(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2006/0010240 A1
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Jan. 12, 2006
`Chuah
`
`US 20060010240A1
`
`(54) INTELLIGENT COLLABORATIVE
`EXPRESSION IN SUPPORT OF
`SOCIALIZATION OF DEVICES
`
`(52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 709/228
`
`(76)
`
`(21)
`(22)
`
`(60)
`
`Inventor:
`
`Mei Chuah, San Leandro, CA (US)
`Correspondence Address:
`ACCENTURE CHICAGO 281 64
`BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LONE
`PO BOX 10395
`CHICAGO, IL 60610 (US)
`Appl. No.:
`
`Filed:
`
`10/956,262
`Sep. 30, 2004
`Related U.S. Application Data
`Provisional application No. 60/508,816, filed on Oct.
`2, 2003.
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51)
`
`Int. Cl.
`G06F 15/16
`
`(2006.01)
`
`Egg
`
`(57)
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A method and apparatus for Socialization of electronic
`devices is provided. Communications from a first person to
`a Second perSon or to a group of perSons may be enhanced,
`Such as modified or Supplemented, based on a user profile of
`the first perSon, the Second person, and/or the group of
`perSons. The user profile may comprise any one or any
`combination of the following: presence, expression, shared
`context, Surrounding context, and device context. Moreover,
`enhancing the communication may comprise modifying or
`Supplementing text, audio, Video, image, Scent, tactile and
`taste output. In addition, a communication is Sent based on
`changes in a user profile. Changes in the user profile may
`comprise manual changes or automatic changes. Further, the
`content of the communication Sent may depend on the aspect
`changed in the user profile
`
`glly
`
`901
`
`
`
`. ;
`Surrounding Context
`(e.g. task, domain)
`
`
`
`Presence
`identity:
`name;
`Salary,
`rank.
`current activity;
`Awareness.
`length of stay;
`spatial, temporal.
`
`
`
`Emotion:
`
`Memory:
`
`Expressions
`thinking;
`Action:
`sleeping
`angry,
`happy.
`Vacation
`event.
`organization,
`person.
`Relationships: comparative
`
`Entity:
`
`Shared information
`
`Media type: Songs,
`video files,
`pictures,
`text.
`
`Page 1 of 20
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`SNAP EXHIBIT 1010
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 1 of 8
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 2 of 8
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`US 2006/0010240 A1
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 3 of 8
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`US 2006/0010240 A1
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`ENOHdETEL
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`Z?.
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 4 of 8
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`ZA!
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 5 of 8
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`US 2006/0010240 A1
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`Receive COmmunication
`
`102
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`Determine type of device which sent communication
`
`Determine type of device which is to receive
`Communication
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`104
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`106
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`108
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`Extract identification information from Communication
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`Access data to determine user profile
`based on identification information
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`110
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`Extract data from communication
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`Update user profile based on extracted data
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`Determine which portion of user profile to express
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`Add and/or modify communication based on
`communication, portion of user profile and/or recipient device
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`114
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`116
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`118
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`Fig. 5
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 6 of 8
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`150
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`152
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`Does receiving
`device support
`text?
`
`Does Communication
`include text?
`
`Modify text based on identity,
`awareness, expression, surrounding
`Context, device Context, and/or rules
`context from accessed user profile
`
`Add text to
`Communication?
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`160
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`Add text based on identity,
`awareness, expression, surrounding
`Context, device context, and/or rules
`context from accessed user profile
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`162
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`Does receiving
`device support
`audio?
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`
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`Does Communication
`include audio?
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`Modify audio based on identity,
`awareness, expression, surrounding
`context, device context, and/or rules
`context from accessed user profile
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`Add audio to
`Communication?
`
`Fig. 6A
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`170
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`Add audio based on identity,
`awareness, expression, Surrounding
`context, device context, and/or rules
`context from accessed user profile
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 7 of 8
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`US 2006/0010240 A1
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`From Fig. 6A
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`172
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`
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`Does receiving
`device support
`Video?
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`Yes
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`Does Communication
`include video?
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`No
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`Modify video based on identity,
`awareness, expression,
`surrounding context, device
`context, and/or rules context from
`accessed user profile
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`176
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`Add video to
`Communication?
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`NO
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`Fig. 6B
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`Add video based on identity,
`awareness, expression,
`surrounding context, device context,
`and/or rules context from accessed
`user profile
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`Page 8 of 20
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`Patent Application Publication Jan. 12, 2006 Sheet 8 of 8
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`US 2006/0010240 A1
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`200 N
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`Determine change in user profile
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`202
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`204
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`Should
`Communication
`be Sent based
`on change?
