that the user and the to-be-met friend(s) have in common; picking a top 5 recent URL's that the user and the to-be-met friend(s) have in common; picking a top 5 trending keywords of recent broadcast news, of recent on-Internet news and/or of a more narrowly defined information-sharing network; and randomly picking from a list of favorite topics or favorite other points, nodes or subregions of other CARSs of the user.
However, if the STAN—3 system has yet more specific context-hinting data at its disposal, it can propose yet more context relevant chat or other forum participation opportunities. More specifically, if the GPS subsystem indicates the user is stuck on metered on ramp to a backed up Los Angeles highway and current news sources indicate that traffic is heavy in that location, the system 410 may automatically determine that the user's current top 5 topics include one regarding the over-crowded roadways and how mad he is about the situation. On the other hand, if the GPS subsystem indicates the user is in the bookstore (and optionally more specifically, in the science fiction aisle of the store), the system 410 may automatically determine that the user's current top 5 topics include one regarding new books (e.g., science fiction books) that his book club friends might recommend to him. Of course, it is within the contemplation of the present disclosure that the number of top N topics to be used for the given user can be a value other than N=5, for example 1, 2, 3 or 10 as example alternatives.
Accordingly, if the user has approximately 5 to 15 minutes or more of spare time and the user wishes to instantly join into an interesting online chat or other forum participation opportunity, the one Instan-Chat™ participation opportunities stack 193.1 automatically provides the user with a simple interface for entering such a group participation forum with a single click, tap or other such activation. The time based chat proposal may also include an associated maximum number of co-chatters value. More specifically, if the user has only 5 free minutes, it is unlikely that a meaningful chat can take place for him/her if ten other people are in the same chat room because each will likely want at least about a minute of time to talk. So the better approach is to automatically pre-limit the room size based on the user's expected length of free time. If the user has 30 minutes of expected free time for example, the maximum number of participants may be increased from 3 to 5 (as shown in block 192.2).
In one embodiment, a context determining module of the system 410 automatically determines based on context that the user wants to be presented with an Instan-Chat™ participation interface on power-up and also what card the user will most likely want to be first presented within this Instan-Chat™ participation interface when opening his/her smart cellphone (e.g., because the system 410 has detected that the user is in a car and stuck on the zero speed on-ramp to a backed-up Los Angles freeway for example). Alternatively, the user may utilize the Layer-Vator tool 113?? after power-up to virtually take himself to a metaphorical virtual floor that contains the Instan-Chat™ participation interface of FIG. 1K. In one embodiment, the Layer-Vator tool 113?? includes a My 5 Favorite Floors menu option and the user can position the illustrated Instan-Chat™ participation interface floor as one of his top 5 favorite interface floors. The map-based interface of FIG. 1J can be another of the user's top 5 favorite interface floors. The multiple card stacks interface of FIG. 1I can be another of the user's top 5 favorite interface floors. The same can be true for the more generalized GUI of FIG. 1A. The user may also have a longer, My Next 10 Favorite Floors menu option as a clickable, tappable or otherwise activateable option button on his elevator control panel where the longer list includes one or more on-topic community boards such as that of FIG. 1G as a choosable floor to instantly go to.
