Providing assistance

• US 20060075344A1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Jung, Edward K.Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/955,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20060075344A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems that receive a signal corresponding to a selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of an electronic device, and provide an assistance correlating to the selected portion of the manual through a user interface of the electronic device different from the manual.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a signal corresponding to a selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of an electronic device; and

(b) providing an assistance correlating to the selected portion of the manual through a user interface of the electronic device different from the manual.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(c) searching an assistance file for the assistance correlating to the selected portion of the manual.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein searching the assistance file includes searching an assistance file stored in the electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance further includes providing a visual presentation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance further includes providing an audio presentation.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance further includes providing a spoken presentation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance further includes providing a tactile presentation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance includes assistance with a physical element of the device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the assistance with the physical element of the device includes blinking a light emitter associated with the physical element.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance includes a guidance through a process associated with the aspect of the device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance includes description of the aspect of the device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance includes showing how the aspect of the device works.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the assistance includes an interactive tutorial.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of an electronic device includes a user-selected portion of a manual related to an electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface of the electronic device includes a user interface associated with the electronic device.

16. A computer-readable media containing computer instructions which, when run on a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 16 wherein the computer-readable media includes a computer storage media.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the computer storage media is carried by a computer readable carrier.

19. The computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the computer-readable media includes a communications media.

20. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a signal corresponding to a selected portion of a manual related to an item having an electronic device; and

(b) providing an assistance correlating to the selected portion of the manual through a user interface associated with the electronic device and different from the manual.

21. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a signal corresponding to a selected portion of a manual related to an item; and

(b) providing an assistance correlating with the selected portion of the manual through a user interface of an electronic device associated with item.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the assistance includes assistance with a physical element of the item.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the user interface of the electronic device associated with the item includes a removable association with the item.

24. A system comprising:

(a) an electronic device having an electronic device user interface and including a computing device having a storage media;

(b) a manual having a manual user interface and including a content related to the electronic device, and being operable to;

(i) receive a user-selection to a portion of the manual related to an aspect of the electronic device through the manual user interface; and

(ii) generate a signal corresponding to the user-selected portion of the manual; and

(c) an electronic device assistance manager which includes instructions, that when implemented in a computing device cause the computing device to;

(i) receive the signal corresponding to a user-selected portion of the manual; and

(ii) provide an assistance correlating to the user-selected portion of the manual through the electronic device user interface.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device assistance manager further includes an assistance file having an assistance content related to the electronic device.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device is included in an electrical appliance and the manual includes a content associated with the electrical appliance.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device is included in a computing device and the manual includes a content associated with the computing device.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the computing device includes a personal computer.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device is included in a limited resource computing device and the manual includes a content associated with the limited resource computing device.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device is included in a pervasive computing device and the manual includes a content associated with the pervasive computing device.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device is included in a digital appliance and the manual includes a content associated with the digital appliance.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the manual and the electronic device are linked by a physical coupling.

33. The system of claim 24, wherein the manual and the electronic device are linked by a wireless coupling.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the aspect of the electronic device includes a feature of the electronic device.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein the aspect of the electronic device includes a component of the electronic device.

36. The system of claim 24, wherein the aspect of the electronic device includes a button of the electronic device.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the button includes a tangible button.

38. The system of claim 24, wherein the aspect of the electronic device includes a process associated with the electronic device.

39. The system of claim 24, wherein the manual includes information related to the device.

40. The system of claim 24, wherein the manual includes instructions related to the device.

41. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device user interface includes a visual display.

42. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device user interface includes a graphical display.

43. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device user interface includes a graphical user interface.

44. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device user interface includes an audio display.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the audio display includes an acoustic speaker.

46. The system of claim 24, wherein the electronic device user interface includes a tactile display.

47. A system comprising:

(a) an electronic device having an electronic device user interface and including a computing device having a storage media; and

(b) an electronic device assistance manager which includes instructions, that when implement in a computing device cause the computing device to;

(i) receive a signal corresponding to a user-selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of the electronic device; and

(ii) provide an assistance correlating to the user-selected portion of the manual through the electronic device user interface.

48. A system comprising:

(a) a computing device having a user interface and a storage media;

(b) a manual having a user interface and including a content related to the computing device, and being operable to;

(i) receive a user-selection to a portion of the manual related to an aspect of the computing device through the manual user interface; and

(ii) generate a signal corresponding to the user-selected portion of the manual; and

(c) a computing device assistance manager which includes instructions, that when implement in a computing device cause the computing device to;

(i) receive the signal corresponding to a user-selected portion of the manual; and

(ii) provide an assistance correlating to the user-selected portion of the manual through the electronic device user interface.

49. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a signal corresponding to a user-selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of an electronic device, the user selection having been received by a user interface of the manual;

(b) receiving a signal corresponding to a user-selected request for assistance related to the aspect of the electronic device, the user selection having been received by the user interface of the manual;

(c) searching an assistance file for an assistance correlating to the user-selected request for assistance; and

(d) providing the assistance correlating to the user-selected request for assistance through a user interface of the electronic device.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the signal corresponding to a user-selected request for assistance is generated in response to a user selection of an assistance mode from a menu provided by the manual.

51. A manual comprising:

(a) a content related to an electronic device;

(b) a user interface different from the electronic device and operable to receive a user-selection to a portion of the manual content; and

(c) a module operable to generate a signal corresponding to the user-selected portion of the manual.

52. The manual of claim 51, wherein operable to receive a user-selection includes operability to receive a user touch.

53. The manual of claim 51, wherein operable to receive a user-selection includes operability to receive a user body part orientation with respect to the portion of the manual.

54. The manual of claim 53, wherein the user body part is a finger.

55. The manual of claim 53, wherein the user body part is an eye.

56. The manual of claim 51, wherein operable to receive a user-selection includes operability to receive a movement of a user body part with respect to the portion of the manual.

57. The manual of claim 51, wherein operable to receive a user-selection includes operability to receive a user created sound.

58. The manual of claim 51, wherein operable to receive a user-selection includes operability to receive a user spoken word.

59. The manual of claim 51, wherein operable to receive a user-selection includes operability to receive a user spoken phrase.

60. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes information related to the device.

61. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes instructions related to the device.

62. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes a tangible manual.

63. The manual of claim 51, wherein the tangible manual includes a paper manual.

64. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes an e-paper manual.

65. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes an intangible manual.

66. The manual of claim 65, wherein the intangible manual includes a manual called from a storage.

67. The manual of claim 65, wherein the intangible manual includes a manual received over the Internet.

68. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes streaming images.

69. The manual of claim 51, wherein the manual includes an audio stream.

70. A manual comprising:

(a) a content related to an item having an electronic device;

(b) a user interface different from the electronic device and operable to receive a user-selection to a portion of the manual content; and

(c) a module operable to generate a signal corresponding to the user-selected portion of the manual.

71. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a user-selection to a portion of a manual having a content related to an electronic device in a user interface different from the electronic device; and

(b) generating a signal correlating to the user-selected portion of the manual content.

72. The method of claim 71, wherein the receiving the user-selection includes receiving a signal responsive to a user-selection touch to the portion of the manual.

73. The method of claim 71, wherein the receiving the user-selection includes receiving a signal responsive to a user body part having an orientation with respect to the portion of the manual.

74. The method of claim 71, wherein the receiving the user-selection includes receiving a signal responsive to a user created sound.

75. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes at least a portion of a page.

76. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes a word.

77. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes a picture.

78. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes a figure.

79. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes a portion of an image stream.

80. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes a portion of an audio stream.

81. The method of claim 71, wherein the user-selected portion of the manual includes a reference to a function of the device.

82. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a user-selection to a portion of a manual related to an electronic device through a user interface;

(b) generating a signal corresponding to the user-selected portion of the manual;

(c) receiving a user assistance selection in the user interface; and

(d) generating a signal corresponding to the user assistance selection.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein the user assistance selection is received in a user interface different from the electronic device.

84. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a signal corresponding to a selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of an electronic device; and

(b) means for providing an assistance correlating to the selected portion of the manual through a user interface of the electronic device different from the manual.

85. The method of claim 84, further comprising:

(c) means for searching an assistance file for the assistance correlating to the selected portion of the manual.

86. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a signal corresponding to a user-selected portion of a manual related to an aspect of an electronic device, the user selection having been received by a user interface of the manual;

(b) means for receiving a signal corresponding to a user-selected request for assistance related to the aspect of the electronic device, the user selection having been received by the user interface of the manual;

(c) means for searching an assistance file for an assistance correlating to the user-selected request for assistance; and

(d) means for providing the assistance correlating to the user-selected request for assistance through a user interface of the electronic device.

87. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a user-selection to a portion of a manual having a content related to an electronic device in a user interface different from the electronic device; and

(b) means for generating a signal correlating to the user-selected portion of the manual content.

88. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means for receiving a user-selection to a portion of a manual related to an electronic device through a user interface;

(b) means for generating a signal corresponding to the user-selected portion of the manual;

(c) means for receiving a user assistance selection in the user interface; and

(d) means for generating a signal corresponding to the user assistance selection.