# US 10,482,428 B2 · Systems and methods for presenting metaphors

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- Number: US 10,482,428 B2
- Document ID: US10482428B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/401,525
- Filed: 2009-03-10
- Published: 2010-09-16
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2009-03-10
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: John Donovan; James C. Bedingfield, Sr.; Barbara Roden
- Inventors: John Donovan; James C. Bedingfield, Sr.; Barbara Roden
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482428B2

## CPC

- G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
- H04L 51/043: using or handling presence information
- H04L 51/10: Multimedia information
- H04L 51/52: for supporting social networking services
- H04L 12/1827: {Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation}
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a metaphor engine having a controller, and a storage medium for storing instructions to be executed by the controller. The instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to receive a measure of a mood of an individual, create a metaphor according to the measure of the mood of the individual, and present the metaphor to an entity requesting to interact with the individual. The measure of the mood can be synthesized from collected information associated with a behavior of the individual, and can indicate an availability of the individual and a receptiveness of the individual to accept a request to interact with an entity. Other embodiments are disclosed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for use in a communication system for managing communication over a communication network between an individual and one or more entities seeking to communicate with the individual, the device comprising:
a controller; and
a storage medium that stores instructions to be executed by the controller,
wherein the instructions, when executed by the controller, cause the controller to perform operations comprising:
collecting information about the individual;
generating a multidimensional measure of availability and receptiveness of the individual to communicate based on the collected information and weighting factors of the collected information, wherein the multidimensional measure is represented in a plurality of dimensions, the plurality of dimensions comprising at least a context of activity dimension including a plurality of different context of activity elements for the individual, an identity of entity dimension including a plurality of different entity elements corresponding to the entities, and a metaphorical expression dimension including a plurality of different metaphorical expression elements;
generating one or more different multidimensional scenarios, each multidimensional scenario including at least a first element from the context of activity dimension, a second element from the identity of entity dimension, and a third element from the metaphorical expression dimension;
control initiating of a communication process with the individual by a first entity of the entities, based on a first scenario of the one or more different multidimensional scenarios that includes a second element corresponding the first entity;
generate, based on at least the first element and third element for the first scenario, a metaphor comprising media content depicting an intermediary,
wherein at least a portion of the media content comprises synthesized media content, wherein audio content of the media content comprises a synthesized audio portion, and wherein visual content of the media content comprises a synthesized image portion;
wherein the media content is generated based on information obtained in a vicinity of the individual;
wherein the operations further comprise receiving image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual, and receiving audio information from an audio system located in the vicinity of the individual;
provide queries via the intermediary during a communication exchange between a first entity and the intermediary according to a communication access policy based on the first scenario; and control the communication process based on responses to the queries, wherein the communication system is implemented by an artificial intelligence system.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the media content comprises visual content and audio content, the visual content being synthesized from actual visual content obtained in a vicinity of the individual, and the audio content being synthesized from actual audio content obtained in the vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the media content is generated based on information obtained in a vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The device of claim 3, wherein the operations further comprise receiving image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual, and receiving audio information from an audio system located in the vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, further comprising obtaining the media content, wherein obtaining the media content comprises: obtaining image information in a vicinity of the individual; and generating the media content using the image information.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein the image information comprises still image information, and wherein the operations further comprise receiving the image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The device of claim 5, wherein the image information comprises images of the individual and surroundings in a location of the individual.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The device of claim 6, wherein the image sensor comprises a camera communicatively coupled to a network.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise generating the synthesized media content from a measure of a detected activity of the individual.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The device of claim 9, wherein the synthesized audio portion comprises synthesized audio generated by the controller from an audio interpretation of the detected activity of the individual, and wherein the synthesized image portion comprises synthesized imagery generated by the controller from an image interpretation of the detected activity of the individual.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the media content corresponds to one of a plurality of nested images descriptive of the receptiveness of the individual to accept the request to interact with the first entity.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The device of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving input for selecting a different nested image of the plurality of nested images; and communicating the different nested image to the first entity.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the media content conforms to a privacy policy.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The device of claim 13, wherein the privacy policy is initiated by the individual and a service provider of the device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The device of claim 1, wherein the communication system facilitates collecting information about the individual.