Still referring to FIG. 1K, the user can quickly click, tap or otherwise activate the shuffle down tool if the user does not like the topmost functional card displayed on stack 193.1 as the proposed short-duration chat or other forum participation opportunity that the user may join into substantially immediately. Similar to the interface options provided in FIG. 1I, the user can query for more information about any one group. The user can activate a “Show Heats” tool 193.1 p. As shown at 193.1, the tool displays relative heats as between representative users already in or also invited to the forum and the heats they are currently deemed to be casting on topics that happen to be the top 5, currently focused-upon topics of the user of device 100.4. In the illustrated example, each of the two other users has above threshold heat on 3 of those top 5 topics, although not on the same 3 out of 5. The idea is that, if the system 410 finds people who share current focus on same topics, they will likely want to then chat or otherwise engage with each other in a Notes Exchange session (e.g., web conference, chat, micro-blog, etc.). In one embodiment, if there is already an ongoing chat or other forum participation session to which the device user is being invited (for example because one of the users who earlier joined is dropping out due to his/her free time duration having run out and thus there is room for a new participant to drop in and take over), the STAN—3 system automatically causes display of the current “group” heat attributed to the proposed chat or other forum participation opportunity (represented by card 193.1)
Column 192 shows examples of default and other settings that the user may have established for controlling what quick chat or other quick forum participation opportunities will be presented for example visually in column 193. (In an alternate embodiment, the opportunities can be presented by way of a voice and/or music driven automated announcement system that responds to voice commands and/or haptic/muscle based and/or gesture-based commands of the user.) More specifically, menu box 192.2 allows the user to select the approximate duration of his intended participation within the chat or other forum participation opportunities and the desired maximum number of participants in that forum. The expected duration can alter the nature of which topics are offered as possibilities, how many and which other users are co-invited into or are already present in the forum and what the nature of the forum will be (e.g., short micro-tweets as opposed to lengthy blog entries). In one embodiment, the STAN—3 system uses recently acquired data (e.g., CFi's) that hints at the user's current context to automatically pick the expected chat duration length and number of others who are co-invited to participate. In some situations, it may be detrimental to room harmony and/or social dynamics if some users need to exit in less than 5 minutes and plan on contributing only superficial comments while others had hopes for a 30 minute in depth exchange of non-superficial ideas. Therefore, and in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the STAN—3 system 410 automatically spawns empty chat rooms that have certain room attributes pre-attached to the room; for example, an attribute indicating that this room is dedicated to STAN users who plan to be in and out in 5 minutes or less as opposed to a second attribute indicating that this room is dedicated to STAN users who plan to participate for substantially longer than 5 minutes and who desire to have alike other users join in for a more in depth discussion (or other Notes Exchange session) directed to one or more out of the current top N topics of the those users.
Another menu box 192.3 in the usually hidden settings column 192 shows a method by which the user may signal a certain current mood of his (or hers). For example, if a first user currently feels happy (joyous) and wants to share his/her current feelings with empathetic others among the currently online population of STAN users, the first user may click, tap or otherwise activate a radio button indicating the user is happy and wants to share. It may be detrimental to room harmony and/or social dynamics if some users are not in a co-sympathetic mood, don't want to hear happy talk at the moment from another (because perhaps the joy of another may make them more miserable) and therefore will exit the room immediately upon detecting the then-unwelcomed mood of a fellow online roommate. Therefore, and in accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the STAN—3 system 410 automatically spawns empty chat rooms that have certain room attributes pre-attached to the room; for example, an attribute indicating that this room is dedicated to STAN users who plan to share happy or joyous thoughts with one another (e.g., I just fell in love with the most wonderful person in the world and I want to share the feeling with others). By contrast, another empty room that is automatically spawned by the system 410 for purpose of being populated by short term (quick chat) users can have an opposed attribute indicating that this room is dedicated to STAN users who plan to commiserate with one another (e.g., I just broke up with my significant other, or I just lost my job, or both, etc.). Such, attribute-pretagged empty chat or other forum participation spaces are then matched with current quick chat candidates who have correspondingly identified themselves as being currently happy, miserable, etc.; as having 2, 5, 10, 15 minutes, etc. of spare time to engage in a quick online chat or other Notes Exchange session of like situated STAN users where the other STAN users share one or more topics of currently focused-upon interest with each other. In one embodiment, rather than having the user manually indicate current mood, the STAN—3 system determines mood automatically by for example using the user's online calendaring information and the user's PHAFUEL record. If the PHAFUEL record (habits and routines,—see FIG. 5A) indicates that on Friday evenings, after finishing a week of work the user is likely to be in a mood for partying and the current time and day for the corresponding user is Friday evening and past the normal work hours, then the system may use rudimentary information such as merely day of week and local user time to determine likely mood. If the system has had time to acquire additional, context-indicating signals such as for identifying the user's current geographic location and so on, of course that may be also used for automatically determining current user mood.
