Patent ID: 7349953

Claim:
A method for determining a user's intent to be implemented in a computer environment comprising: receiving an input from the user containing the user's intent to play content on a device, wherein the input comprises a message containing one or more elements comprising at least one or both of a device element indicating the device and a content element indicating the content; determining if the received input is a high-level message that conveys one of the one or more elements or a detailed message that explicitly lists both the device and content elements; if the input is a high-level message, then resolving the high-level message into the device element and the content element; resolving at least the device and content elements into two or more constituents and a topology, the topology associates the two or more constituents with each other, wherein the two or more constituents represent at least the device and content to be associated with the device; resolving the constituent and topology into a configuration by determining at least one provider and at least one parameter the provider needs to play the content on the device; and implementing the configuration based on the user's intent conveyed in the input.