User interface assistant

• US 20070168758A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Muchaneta, Themba, Kolb, Kurt
• Granted Patent: US 7,830,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A diagnostic system provides help to a user utilizing a data store that stores one or more solutions to at least one error. A storage component logs error data and associates errors, responses to the errors, and information indicative of whether each of the error responses was successful or unsuccessful. A linking component receives the error data from a source and identifies an appropriate solution to the error data from the information logged in the storage component. A presentation component presents the appropriate solution to a user.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system that provides help to a user, comprising:

a data store that stores one or more solutions to at least one error,

a storage component that logs error data and associates errors, responses to the errors, an information indicative of whether each of the error responses was successful or unsuccessful;

a linking component that receives the error data from a source and identifies an appropriate solution to the error data from the information logged in the storage component; and

a presentation component that presents the appropriate solution to a user.

2. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, further including:

a data store that stores one or more solutions to at least one error, wherein the linking component identifies the appropriate solution to the error data from the information stored in the data store.

3. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, further including:

a web component that receives help information from one or more sources and stores the help information in the data store.

4. The diagnostic system according to claim 3, wherein the web component is a web portal for searching and locating help information from one or more websites.

5. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the system is employed in a multifunction printing platform.

6. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, further including:

a communication element that transmits at least of the error data, the error response data, and whether the error response was successful or unsuccessful from the storage component to a remote component.

7. The diagnostic system according to claim 6, further including a component that automatically submits an order for a replacement component if the error condition indicates that a component is defective.

8. The diagnostic system according to claim 7, wherein the component notifies one or more technicians in response to at least one of user feedback, type of error condition and error code received.

9. The diagnostic system according to claim 6, wherein the remote component is a searchable database.

10. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein error response data includes user actions that are responsive to the error data received by the linking component.

11. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the error information received is an error code that represents a particular error or warning condition.

12. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the error information relates to at least one of a paper jam error, a door open error, a stapling error, a collation error, a low toner cartridge, an out of paper error, a control component failure, and a power component failure.

13. The diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the solution is at least one of performing a step, replacing a component, repairing a component, updating software, updating firmware, contacting technical personnel, and searching the web.

14. A method that provides help to a user, comprising:

receiving an error code;

determining the error from the error code;

reviewing previous responses to the error code;

reviewing clearance strategies for the error;

determining the appropriate clearance strategy; and

displaying the clearance strategy to the user.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the displayed clearance strategy is performed by a user to resolve the error.

16. The method according to claim 14, further including:

storing actions of the user in response to the displayed clearance strategy in memory; and

determining if the actions were successful in resolving the error.

17. The method according to claim 16, further including:

storing the associated actions in memory; and

utilizing the stored actions to determine future clearance strategies.

18. A method for remedying a machine error condition, comprising:

receiving an error code from the machine, which is representative of an error condition;

determining a first solution to respond to the error code;

displaying the first solution to a user;

determining if the first solution resolved the error condition;

interfacing to a network to locate a second solution if the error was not resolved utilizing the first solution;

determining if the second solution resolved the error condition; and

requesting additional solutions from at least one resource until the error is resolved.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the first solution is determined by linking the error code to one or more solutions and selecting an appropriate solution from the one or more solutions.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein interfacing to a network includes searching at least one of a web-enabled searchable database, a knowledge base, and a web page.