Enterprise resource planning oriented context-aware environment

• US 10,026,058 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2010
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bullen, Geoffrey Norman
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruiz, Angelica
• Application Number:
  US12/916,072
• Publication Number:
  US 20120110579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,818 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) context-aware environment may be provided. A user'"'"'s interactions and operations within the context-aware environment may be tracked, recorded, and/or analyzed. Upon receipt of an action request, a context state may be updated. The context state may be analyzed to determine whether the context state is associated with at least one predicted objective. If so, a suggested next action associated with the at least one predicted objective may be provided. The environment may use other context clues to evaluate relative probabilities of each objective and present the suggested next action associated with the highest probability objective.

Claims

1. A method for providing a context-aware environment, the method comprising:

receiving a first action request from a user;

displaying a plurality of objectives created in response to receiving the first action request from the user;

determining whether the first action request completes any of the plurality of objectives;

in response to determining that the first action request does not complete any of the plurality of objectives, providing a first suggested next action based on a current context state and the plurality of objectives, wherein providing the first suggested next action comprises;

determining a probability factor for each of the plurality of objectives from the current context state based on the first action request,

determining the first suggested next action in furtherance of each of the plurality of objectives from the current context state, and

providing the first suggested next action corresponding to one of the plurality of objectives having the highest probability factor;

in response to the first suggested next action having been executed, updating the current context state and determining whether the one of the plurality of objectives is completed;

if the one of the plurality of objectives is not completed, determining another next action based on the updated current context state and in furtherance of the one objective;

receiving a second action request;

determining whether the second action request comprises the first suggested next action;

in response to determining that the second action request comprises the first suggested next action, providing a second suggested next action; and

in response to determining that the second action request comprises the first suggested next action, increasing the probability factor associated with the one of the plurality of objectives.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first action request is received from a user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objectives are associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of objectives are associated with an organization.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that the second action request does not comprise the first suggested next action;

decreasing the probability factor associated with one of the plurality of objectives;

determining whether the second action request is associated with a completion of another of the plurality of objectives; and

in response to determining that the second action request is not associated with the completion of the another of the plurality of objectives, providing the second suggested next action.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the current context state in a prediction database.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the prediction database comprises an aggregation of a plurality of context states, wherein each of the plurality of context states is associated with a user.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising categorizing each of the plurality of context states according to the plurality of objectives associated with each of the plurality of context states.