U.S. patent application number 17/689292 was filed with the patent office on 2022-06-16 for methods, systems, and devices for providing information and recommended actions regarding advertising entities using a virtual assistant.
This patent application is currently assigned to AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.. The applicant listed for this patent is AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P.. Invention is credited to James Carlton Bedingfield, SR., Nigel Bradley, Ari Craine, Robert Koch, Anna Lidzba, Alexander MacDougall.
Application Number | 20220188865 17/689292 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000006182038 |
Filed Date | 2022-06-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220188865 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MacDougall; Alexander ; et
al. |
June 16, 2022 |
Methods, Systems, and Devices for Providing Information and
Recommended Actions Regarding Advertising Entities Using A Virtual
Assistant
Abstract
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example,
embodiments for presenting a group of advertisements within media
content by a software application on a display communicatively
coupled to the communication device resulting in a presentation of
the group of advertisements, and operating a virtual assistant
application simultaneously with the software application. Further
embodiments include detecting voice input from a user associated
with the communication device using a voice recognition technique
utilized by the virtual assistant application, identifying first
user data based on the voice input associated with a group of
advertising entities associated with the group of advertisements,
and obtaining information regarding the group of advertising
entities based on the first user data. Additional embodiments
include determining a group of recommended actions according to the
information regarding the group of advertising entities, and
providing the user with the group of recommended actions. Other
embodiments are disclosed.
Inventors: |
MacDougall; Alexander;
(Newnan, GA) ; Koch; Robert; (Norcross, GA)
; Lidzba; Anna; (Atlanta, GA) ; Bradley;
Nigel; (Canton, GA) ; Bedingfield, SR.; James
Carlton; (Gainesville, GA) ; Craine; Ari;
(Marietta, GA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
AT&T Intellectual Property I, L.P. |
Atlanta |
GA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
AT&T Intellectual Property I,
L.P.
Atlanta
GA
|
Family ID: |
1000006182038 |
Appl. No.: |
17/689292 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
16850723 |
Apr 16, 2020 |
11301902 |
|
|
17689292 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 30/0267 20130101;
G06Q 30/0255 20130101; G06F 16/90332 20190101; G06T 19/006
20130101; G06Q 30/0261 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 30/02 20060101
G06Q030/02; G06T 19/00 20060101 G06T019/00; G06F 16/9032 20060101
G06F016/9032 |
Claims
1. A communication device, comprising: a processing system
including a processor; and a memory that stores executable
instructions that, when executed by the processing system,
facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
determining a presence of a second communication device proximate
to the communication device, wherein the communication device is
associated with a first user and the second communication device is
associated with a second user; determining priority information for
a group of advertisements within media content according to the
determining the presence of the second communication device
proximate to the communication device; presenting, by a software
application and on a display communicatively coupled to the
communication device, the group of advertisements within the media
content according to the priority information for the group of
advertisements, resulting in a presentation of the group of
advertisements; accessing calendar data from a calendar application
operating at the communication device, wherein the calendar data is
associated with the first user; obtaining information regarding a
group of advertising entities based on first user data and the
calendar data, wherein the group of advertising entities includes a
first advertising entity, and wherein the first advertising entity
is associated with the calendar data; determining a group of
recommended actions according to the information regarding the
group of advertising entities; and providing the group of
recommended actions for output.
2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the first user data
comprises one of voice notes and voice tags regarding the group of
advertising entities.
3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the calendar data
comprises a calendar entry including a reference to the first
advertising entity of the group of advertising entities.
4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the calendar data
further comprises location data associated with the first
advertising entity.
5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the determining the
priority information for the group of advertisements is further
according to user preference of the second user.
6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the determining the
priority information for the group of advertisements further
comprises determining that a first advertisement has higher
priority than a second advertisement, and wherein the presenting
the group of advertisements further comprises presenting the first
advertisement prior to presenting the second advertisement.
7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the
information regarding the group of advertising entities comprises
obtaining the information regarding the group of advertising
entities from a social media network.
8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations
further comprise: receiving a user-generated input, wherein the
user-generated input comprises a selection of one recommended
action in the group of recommended actions, resulting in a selected
recommended action; and executing the selected recommended
action.
9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the executing the
selected recommended action comprises removing a portion of the
group of advertisements from the display.
10. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the executing the
selected recommended action comprises accessing navigation
information regarding the first advertising entity of the group of
advertising entities.
11. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the executing the
selected recommended action comprises accessing description
information regarding the first advertising entity of the group of
advertising entities.
12. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable
instructions that, when executed by a first communication device
including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the
operations comprising: determining a presence of a second
communication device proximate to the first communication device,
wherein the first communication device is associated with a first
user and the second communication device is associated with a
second user; determining priority information for a group of
advertisements within media content according to the determining
the presence of the second communication device proximate to the
first communication device; presenting, by a software application
and on a display communicatively coupled to the first communication
device, the group of advertisements within the media content
according to the priority information for the group of
advertisements, resulting in a presentation of the group of
advertisements; accessing calendar data from a calendar application
operating at the first communication device, wherein the calendar
data is associated with the first user and includes purchase data
associated with a portion of a group of advertising entities;
obtaining information regarding the group of advertising entities
based on first user data and the calendar data, wherein the group
of advertising entities includes a first advertising entity, and
wherein the first advertising entity is associated with the
calendar data; determining a group of recommended actions according
to the information regarding the group of advertising entities; and
causing the group of recommended actions to be outputted.
13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein
the operations further comprise presenting the information
regarding the group of advertising entities on the display.
14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein
the media content comprises augmented reality content.
15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 12, wherein
the operations further comprise: receiving a user-generated input,
wherein the user-generated input comprises a selection of one
recommended action in the group of recommended actions, resulting
in a selected recommended action; and executing the selected
recommended action.
16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein
the executing the selected recommended action comprises removing a
portion of the group of advertisements from the display.
17. A method, comprising: determining, by a first communication
device including a processor, a presence of a second communication
device proximate to the first communication device, wherein the
first communication device is associated with a first user and the
second communication device is associated with a second user;
determining, by the first communication device, priority
information for a group of advertisements within media content
according to the determining the presence of the second
communication device proximate to the first communication device;
presenting, by the first communication device and on a display
communicatively coupled to the first communication device, the
group of advertisements within the media content according to the
priority information for the group of advertisements, resulting in
a presentation of the group of advertisements; accessing, by the
first communication device, calendar data from a calendar
application operating at the first communication device, wherein
the calendar data is associated with the first user; obtaining, by
the first communication device, first information regarding a group
of advertising entities based on first user data and the calendar
data, wherein the group of advertising entities includes a first
advertising entity, and wherein the first advertising entity is
associated with the calendar data; obtaining, by the first
communication device, social media information regarding the group
of advertising entities from a group of social media connections
within a social media network; determining, by the first
communication device, a group of recommended actions according to
the first information and the social media information; and
outputting, by the first communication device, the group of
recommended actions.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the group of
recommended actions comprises: determining, by the first
communication device, a level of trust for each social media
connection in the group of social media connections, resulting in a
group of levels of trust; and determining, by the first
communication device, the group of recommended actions according to
the group of levels of trust.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising: receiving, by the
first communication device, a user-generated input, wherein the
user-generated input comprises a selection of one recommended
action in the group of recommended actions, resulting in a selected
recommended action; and executing, by the first communication
device, the selected recommended action.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the executing the selected
recommended action comprises accessing navigation information
regarding the first advertising entity of the group of advertising
entities.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of and claims priority to
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/850,723, filed on Apr. 16,
2020. All sections of the aforementioned application are
incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] The subject disclosure relates to a methods, systems, and
devices for providing information and recommended actions regarding
advertising entities using a virtual assistant.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Traditional systems provide a targeted advertisement to a
user of a mobile device when operating a mobile application based
on a user profile. The mobile application can be a navigation
application, video game application, or video content player
application, etc. A user can then use a web browser to access
further information regarding the advertising entity associated
with the targeted advertisement that can include purchase
goods/services associated with the advertising entity.
[0004] Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings,
which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary,
non-limiting embodiment of a communications network in accordance
with various aspects described herein.
[0006] FIGS. 2A-2C are block diagrams illustrating example,
non-limiting embodiments of a system functioning within the
communication network of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects
described herein.
[0007] FIG. 2D depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in
accordance with various aspects described herein.
[0008] FIGS. 2E-2H are block diagrams illustrating example,
non-limiting embodiments of a system functioning within the
communication network of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects
described herein.
[0009] FIGS. 2I-2J depicts illustrative embodiments of methods in
accordance with various aspects described herein.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example,
non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized communication network in
accordance with various aspects described herein.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting
embodiment of a computing environment in accordance with various
aspects described herein.
[0012] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting
embodiment of a mobile network platform in accordance with various
aspects described herein.
[0013] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example, non-limiting
embodiment of a communication device in accordance with various
aspects described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The subject disclosure describes, among other things,
illustrative embodiments for presenting a group of advertisements
within media content by a software application on a display
communicatively coupled to the communication device resulting in a
presentation of the group of advertisements, and operating a
virtual assistant application simultaneously with the software
application. Further embodiments include detecting voice input from
a user associated with the communication device using a voice
recognition technique utilized by the virtual assistant
application, identifying first user data based on the voice input
associated with a group of advertising entities associated with the
group of advertisements, and obtaining information regarding the
group of advertising entities based on the first user data.
Additional embodiments include determining a group of recommended
actions according to the information regarding the group of
advertising entities, and providing the user with the group of
recommended actions. Other embodiments are described in the subject
disclosure.
[0015] One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a
communication device, comprising a processing system including a
processor, and a memory that stores executable instructions that,
when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of
operations. The operations can comprise presenting a group of
advertisements within media content by a software application on a
display communicatively coupled to the communication device
resulting in a presentation of the group of advertisements. Further
operations can comprise operating a virtual assistant application
simultaneously with the software application, and detecting voice
input from a user associated with the communication device using a
voice recognition technique utilized by the virtual assistant
application. Additional operations can comprise identifying first
user data based on the voice input associated with a group of
advertising entities associated with the group of advertisements,
and obtaining information regarding the group of advertising
entities based on the first user data. Also, operations can
comprise determining a group of recommended actions according to
the information regarding the group of advertising entities, and
providing the user with the group of recommended actions.
