Method and system for quantitative determination of software ease of use

• US 20070162256A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Verma, Dinesh, Verma, Paridhi
• Application Number:
  US11/327,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20070162256A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection

Abstract

The present invention uses biometrics for the quantitative determination of software ease of use by collecting biometric data from a software user, identifying changes in the biometric data as the user uses the software, determining if the changes are indicative of software ease of use issues, and generating a signal as output if the changes are determined to be indicative of software ease of use issues. The sensors may be integrated into a computer mouse or other peripheral device with which the user comes in regular contact during use.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method which employs biometric measurements, comprising the steps of:

using sensors to collect biometric data from at least one user engaged in using software operating on a computer or computer network;

monitoring changes in the biometric data which occur while the software is being used; and

providing an output based on changes in the biometric data.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein said output is a quantitative measurement of software ease of use.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein said quantitative measurement is electronically stored or transmitted to another computer or computer network.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2 wherein said at least one user includes a plurality of users, and said quantitative measurement is user-independent and is based on biometric data for each of said plurality of users.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein said output is a context sensitive help message.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5 wherein said output is provided based on a user-specific ease-of-use measure.

7. A computer system which employs biometric measurements, comprising:

one or more sensors for collecting biometric data from at least one user engaged in using software operating on a computer or computer network; and

software operating on said computer or computer network which

a) monitors changes in the biometric data which occur while the software is being used; and

b) provides an output based on changes in the biometric data.

8. The computer system of claim 7 wherein at least one of said one or more sensors is associated with a peripheral device which is connected to or communicates with said computer or computer network.

9. The computer system of claim 8 wherein said peripheral device is a mouse, tablet, track ball, or tablet.

10. The computer system of claim 7 wherein said output is a quantitative measurement of software ease of use.

11. The computer system of claim 10 further comprising a storage medium for storing said output.

12. The computer system of claim 10 wherein said at least one user includes a plurality of users, and said quantitative measurement is user-independent and is based on biometric data for each of said plurality of users.

13. The computer system of claim 7 wherein said output is a context sensitive help message displayed on a display.

14. The computer system of claim 13 wherein said output is provided based on a user-specific ease-of-use measure.

15. A computer readable medium providing instructions for implementing a method which employs biometric measurements, comprising the steps of:

using sensors to collect biometric data from at least one user engaged in using software operating on a computer or computer network;

monitoring changes in the biometric data which occur while the software is being used; and

providing an output based on changes in the biometric data.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said output is a quantitative measurement of software ease of use.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising instructions to electronically store or transmit said quantitative measurement to another computer or computer network.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said at least one user includes a plurality of users, and said quantitative measurement is user-independent and is based on biometric data for each of said plurality of users.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said output is a context sensitive help message.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19 wherein said output is provided based on a user-specific ease-of-use measure.