Help center and filtering applications

• US 20030080988A1
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL LLC (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Haddock, Gail, Moran, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,247 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions

Abstract

Various disclosed help center features provide help to a user without a staffed help center, provide help to a user before the user recognizes the need, or create targeted commerce opportunities for a provider of goods or services. One help center feature provides a user with help that is specifically related to a component in the user'"'"'s computer system and that is supplied to the help center feature by the component manufacturer. Another help center feature detects a condition that degrades performance, and hence user satisfaction, and alerts the user. Another help center feature detects an attempt by a computer system to inform the user of degraded performance and offers the user a solution. Another help center feature provides a user with a commerce opportunity specifically related to a component in the user'"'"'s computer system and/or to the user'"'"'s geographic location.

Claims

1. An automated method of filtering component support items accessed by a computer, the method comprising:

accessing electronically a component identification item identifying a component of a target computer system;

accessing electronically at least two component support items, each accessed component support item including content supporting one or more supported components; and

filtering electronically each of the at least two accessed component support items based on a comparison of the component identified by the component identification item and the one or more supported components.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the identified component comprises at least one of software, hardware, or peripheral equipment for the computer,

the component support items each comprise at least one of an advertisement and a help screen, and

filtering comprises at least one of selecting or blocking a component support item.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering comprises determining whether the one or more supported components include the component identified by the component identification item.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the at least two component support items are both accessed at the target computer system, and

the filtering occurs at the target computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the filtering occurs at a host computer system.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising sending the filtered component support item from the host computer system to the target computer system.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying the filtered component support item.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the component support item comprises a generic advertisement including content supporting at least two components including the identified component, and

the method further comprises modifying the generic advertisement to relate specifically to the identified component.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the component identification item comprises scanning electronically a portion of the target computer system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the component identification item comprises accessing a profile for the target computer system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the content included in at least one of the component support items comprises content selected from a group consisting of an advertisement for e-commerce, an advertisement for local commerce, and a news item.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining geographic information for the component identified by the component identification item and wherein the component support item comprises geographically targeted information.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the geographic information comprises accessing a user profile.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the geographic information comprises accessing local point-of-presence information.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the component support item comprises accessing a stored advertisement.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein accessing the component support item comprises accessing a received advertisement.

17. A computer program for filtering component support items accessed by a computer, the computer program residing on a computer-readable medium and comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform at least the following operations:

access electronically a component identification item identifying a component of a target computer system;

access electronically at least two component support items, each accessed component support item including content supporting at least one supported component; and

filter electronically the accessed component support items based on the component identified by the component identification item and the at least one supported component.

18. A system for filtering component support items accessed by a computer, the system comprising:

a storage device; and

one or more processors, collectively programmed to perform at least the following operations;

access electronically a component identification item identifying a component of a target computer system,

access electronically at least two component support items, each accessed component support item including content supporting one or more supported components, and

filter electronically the accessed component support items based on a comparison of the component identified by the component identification item and the one or more supported components.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein at least one processor is programmed to perform each, but not necessarily more than one, of the operations of accessing the component identification item, accessing at least two component support items, and filtering the accessed component support items.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein one processor is programmed to perform at least the operations of accessing the component identification item, accessing at least two component support items, and filtering the accessed component support items.