[0016] One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a
machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that,
when executed by a communication device including a processor,
facilitate performance of operations. The operations can comprise
presenting a group of advertisements within media content by a
software application on a display communicatively coupled to the
communication device resulting in a presentation of the group of
advertisements. Further operations can comprise operating a virtual
assistant application simultaneously with the software application,
and detecting voice input from a user associated with the
communication device using a voice recognition technique utilized
by the virtual assistant application. Additional operations can
comprise identifying first user data based on the voice input
associated with a group of advertising entities associated with the
group of advertisements, wherein the first user data, and obtaining
second user data from the communication device comprising purchase
data associated with a portion of the group of advertising
entities. Also, operations can comprise obtaining information
regarding the group of advertising entities based on the first user
data and the second user data, determining a group of recommended
actions according to the information regarding the group of
advertising entities, and providing the user with the group of
recommended actions.
[0017] One or more aspects of the subject disclosure include a
method. The method can comprise presenting, by a communication
device including a processor, a group of advertisements within
media content by a software application on a display
communicatively coupled to the communication device resulting in a
presentation of the group of advertisements. Further, the method
can comprise operating, by the communication device, a virtual
assistant application simultaneously with the software application,
and detecting, by the communication device, voice input from a user
associated with the communication device using a voice recognition
technique utilized by the virtual assistant application. In
addition, the method can comprise identifying, by the communication
device, first user data based on the voice input associated with a
group of advertising entities associated with the group of
advertisements, and obtaining, by the communication device, social
media information from a group of social media connections within a
social media network. Also, the method can comprise determining, by
the communication device, a group of recommended actions according
to the social media information regarding the group of advertising
entities, and providing, by the communication device, the user with
the group of recommended actions.
[0018] Referring now to FIG. 1, a block diagram is shown
illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a system 100 in
accordance with various aspects described herein. For example,
system 100 can facilitate in whole or in part providing information
and recommended actions regarding advertising entities using a
virtual assistant. In particular, a communications network 125 is
presented for providing broadband access 110 to a plurality of data
terminals 114 via access terminal 112, wireless access 120 to a
plurality of mobile devices 124 and vehicle 126 via base station or
access point 122, voice access 130 to a plurality of telephony
devices 134, via switching device 132 and/or media access 140 to a
plurality of audio/video display devices 144 via media terminal
142. In addition, communication network 125 is coupled to one or
more content sources 175 of audio, video, graphics, text and/or
other media. While broadband access 110, wireless access 120, voice
access 130 and media access 140 are shown separately, one or more
of these forms of access can be combined to provide multiple access
services to a single client device (e.g., mobile devices 124 can
receive media content via media terminal 142, data terminal 114 can
be provided voice access via switching device 132, and so on).
[0019] The communications network 125 includes a plurality of
network elements (NE) 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. for facilitating the
broadband access 110, wireless access 120, voice access 130, media
access 140 and/or the distribution of content from content sources
175. The communications network 125 can include a circuit switched
or packet switched network, a voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)
network, Internet protocol (IP) network, a cable network, a passive
or active optical network, a 4G, 5G, or higher generation wireless
access network, WIMAX network, UltraWideband network, personal area
network or other wireless access network, a broadcast satellite
network and/or other communications network.
[0020] In various embodiments, the access terminal 112 can include
a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), cable modem
termination system (CMTS), optical line terminal (OLT) and/or other
access terminal. The data terminals 114 can include personal
computers, laptop computers, netbook computers, tablets or other
computing devices along with digital subscriber line (DSL) modems,
data over coax service interface specification (DOCSIS) modems or
other cable modems, a wireless modem such as a 4G, 5G, or higher
generation modem, an optical modem and/or other access devices.
[0021] In various embodiments, the base station or access point 122
can include a 4G, 5G, or higher generation base station, an access
point that operates via an 802.11 standard such as 802.11n,
802.11ac or other wireless access terminal. The mobile devices 124
can include mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, phablets, wireless
modems, and/or other mobile computing devices.
[0022] In various embodiments, the switching device 132 can include
a private branch exchange or central office switch, a media
services gateway, VoIP gateway or other gateway device and/or other
switching device. The telephony devices 134 can include traditional
telephones (with or without a terminal adapter), VoIP telephones
and/or other telephony devices.
[0023] In various embodiments, the media terminal 142 can include a
cable head-end or other TV head-end, a satellite receiver, gateway
or other media terminal 142. The display devices 144 can include
televisions with or without a set top box, personal computers
and/or other display devices.
[0024] In various embodiments, the content sources 175 include
broadcast television and radio sources, video on demand platforms
and streaming video and audio services platforms, one or more
content data networks, data servers, web servers and other content
servers, and/or other sources of media.
[0025] In various embodiments, the communications network 125 can
include wired, optical and/or wireless links and the network
elements 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. can include service switching
points, signal transfer points, service control points, network
gateways, media distribution hubs, servers, firewalls, routers,
edge devices, switches and other network nodes for routing and
controlling communications traffic over wired, optical and wireless
links as part of the Internet and other public networks as well as
one or more private networks, for managing subscriber access, for
billing and network management and for supporting other network
functions.
[0026] FIGS. 2A-2D are block diagrams illustrating example,
non-limiting embodiments of a system functioning within the
communication network of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects
described herein. Referring to FIG. 2A, in one or more embodiments,
the system 200 can include an advertisement server 208 that can
comprise an advertisement engine. Further, the advertisement server
208 is communicatively coupled to an advertisement database 214. In
addition, the advertisement server 208 can be communicatively
coupled to a server 206 over a communication network 212. Also, the
server 206 can be communicatively coupled to a communication device
204 for a user 202 over a communication network 210. Communication
networks 210, 212 can comprise a wireless communication network, a
wired communication network, or a combination thereof.
Communication device 204 can comprise a mobile phone, smartphone,
mobile device, tablet computer, laptop computer, augmented reality
device, virtual reality device, or a combination thereof.
[0027] In one or more embodiments, the server 206 can detect that a
navigation application is operating on the communication device
204. The navigation application can present navigation content on
the communication device 204. Also, the server 206 can identify a
location of the communication device 204. Further, the
advertisement server 208 can obtain a plurality of advertisements
from the advertisement database 214 using the advertisement engine.
Further, the advertisement engine can be used to select
advertisements for advertisement space within the navigation
content and collect, process, and provide bids for the
advertisements In addition, the server 206 can obtain a plurality
of advertisements from the advertisement server 208 to be presented
with the navigation content utilizing the navigation application on
the communication device 204. In some embodiments, the server can
obtain both a first advertisement and a second advertisement
according to the location of the communication device 204. Further,
the server 206 can determine a first priority associated with the
first advertisement and a second priority associated with the
second advertisement. In some embodiments, a priority for an
advertisement can be based on the bid associated with the
advertisement for the advertisement space within the navigation
content. In other embodiments, the priority for an advertisement
can be a numerical score based on the preferences of the user 202
associated with the communication device 204, reviews of the entity
associated with advertisement by social media or third parties
(e.g., Yelp.TM., etc.). In further embodiments, the priority can be
a qualitative value or rating (e.g., good, moderate, bad, star
rating, etc.). In additional embodiments, the basis of the priority
can be configurable by the user 202 in which user preference can be
weighted more than social media review, or third party review can
be weighted more than user preferences, etc. or any combination
thereof. In addition, the server 206 can determine that the first
priority is higher than the second priority resulting in a
determination to present the first advertisement prior to the
second advertisement. Also, the server 206 can provide the first
advertisement, second advertisement, and the determination to
present the first advertisement prior to the second advertisement
to the communication device 204.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 2B, in one or more embodiments, the system
220 can comprise a display 221 of a communication device 204.
Further, the communication device 204 operates a navigation
application the presents navigation content 223 on the display 221.
The navigation content 223 comprises rendering of buildings (e.g.,
structures) 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232 within a neighborhood
proximate to the location of the communication device 204. Further,
the buildings 222 and 224 can comprise a first premises associated
with a first advertisement and a second premises associated with a
second advertisement, respectively. A first premises and a second
premises can be a business, restaurant, store, or any other entity.
Further, the communication device 204 can be provided with the
first advertisement 225 and the second advertisement 227 from
server 206. In some embodiments, the communication device 204 can
be provided the location of the first premises/building 222 and the
location of the second premises/building 224. The first
advertisement 225 can be associated with building 222 and the
second advertisement 227 can be associated with building 224. In
addition, the communication device 204 can be provided, by the
server 206, with the determination to present the first
advertisement 225 within the navigation content 223 prior to
presenting the second advertisement 227 within the navigation
content 223. Thus, the communication device 204 can present the
first advertisement 225 on top of (or otherwise prior to) the
second advertisement 227 within the navigation content 223. In such
an embodiment the second advertisement 227 is obscured by the first
advertisement 225. Thus, the priority of the respective
advertisements resolves the advertisement space contention within
the navigation content 223 between the first advertisement 225 and
the second advertisement 227. In some embodiments, if the user 202
views that the second advertisement 227 is obscured by first
advertisement 225 and would like to view the second advertisement
227, the user 202 can provide user-generated input to the
navigation application to present the second advertisement 227 on
top of, or otherwise unobscured from, the first advertisement 225.
Thus, the entity associated with the second advertisement 225 may
obtain some value in being presented with the first advertisement
even though the second advertisement, at first, is (partially)
obscured.
[0029] In one or more embodiments, the navigation content 223 can
comprise augmented reality content. Further, the augmented reality
content can comprise the first advertisement 225 and the second
advertisement 227.
[0030] Referring to both FIGS. 2A and 2B, in one or more
embodiments, in response to the server 206 obtaining the location
of the communication device 204, the server 206 can request
advertisements (e.g., first advertisement 225, second advertisement
227, etc.) from the advertisement server 208 according to the
location for advertisement space within the navigation content 223.