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`Determine which party and/or device
`to receive Communication
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`Determine content of communication based on change in
`user profile and/or based on device to receive communication
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`Fig. 7
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`US 2006/0010240 A1
`
`Jan. 12, 2006
`
`INTELLIGENT COLLABORATIVE EXPRESSION
`IN SUPPORT OF SOCIALIZATION OF DEVICES
`
`RELATED APPLICATIONS
`0001) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provi
`sional Application No. 60/508,816, filed Oct. 2, 2003, which
`is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
`
`BACKGROUND
`0002 Electronic devices which exchange information
`are, on a basic level, an opportunity for Social interaction.
`People in different locales may connect with one another
`through the use of electronic devices. AS one example, it is
`common for people at different locations to watch a televi
`Sion program or a Sporting event while talking on the
`telephone. The television program acts as the backdrop for
`the people to interact. AS another example, people interact
`and share information with one another in online Social
`environments, Such as instant messaging, short message
`service (SMS), chat rooms, and bulletin boards.
`0.003 Most applications merely focus on functionality
`and usability, and fail to focus on Sociability. Some tech
`nologies have attempted to enhance the Social interaction
`aspect with limited Success. For example, online Social
`environments have attempted to enhance the Social interac
`tion aspect using collaborative applications Such as text talk,
`Sharing files and Video conferencing. However, these appli
`cations are image and expression poor, limiting participants
`in how they can personalize and express their online per
`SO.
`0004 What is needed is a richer information experience
`that provides better Social interaction when using electronic
`devices.
`
`BRIEF SUMMARY
`0005 The present invention enhances the social experi
`ence when sharing information using electronic devices.
`Electronic devices may include any device which is capable
`of Sending and/or receiving a communication, including but
`not limited to computers, televisions, telephones (such as
`cellular phones), personal digital assistants (PDAS), and
`camcorders.
`0006. In one embodiment, a communication is sent from
`a first person to a Second perSon or to a group of perSons. The
`communication may be enhanced, Such as modified or
`Supplemented, based on a user profile of the first perSon, the
`Second perSon, and/or the group of perSons. The communi
`cation may be sent from the first perSon and received by a
`Server or other centralized computer. The Server may acceSS
`the user profile in order to modify or Supplement the
`communication. In this manner, the Server or other central
`ized computer may enhance communications from a Socia
`bility Standpoint. In one aspect, the user profile may com
`prise any one or any combination of the following: presence,
`expression, shared context, Surrounding context, device con
`text, and histories. Further, portions of the user profile may
`be modified by the user assigned the profile, by other users
`with permission, or automatically, Such as by histories of
`past States of the user profile. Modifying or Supplementing
`the communication may comprise modifying or Supplement
`ing text, audio, Video, image, Scent, tactile and taste output.
`
`0007. In a second embodiment, a communication is sent
`based on changes in a user profile. Changes in the user
`profile may comprise manual changes or automatic changes.
`Further, the content of the communication Sent may depend
`on the aspect changed in the user profile.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`0008 FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of exemplary aspects of
`Social interaction.
`0009 FIG. 2 is a block diagram of exemplary devices
`that may communicate via a network.
`0010 FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the personal computer
`10, telephone 12, and server 20 illustrated in FIG. 2.
`0011 FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a system that uses the
`attributes disclosed in FIG. 1 to modify participant infor
`mation and/or shared information.
`0012 FIG. 5 is a flow chart in which a communication
`may be modified or Supplemented based on the user profile.
`0013 FIGS. 6A-B is a flow chart for modifying or
`Supplementing the communication as discussed in block 118
`in FIG. 5.
`0014 FIG. 7 is a flow chart for generating a communi
`cation based on a change in a user profile.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`AND THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`0015 Electronic devices can be instruments for Social
`interaction. People may share information via the electronic
`devices in an attempt to connect on a Social level. Often
`times, electronic devices are used in Single user mode and/or
`are merely used to regurgitate information. Information
`entered into one electronic device is transmitted to another
`device for presentation in its originally entered form. This
`mere repeating of the information limits the ability for
`people to connect on a Social level Since it does not mirror
`ordinary Social interaction.