As yet another example, the third menu box 192.4 in the usually hidden settings column 192 shows a method by which the user may signal a certain other attribute that he or she desires of the chat or other forum participation opportunities presented to him/her. In this merely illustrative case, the user indicates a preference for being matched into a room with other co-compatibles who are situated within a 5 mile radius of where that user is located. One possible reason for desiring this is that the subsequently joined together chatterers may want to discuss a recent local event (e.g., a current traffic jam, a fire, a felt earthquake, etc.). Another possible reason for desiring this is that the subsequently joined together chatterers may want to entertain the possibility of physically getting together in real life (ReL) if the initial discussions go well. This kind of quick-discussion group creating mechanism allows people who would otherwise be bored for the next N minutes (where N=1, 2, 3, etc. here), or unable to immediately vent their current emotions and so on; to join up when possible with other like-situated STAN users for a possibly, mutually beneficial discussion or other Notes Exchange session. In one embodiment, as each such quick chat or other forum space is spawned and peopled with STAN users who substantially match the pre-tagged room attributes, the so-peopled participation spaces are made accessible to a limited number (e.g., 1-3) promotion offering entities (e.g., vendors of goods and/or services) for placing their corresponding promotional offerings in corresponding first, second and so on promotion spots on tray 104?? of the screen presentation produced for participants of the corresponding chat or other forum participation opportunity. In one embodiment, the promotion offering entities are required to competitively bid for the corresponding first, second and so on promotion spots on tray 104?? as will be explained in more detail in conjunction with FIG. 5C. In one embodiment, the STAN—3 system repeatedly scans local news sources for news about recent traffic accidents and/or recent other locally-relevant news (e.g., police activity, fires, water pipe breaks) and the system automatically determines how likely it is that the user of device 100.4 is near that event, and if so, the system automatically presents as a relatively top card, a card that represents a chat or other forum participation opportunity of short duration that is logically linked to the nearby incident. The reason is that when such events occur, people near to the event usually want to immediately chat with other affected persons about that event. The Instan™-Chat feature (FIG. 1K) of the STAN—3 system allows for such a quickly arranged short-duration exchange.
FIG. 1N will be described later below. In brief, it provides additional details regarding how the invitations-serving tray (102?) and corresponding serving plates (e.g., 102 a?) provided thereon may be formulated to correspond to specific user contexts (e.g., It's Help Grandma Day for the user of the example of FIG. 1N).
Referring to FIG. 2, shown here is an environment 200 where the system user 201A is holding a palmtop or alike device 199 such as a smart cellphone 199 (e.g., iPhone™, Android™, etc.) in hand. The user may be walking about a city neighborhood or the like when he spots an object 198 (e.g., a building, but it could be a person or combination of both) where the spotted object (one having determinable direction and/or distance relative to the user) is of possible interest. The STAN user (201A) points his handheld device 199 so that a forward facing electronic camera 210 thereof (optionally with a forward-facing directional microphone included therewith) captures an image of the in real life (ReL) object/person 198. In one embodiment, the handheld device 199 includes direction determining and/or distance determining means for automatically determining corresponding direction and/or distance relative to the user. In one embodiment, handheld device 199 does not itself include a complete wireless link to the associated STAN—3 system but rather the handheld device 199 links by way of a relatively low power wireless link (e.g., BlueTooth™) to a more powerful transmitter/receiver 197 that the user 201A carries or wears (e.g., on waist band or ankle band) where the latter more powerful transmitter/receiver 197 may include larger/more powerful electrical batteries and/or larger/more powerful/more-resourceful electronic circuits while the handheld device 199 contains substantially de minimis resources for carrying out its display and/or telemetry gathering functions. In one embodiment, the head-band supported other components (e.g., ear-clip transducer/electrode 201 d and combination microphone and exhalation sampler 201 c also couple wirelessly to the main transmitter/receiver and/or main computational unit 197 while the latter unit (197) couples wirelessly to, interacts more directly with the remote (e.g., in-cloud) resources of the STAN—3 system. In one embodiment, the main transmitter/receiver and/or main computational unit 197 is configured to automatically search its surrounding environment (200) upon being powered up or repeatedly at other times for ancillary devices such handheld device 199 and head-band 201 b plus its supported components (201 c, 201 d) plus other user information input and/or output means (e.g., larger and/or smaller display devices including a not-shown wristwatch display panel) that it can reconfigure itself to interact with for purposes of providing the user (and the STAN—3 system) with a greater and richer array of user-information input and/or output means including telemetry gathering means so as to thereby take advantage of the locally-available resources, whatever they may be, for supporting STAN—3 system operations.