In other embodiments, the server 206 can provide the location of
the communication device 204 to the advertisement server, and the
advertisement server 208 can obtain advertisements (e.g., first
advertisement 225, second advertisement 227, etc.) according to the
location. In further embodiments, the advertisement server 208 can
provide the location of a first premises (e.g., building 222)
associated with the first advertisement 225 and the location of a
second premises (e.g., building 224) associated with the second
advertisement 227 to the server 206. In additional embodiments, the
server 206 can otherwise determine the location of the first
premises (e.g., building 222) associated with the first
advertisement 225 and the location of the second premises (e.g.,
building 224) associated with the second advertisement 227. For
example, the advertisement server 208 can provide the name of the
entity (e.g., company, organization, etc.) associated with each of
the first advertisement 225 and the second advertisement 227 to the
server 206. Further, the server 206 can determine the location of
the first premises (e.g., building 222) and the second premises
(e.g., building 224) based on the name of the entity by using its
own mapping/navigation application.
[0031] In additional embodiments, the providing of the first
advertisement 225, the second advertisement 227, and the
determination to the communication device 204 for it to present the
first advertisement 225 prior to presenting the second
advertisement 227 can also include providing the location of the
first premises (e.g., building 222) and the location of the second
premises (e.g., building 224) to the communication device 204.
Further, the communication device 204, utilizing the navigation
application, can identify the first premises (e.g., building 222)
within the navigation content 223 and identify the second premises
(e.g., building 224) within the navigation content 223. In
addition, the communication device 204, utilizing the navigation
application, can present the first advertisement 225 and associate
it with building 222 and present the second advertisement 227 and
associate it with building 224. In some embodiments, the
communication device 204, utilizing the navigation application, can
present the first advertisement 225 in proximity to the building
222 within the navigation content 223 and present the second
advertisement 227 in proximity to building 224. In some
embodiments, the communication device 204 can be provided the name
of the first entity associated with the first advertisement and the
second entity associated with the second advertisement so that the
communication device 204 can determine the location of the first
entity and the second entity using its own mapping/navigation
application to then present the first advertisement in proximity to
building 222 and present the second advertisement in proximity to
building 224.
[0032] In one or more embodiments, the advertisement server 208 may
auction the advertising space within the navigation content 223 and
receive multiple bids from advertisers for the advertising space.
Further, the advertisement server 208 may receive a first bid
associated with the first advertisement 225 and a second bid
associated with the second advertisement 227. In addition, the
server 206 may obtain the first bid associated with the first
advertisement 225 and obtain the second bid associated with the
second advertisement 227 from the advertisement server 208. In
other embodiments, the server 206 can obtain the first bid from a
computing device associated with a first advertiser and obtain a
second bid from a computing device associated with a second
advertiser. Also, the server 206 can determine the first priority
for the first advertisement 225 is higher than the second priority
for the second advertisement 227 according to the first bid being
higher than the second bid.
[0033] In one or more embodiments, the server 206 can obtain user
data for a user 202 from the communication device 204. Further, the
server 206 can determine the first priority for the first
advertisement 225 is higher than the second priority for the second
advertisement 227 according to the user data. For example, the user
data can include user preferences in terms food choices (e.g.,
breakfast foods) or user aversions (e.g., seafood). Thus, based on
such user data, the server 206 can determine that the first
priority associated with the first advertisement 225 has a higher
priority than the second priority associated with the second
advertisement 227. In some embodiments, the user data can comprise
purchase data and determines the user 202 previously performed a
payment transaction with the first entity of building 222 (e.g.,
Pancake House) and ate a meal. This may indicate the user 202 may
have a preference of the first entity associated with building 222
(e.g., Pancake House) over the second entity associated with
building 224 (e.g., Seafood Restaurant). Thus, the determining of
the first priority can comprise determining the first priority is
higher than the second priority according to the user 202
performing the payment transaction with the first entity. In other
embodiments, the user data can comprise time of day data. Further,
the determining of the first priority is higher than the second
priority can comprise determining the first priority is higher than
the second priority based on the time of day data. For example, the
time of day may be in the morning. Thus, a Pancake House that
serves breakfast foods may be preferable to the user 202 than a
Seafood Restaurant at that time.
[0034] In one or more embodiments, the server 206 can obtain social
media data from a social media server that provides a social media
network on a social media networking platform. Further, the user
202 can be part of the social media network. In addition, the
server 206 can determine that a number of social media connections
of the user 202 prefer the first entity associated with the first
advertisement 225 or have an aversion to the second entity
associated with the second advertisement 227 from the social media
data. Thus, the determining that the first priority is higher than
the second priority comprises determining the first priority is
higher than the second priority based on the social media data.
[0035] In one or more embodiments, the server 206 can identify a
second communication device associated with a second user. Further,
the server 206 can obtain a location for the second communication
device. In addition, the server 206 can determine that the second
communication device is in proximity to the communication device
204 based on the location of the communication device 204 and the
location of the second communication device. For example, the
second communication device can be associated with a child of the
user 202. Thus, it may be preferably to the user 202 to eat a
family-friendly restaurant rather than a fine dining restaurant.
Further, the server 206 can obtain detailed information of the
first entity (e.g., Pancake House) associated with the first
advertisement 225 and the second entity (e.g., Seafood Restaurant)
associated with the second advertisement 227 and determine the
first entity (e.g., Pancake House) is family-friendly but the
second entity (e.g., Seafood Restaurant) is fine-dining and not
family-friendly. Therefore, the first advertisement 225 for a
Pancake House that is family friendly may be more appropriate to
the user 202 than a second advertisement 227 for a fine dining
Seafood restaurant because a child associated with the second
communication device is with (e.g., in proximity) the user 202.
Hence, the determining the first priority is higher than the second
priority can comprise determining the first priority is higher than
the second priority based on the second communication device to be
in proximity to the communication device 204. In some embodiments,
the server 206 can obtain the second user preferences and use the
second user preferences to determine that the first priority of the
first advertisement is higher than the second priority of the
second advertisement. In other embodiments, the server 206 can
obtain second user demographics (e.g. second user is a child that
implies preferences for family-friendly restaurants) and determine
the first priority of the first advertisement is higher than the
second priority of the second advertisement based on the second
user demographics.
[0036] Referring to FIG. 2A, 2B, and 2C, in one or more
embodiments, the server 206 can provide to the communication device
204 an advertisement 235 and a location of an entity associated
with the advertisement located at a premises/building 236. The
navigation application operating on the communication device 204
can detect that the premises/building 236 is behind another
rendered structure or building 230. Further, the rendered structure
or building 230 obscures the premises/building 236 in the rendering
of navigation content 223 in FIG. 2B from the view of a user 202 of
communication device 204. However, the navigation application on
the communication device 204 can adjust the presentation of the
navigation content 223 such that the rendered structure or building
230 is transparent such that the user 202 can view the rendered
premises/building 230 behind the now transparent rendered
structure/building 230 associated with the advertisement 235 as
shown in adjusted navigation content 223a shown in FIG. 2C.
[0037] FIG. 2D depicts an illustrative embodiment of a method in
accordance with various aspects described herein. In one or more
embodiments, aspects of the method 255 can be implemented by a
server or a communication device as shown in FIG. 2A. The method
255 can include the communication device, at 256 operating a
navigation application with navigation content. Further, the method
255 can include the server, at 258, detecting the navigation
application is operating on the communication device. In addition,
the method 255 can include the server, at 260, identifying a
location of the communication device. Also, the method 255 can
include the server, at 262, obtaining a first advertisement and a
second advertisement according to the location of the communication
device. In some embodiments, the server can obtain the first
advertisement and the second advertisement from an advertisement
server, advertisement database, or from one or more computing
devices associated with advertisers (e.g., advertising entities)
associated with the first advertisement and the second
advertisement.
[0038] In one or more embodiments, the method 255 can include the
server, at 264, determining a first priority associated with the
first advertisement and a second priority associated with the
second advertisement. Further, the method 255 can include the
server, at 266, determining the first priority is higher than the
second priority resulting in a determination to present the first
advertisement prior to the second advertisement. In addition, the
method 255 can include the server, at 267, providing the first
advertisement, second advertisement, and the determination to the
communication device. Also, the method 255 can include the
communication device, at 278, presents the first advertisement and
the second advertisement with the navigation content utilizing the
navigation application according to the determination. That is, the
first advertisement is presented prior to the second
advertisement
[0039] In one or more embodiments, the method 255 can include the
server, at 268, obtaining social media data. Further, in some
embodiments, the server determining that the first priority is
higher than the second priority comprises determining the first
priority is higher than the second priority based on the social
media data. Further, the method 255, can include the server, at
270, obtaining user data for a user associated with the
communication device. In other embodiments, the server determining
of the first priority is higher than the second priority comprises
determining the first priority is higher than the second priority
according to the user data. In further embodiments, the user data
can comprise purchase data. In additional embodiments can include
identifying a first entity associated with the first advertisement,
and determining the first user performed a payment transaction with
the first entity based on the purchase data. Further, the server
determining of the first priority is higher than the second
priority can comprise determining the first priority is higher than
the second priority according to the first user performing the
payment transaction with the first entity. In some embodiments, the
user data can comprise time of day data. Further, the server
determining that the first priority is higher than the second
priority comprises determining the first priority is higher than
the second priority based on the time of day data.
[0040] In one or more embodiments, the method 255 can include the
server, at 272, obtaining a first bid associated with the first
advertisement and obtaining a second bid associated with the second
advertisement. Further, the server determining of the first
priority is higher than the second priority comprises determining
of the first priority is higher than the second priority based on
the first bid being higher than the second bid.
[0041] In one or more embodiments, the method 255 can include the
server, at 274, determining a location of a first premises
associated with the first advertisement and determining a location
of a second premises associated with the second advertisement.
Further, the method 255 can include the server, at 276, providing
the location of the first premises and the location of the second
premises. In some embodiments, the server providing of the first
advertisement, the second advertisement, and the determination can
comprise providing the location of the first premises and the
location of the second premises.
