Structured task naming

• US 20050203880A1
• Filed: 03/09/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Meredith, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,587,682 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

The concept of a specialized task identifier is disclosed to indicate the content of a file within a computer-implemented system for providing help content to a user. In one embodiment, the specialized task identifier includes at least one element selected from a controlled vocabulary. In another embodiment, the specialized task identifier is arranged in accordance with a predetermined structure of organizational elements. In yet another embodiment, the specialized task identifier is utilized as a basis to at least semi-automatically categorize within a taxonomic organization scheme.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for creating a task identifier for identifying a file within a system for providing help content to a computer operator, the method comprising:

providing a user with a limited set of word selections that can be assigned to represent a first of a plurality of elements that together form the task identifier;

receiving a selection from the user that is indicative of a word selection from the limited set of word selections; and

assigning said word selection to represent the first of the plurality of elements.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with a second limited set of word selections that can be assigned to represent a second of the plurality of elements;

receiving a second selection from the user that is indicative of a word selection from the second limited set of word selections; and

assigning said word selection from the second limited set of word selections to represent the second of the plurality of elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a user with a limited set of word selections that can be assigned to represent a first of a plurality of elements comprises providing a user with a limited set of word selections that can be assigned to represent an object element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a user with a limited set of word selections that can be assigned to represent a first of a plurality of elements comprises providing a user with a limited set of word selections that can be assigned to represent an action element.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of assigning said file to at least one taxonomic category based on the selection received from the user.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of assigning said file to more than one taxonomic category based on the selection received from the user.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elements are arranged in accordance with a predetermined structure of organizational elements.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of elements are arranged in accordance with a predetermined order of linguistic structural components.

9. A task identifier used to indicate a content of a file within a computer-implemented system for providing help content to a user, wherein the task identifier includes at least one element selected from a controlled vocabulary.

10. The task identifier of claim 9, further comprising at least one object element selected from a limited set of object choices.

11. The task identifier of claim 9, further comprising at least one action element selected from a limited set of action choices.

12. The task identifier of claim 9, wherein said at least one element is delineated as being affiliated with at least one taxonomic category.

13. The task identifier of claim 9, wherein said at least one element is delineated as being affiliated with more than one taxonomic category.

14. The task identifier of claim 9, wherein the task identifier further comprises a plurality of elements arranged in accordance with a predetermined structure.

15. The task identifier of claim 9, wherein the task identifier further comprises a plurality of elements arranged in accordance with a predetermined order of linguistic structural components.

16. A computer-implemented method for at least semi-automatically applying a taxonomic classification to a file to be incorporated into a system for providing help content to a user, the method comprising:

assigning a first taxonomic category to a first word selection from a set of word selections;

providing a user with the set of word selections that can be assigned to represent an element of a task identifier, the task identifier being configured to identify the file within the system;

receiving a selection from the user that is indicative of the first word selection from the set of word selections; and

assigning the first taxonomic category to the file based on the selection received from the user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

assigning a second taxonomic category to a first word selection from a set of word selections; and

assigning the second taxonomic category to the file based on the selection received from the user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein assigning a first taxonomic category to a first word selection from a set of word selections further comprises assigning a first taxonomic category to a first word selection from a limited set of word selections.

19. A computer-implemented method for sorting a plurality of help files within a system for providing help content, the method comprising:

assigning a task identifier to each of the plurality of help files, wherein each task identifier includes an element selected from a limited vocabulary; and

sorting the plurality of help files based at least in part on said element.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising sorting the plurality of help files based at least in part on a taxonomic category assigned to said element.