An architecture for managing alerts, notifications, and peripheral
information is disclosed. In one embodiment, a computerized system
includes three modules, an attentional status module, a peripheral
information notification and alerts module, and an notifications
decision-making module. The attentional-status module generates a
probability distribution over the user's focus of attention. In one
embodiment the module also provides a probability distribution over the
period of time until the user will become available to review alerts zero
or minimal cost, or will review them without prompting. In one embodiment,
this module utilizes a decision-theoretic analysis to identify ideal
actions about the timing and rendering of notifications or alerts. The
peripheral information notification and alerts module receives alerts from
different sources, including the operating system, standard applications,
special plug-ins designed to work with the architecture, and, in
particular embodiments, from special sensory apparatus including ambient
acoustical information. The notification decision-making module is to
alert the user of the alerts received by the peripheral information
notification and alerts module, based on the probability generated by the
attentional status module.