[0042] In one or more embodiments, the navigation content presented
on the communication device comprises augmented reality (AR)
content, and the AR content comprises the first advertisement and
the second advertisement. In further embodiments, the navigation
application on the communication device detects that the first
premises is behind a rendered structure within the navigation
content that obscures viewing of the first premises by the user. In
such embodiments, the navigation application can adjust presenting
of the navigation content to include the rendered structure to be
transparent resulting in a transparent rendered structure so that
the first premises is unobscured by the transparent rendered
structure and can be viewed by the user associated with the
communication device. In additional embodiments, the server can
identify a second communication device associated with a second
user, and the second user is associated with the user of the
communication device. Further, the server can obtain a location for
the second communication device, and determine the second
communication device is in proximity with the first communication
device based on the location of the second communication device. In
addition, the server can determine that the first priority is
higher than the second priority comprises determining the first
priority is higher than the second priority based on the second
communication device is in proximity with the first communication
device. That is, the determining the first priority is higher than
the second priority based on the second user preferences and/or
second user demographics (e.g. second user is a child that implies
preferences for family-friendly restaurants).
[0043] In one or more embodiments, a user of a communication device
can opt-out of providing user data to a server for the server to
determine whether a first priority of a first advertisement is
higher than a second priority of a second advertisement. In further
embodiments, the user can configure the order of presentation of
advertisements (e.g., the first advertisement and the second
advertisement) based on weighting different data (e.g., user data,
payment data, time of day data, social media data, second user
preferences and demographics, etc.) to be used to determine whether
a first priority of a first advertisement is higher than a second
priority of a second advertisement. Although a first advertisement
and a second advertisement are presented within navigation content
utilizing a navigation application on a communication, in other
embodiments a first advertisement and a second advertisement can be
presented within media content (e.g. video game content,
entertainment media content, etc.) using a media application on a
communication device using the embodiments described herein.
[0044] FIGS. 2E-2H are block diagrams illustrating example,
non-limiting embodiments of a system functioning within the
communication network of FIG. 1 in accordance with various aspects
described herein. Referring to FIG. 2E, in one or more embodiments,
a communication device can present a group of advertisements 225,
227, 235 within media content 223b by a software application
operating on the communication device. The software application can
be a mobile application, navigation application, video game
application, video content application, augmented reality content
player application, virtual reality content player application,
etc. The presenting of the group of advertisements225, 227, 235 can
be on a display communicatively coupled to the communication
device. The communication device can be a mobile device, mobile
phone, tablet computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, media
processor, set top box, vehicle navigation system, augmented
reality device, virtual reality device, or any combination thereof.
In further embodiments, the media content 223b can comprise
augmented reality content or virtual reality content.
[0045] In one or more embodiments, the communication device can
operate a virtual assistant (software) application 237. The virtual
assistant application 237 can provide a graphical virtual assistant
that comprises an avatar. Further, the avatar can be of the form of
a person or any other object that can interact with a user of the
communication device through a user interface. In addition, the
user interface can be a graphical user interface, voice interface,
touchscreen interface, textual interface, etc. In other
embodiments, the virtual assistant can be an auditory virtual
assistant that can receive voice input from the user and provide
speech playback in response to the voice input. In some
embodiments, the virtual assistant application provides a virtual
assistant that is combination of a graphical virtual assistant and
an auditory virtual assistant.
[0046] In one or more embodiments, the communication device, via
the virtual assistant application, can detect user-generated input
from the user. In some embodiments, the user-generated input can
comprise voice input detected using one or more voice recognition
techniques by the virtual assistant application. In other
embodiments, the user-generated input can be received by a
graphical user interface through a keyboard input device, mouse
input device, gesture on a touchscreen, etc.
[0047] In one or more embodiments, the communication device can
identify a first user data based on the voice input associated with
a group of advertising entities associated with the group of
advertisements. In some embodiments, the first user data can
comprise voice notes or voice tags regarding the group of
advertising entities. Voice notes are voice recordings by the user
regarding one of the advertising entities. Voice tags are recorded
keywords associated with each of the group of advertisements 225,
227, 235. For example, the voice input can be "review voice notes
for these restaurants" and the first user data can comprise a voice
note regarding the Seafood Restaurant associated with the
advertisement 227 that records the user saying "that coconut shrimp
was the best I've ever had!" In another example, the first user
data can comprise a voice note associated with the Italian
Restaurant associated with the advertisement 235 that records the
user saying, "just looked up this Italian place, remember that I
want to try it." In a further example, the first user data can
comprise a voice note associated with the Pancake House associated
with the advertisement 225 that records the user saying, "remember
that my son loves this place." In an additional example, the user
may provide voice input to the virtual assistant application 237
that indicates to the virtual assistant application 237 to access a
voice tag associated with Italian Restaurant, which can be "we have
the best Chicken Marsala in town!"
[0048] In one or more embodiments, the communication device can
obtain information regarding the group of advertising entities
based on the first user data. In some embodiments the communication
device can present the information regarding the group of
advertising entities on the display communicatively coupled to the
communication device. Further, the communication device can
determine a group of recommended actions for the user according to
the information regarding the group of advertising entities, and
can provide the user the group of recommended actions utilizing the
communication device. In some embodiments, the communication device
can present the group of recommended actions 238 on the display
communicatively coupled to the communication device. In other
embodiments, the communication device can provide the group of
recommendations by first generating auditory content comprising the
group of recommended actions then providing the auditory content
for playback to the user.
[0049] Regarding examples of information associated with the group
of advertising entities, in one example, the communication device
can access navigation directions for each of the advertising
entities such that the information comprises the navigation
directions. In another example, the communication device can access
e-commerce sites (e.g., web site, wireless application sites, etc.)
such that the information regarding the group of advertising
entities comprises the e-commerce sites. In other embodiments, the
communication device can detect that there are several
advertisements 225, 227, 235 presented within the media content
223b some of which may obscured others. In response, the
communication device can include a recommended action of removing a
portion of the group of advertisements 225, 227, 235 so that the
user can view a previously obscured advertisement.
[0050] In one or more embodiments, the communication device can
obtain second user data. In some embodiments, the second user data
can comprise purchase data, preference data, calendar data,
location data, personal profile data, or a combination thereof.
Such second user data can be stored on the communication device or
can be stored in a remote server. In additional embodiments, the
obtaining of information regarding the group of advertising
entities can comprise obtaining information regarding the group of
advertising entities based on the second user data. For example, a
user's purchase data can comprise a receipt for breakfast
previously eaten at the Pancake House. User preference data or
personal profile data can comprise that the user prefers Italian
food but is averse to seafood. User calendar data can comprise a
calendar entry that lists the user planning to have dinner at the
Italian Restaurant next week. Location data can show that the user
had previously visit the Pancake House. In some embodiments, the
obtaining of the information regarding the group of advertising
entities can be based on the second user data.
[0051] In one or more embodiments, the obtaining of information
regarding the group of advertising entities can comprise obtaining
information regarding the group of advertising entities from a
social media network. The information can comprise social media
information regarding the group of advertising entities from a
group of social media connections associated with the user.
Further, the determining of the group of recommended actions can
comprise determining a level of trust for each of the group of
social media connections resulting a group of levels of trust and
determining the group of recommended actions according to the group
of levels of trust. For example, the communication device can
access a server associated with a social media network and access
the social media content of a user's social media connections to
identify social media content associated with the advertising
entities. The social media content can include a first social media
connection posting social media content for the Seafood Restaurant
has having good food but the social media content can also include
a second social media connection posting social media content for
the Seafood Restaurant as not having good food. Further, the first
social media connection be a sibling of the user while the second
media connection can be a past colleague that was an acquaintance.
Thus, the level of trust for the first social media connection is
weighted higher than the level of trust for the second social media
connection that can cause the communication device to determine a
recommended action based on the social media content from the first
social media connection to the user rather than from the second
social media connection.
[0052] In one or more embodiments, the communication device can
access social media information from the social media network and
determine that a person associated with a social media connection
of the user is located in one of the advertising entities. If so,
the communication device can provide an indication of such on the
display.
[0053] Referring to FIGS. 2E and 2F, in one or more embodiments,
the communication device can provide and present the group of
recommended actions 238 to the user that can include accessing
navigation content for each of the advertising entities, making a
reservation for one or more of the advertising entities (if
restaurants) or purchasing goods or services (if good/service
providers), or removing one or more advertisements from the media
content 223b. The communication device can receive user-generated
input that is associated with a selection of one of the group of
recommended actions resulting in a selected recommended action. In
some embodiments, the group of recommended actions can each be
associated with a uniform resource locator (URL) link. A user can
select a recommended action by clicking on the URL link. In other
embodiments, user-generated input can comprise voice input that
indicates the selected recommended action. Further, the
communication device can execute the selected recommended action.
For example, the selected recommended action can comprise removing
the Pancake House advertisement 225. The communication device
executes the selected recommended action resulting in presenting
media content 223c in FIG. 2F that comprises removing of
advertisement 225 (for the user to view the advertisement 227,
which was previously partially obscured). Further, the virtual
assistant application 237 can present further recommended actions
238a that can include accessing of navigation directions.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 2G, in one or more embodiments, the
virtual assistant application 237 can provide and present a
recommended action of making reservations for the three
restaurants, which are advertising entities associated with the
advertisements 225, 227, 235. The user can click on a URL link
associated with the recommended action 238a. Referring to FIG. 2H,
in one or more embodiments, a user can provide user-generated input
to the communication device to select a recommended action. In
response to receiving a selection of the recommended action, the
communication device can present further information regarding the
advertising entities associated with advertisement 225, 227, 235.
Such information can include, but not limited to directions to the
premises/building associated with the advertising entity, product
or service information, e-commerce application that allows the user
202 to purchase a good or service, etc. For example, a menu 242,
246, 250 or waitlist 244, 248, 252 can be presented on the
communication device to the user if the advertising entities
associated with the advertisements 225, 227, 235 are restaurants.
The user can provide user-generated input to the communication
device to order food from the menu 242, 246, 250 from the
restaurant or add the user 202 to a reservation/waitlist 244, 248,
252 for the restaurant.
[0055] FIGS. 2I-2J depicts illustrative embodiments of methods
255a, 255b in accordance with various aspects described herein. In
one or more embodiments, the methods 255a can be implemented by a
communication device as described herein. The method 255a can
include the communication device, at 256a, presenting a group of
advertisements within media content by a software application on a
display communicatively coupled to the communication device
resulting in a presentation of the group of advertisements.