`0016 Socialization of electronic devices enables users of
`electronic devices to connect in a more Social manner akin
`to ordinary Social interaction. In order to better Socialize
`electronic devices, a Socialization System is employed which
`may express a users individual traits. An example of a
`Socialization System is disclosed in an article entitled Social
`ization of Devices by the inventor included at Appendix A of
`U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/508,816, filed Oct. 2,
`2003, which is incorporated by reference herein in its
`entirety.
`0017. The socialization system identifies areas within
`collaborative Space, which may then be expressed during
`electronic communication. Examples of areas within col
`laborative space include, but are not limited to: (1) the
`establishment of presence; (2) the ability to convey a wide
`range of expressions (including actions, emotions, memo
`ries, abstract concepts, and relationships); and (3) the ability
`to exchange and share external objects (including object
`Streams Such as Video Streams, television Streams, device
`State, and environmental State). The Socialization System
`may integrate these three areas of collaborative language to
`create a powerful environment for collaboration and expe
`
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`Jan. 12, 2006
`
`rience Sharing. Moreover, the Socialization System may
`enable new tasks, new interactions, and new Social behav
`iors. The Socialization System is akin to the increased
`interaction due to cellular phone; however, the interaction is
`on a broader Scale Since the communication devices are
`allowed to be Social connectors in the Socialization System.
`In addition, the Socialization System may allow more accu
`rate conveying of thoughts at the correct time, place, and
`COnteXt.
`0.018. In addition, the Socialization system may comprise
`an integrated System for providing a combined Social expe
`rience across a variety of devices. AS discussed in more
`detail below, any electronic device which is capable of
`communicating (either receiving a communication, sending
`a communication or both) may be included within the
`Socialization System. The Socialization System may provide
`flexible and powerful control of presence, expression and
`shared context and may take into account device context,
`external environment, and histories. For example, the Social
`ization System may comprise user profiles for users of the
`System. The profiles may contain any one or any combina
`tion of the following: presence, expression, Shared context,
`device context (including device limitations and current
`device context), awareness context, and rules context. Fur
`ther, the profiles may contain histories of any one or any
`combination of the following: presence, expression, shared
`context, device context, awareneSS context, and rules con
`text. For example, one aspect of the user profile may
`comprise the current location or current activity of the user
`of the profile. The current location and/or current activity
`may be based on the current State or based on past States of
`the profile. Specifically, the past States of the user profile
`may indicate that the user travels to work at a certain time
`or that the user is in a busineSS Setting at a certain time or
`period. AS another example, histories may indicate the
`amount of information a user has shared at particular times,
`such as time periods of the day or different days. This
`historical information regarding the amount of information
`shared may be used to determine the amount of information
`shared in a present communication. AS Still another example,
`histories may indicate the number of expressions a user has
`chosen to share at particular time periods. These histories
`may be used to determine the number of expressions which
`may be expressed in the communications. Still another
`example includes changes in rank. Rank, one of the aspects
`of presence, may change over time, Such as at particular
`times of the day or different days of the week. These
`historical changes to rank may be used to determine a
`current rank for the user. The histories of the states may be
`collected automatically (e.g., the user's location is automati
`cally determined and compared with a set of locations, Such
`as home, work, etc. to determine the current location of the
`user) or may be entered manually by the user (e.g., the user
`inputs that he or she is at work). Further, the histories may
`reflect previous user interactions.
`0.019
`Moreover, the user profile may be changed, modi
`fied, enhanced, or added to by the user or by other users who
`have permissions. Different aspects of the profile may have
`different permissions. For example, the presence aspect of
`the user profile may have a permission which only allows the
`user to modify the presence aspect. Other aspects of the user
`profile, Such as shared context, may be modified by the user
`and by other users.
`
`0020. The socialization system may comprise a rule
`based system that determines how elements of the profile
`relate to each other, or how elements of the profile are
`applied (Such as enabling new rules of control to be added
`either by a user or by a System administrator). The rules may
`be applied in a predetermined manner or may be applied
`based on “machine learning algorithms which learn which
`rules are most appropriate for Specific users. For example,
`the user profile may comprise rules for Sending a commu
`nication at a particular time or when a particular event
`OCCS.
`0021. The Socialization system may mirror ordinary
`Social interaction. Ordinary Social interaction typically
`includes many simple and universal actions, Such as a Smile,
`a wave, laughter, etc. These universal actions, while simple
`in nature, convey a considerable amount of information and
`enable people to connect Socially. Use of these universal
`actions in the Socialization System enables better Social
`interaction. The Socialization System, thus, expands upon the
`collaborative language that is available to users when com
`municating with their co-workers or friends. The Socializa
`tion System may integrate the “Social experience' together
`acroSS a variety of devices, allowing high levels of control
`to presence, expression, and shared context, and accounting
`for device context, external environment, and histories.