In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure, the camera-captured imagery (it could include IR band imagery as well as visible light band imagery, and the data may include collected direction and/or distance and/or related sound information as well) is transmitted to an in-cloud object recognizing module (not shown) of the STAN—3 system. The object recognizing module then automatically produces descriptive keywords and the like (e.g., meta-tags, cross-associated URL's, etc.) for logical association with the camera captured imagery (e.g., 198). Then the produced descriptive keywords and/or other descriptive data is/are automatically forwarded to topic lookup modules (e.g., 151 of FIG. 1F) of the system 410. Then, corresponding, topic-related feedbacks (e.g., on-topic invitations/suggestions) are returned from the STAN—3 system 410 to the user's device 199 (by way of main transmitter/receiver and/or main computational unit 197 in one embodiment) where the topic-related feedbacks are displayed on a back-facing screen 211 of the device (or otherwise presented to the user 201A, for example, audibly) together with the camera captured imagery (or a revised/transformed version of the captured imagery). This provides the user 201A with a virtually augmented reality wherein real life (ReL) objects/persons (e.g., 198) are intermixed with experience augmenting data produced by the STAN—3 topic space mapping mechanism 413? (see FIG. 4D, to be explained below). Once again, it is to be understood that cross-association of the automatically produced; image describing data (e.g., keywords) with system-maintained Cognitive Attention Receiving Spaces (CARSs) is not limited to topic space. The fed back and reality augmenting information may be extracted from any one or more of system-maintained CARSs such as keyword space, URL space, social dynamics space, hybrid location/context space, and so on.
In the illustrated embodiment 200, the device screen 211 of handheld device 199 can operate as a 3D image projecting screen. The bifocular positionings of the user's eyes can be detected by means of one or more back facing cameras 206, 209 (or alternatively using the IR beam reflecting method of FIG. 1A) and then electronically directed lenticular lenses or the like are used within the screen 211 to focus bifocal images to the respective eyes of the user so that he has the illusion of seeing a 3D image without need for special glasses. (Alternatively or additionally, the handheld device 199 may be configured to operate with special 3D image producing glasses (not shown).)
In the illustrated example 200, the user sees a 3D bent version of the graphical user interface (GUI) that was shown in FIG. 1A. A middle and normally user-facing plane 217 shows the main items (main reading plane) that the user is attentively focusing-upon. The on-topic invitations plane 202 may be tilted relative to the main plane 217 so that the user 201A perceives as being inclined relative to him and the user has to (in one embodiment) tilt his device so that an imbedded gravity direction sensor 207 detects the tilt and reorganizes the 3D display to show the invitations plane 202 as parallel facing to the user 201A in place of the main reading plane 217. Tilting the other way causes the promotional offerings plane 204 to become visually de-tilted and shown in as a user facing area. Tilting to the left automatically causes the hot top N topics radar objects 201 r to come into the user facing area. In this way with a few intuitive tilt gestures (which gestures generally include returning the screen 211 to be facing in a plan view to the user 201A) the user can quickly keep an eye on topic space related activities as he wants (and when he wants) while otherwise keeping his main focus and attention on the main reading plane 217.
In the illustrated example 200, the user is shown wearing a biometrics detecting and/or reporting head band 201 b. The head band 201 b may include an earclip 201 d that electrically and/or optically (in IR band) couples to the user's ear for detecting pulse rate, muscles twitches (e.g., via EMG signals) and the like where these are indicative of the user's likely biometric states. These signals are then wirelessly relayed from the head band 201 b to the handheld device 199 (or another nearby relaying device 197) and then uploaded to the cloud as CFi data used for processing therein and automatically determining the user's biometric states and the corresponding user emotional or other states that are likely associated with the reported biometric states. The head band 201 b may be battery powered (or powered by photovoltaic means) and may include an IR light source (not shown) that points at the IR sensitive screen 211 and thus indicates what direction the user is tilting his head towards and/or how the user is otherwise moving his/her head, where the latter is determined based on what part of the IR sensitive screen 211 the headband produced (or reflected) IR beam strikes. The head band 201 b may include voice and sound pickup and exhalation/inhalation gas pickup sensors 201 c for detecting what the user 201A is saying and/or what music or other background noises the user may be listening to and/or for detecting exhalation/inhalation gases and flow rates thereof and chemical contents thereof for reporting as CFi data to the remote STAN—3 system. In one embodiment, detected background music and/or other background noises are used as