Further, the method 255a can include the communication device, at
258a, operating a virtual assistant application simultaneously with
the software application. In addition, the method 255a can include
the communication device, at 260a, detecting voice input from a
user associated with the communication device using a voice
recognition technique utilized by the virtual assistant
application. Also, the method 255a can include the communication
device, at 262a, identifying first user data based on the voice
input associated with a group of advertising entities associated
with the group of advertisements. The first user data can comprise
voice notes and voice tags regarding the group of advertising
entities.
[0056] In one or more embodiments, the method 255a can include the
communication device, at 264a, obtaining information regarding the
group of advertising entities based on the first user data. In some
embodiments, the method 255a can include the communication device,
at 272a, obtaining social media information regarding the group of
advertising entities from a social media network. In additional
embodiments, the obtaining of the information regarding the group
of advertising entities can comprise obtaining the social media
information regarding the group of advertising entities. In other
embodiments, the method can include the communication device, at
274a, obtaining second user data from the communication device. In
further embodiments, the obtaining of the information regarding the
group of advertising entities can comprise obtaining the
information regarding the group of advertising entities based on
the second user data. Also, the second user data can comprise
purchase data, preference data, calendar data, location data,
personal profile data, or a combination thereof. Further, the
method 255a can include the communication device, at 266a,
presenting the information regarding the group of advertising
entities regarding the group of advertising entities on the
display. In some embodiments, the information can comprise social
media information regarding the group of advertising entities or
description information regarding the group of advertising
entities. In addition, the method 255a can include the
communication device, at 268a, determining a group of recommended
actions according to the information regarding the group of
advertising entities. In some embodiments, the determining of the
group of recommended actions comprises determining a level of trust
for each of the group of social media connections resulting in a
group of levels of trust, and determining the group of recommended
actions according to the group of levels of trust. Also, the method
255a can include the communication device, at 270a, providing the
user with the group of recommended actions.
[0057] In one or more embodiments, the method 255b can include the
communication device, at 280a, receiving user-generated input, the
user-generated input can comprise, or otherwise indicate, a
selection of one of the group of recommended actions resulting in a
selected recommended action. Further, the method 255b can include
the communication device, at 282a, executing the selected
recommended action. In some embodiments, the executing of the
selected recommended action can comprise the communication device,
at 284a, removing a portion of the group of advertisements from the
display. In some embodiments, the executing of the selected
recommended action can comprise the communication device, at 286a,
making a reservation at a restaurant associated with an advertising
entity or purchasing goods or services associated with an
advertising entity. In additional embodiments, the executing of the
selected recommended action can comprise the communication device,
at 288a, accessing description information regarding a first
advertising entity of the group of advertising entities. In further
embodiments, the executing of the selected recommended action can
comprise the communication device, at 290a, accessing navigation
information regarding a first advertising entity of the group of
advertising entities.
[0058] While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the
respective processes are shown and described as a series of blocks
in FIGS. 2D, 2I, and 2J, it is to be understood and appreciated
that the claimed subject matter is not limited by the order of the
blocks, as some blocks may occur in different orders and/or
concurrently with other blocks from what is depicted and described
herein. Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required to
implement the methods described herein.
[0059] In addition, portions of embodiments described herein can be
combined with portions of other embodiments.
[0060] Referring now to FIG. 3, a block diagram 300 is shown
illustrating an example, non-limiting embodiment of a virtualized
communication network in accordance with various aspects described
herein. In particular a virtualized communication network is
presented that can be used to implement some or all of the
subsystems and functions of system 100, the subsystems and
functions of systems, and methods presented in FIGS. 1, 2A-2J. For
example, virtualized communication network 300 can facilitate in
whole or in part providing information and recommended actions
regarding advertising entities using a virtual assistant.
[0061] In particular, a cloud networking architecture is shown that
leverages cloud technologies and supports rapid innovation and
scalability via a transport layer 350, a virtualized network
function cloud 325 and/or one or more cloud computing environments
375. In various embodiments, this cloud networking architecture is
an open architecture that leverages application programming
interfaces (APIs); reduces complexity from services and operations;
supports more nimble business models; and rapidly and seamlessly
scales to meet evolving customer requirements including traffic
growth, diversity of traffic types, and diversity of performance
and reliability expectations.
[0062] In contrast to traditional network elements--which are
typically integrated to perform a single function, the virtualized
communication network employs virtual network elements (VNEs) 330,
332, 334, etc. that perform some or all of the functions of network
elements 150, 152, 154, 156, etc. For example, the network
architecture can provide a substrate of networking capability,
often called Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI)
or simply infrastructure that is capable of being directed with
software and Software Defined Networking (SDN) protocols to perform
a broad variety of network functions and services. This
infrastructure can include several types of substrates. The most
typical type of substrate being servers that support Network
Function Virtualization (NFV), followed by packet forwarding
capabilities based on generic computing resources, with specialized
network technologies brought to bear when general purpose
processors or general purpose integrated circuit devices offered by
merchants (referred to herein as merchant silicon) are not
appropriate. In this case, communication services can be
implemented as cloud-centric workloads.
[0063] As an example, a traditional network element 150 (shown in
FIG. 1), such as an edge router can be implemented via a VNE 330
composed of NFV software modules, merchant silicon, and associated
controllers. The software can be written so that increasing
workload consumes incremental resources from a common resource
pool, and moreover so that it's elastic: so the resources are only
consumed when needed. In a similar fashion, other network elements
such as other routers, switches, edge caches, and middle-boxes are
instantiated from the common resource pool. Such sharing of
infrastructure across a broad set of uses makes planning and
growing infrastructure easier to manage.
[0064] In an embodiment, the transport layer 350 includes fiber,
cable, wired and/or wireless transport elements, network elements
and interfaces to provide broadband access 110, wireless access
120, voice access 130, media access 140 and/or access to content
sources 175 for distribution of content to any or all of the access
technologies. In particular, in some cases a network element needs
to be positioned at a specific place, and this allows for less
sharing of common infrastructure. Other times, the network elements
have specific physical layer adapters that cannot be abstracted or
virtualized, and might require special DSP code and analog
front-ends (AFEs) that do not lend themselves to implementation as
VNEs 330, 332 or 334. These network elements can be included in
transport layer 350.
[0065] The virtualized network function cloud 325 interfaces with
the transport layer 350 to provide the VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. to
provide specific NFVs. In particular, the virtualized network
function cloud 325 leverages cloud operations, applications, and
architectures to support networking workloads. The virtualized
network elements 330, 332 and 334 can employ network function
software that provides either a one-for-one mapping of traditional
network element function or alternately some combination of network
functions designed for cloud computing. For example, VNEs 330, 332
and 334 can include route reflectors, domain name system (DNS)
servers, and dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) servers,
system architecture evolution (SAE) and/or mobility management
entity (MME) gateways, broadband network gateways, IP edge routers
for IP-VPN, Ethernet and other services, load balancers,
distributers and other network elements. Because these elements
don't typically need to forward large amounts of traffic, their
workload can be distributed across a number of servers--each of
which adds a portion of the capability, and overall which creates
an elastic function with higher availability than its former
monolithic version. These virtual network elements 330, 332, 334,
etc. can be instantiated and managed using an orchestration
approach similar to those used in cloud compute services.
[0066] The cloud computing environments 375 can interface with the
virtualized network function cloud 325 via APIs that expose
functional capabilities of the VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. to provide
the flexible and expanded capabilities to the virtualized network
function cloud 325. In particular, network workloads may have
applications distributed across the virtualized network function
cloud 325 and cloud computing environment 375 and in the commercial
cloud, or might simply orchestrate workloads supported entirely in
NFV infrastructure from these third party locations.
[0067] Turning now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated a block diagram
of a computing environment in accordance with various aspects
described herein. In order to provide additional context for
various embodiments of the embodiments described herein, FIG. 4 and
the following discussion are intended to provide a brief, general
description of a suitable computing environment 400 in which the
various embodiments of the subject disclosure can be implemented.
In particular, computing environment 400 can be used in the
implementation of network elements 150, 152, 154, 156, access
terminal 112, base station or access point 122, switching device
132, media terminal 142, and/or VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. Each of
these devices can be implemented via computer-executable
instructions that can run on one or more computers, and/or in
combination with other program modules and/or as a combination of
hardware and software. For example, computing environment 400 can
facilitate in whole or in providing information and recommended
actions regarding advertising entities using a virtual assistant.
Further, the communication device and servers of FIG. 2A comprise
the computing environment 400.
[0068] Generally, program modules comprise routines, programs,
components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or
implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled
in the art will appreciate that the methods can be practiced with
other computer system configurations, comprising single-processor
or multiprocessor computer systems, minicomputers, mainframe
computers, as well as personal computers, hand-held computing
devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,
and the like, each of which can be operatively coupled to one or
more associated devices.
[0069] As used herein, a processing circuit includes one or more
processors as well as other application specific circuits such as
an application specific integrated circuit, digital logic circuit,
state machine, programmable gate array or other circuit that
processes input signals or data and that produces output signals or
data in response thereto. It should be noted that while any
functions and features described herein in association with the
operation of a processor could likewise be performed by a
processing circuit.
[0070] The illustrated embodiments of the embodiments herein can be
also practiced in distributed computing environments where certain
tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked
through a communications network. In a distributed computing
environment, program modules can be located in both local and
remote memory storage devices.
[0071] Computing devices typically comprise a variety of media,
which can comprise computer-readable storage media and/or
communications media, which two terms are used herein differently
from one another as follows. Computer-readable storage media can be
any available storage media that can be accessed by the computer
and comprises both volatile and nonvolatile media, removable and
non-removable media. By way of example, and not limitation,
computer-readable storage media can be implemented in connection
with any method or technology for storage of information such as
computer-readable instructions, program modules, structured data or
unstructured data.