`0022. A variety of users may communicate using the
`Socialization System. In one example, two users may com
`municate with one another using the Socialization system.
`Alternatively, groups of users, Such as users in a chat room,
`may communicate with one another using the Socialization
`System. With a group of users, the users in the chat room
`may be able to receive user profile enhancements. Further,
`communications between the users may be enhanced based
`on the user profile of the perSon Sending the communication
`and the user profiles of the perSons receiving the commu
`nication. AS discussed in more detail below, the communi
`cation may be modified or Supplemented based on the user's
`profile. In the group context, the communication from a user
`to a group of users may be modified or Supplemented based
`on the profile of the user Sending the communication.
`Alternatively, the communication from the user to the group
`of users may be modified based on the profiles of the users
`receiving the communication. For example, the profile of
`Someone receiving a communication may indicate that the
`user is at work. Based on this, the format of the communi
`cation may be modified based on the presence, expression,
`etc. of the recipient. Further, the device context of the
`recipient may likewise modify or Supplement the commu
`nication. If the device context of a recipient's profile indi
`cates that a certain recipient device is currently on, the
`communication may be sent to that device and/or may be
`modified for that device. In addition, if the device context of
`a recipient's profile indicates that a recipient device has
`certain capabilities, Such as a color display, the communi
`cation may be modified to include color, or may be modified
`to appear in grayScale if the recipient device does not have
`color capability (in order to reduce the size of the commu
`nication).
`0023. Further, the socialization system may apply to
`different types of users. One type of user is a human being.
`Another type of user is an interactive agent or bot. Abot is
`a Software robot that interacts with users over text messag
`ing Services like instant messaging (IM), web chat, or
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`wireleSS networks. There are many types of bots, Such as
`Social bots, transaction bots, etc. Similar to human beings, a
`bot may have a profile associated with it.
`0024 Turning to the drawings, wherein like reference
`numerals refer to like elements, FIG. 1 shows a flow
`diagram of exemplary aspects within collaborative Space, as
`discussed above. One aspect of collaborative Space is the
`shared information. Shared information may comprise any
`media type that is presented among electronic devices
`including Songs, video files, pictures, and/or text. For
`example, when two electronic devices, Such as television
`receivers, receive a common broadcast, the shared informa
`tion that is presented on the television receiverS may be the
`Video broadcast feed. Another aspect of collaborative Space
`is participant information. Participant information generally
`relates to factual information about a participant, Such as
`presence, or ideas that a participant wants to covey, Such as
`expressions. Presence may include any short-term or long
`term attributes about a participant to a Social interaction.
`Specifically, presence may include identity, Such as name,
`Salary, rank, etc. and awareness, Such as current activity,
`length of stay, Spatial information (absolute location or
`location relative to Someone else), and temporal information
`(how long performing certain activity). Expression may
`include any concepts the participant wishes to convey Such
`as an action (e.g., thinking, sleeping, eating, etc.), emotion
`(e.g., angry, happy, Sad, etc.), memory (e.g., vacation, event,
`etc.), entity (e.g., organization, perSon, etc.) and relation
`ships (e.g., comparative relationships). The presence,
`expression, and shared information aspects may be stored in
`a database 18, as discussed further below.
`0.025. Another aspect is the surrounding context of the
`shared communication. The Surrounding context may
`include the physical Surroundings of one or both of the
`participants to a shared information Session, including cur
`rent location (e.g., home, business, vacation), temperature,
`light, noise, odor, taste, etc. The Surrounding context data
`may be input either manually, Such as using a keypad 90, or
`automatically, Such as through a light Sensor 91, an auditory
`sensor 92, a temperature sensor 93, a barometer 94, a GPS
`sensor 95, an odor sensor 96, and a taste sensor 97. Other
`environmental Sensors are possible. Another aspect is the
`device context. The device context may include the Specific
`parameters or data regarding the electronic device to a
`communication. The Specific parameters or data regarding
`the electronic devices may be input from the electronic
`devices or may be manually input. For example, the elec
`tronic devices, Such as a computer 10, telephone 12 (Such as
`a cellular phone), personal digital assistant 14 (PDA), tele
`Vision 16, or any other electronic device capable of connec
`tivity may input data as device context to the user profile.
