Multidimensional approach to context-awareness

Abstract

A context aware enterprise system includes a network, an enterprise service coupled to the network, and a plurality of information sources that include enterprise information related to one or more activities of the enterprise system. The enterprise system also includes a plurality of clients with user interfaces by which a user may access the enterprise service over the network. A context determination service determines context information describing a multi-dimensional context based on the enterprise information. The context information determined by the context determination service includes a user identification, an identification of a client selected by the user, a user role, a user expertise related to the enterprise service, and a user expertise related to the selected client. Based on the context information, an interface adaptation service adapts the user interface of the client.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An enterprise system with multi-dimensional context awareness, the system comprising: 
 a network;    an enterprise service coupled to the network;    a plurality of clients configured to communicate with the network to access the enterprise service, wherein each client includes a user interface by which a user may interact with the enterprise service;    a plurality of information sources that include enterprise information related to one or more activities of the enterprise system;    a context determination service configured to determine context information describing a multi-dimensional context based on the enterprise information, wherein the context information comprises a user identification, an identification of the client selected by the user, a user role, a user expertise related to the enterprise service, and a user expertise related to the selected client; and    an interface adaptation service operable to adapt the user interface of the selected client based on the context information.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of clients comprise one or more wireless handheld devices.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adapting the user interface of the selected client based on the context information comprises selecting a sensory communication path for the interaction of the user with the enterprise service that is suited to a context described by the context information.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a voice communication path.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a text communication path.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a graphical communication path.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adapting the user interface of the selected client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user regarding operation of the selected client based on the context information describing the user expertise related to the selected client.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adapting the user interface of the selected client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user regarding operation of the enterprise service based on the context information describing the user expertise related to the enterprise service.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adapting the user interface of the selected client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to present only information to the user relevant to the user role described by the context information.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein adapting the user interface of the selected client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to present only information to the user relevant to the user identification described by the context information.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the context determination service comprises a rule engine.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the context determination service comprises an inference engine.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the inference engine comprises a Bayesian reasoning engine.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the interface adaptation service comprises a rule engine.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the interface adaptation service comprises an inference engine.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the inference engine comprises a Bayesian reasoning engine.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the context information further comprises a measure of time.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the context information further includes information regarding a physical environment of the user.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the physical environment information includes information related to a location of the user, an activity of the user, a measure of background noise, and a measure of lightness or darkness.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of information sources includes one or more databases.  
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of information sources includes a security device.  
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of information sources includes a global positioning system.  
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of information sources does not include an information source configured only to provide context information.  
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23  wherein the plurality of information sources does not include a GPS configured to provide a location of a client device.  
     
     
         25 . A method of adapting a user interface of a client in an enterprise system based on multi-dimensional context information, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request of a user to login to an enterprise service of the enterprise system using a client;    determining first information based on the request to login to the enterprise service using the client;    determining second information from a plurality of information sources of the enterprise system based on the first information;    determining context information describing a multi-dimensional context based on the first information and the second information, wherein the context information comprises a user identification, a client identification, a user role, a user expertise related to the enterprise service, and a user expertise related to the client; and    adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information.    
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises selecting a sensory communication path for the interaction of the user with the enterprise service that is suited to a context described by the context information.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a voice communication path.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a text communication path.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 26  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a graphical communication path.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user regarding operation of the client based on the context information describing the user expertise related to the client.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user regarding operation of the enterprise service based on the context information describing the user expertise related to the enterprise service.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to present only information to the user relevant to the user role described by the context information.  
     
     
         33 . A computer program for adapting a user interface of a client in an enterprise system based on multi-dimensional context information, the computer program comprising: 
 a login code segment to cause a computer to receive a request of a user to login to an enterprise service of the enterprise system using a client;    a first information determination code segment to cause the computer to determine first information based on the request to login to the enterprise service using the client;    a second information determination code segment to cause the computer to determine second information from a plurality of information sources of the enterprise system based on the first information;    a context information determination code segment to cause the computer to determine context information describing a multi-dimensional context based on the first information and the second information, wherein the context information comprises a user identification, a client identification, a user role, a user expertise related to the enterprise service, and a user expertise related to the client; and    an adaptation code segment to cause the computer to adapt the user interface of the client based on the context information.    
     
     
         34 . The computer program of  claim 33 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises selecting a sensory communication path for the interaction of the user with the enterprise service that is suited to a context described by the context information.  
     
     
         35 . The computer program of  claim 34  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a voice communication path.  
     
     
         36 . The computer program of  claim 34  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a text communication path.  
     
     
         37 . The computer program of  claim 34  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a graphical communication path.  
     
     
         38 . The computer program of  claim 33 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user regarding operation of the client based on the context information describing the user expertise related to the client.  
     
     
         39 . The computer program of  claim 33 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user regarding operation of the enterprise service based on the context information describing the user expertise related to the enterprise service.  
     
     
         40 . The computer program of  claim 33 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information comprises adapting the user interface to present only information to the user relevant to the user role described by the context information.  
     
     
         41 . A method of adapting a user interface of a client in an enterprise system based on multi-dimensional context information, the method comprising: 
 receiving a request of a user to login to an enterprise service of the enterprise system using a client;    determining first information based on the request to login to the enterprise service using the client;    determining second information from a plurality of information sources of the enterprise system based on the first information;    determining context information describing a multi-dimensional context based on the first information and the second information; and    adapting the user interface of the client based on the context information.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the multi-dimensional context information comprises selecting a sensory communication path for the interaction of the user with the enterprise service that is suited to a context described by the multi-dimensional context information.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a voice communication path.  
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a text communication path.  
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the sensory communication path selected comprises a graphical communication path.  
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the multi-dimensional context information comprises adapting the user interface to adjust a level of help automatically provided to the user based on the multi-dimensional context information.  
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein adapting the user interface of the client based on the multi-dimensional context information comprises adapting the user interface to present only information to the user relevant to a context described by the multi-dimensional context information.