Enhanced user assistance

• US 20060081695A1
• Filed: 10/26/2004
• Published: 04/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y., Malamud, Mark A., Rinaldo, John D. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 9,747,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems that provide enhanced user assistance. A method includes receiving a query related to an electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device, and providing an assistance corresponding to the query through a second interface associated with the electronic device. A system includes an electronic device including a first interface and a second interface. The system further includes instructions which when implemented in the electronic device cause the electronic device to receive a query related to the electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device, and provide an assistance corresponding to the query through a second interface associated with the electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a query related to an electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device; and

(b) providing an assistance corresponding to the query through a second interface associated with the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interface includes an element of the electronic device in a first state and the second interface includes the element of the electronic device in a second state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interface includes an element of the electronic device in a first mode and the second interface includes the element of the electronic device in a second mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving query related to the electronic device includes receiving an assistance request related to the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a query related to an electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device includes receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device includes detecting a user selection of an aspect of the electronic device through a first interface associated with the aspect of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first interface associated with an aspect of the electronic device includes a first interface physically associated with an aspect of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first interface associated with an aspect of the electronic device includes a first interface virtually associated with the aspect of the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device includes detecting a touch through a first interface associated with the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device includes receiving a selection of a component associated with the electronic device.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device includes receiving a selection of a function associated with the electronic device.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device includes receiving a selection of a program associated with the electronic device.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein the receiving a selection of an aspect of the electronic device includes receiving a selection of a process associated with the electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a query through a first interface includes receiving a query through a first user interface.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the receiving a query through a first user interface includes detecting a touch to the first user interface.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving a query through a first interface includes detecting a sound through the first interface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the detecting a sound through the first interface includes detecting a sound of a spoken word through the first interface.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a computing device and the receiving a query includes receiving a query related to an aspect of the computing device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes an electrical appliance and the receiving a query includes receiving a query related to an aspect of the electrical appliance.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a limited resource computing device and the receiving query includes receiving a query related to an aspect of the limited resource computing device.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a pervasive computing device and the receiving a query includes receiving a query related to an aspect of the pervasive computing device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device includes a digital appliance and the receiving a query includes receiving a query related to an aspect of the digital appliance.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance includes providing a user assistance.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance includes at least one of visually providing an assistance, audibly providing an assistance, providing a spoken assistance, or tactilely providing an assistance.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance includes at least one of providing a guided response assistance, or providing an interactive tutorial assistance.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance includes providing an assistance corresponding with a physical element of the electronic device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the providing an assistance corresponding with the physical element of the device includes blinking a light emitter associated with the physical element.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance includes providing a guidance corresponding with a process associated with the electronic device.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance includes providing a description of an aspect of the device electronic.

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

35. The method of claim 1, further comprising;

(c) searching an assistance file for an assistance correlating with the query.

36. A computer-readable medium containing computer instructions which, when run on a computing device, cause the computing device to perform the method of claim 1.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable medium includes a computer storage medium.

38. The computer storage medium of claim 37, wherein the computer storage medium is carried by a computer readable carrier.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the computer-readable medium includes a communications medium.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interface includes an element of the electronic device in a first mode and the second interface includes the element of the electronic device in a second mode.

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

40. A system comprising:

(a) an electronic device including a first interface and a second interface; and

(b) instructions which when implemented in the electronic device cause the electronic device to;

(i) receive a query related to the electronic device through the first interface; and

(ii) provide an assistance corresponding to the query through the second interface.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the first interface includes an element of the electronic device in a first state and the second interface includes the element of the electronic device in a second state.

43. The system of claim 40, wherein the first interface includes a first user interface.

44. The system of claim 40, wherein the second interface includes a second user interface.

45. The system of claim 40, wherein the first interface and the second interface are at least substantially similar.

46. The system of claim 40, wherein the second user interface includes the first user interface.

47. The system of claim 40, wherein the first interface includes a button.

50. The system of claim 40, wherein the first interface includes a visual display.

52. The system of claim 50, wherein the visual display includes a light emitter.

48. (canceled)

49. (canceled)

51. (canceled)

53. A apparatus comprising:

(a) means associated with an electronic device for receiving a query related to the electronic device; and

(b) means associated with the electronic device for providing an assistance corresponding to the query.

54. A system comprising:

(a) a query module operable to receive a query related to an electronic device through a first interface associated with the electronic device; and

(b) an assistance module operable to provide an assistance corresponding to the query through a second interface associated with the electronic device.

55. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a query related to an aspect of an electronic device through a first user interface of the electronic device; and

(b) providing the assistance corresponding to the query through a second user interface of the electronic device.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the first user interface includes a first user interface associated with the aspect of the electronic device.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the first user interface associated with the aspect of the electronic device includes a first user interface physically associated with the aspect of the electronic device.

59. The method of claim 55, wherein the first user interface includes a first user interface proximately associated with the aspect of the electronic device.

61. The method of claim 55, wherein the electronic device includes a limited resource computing device and the receiving a query includes receiving a query related an aspect of the limited resource computing device.

62. The method of claim 55, further comprising:

(c) searching an assistance file for an assistance correlating with the query.

58. (canceled)

60. (canceled)

63. A system comprising:

(a) an electronic device having a plurality of user interfaces;

(b) an assistance file having a content related to the electronic device; and

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

(i) receive a query related to the electronic device through a first user interface of the plurality of user interfaces;

(ii) search the assistance file for an assistance corresponding to the query; and

(iii) provide the assistance corresponding to the query through a second user interface of the plurality of user interfaces.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the computing device includes a storage medium operable to store the assistance file.

65. An apparatus comprising:

(a) means associated with an aspect of an electronic device for receiving a query related to the aspect of the electronic device;

(b) means for searching an assistance file for an assistance correlating with the query; and

(c) means associated with the aspect of the electronic device for providing the assistance corresponding to the query.

66. (canceled)