`The parameters or data may relate to Specific requirements
`and/or limitations of the electronic devices. For example, a
`telephone has limitations regarding displaying video or text
`information. This information regarding the limitations may
`be used when communicating with the device. The device
`context may further include current device context, Such as
`the device State (e.g., is the device on or off; whether the user
`is using the device, Such as communicating on the tele
`phone). Finally, another aspect is rules context. AS discussed
`above, the Socialization System may comprise a rule-based
`System that determines how elements of the profile relate to
`each other, or how elements of the profile are applied. The
`
`rules in the Socialization System may be implemented using
`the rules context in the user profile.
`0026. In addition to the presence, expression, shared
`information, histories, device context, Surrounding context,
`and rules, the user profile may contain how elements of the
`user profile may be manifested. For example, an aspect of
`the user profile, Such as expression may be manifested in a
`variety of ways. The expression, Such as happiness, may be
`manifested in a more overt manner, Such as a laughing
`emoticon, or in a more Subdued fashion, Such as a Smiley
`face.
`0027. The electronic devices communicating in a shared
`information Session may be connected in a variety of ways
`including a wired connection (Such as a telephone line), a
`wireleSS connection, or a combination of wired and wireleSS
`connection. Further, the topography for the connection of the
`various electronic devices may vary. For example, the
`electronic devices may be interconnected via a communi
`cations network, which can be a LAN, WAN, intranet or the
`Internet.
`0028. Further, the system may include peer-to-peer com
`munication in that the communication and Some of the
`shared information may be transmitted peer-to-peer. In this
`configuration, the Socialization System may be considered a
`peer. And, examples of communications with the Socializa
`tion System as a peer include obtaining profile attributes and
`updates, which may then be integrated external of the
`Socialization System.
`0029. One example topology is shown in FIG. 2, wherein
`a plurality of electronic devices 10, 12, 14, 16 communicate
`Via Internet 14. The electronic devices include, for example,
`personal computer 10, telephone (wired or wireless) 12,
`PDA14, and television 16. Other electronic devices capable
`of communicating or connectivity, Such as one-way com
`munication devices (devices which may receive a commu
`nication or which may transmit a communication) or two
`way communication devices (devices which may receive
`and transmit a communication) may be used. Examples of
`other electronic devices which may be used include cam
`corders, cameras, or other connectivity devices. Connectiv
`ity devices may include, for example, any object that has
`connectivity capabilities, Such as an "enhanced toy' which
`has communication functions (such as a wireless speaker)
`embedded in the toy.
`0030 The electronic devices may communicate with one
`another via server 20. The electronic devices may send
`communications directly to the server 20 with the address of
`the ultimate destination included in the communication. In a
`network environment in which the communications network
`is the Internet, for example, the server 20 can be a Web
`Server with which the electronic devices communicate via
`any of a number of known protocols, such as HTTP. As
`discussed in more detail below, a Sender may send an
`electronic communication to a recipient's electronic device.
`The Server 20 may receive the communication and make
`decisions as to modifying or adding to the communication
`based on the sender's user profile stored in database 18.
`Further, the Server 20 may make decisions as to modifying
`or adding to the communication based on the recipient's user
`profile stored in database 18. The modifications or additions
`to the communication are then Sent to the recipient's elec
`tronic device. Further, the server 20 may send a communi
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`cation based on the user profile, Such as based on changes to
`the user profile. As shown in FIG. 2, the server 20 and the
`database 18 are separate entities. Alternatively, the server 20
`and the database 18 may be an integral unit.
`0031 Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a block dia
`gram of personal computer 10, telephone 12, and Server 20
`illustrated in FIG. 2. Server 20 may be a general purpose
`computing device in the form of a conventional personal
`computer, including a processing unit 32, a System memory
`22, and a System bus 38, that couples various System
`components including the System memory 22 to the pro
`cessing unit 32. The processing unit 32 may perform arith
`metic, logic and/or control operations by accessing System
`memory 22. The System memory 22 may store information
`and/or instructions for use in combination with processing
`unit 32. The system memory 22 may include volatile and
`non-volatile memory, Such as random acceSS memory
`(RAM) 24 and read only memory (ROM) 30. A basic
`input/output System (BIOS) containing the basic routines
`that helps to transfer information between elements within
`the server 20, such as during start-up, may be stored in ROM
`30. The system bus 38 may be any of several types of bus
`Structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a
`peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus
`architectures.