### Claim 16

A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by a processor for a communication system, implemented by an artificial intelligence system, for managing communication over a communication network between an individual and one or more entities seeking to communicate with the individual, control the system to perform operations comprising:
collecting information about the individual;
generating a multidimensional measure of availability and receptiveness of the individual to communicate based on the collected information and weighting factors of the collected information, wherein the multidimensional measure is represented in a plurality of dimensions, the plurality of dimensions comprising at least a context of activity dimension including a plurality of different context of activity elements for the individual, an identity of entity dimension including a plurality of different entity elements corresponding to the entities, and a metaphorical expression dimension including a plurality of different metaphorical expression elements;
generating one or more different multidimensional scenarios, each multidimensional scenario including at least a first element from the context of activity dimension, a second element from the identity of entity dimension, and a third element from the metaphorical expression dimension; controlling initiating of a communication process with the individual by a first entity of the entities, based on a first scenario of the one or more different multidimensional scenarios that includes a second element corresponding the first entity;
generating, based on at least the first element and third element for the first scenario, a metaphor comprising media content depicting an intermediary, wherein at least a portion of the media content comprises synthesized media content, wherein audio content of the media content comprises a synthesized audio portion, and wherein visual content of the media content comprises a synthesized image portion;
wherein the media content is generated based on information obtained in a vicinity of the individual;
wherein the operations further comprise receiving image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual, and receiving audio information from an audio system located in the vicinity of the individual;
providing queries via the intermediary during a communication exchange between a first entity and the intermediary according to a communication access policy based on the first scenario; and controlling the communication process based on responses to the queries.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the processor operates in a server.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the media content comprises visual content and audio content, the visual content being synthesized from actual visual content obtained in a vicinity of the individual, and the audio content being synthesized from actual audio content obtained in the vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the media content is generated based on information obtained in a vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise receiving image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual, and receiving audio information from an audio system located in the vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the image information comprises moving image information.

### Claim 22 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the media content corresponds to one of a plurality of nested images descriptive of the receptiveness of the individual to accept the request to interact with the first entity.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise: receiving input for selecting a different nested image of the plurality of nested images; and communicating the different nested image to the first entity.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the media content is obtained according to a privacy policy initiated by the individual.

### Claim 25

A method for a communication system, implemented by an artificial intelligence system, for managing communication over a communication network between an individual and one or more entities seeking to communicate with the individual, method device comprising:
collecting information about the individual;
generating a multidimensional measure of availability and receptiveness of the individual to communicate based on the collected information and weighting factors of the collected information, wherein the multidimensional measure is represented in a plurality of dimensions, the plurality of dimensions comprising at least a context of activity dimension including a plurality of different context of activity elements for the individual, an identity of entity dimension including a plurality of different entity elements corresponding to the entities, and a metaphorical expression dimension including a plurality of different metaphorical expression elements;
generating one or more different multidimensional scenarios, each multidimensional scenario including at least a first element from the context of activity dimension, a second element from the identity of entity dimension, and a third element from the metaphorical expression dimension;
controlling initiating of a communication process with the individual by a first entity of the entities, based on a first scenario of the one or more different multidimensional scenarios that includes a second element corresponding the first entity;
generating, based on at least the first element and third element for the first scenario, a metaphor comprising media content depicting an intermediary, wherein at least a portion of the media content comprises synthesized media content, wherein audio content of the media content comprises a synthesized audio portion, and wherein visual content of the media content comprises a synthesized image portion;
wherein the media content is generated based on information obtained in a vicinity of the individual;
wherein the operations further comprise receiving image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual, and receiving audio information from an audio system located in the vicinity of the individual;
providing queries via the intermediary during a communication exchange between a first entity and the intermediary according to a communication access policy based on the first scenario; and controlling the communication process based on responses to the queries.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The method of claim 25, wherein the media content comprises visual content and audio content, the visual content being synthesized from actual visual content obtained in a vicinity of the individual, and the audio content being synthesized from actual audio content obtained in the vicinity of the individual.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, further comprising receiving audio information in a vicinity of the individual to generate at least in part the audio content.

### Claim 28

A communication system, implemented by an artificial intelligence system, for managing communication over a communication network between an individual and one or more entities seeking to communicate with the individual, the communication system comprising:
a collection engine, implemented by a processor;
a synthesis engine, implemented by a processor, configured to control the collection engine to collect information about the individual and generate a multidimensional measure of availability and receptiveness of the individual to communicate based on the collected information and weighting factors of the collected information,
wherein the multidimensional measure is represented in a plurality of dimensions, the plurality of dimensions comprising at least a context of activity dimension including a plurality of different context of activity elements for the individual, an identity of entity dimension including a plurality of different entity elements corresponding to the entities, and a metaphorical expression dimension including a plurality of different metaphorical expression elements, and
wherein the synthesis engine is further configured to generate one or more different multidimensional scenarios, each multidimensional scenario including at least a first element from the context of activity dimension, a second element from the identity of entity dimension and a third element from the metaphorical expression dimension; and
one or more other engines, each implemented by a processor, configured to control initiating of a communication process with the individual by a first entity of the entities, based on a first scenario of the one or more different multidimensional scenarios that includes a second element corresponding to the first entity,
wherein the one or more other engines includes a metaphor engine, implemented by a processor, configured to generate, based on at least the first element and the third element for the first scenario, a metaphor comprising media content depicting an intermediary, wherein at least a portion of the media content comprises synthesized media content, wherein audio content of the media content comprises a synthesized audio portion, and wherein visual content of the media content comprises a synthesized image portion,
wherein the media content is generated based on information obtained in a vicinity of the individual;
wherein the operations further comprise receiving image information from an image sensor located in the vicinity of the individual, and receiving audio information from an audio system located in the vicinity of the individual;
wherein the one or more other engines is configured to provide queries via the intermediary during a communication exchange between a first entity and the intermediary according to a communication access policy based on the first scenario, and control the communication process based on responses to the queries.