possibly focused-upon CFi reporting signals (see 298? of FIG. 3D) for automatically determining the likely user context (see conteXt space Xs 316? of FIG. 3D). For example if the user is exposed to soft symphony music, it may be automatically determined (e.g., by using the user's active PEEP file and/or other profile files, i.e. habits, responses to social dynamics, etc.) that the user is probably in a calm and contemplative setting. On the other hand, if very loud rock and roll music is detected (as well as the gravity sensor 207 jiggling because the user is dancing), then it may be automatically determined (e.g., again by using the user's active PEEP and/or other profile files—see 301 p of FIG. 3D) that the user is likely to be at a vibrant party as his background context. More specifically, the head piece 201 b may input embedded accelerometers (MEMs devices) that can detect head-nodding movement for purpose of correlating it for example to a background melody that the user is moving in step with. Similarly and additionally, the exhalation/inhalation gas pickup sensors 201 c can be configured for detecting various natural and/or artificial gases and vapors or lack thereof (e.g., alcohol breath, dry breath, CO2 rich breath, O2 rich breath, etc.) for purpose of automatically determining biological states of the user 201A. All the various clues or hints collected by collecting devices (e.g., 201 c, 201 d, 199) that are operatively coupled to the user 201A may be uploaded to the cloud for processing by the STAN—3 system 410 and for consequential determination of what promotional offerings, invitations to on-topic chat or other forum participation opportunities or the like the user would likely welcome given the user's currently determined context.
Although not explicitly shown in FIG. 2, it is within the contemplation of the present disclosure for the user 210A to additionally wear and in-mouth TUI device (Tactile User Interface device) such as for example, an over-the-top-teeth dental like appliance that has three, tongue accessible surfaces; one for example functioning as a ±X cursor movement control pad, the other as a ±Y cursor movement control pad, and the third as a virtual push buttons area. The user may use his/her tongue to press against these control pad areas for moving the cursor and/or invoking respective actuations of on-screen objects. The in-mouth TUI device may operatively couple in a wireless manner to the handheld device. Teeth clenching actions near the back of the device may provide operational power that is converted into electrical power. The user may keep a sterile retainer at hand for holding the dental like appliance when not in use. For some users who wear dentures on a full time basis, their dentures may be so instrumented. Alternatively, instrumented tooth caps could be fashioned for signaling when and/or how the tongue presses against one or more of the cap's surfaces. The instrumented intra-oral devices may also report on degrees of user salivation, mouth breathing, and so on. Alternatively or additionally, such instrumented intra-oral devices that are wirelessly communicative with the user's smartphone or other local display and data processing device may include vibration producing means whereby the user can hear sounds and/or sense vibrations produced by the device for the purpose of supplying private notifications to the user by way of the intra-oral device.
More generally, various means such as the illustrated user-worn head band 201 b (but these various means can include other user-worn or held other devices or devices that are not worn or held by the user) can discern, sense and/or measure one or more of: (1) physical body states of the user's and/or (2) states of physical things surrounding or near to the user. More specifically, the sensed physical body states of the user may include: (1a) geographic and/or chronological location of the user in terms of one or more of on-map location, local clock settings, current altitude above sea level; (1b) body orientation and/or speed and direction and/or acceleration of the user and/or of any of his/her body parts relative to a defined frame; (1c) measurable physiological states of the user such as but not limited to, body temperature, heart rate, body weight, breathing rate, breathe components and ratios/flowrates thereof, metabolism rates (e.g., blood glucose levels), body fluid chemistries and so on. The states of physical things surrounding or near to the user may include: (2a) ambient climactic states surrounding the user such as but not limited to, current air temperature, air flow speed and direction, humidity, barometric pressure, air carried particulates including microscopic ones and those visible to the eye such as fog, snow and rain and bugs and so on; (2b) lighting conditions surrounding the user such as but not limited to, bright or glaring lights, shadows, visibility-obscuring conditions and so on; (2c) foods, chemicals, odors and the like which the user can perceive or be affected by even if unconsciously; and (2d) types of structures and/or vehicles in which the user is situated or otherwise surrounded by such as but not limited to, airplanes, trains, cars, buses, bicycles, buildings, arenas, no buildings at all but rather trees, wilderness, and so on. The various sensor may alternatively or additionally sense changes in (rates of) the various physical parameters rather than directly sensing the physical parameters.