System and method for facilitating computer software features requested by end users

• US 20050278687A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PointCross, Inc.
• Original Assignee: PointCross, Inc.
• Inventors: Madhavan, Suresh
• Application Number:
  US11/142,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20050278687A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/10 Requirements analysis; Specification techniques

Abstract

A technique for providing end user support involves allowing an end user to express wishes or requirements to a software developer or support organization about a software application. In a non-limiting embodiment, a system may include technology for (1) sensing a user'"'"'s business context and application context; (2) allowing the user to express wishes or requirements about the software application or its use in the user'"'"'s business, in a manner that ensures that a software developer associated with the software application receives these wishes, requests, and requirements; and (3) funneling such requests through a standardized process so that the user may receive the benefits of those requests in a coordinated manner in a relatively short time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a wish button that is selectable within an operating environment;

receiving context associated with the operating environment when the wish button is selected;

alerting a development center of a request associated with the context;

funneling the request through one or more tollgates within the development center;

resolving the request at one of the one or more tollgates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tollgates include a triage tollgate, a definition tollgate, a development tollgate, a monitoring tollgate, and a deployment tollgate.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the operating environment includes an application, and wherein the resolving the request at one of the one or more tollgates involves updating the application.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing feedback at a plurality of the one or more tollgates.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising categorizing the request using a contextual tree.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing triage to prepare a request for funneling through a request resolution system, wherein the request is associated with an operating environment;

defining a problem associated with the request for resolution by an appropriate agent associated with the request resolution system;

informing the appropriate agent of the problem, wherein the appropriate agent develops a software solution in response to the problem;

testing the software solution at a monitoring module;

deploying the software solution at a deployment module.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving the request from a client with access to the operating environment.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the request is associated with an application in the operating environment.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the performing triage includes categorizing the request by importance.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the defining a problem includes categorizing the problem using a contextual tree.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the defining a problem includes assigning the appropriate agent based upon the categorization of the problem.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the defining a problem includes grouping the problem with other related problems.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the testing the software solution includes a software development/monitoring cycle.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein the deploying the software solution includes updating an application associated with the operating environment.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing feedback regarding the state of request resolution.

16. A system, comprising:

a triage engine effective to receive a request associated with an application;

a definition engine, coupled to the triage engine, effective to define, in response to the request, a problem for solution by an appropriate agent;

a development engine, coupled to the definition engine, effective to facilitate development of a software solution to the problem by the appropriate agent;

a monitoring engine, coupled to the development engine, effective to facilitate testing of the software solution;

a deployment engine, coupled to the monitoring engine, effective to update the application with the software solution.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a client with access to an operating environment in which the application was running when the request was made.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising a feedback engine, wherein the feedback engine provides information regarding which engine of the triage engine, definition engine, development engine, monitoring engine, and deployment engine, is resolving the request.

19. The system of claim 16, further comprising a control module that facilitates input of start times and end times at the engines.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein one or more of the engines includes an agent selected from the group of agents consisting of:

a human agent, an artificial agent.