[0072] Computer-readable storage media can comprise, but are not
limited to, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),
electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM),flash
memory or other memory technology, compact disk read only memory
(CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical disk
storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage
or other magnetic storage devices or other tangible and/or
non-transitory media which can be used to store desired
information. In this regard, the terms "tangible" or
"non-transitory" herein as applied to storage, memory or
computer-readable media, are to be understood to exclude only
propagating transitory signals per se as modifiers and do not
relinquish rights to all standard storage, memory or
computer-readable media that are not only propagating transitory
signals per se.
[0073] Computer-readable storage media can be accessed by one or
more local or remote computing devices, e.g., via access requests,
queries or other data retrieval protocols, for a variety of
operations with respect to the information stored by the
medium.
[0074] Communications media typically embody computer-readable
instructions, data structures, program modules or other structured
or unstructured data in a data signal such as a modulated data
signal, e.g., a carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and
comprises any information delivery or transport media. The term
"modulated data signal" or signals refers to a signal that has one
or more of its characteristics set or changed in such a manner as
to encode information in one or more signals. By way of example,
and not limitation, communication media comprise wired media, such
as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media
such as acoustic, RF, infrared and other wireless media.
[0075] With reference again to FIG. 4, the example environment can
comprise a computer 402, the computer 402 comprising a processing
unit 404, a system memory 406 and a system bus 408. The system bus
408 couples system components including, but not limited to, the
system memory 406 to the processing unit 404. The processing unit
404 can be any of various commercially available processors. Dual
microprocessors and other multiprocessor architectures can also be
employed as the processing unit 404.
[0076] The system bus 408 can be any of several types of bus
structure that can further interconnect to a memory bus (with or
without a memory controller), a peripheral bus, and a local bus
using any of a variety of commercially available bus architectures.
The system memory 406 comprises ROM 410 and RAM 412. A basic
input/output system (BIOS) can be stored in a non-volatile memory
such as ROM, erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM),
EEPROM, which BIOS contains the basic routines that help to
transfer information between elements within the computer 402, such
as during startup. The RAM 412 can also comprise a high-speed RAM
such as static RAM for caching data.
[0077] The computer 402 further comprises an internal hard disk
drive (HDD) 414 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), which internal HDD 414 can also
be configured for external use in a suitable chassis (not shown), a
magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 416, (e.g., to read from or write
to a removable diskette 418) and an optical disk drive 420, (e.g.,
reading a CD-ROM disk 422 or, to read from or write to other high
capacity optical media such as the DVD). The HDD 414, magnetic FDD
416 and optical disk drive 420 can be connected to the system bus
408 by a hard disk drive interface 424, a magnetic disk drive
interface 426 and an optical drive interface 428, respectively. The
hard disk drive interface 424 for external drive implementations
comprises at least one or both of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394
interface technologies. Other external drive connection
technologies are within contemplation of the embodiments described
herein.
[0078] The drives and their associated computer-readable storage
media provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures,
computer-executable instructions, and so forth. For the computer
402, the drives and storage media accommodate the storage of any
data in a suitable digital format. Although the description of
computer-readable storage media above refers to a hard disk drive
(HDD), a removable magnetic diskette, and a removable optical media
such as a CD or DVD, it should be appreciated by those skilled in
the art that other types of storage media which are readable by a
computer, such as zip drives, magnetic cassettes, flash memory
cards, cartridges, and the like, can also be used in the example
operating environment, and further, that any such storage media can
contain computer-executable instructions for performing the methods
described herein.
[0079] A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and
RAM 412, comprising an operating system 430, one or more
application programs 432, other program modules 434 and program
data 436. All or portions of the operating system, applications,
modules, and/or data can also be cached in the RAM 412. The systems
and methods described herein can be implemented utilizing various
commercially available operating systems or combinations of
operating systems.
[0080] A user can enter commands and information into the computer
402 through one or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g., a
keyboard 438 and a pointing device, such as a mouse 440. Other
input devices (not shown) can comprise a microphone, an infrared
(IR) remote control, a joystick, a game pad, a stylus pen, touch
screen or the like. These and other input devices are often
connected to the processing unit 404 through an input device
interface 442 that can be coupled to the system bus 408, but can be
connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE
1394 serial port, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB) port,
an IR interface, etc.
[0081] A monitor 444 or other type of display device can be also
connected to the system bus 408 via an interface, such as a video
adapter 446. It will also be appreciated that in alternative
embodiments, a monitor 444 can also be any display device (e.g.,
another computer having a display, a smart phone, a tablet
computer, etc.) for receiving display information associated with
computer 402 via any communication means, including via the
Internet and cloud-based networks. In addition to the monitor 444,
a computer typically comprises other peripheral output devices (not
shown), such as speakers, printers, etc.
[0082] The computer 402 can operate in a networked environment
using logical connections via wired and/or wireless communications
to one or more remote computers, such as a remote computer(s) 448.
The remote computer(s) 448 can be a workstation, a server computer,
a router, a personal computer, portable computer,
microprocessor-based entertainment appliance, a peer device or
other common network node, and typically comprises many or all of
the elements described relative to the computer 402, although, for
purposes of brevity, only a remote memory/storage device 450 is
illustrated. The logical connections depicted comprise
wired/wireless connectivity to a local area network (LAN) 452
and/or larger networks, e.g., a wide area network (WAN) 454. Such
LAN and WAN networking environments are commonplace in offices and
companies, and facilitate enterprise-wide computer networks, such
as intranets, all of which can connect to a global communications
network, e.g., the Internet.
[0083] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 402
can be connected to the LAN 452 through a wired and/or wireless
communication network interface or adapter 456. The adapter 456 can
facilitate wired or wireless communication to the LAN 452, which
can also comprise a wireless AP disposed thereon for communicating
with the adapter 456.
[0084] When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 402
can comprise a modem 458 or can be connected to a communications
server on the WAN 454 or has other means for establishing
communications over the WAN 454, such as by way of the Internet.
The modem 458, which can be internal or external and a wired or
wireless device, can be connected to the system bus 408 via the
input device interface 442. In a networked environment, program
modules depicted relative to the computer 402 or portions thereof,
can be stored in the remote memory/storage device 450. It will be
appreciated that the network connections shown are example and
other means of establishing a communications link between the
computers can be used.
[0085] The computer 402 can be operable to communicate with any
wireless devices or entities operatively disposed in wireless
communication, e.g., a printer, scanner, desktop and/or portable
computer, portable data assistant, communications satellite, any
piece of equipment or location associated with a wirelessly
detectable tag (e.g., a kiosk, news stand, restroom), and
telephone. This can comprise Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and
BLUETOOTH.RTM. wireless technologies. Thus, the communication can
be a predefined structure as with a conventional network or simply
an ad hoc communication between at least two devices.
[0086] Wi-Fi can allow connection to the Internet from a couch at
home, a bed in a hotel room or a conference room at work, without
wires. Wi-Fi is a wireless technology similar to that used in a
cell phone that enables such devices, e.g., computers, to send and
receive data indoors and out; anywhere within the range of a base
station. Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies called IEEE 802.11
(a, b, g, n, ac, ag, etc.) to provide secure, reliable, fast
wireless connectivity. A Wi-Fi network can be used to connect
computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wired networks
(which can use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet). Wi-Fi networks operate in
the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands for example or with
products that contain both bands (dual band), so the networks can
provide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wired
Ethernet networks used in many offices.
[0087] Turning now to FIG. 5, an embodiment 500 of a mobile network
platform 510 is shown that is an example of network elements 150,
152, 154, 156, and/or VNEs 330, 332, 334, etc. For example,
platform 510 can facilitate in whole or in part providing
information and recommended actions regarding advertising entities
using a virtual assistant. In one or more embodiments, the mobile
network platform 510 can generate and receive signals transmitted
and received by base stations or access points such as base station
or access point 122. Generally, mobile network platform 510 can
comprise components, e.g., nodes, gateways, interfaces, servers, or
disparate platforms, that facilitate both packet-switched (PS)
(e.g., internet protocol (IP), frame relay, asynchronous transfer
mode (ATM)) and circuit-switched (CS) traffic (e.g., voice and
data), as well as control generation for networked wireless
telecommunication. As a non-limiting example, mobile network
platform 510 can be included in telecommunications carrier
networks, and can be considered carrier-side components as
discussed elsewhere herein. Mobile network platform 510 comprises
CS gateway node(s) 512 which can interface CS traffic received from
legacy networks like telephony network(s) 540 (e.g., public
switched telephone network (PSTN), or public land mobile network
(PLMN)) or a signaling system #7 (SS7) network 560. CS gateway
node(s) 512 can authorize and authenticate traffic (e.g., voice)
arising from such networks. Additionally, CS gateway node(s) 512
can access mobility, or roaming, data generated through SS7 network
560; for instance, mobility data stored in a visited location
register (VLR), which can reside in memory 530. Moreover, CS
gateway node(s) 512 interfaces CS-based traffic and signaling and
PS gateway node(s) 518. As an example, in a 3GPP UMTS network, CS
gateway node(s) 512 can be realized at least in part in gateway
GPRS support node(s) (GGSN). It should be appreciated that
functionality and specific operation of CS gateway node(s) 512, PS
gateway node(s) 518, and serving node(s) 516, is provided and
dictated by radio technology(ies) utilized by mobile network
platform 510 for telecommunication over a radio access network 520
with other devices, such as a radiotelephone 575.
[0088] In addition to receiving and processing CS-switched traffic
and signaling, PS gateway node(s) 518 can authorize and
authenticate PS-based data sessions with served mobile devices.
Data sessions can comprise traffic, or content(s), exchanged with
networks external to the mobile network platform 510, like wide
area network(s) (WANs) 550, enterprise network(s) 570, and service
network(s) 580, which can be embodied in local area network(s)
(LANs), can also be interfaced with mobile network platform 510
through PS gateway node(s) 518. It is to be noted that WANs 550 and
enterprise network(s) 570 can embody, at least in part, a service
network(s) like IP multimedia subsystem (IMS). Based on radio
technology layer(s) available in technology resource(s) or radio
access network 520, PS gateway node(s) 518 can generate packet data
protocol contexts when a data session is established; other data
structures that facilitate routing of packetized data also can be
generated. To that end, in an aspect, PS gateway node(s) 518 can
comprise a tunnel interface (e.g., tunnel termination gateway (TTG)
in 3GPP UMTS network(s) (not shown)) which can facilitate
packetized communication with disparate wireless network(s), such
as Wi-Fi networks.
