Providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing a network communication status description based on user characteristics. The techniques receive a status indication from a first networked computer in response to a user's request for information and determine one or more characteristics of the user who issued the request. The techniques provide a status description based on the status indication and the determined characteristics of the user (e.g., a preferred language).

1 - 23 . (canceled)  
   
   
       24 . A method of providing information based on inferred user comprehension characteristics, wherein the comprehension characteristics relate to the ability of the user to understand a message, the method comprising: 
 inferring one or more comprehension characteristics of the user;    selecting a message from a plurality of messages based upon the inferred comprehension characteristics, wherein the plurality of messages include a first message that corresponds to a first set of comprehension characteristics and a second message that corresponds to a second set of comprehension characteristics; and    providing the selected message.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein one or more of the inferred user comprehension characteristics relate to the user's technical proficiency.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein one or more of the inferred user comprehension characteristics relate to a preferred language of the user.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein a first computer provides the message, the method further comprising transmitting the message to a second computer.  
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the message comprises at least one of the following: text, graphics, video, animation, sound, and instructions.  
   
   
       29 . A method of displaying information, the method comprising: 
 storing multiple versions of a message, wherein each version is in a different language and is stored in an XML format;    receiving data indicating a language;    selecting one of the multiple versions of the message based upon the received data; and    displaying the selected version of the message.    
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 24  wherein inferring one or more comprehension characteristics of the user comprises inferring one or more comprehension characteristics of the user based on user activity.  
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 25  wherein inferring comprises inferring the one or more comprehension characteristics that relate to a user's technical proficiency based on user activity.  
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 26  wherein inferring comprises inferring the one or more comprehension characteristics that relate to the preferred language of the user based on a billing address of the user.  
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 26  wherein inferring comprises inferring the one or more comprehension characteristics that relate to the preferred language of the user based on an access number dialed by the user to access a network.  
   
   
       34 . A computer readable medium having a computer program embodied thereon for providing information based on inferred user comprehension characteristics, wherein the comprehension characteristics relate to the ability of the user to understand a message, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to: 
 infer one or more comprehension characteristics of the user;    select a message from a plurality of messages based upon the inferred comprehension characteristics, wherein the plurality of messages include a first message that corresponds to a first set of comprehension characteristics and a second message that corresponds to a second set of comprehension characteristics; and    provide the selected message.    
   
   
       35 . The medium of  claim 34  wherein, to infer one or more comprehension characteristics of the user, the computer program comprises instructions for causing the computer to infer one or more comprehension characteristics of the user based on user activity.  
   
   
       36 . The medium of  claim 34 , wherein one or more of the inferred user comprehension characteristics relate to the user's technical proficiency.  
   
   
       37 . The medium of  claim 36  wherein to infer one or more comprehension characteristics of the user, the computer program comprises instructions for causing the computer to infer the one or more comprehension characteristics that relate to a user's technical proficiency based on user activity.  
   
   
       38 . The medium of  claim 34  wherein one or more of the inferred user comprehension characteristics relate to a preferred language of the user.  
   
   
       39 . The medium of  claim 38  wherein to infer one or more comprehension characteristics of the user, the computer program comprises instructions for causing the computer to infer the one or more comprehension characteristics that relate to the preferred language of the user based on a billing address of the user.  
   
   
       40 . The medium of  claim 38  wherein to infer one or more comprehension characteristics of the user, the computer program comprises instructions for causing the computer to infer the one or more comprehension characteristics that relate to the preferred language of the user based on an access number dialed by the user to access a network.  
   
   
       41 . The medium of  claim 34  wherein a first computer provides the message, the method further comprising transmitting the message to a second computer.  
   
   
       42 . The medium of  claim 34  wherein the message comprises at least one of the following: text, graphics, video, animation, sound, and instructions.