`0032) The server 20 may further include a hard disk drive
`42 for reading from and writing to a hard disk (not shown),
`and an external disk drive 46 for reading from or writing to
`a removable external disk 48. The removable disk may be a
`magnetic disk for a magnetic disk driver or an optical disk
`such as a CD ROM for an optical disk drive. The hard disk
`drive 42 and external disk drive 46 are connected to the
`system bus 38 by a hard disk drive interface 40 and an
`external disk drive interface 44, respectively. The drives and
`their associated computer-readable media provide nonvola
`tile Storage of computer readable instructions, data Struc
`tures, program modules and other data for the server 20. The
`database 18, as shown in FIG. 2, may be a separate data
`Storage device accessible by Server 20, or may be resident
`within server 20, Such as located in hard disk drive 42 or
`external disk 48. Further, although the exemplary environ
`ment described herein employs a hard disk and an external
`disk 48, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art
`that other types of computer readable media which can Store
`data that is accessible by a computer, Such as magnetic
`cassettes, flash memory cards, random acceSS memories,
`read only memories, and the like, may also be used in the
`exemplary operating environment.
`0033) A number of program modules may be stored on
`the hard disk, external disk 48, ROM 30 or RAM 24,
`including an operating System (not shown), one or more
`application programs 26, other program modules (not
`shown), and program data 28. One Such application program
`may include the functionality as detailed in FIGS. 4-6.
`0034. A user may enter commands and/or information, as
`discussed below, into the server 20 through input devices
`such as mouse 56 and keyboard 58. Other input devices (not
`shown) may include a microphone (or other Sensors), joy
`Stick, game pad, Scanner, or the like. These and other input
`devices may be connected to the processing unit 32 through
`a serial port interface 54 that is coupled to the system bus 38,
`or may be collected by other interfaces, Such as a parallel
`
`port interface 50, game port or a universal serial bus (USB).
`Further, information may be printed using printer 52. The
`printer 52, and other parallel input/output devices may be
`connected to the processing unit 32 through parallel port
`interface 50. A monitor 36, or other type of display device,
`is also connected to the System buS 38 via an interface, Such
`as a video input/output 34. In addition to the monitor 36,
`Server 20 may include other peripheral output devices (not
`shown), Such as Speakers or other audible output.
`0035. The server 20 may communicate with other elec
`tronic devices Such as personal computer 10 and telephone
`12. AS discussed above, personal computer 10 and telephone
`12 may send communications to one another via Server 20.
`Server 20 may modify or Supplement the communications
`before Sending the communication to the recipient device.
`Personal computer 10 may include many or all of the
`elements described above relative to the server 20. Further,
`telephone 12 may include a processor, a memory device and
`a display.
`0036) To communicate, the server 20 may operate in a
`networked environment using connections (wired, wireless
`or both wired and wireless) to one or more electronic
`devices. FIG. 3 depicts the computer environment net
`worked with personal computer 10 and telephone 12. The
`logical connections depicted in FIG. 3 include a local area
`network (LAN) 64 and a wide area network (WAN) 66. Such
`networking environments are commonplace in offices, enter
`prise-wide computer networks, intranets and the Internet (as
`shown in FIG. 2).
`0037. When used in a LAN networking environment, the
`server 20 may be connected to the LAN 64 through a
`network I/O 62. When used in a WAN networking environ
`ment, the server 20 may include a modem 60 or other means
`for establishing communications over the WAN 66. The
`modem 60, which may be internal or external to server 20,
`is connected to the system bus 38 via the serial port interface
`54. It will be appreciated that the network connections
`shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a
`communications link between the electronic devices may be
`used.
`0038. As discussed above, a user profile may be stored in
`database 18. The content of the user profile may be gener
`ated in a variety of ways. For example, the user profile may
`be generated by a user answering a Series of questions, Such
`as a personality profile. The answers may be used to provide
`data regarding presence and expression. Further, the user
`profile may be updated in a variety of ways. One example of
`updating participant information and/or shared information
`is shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a flow chart 70 of a system that
`uses the attributes disclosed in FIG. 1 to modify participant
`information and/or shared information. At block 72, state
`changes are checked. State changes may designate a change
`in Status of the System. One example of a State change
`comprises explicit user input. Explicit user input may
`include commands from a user to change or modify a portion
`of the user profile. Specifically, the part