[0089] In embodiment 500, mobile network platform 510 also
comprises serving node(s) 516 that, based upon available radio
technology layer(s) within technology resource(s) in the radio
access network 520, convey the various packetized flows of data
streams received through PS gateway node(s) 518. It is to be noted
that for technology resource(s) that rely primarily on CS
communication, server node(s) can deliver traffic without reliance
on PS gateway node(s) 518; for example, server node(s) can embody
at least in part a mobile switching center. As an example, in a
3GPP UMTS network, serving node(s) 516 can be embodied in serving
GPRS support node(s) (SGSN).
[0090] For radio technologies that exploit packetized
communication, server(s) 514 in mobile network platform 510 can
execute numerous applications that can generate multiple disparate
packetized data streams or flows, and manage (e.g., schedule,
queue, format . . . ) such flows. Such application(s) can comprise
add-on features to standard services (for example, provisioning,
billing, customer support . . . ) provided by mobile network
platform 510. Data streams (e.g., content(s) that are part of a
voice call or data session) can be conveyed to PS gateway node(s)
518 for authorization/authentication and initiation of a data
session, and to serving node(s) 516 for communication thereafter.
In addition to application server, server(s) 514 can comprise
utility server(s), a utility server can comprise a provisioning
server, an operations and maintenance server, a security server
that can implement at least in part a certificate authority and
firewalls as well as other security mechanisms, and the like. In an
aspect, security server(s) secure communication served through
mobile network platform 510 to ensure network's operation and data
integrity in addition to authorization and authentication
procedures that CS gateway node(s) 512 and PS gateway node(s) 518
can enact. Moreover, provisioning server(s) can provision services
from external network(s) like networks operated by a disparate
service provider; for instance, WAN 550 or Global Positioning
System (GPS) network(s) (not shown). Provisioning server(s) can
also provision coverage through networks associated to mobile
network platform 510 (e.g., deployed and operated by the same
service provider), such as the distributed antennas networks shown
in FIG. 1(s) that enhance wireless service coverage by providing
more network coverage.
[0091] It is to be noted that server(s) 514 can comprise one or
more processors configured to confer at least in part the
functionality of mobile network platform 510. To that end, the one
or more processor can execute code instructions stored in memory
530, for example. It should be appreciated that server(s) 514 can
comprise a content manager, which operates in substantially the
same manner as described hereinbefore.
[0092] In example embodiment 500, memory 530 can store information
related to operation of mobile network platform 510. Other
operational information can comprise provisioning information of
mobile devices served through mobile network platform 510,
subscriber databases; application intelligence, pricing schemes,
e.g., promotional rates, flat-rate programs, couponing campaigns;
technical specification(s) consistent with telecommunication
protocols for operation of disparate radio, or wireless, technology
layers; and so forth. Memory 530 can also store information from at
least one of telephony network(s) 540, WAN 550, SS7 network 560, or
enterprise network(s) 570. In an aspect, memory 530 can be, for
example, accessed as part of a data store component or as a
remotely connected memory store.
[0093] In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the
disclosed subject matter, FIG. 5, and the following discussion, are
intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable
environment in which the various aspects of the disclosed subject
matter can be implemented. While the subject matter has been
described above in the general context of computer-executable
instructions of a computer program that runs on a computer and/or
computers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the
disclosed subject matter also can be implemented in combination
with other program modules. Generally, program modules comprise
routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform
particular tasks and/or implement particular abstract data
types.
[0094] Turning now to FIG. 6, an illustrative embodiment of a
communication device 600 is shown. The communication device 600 can
serve as an illustrative embodiment of devices such as data
terminals 114, mobile devices 124, vehicle 126, display devices 144
or other client devices for communication via either communications
network 125. For example, computing device 600 can facilitate in
whole or in part providing information and recommended actions
regarding advertising entities using a virtual assistant. Further,
the communication device and servers in FIG. 2A comprise computing
device 600.
[0095] The communication device 600 can comprise a wireline and/or
wireless transceiver 602 (herein transceiver 602), a user interface
(UI) 604, a power supply 614, a location receiver 616, a motion
sensor 618, an orientation sensor 620, and a controller 606 for
managing operations thereof. The transceiver 602 can support
short-range or long-range wireless access technologies such as
Bluetooth.RTM., ZigBee.RTM., WiFi, DECT, or cellular communication
technologies, just to mention a few (Bluetooth.RTM. and ZigBee.RTM.
are trademarks registered by the Bluetooth.RTM. Special Interest
Group and the ZigBee.RTM. Alliance, respectively). Cellular
technologies can include, for example, CDMA-1.times., UMTS/HSDPA,
GSM/GPRS, TDMA/EDGE, EV/DO, WiMAX, SDR, LTE, as well as other next
generation wireless communication technologies as they arise. The
transceiver 602 can also be adapted to support circuit-switched
wireline access technologies (such as PSTN), packet-switched
wireline access technologies (such as TCP/IP, VoIP, etc.), and
combinations thereof.
[0096] The UI 604 can include a depressible or touch-sensitive
keypad 608 with a navigation mechanism such as a roller ball, a
joystick, a mouse, or a navigation disk for manipulating operations
of the communication device 600. The keypad 608 can be an integral
part of a housing assembly of the communication device 600 or an
independent device operably coupled thereto by a tethered wireline
interface (such as a USB cable) or a wireless interface supporting
for example Bluetooth.RTM.. The keypad 608 can represent a numeric
keypad commonly used by phones, and/or a QWERTY keypad with
alphanumeric keys. The UI 604 can further include a display 610
such as monochrome or color LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), OLED
(Organic Light Emitting Diode) or other suitable display technology
for conveying images to an end user of the communication device
600. In an embodiment where the display 610 is touch-sensitive, a
portion or all of the keypad 608 can be presented by way of the
display 610 with navigation features.
[0097] The display 610 can use touch screen technology to also
serve as a user interface for detecting user input. As a touch
screen display, the communication device 600 can be adapted to
present a user interface having graphical user interface (GUI)
elements that can be selected by a user with a touch of a finger.
The display 610 can be equipped with capacitive, resistive or other
forms of sensing technology to detect how much surface area of a
user's finger has been placed on a portion of the touch screen
display. This sensing information can be used to control the
manipulation of the GUI elements or other functions of the user
interface. The display 610 can be an integral part of the housing
assembly of the communication device 600 or an independent device
communicatively coupled thereto by a tethered wireline interface
(such as a cable) or a wireless interface.
[0098] The UI 604 can also include an audio system 612 that
utilizes audio technology for conveying low volume audio (such as
audio heard in proximity of a human ear) and high volume audio
(such as speakerphone for hands free operation). The audio system
612 can further include a microphone for receiving audible signals
of an end user. The audio system 612 can also be used for voice
recognition applications. The UI 604 can further include an image
sensor 613 such as a charged coupled device (CCD) camera for
capturing still or moving images.
[0099] The power supply 614 can utilize common power management
technologies such as replaceable and rechargeable batteries, supply
regulation technologies, and/or charging system technologies for
supplying energy to the components of the communication device 600
to facilitate long-range or short-range portable communications.
Alternatively, or in combination, the charging system can utilize
external power sources such as DC power supplied over a physical
interface such as a USB port or other suitable tethering
technologies.
[0100] The location receiver 616 can utilize location technology
such as a global positioning system (GPS) receiver capable of
assisted GPS for identifying a location of the communication device
600 based on signals generated by a constellation of GPS
satellites, which can be used for facilitating location services
such as navigation. The motion sensor 618 can utilize motion
sensing technology such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, or other
suitable motion sensing technology to detect motion of the
communication device 600 in three-dimensional space. The
orientation sensor 620 can utilize orientation sensing technology
such as a magnetometer to detect the orientation of the
communication device 600 (north, south, west, and east, as well as
combined orientations in degrees, minutes, or other suitable
orientation metrics).
[0101] The communication device 600 can use the transceiver 602 to
also determine a proximity to a cellular, WiFi, Bluetooth.RTM., or
other wireless access points by sensing techniques such as
utilizing a received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and/or signal
time of arrival (TOA) or time of flight (TOF) measurements. The
controller 606 can utilize computing technologies such as a
microprocessor, a digital signal processor (DSP), programmable gate
arrays, application specific integrated circuits, and/or a video
processor with associated storage memory such as Flash, ROM, RAM,
SRAM, DRAM or other storage technologies for executing computer
instructions, controlling, and processing data supplied by the
aforementioned components of the communication device 600.
[0102] Other components not shown in FIG. 6 can be used in one or
more embodiments of the subject disclosure. For instance, the
communication device 600 can include a slot for adding or removing
an identity module such as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card
or Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). SIM or UICC cards can
be used for identifying subscriber services, executing programs,
storing subscriber data, and so on.
[0103] The terms "first," "second," "third," and so forth, as used
in the claims, unless otherwise clear by context, is for clarity
only and doesn't otherwise indicate or imply any order in time. For
instance, "a first determination," "a second determination," and "a
third determination," does not indicate or imply that the first
determination is to be made before the second determination, or
vice versa, etc.
[0104] In the subject specification, terms such as "store,"
"storage," "data store," "data storage," "database," and
substantially any other information storage component relevant to
operation and functionality of a component, refer to "memory
components," or entities embodied in a "memory" or components
comprising the memory. It will be appreciated that the memory
components described herein can be either volatile memory or
nonvolatile memory, or can comprise both volatile and nonvolatile
memory, by way of illustration, and not limitation, volatile
memory, non-volatile memory, disk storage, and memory storage.
Further, nonvolatile memory can be included in read only memory
(ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM
(EPROM), electrically erasable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory.
Volatile memory can comprise random access memory (RAM), which acts
as external cache memory. By way of illustration and not
limitation, RAM is available in many forms such as synchronous RAM
(SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), double data
rate SDRAM (DDR SDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), Synchlink DRAM
(SLDRAM), and direct Rambus RAM (DRRAM). Additionally, the
disclosed memory components of systems or methods herein are
intended to comprise, without being limited to comprising, these
and any other suitable types of memory.
[0105] Moreover, it will be noted that the disclosed subject matter
can be practiced with other computer system configurations,
comprising single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems,
mini-computing devices, mainframe computers, as well as personal
computers, hand-held computing devices (e.g., PDA, phone,
smartphone, watch, tablet computers, netbook computers, etc.),
microprocessor-based or programmable consumer or industrial
electronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects can also be
practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are
performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a
communications network; however, some if not all aspects of the
subject disclosure can be practiced on stand-alone computers. In a
distributed computing environment, program modules can be located
in both local and remote memory storage devices.
[0106] In one or more embodiments, information regarding use of
services can be generated including services being accessed, media
consumption history, user preferences, and so forth. This
information can be obtained by various methods including user
input, detecting types of communications (e.g., video content vs.
audio content), analysis of content streams, sampling, and so
forth. The generating, obtaining and/or monitoring of this
information can be responsive to an authorization provided by the
user. In one or more embodiments, an analysis of data can be
subject to authorization from user(s) associated with the data,
such as an opt-in, an opt-out, acknowledgement requirements,
notifications, selective authorization based on types of data, and
so forth.
[0107] Some of the embodiments described herein can also employ
artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate automating one or more
features described herein. The embodiments (e.g., in connection
with automatically identifying acquired cell sites that provide a
maximum value/benefit after addition to an existing communication
network) can employ various AI-based schemes for carrying out
various embodiments thereof. Moreover, the classifier can be
employed to determine a ranking or priority of each cell site of
the acquired network. A classifier is a function that maps an input
attribute vector, x=(x1, x2, x3, x4, . . . , xn), to a confidence
that the input belongs to a class, that is, f(x)=confidence
(class). Such classification can employ a probabilistic and/or
statistical-based analysis (e.g., factoring into the analysis
utilities and costs) to determine or infer an action that a user
desires to be automatically performed. A support vector machine
(SVM) is an example of a classifier that can be employed. The SVM
operates by finding a hypersurface in the space of possible inputs,
which the hypersurface attempts to split the triggering criteria
from the non-triggering events. Intuitively, this makes the
classification correct for testing data that is near, but not
identical to training data. Other directed and undirected model
classification approaches comprise, e.g., naive Bayes, Bayesian
networks, decision trees, neural networks, fuzzy logic models, and
probabilistic classification models providing different patterns of
independence can be employed. Classification as used herein also is
inclusive of statistical regression that is utilized to develop
models of priority.
[0108] As will be readily appreciated, one or more of the
embodiments can employ classifiers that are explicitly trained
(e.g., via a generic training data) as well as implicitly trained
(e.g., via observing UE behavior, operator preferences, historical
information, receiving extrinsic information). For example, SVMs
can be configured via a learning or training phase within a
classifier constructor and feature selection module. Thus, the
classifier(s) can be used to automatically learn and perform a
number of functions, including but not limited to determining
according to predetermined criteria which of the acquired cell
sites will benefit a maximum number of subscribers and/or which of
the acquired cell sites will add minimum value to the existing
communication network coverage, etc.
[0109] As used in some contexts in this application, in some
embodiments, the terms "component," "system" and the like are
intended to refer to, or comprise, a computer-related entity or an
entity related to an operational apparatus with one or more
specific functionalities, wherein the entity can be either
hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or
software in execution. As an example, a component may be, but is
not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a
processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution,
computer-executable instructions, a program, and/or a computer. By
way of illustration and not limitation, both an application running
on a server and the server can be a component. One or more
components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution
and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed
between two or more computers. In addition, these components can
execute from various computer readable media having various data
structures stored thereon. The components may communicate via local
and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having
one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting
with another component in a local system, distributed system,
and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systems via
the signal). As another example, a component can be an apparatus
with specific functionality provided by mechanical parts operated
by electric or electronic circuitry, which is operated by a
software or firmware application executed by a processor, wherein
the processor can be internal or external to the apparatus and
executes at least a part of the software or firmware application.
As yet another example, a component can be an apparatus that
provides specific functionality through electronic components
without mechanical parts, the electronic components can comprise a
processor therein to execute software or firmware that confers at
least in part the functionality of the electronic components. While
various components have been illustrated as separate components, it
will be appreciated that multiple components can be implemented as
a single component, or a single component can be implemented as
multiple components, without departing from example
embodiments.
[0110] Further, the various embodiments can be implemented as a
method, apparatus or article of manufacture using standard
programming and/or engineering techniques to produce software,
firmware, hardware or any combination thereof to control a computer
to implement the disclosed subject matter. The term "article of
manufacture" as used herein is intended to encompass a computer
program accessible from any computer-readable device or
computer-readable storage/communications media. For example,
computer readable storage media can include, but are not limited
to, magnetic storage devices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk,
magnetic strips), optical disks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital
versatile disk (DVD)), smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g.,
card, stick, key drive). Of course, those skilled in the art will
recognize many modifications can be made to this configuration
without departing from the scope or spirit of the various
embodiments.
[0111] In addition, the words "example" and "exemplary" are used
herein to mean serving as an instance or illustration. Any
embodiment or design described herein as "example" or "exemplary"
is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous
over other embodiments or designs. Rather, use of the word example
or exemplary is intended to present concepts in a concrete fashion.
As used in this application, the term "or" is intended to mean an
inclusive "or" rather than an exclusive "or". That is, unless
specified otherwise or clear from context, "X employs A or B" is
intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That
is, if X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B, then "X
employs A or B" is satisfied under any of the foregoing instances.
In addition, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application
and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one
or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from context to be
directed to a singular form.
[0112] Moreover, terms such as "user equipment," "mobile station,"
"mobile," "subscriber station," "access terminal," "terminal,"
"handset," "mobile device" (and/or terms representing similar
terminology) can refer to a wireless device utilized by a
subscriber or user of a wireless communication service to receive
or convey data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming or
substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream. The foregoing
terms are utilized interchangeably herein and with reference to the
related drawings.
[0113] Furthermore, the terms "user," "subscriber," "customer,"
"consumer" and the like are employed interchangeably throughout,
unless context warrants particular distinctions among the terms. It
should be appreciated that such terms can refer to human entities
or automated components supported through artificial intelligence
(e.g., a capacity to make inference based, at least, on complex
mathematical formalisms), which can provide simulated vision, sound
recognition and so forth.
[0114] As employed herein, the term "processor" can refer to
substantially any computing processing unit or device comprising,
but not limited to comprising, single-core processors;
single-processors with software multithread execution capability;
multi-core processors; multi-core processors with software
multithread execution capability; multi-core processors with
hardware multithread technology; parallel platforms; and parallel
platforms with distributed shared memory. Additionally, a processor
can refer to an integrated circuit, an application specific
integrated circuit (ASIC), a digital signal processor (DSP), a
field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic
controller (PLC), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), a
discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components or
any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described
herein. Processors can exploit nano-scale architectures such as,
but not limited to, molecular and quantum-dot based transistors,
switches and gates, in order to optimize space usage or enhance
performance of user equipment. A processor can also be implemented
as a combination of computing processing units.
[0115] As used herein, terms such as "data storage," "data
storage," "database," and substantially any other information
storage component relevant to operation and functionality of a
component, refer to "memory components," or entities embodied in a
"memory" or components comprising the memory. It will be
appreciated that the memory components or computer-readable storage
media, described herein can be either volatile memory or
nonvolatile memory or can include both volatile and nonvolatile
memory.
[0116] What has been described above includes mere examples of
various embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe
every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for
purposes of describing these examples, but one of ordinary skill in
the art can recognize that many further combinations and
permutations of the present embodiments are possible. Accordingly,
the embodiments disclosed and/or claimed herein are intended to
embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that
fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Furthermore, to the extent that the term "includes" is used in
either the detailed description or the claims, such term is
intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term
"comprising" as "comprising" is interpreted when employed as a
transitional word in a claim.
[0117] In addition, a flow diagram may include a "start" and/or
"continue" indication. The "start" and "continue" indications
reflect that the steps presented can optionally be incorporated in
or otherwise used in conjunction with other routines. In this
context, "start" indicates the beginning of the first step
presented and may be preceded by other activities not specifically
shown. Further, the "continue" indication reflects that the steps
presented may be performed multiple times and/or may be succeeded
by other activities not specifically shown. Further, while a flow
diagram indicates a particular ordering of steps, other orderings
are likewise possible provided that the principles of causality are
maintained.
[0118] As may also be used herein, the term(s) "operably coupled
to", "coupled to", and/or "coupling" includes direct coupling
between items and/or indirect coupling between items via one or
more intervening items. Such items and intervening items include,
but are not limited to, junctions, communication paths, components,
circuit elements, circuits, functional blocks, and/or devices. As
an example of indirect coupling, a signal conveyed from a first
item to a second item may be modified by one or more intervening
items by modifying the form, nature or format of information in a
signal, while one or more elements of the information in the signal
are nevertheless conveyed in a manner than can be recognized by the
second item. In a further example of indirect coupling, an action
in a first item can cause a reaction on the second item, as a
result of actions and/or reactions in one or more intervening
items.
[0119] Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and
described herein, it should be appreciated that any arrangement
which achieves the same or similar purpose may be substituted for
the embodiments described or shown by the subject disclosure. The
subject disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or
variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above
embodiments, and other embodiments not specifically described
herein, can be used in the subject disclosure. For instance, one or
more features from one or more embodiments can be combined with one
or more features of one or more other embodiments. In one or more
embodiments, features that are positively recited can also be
negatively recited and excluded from the embodiment with or without
replacement by another structural and/or functional feature. The
steps or functions described with respect to the embodiments of the
subject disclosure can be performed in any order. The steps or
functions described with respect to the embodiments of the subject
disclosure can be performed alone or in combination with other
steps or functions of the subject disclosure, as well as from other
embodiments or from other steps that have not been described in the
subject disclosure. Further, more than or less than all of the
features described with respect to an embodiment can also be
utilized.
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