SKILL-SET IDENTIFICATION

• US 20080124686A1
• Filed: 10/31/2006
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Forman, George Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student

Abstract

Provided are, inter alia, systems, methods and techniques for facilitating identification of a skilled resource'"'"'s skill set. Initially, a master set of previously identified skills is filtered in order to identify a subset of skills that appear to be potentially applicable to a skilled resource. Then, based on the identified subset, a query regarding skills actually possessed by the skilled resource is created and presented. A response that designates skills possessed by the skilled resource is received and incorporated into a user skills database. The above-referenced filtering is performed by utilizing an automated tool to analyze content from a set of computer files.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating identification of a skilled resource'"'"'s skill set, comprising:

(a) filtering a master set of previously identified skills in order to identify a subset of skills that are potentially applicable to a skilled resource;

(b) creating and presenting a query regarding skills actually possessed by the skilled resource, based on the identified subset;

(c) receiving a response that designates skills possessed by the skilled resource; and

(d) incorporating the response into a user skills database,

wherein the filtering in step (a) is performed by utilizing an automated tool to analyze a set of computer files.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the previously identified skills in the master set are arranged in a hierarchical manner.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein for a particular skill in the master set, the automated tool applies different predefined criteria to different types of files, and wherein said different predefined criteria are specific to the particular skill.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the query includes a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of the skills in the identified subset.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the automated tool at least one of:

(i) takes into consideration, for purposes of determining a skill level, how recently the files were modified by the skilled resource; and

(ii) logs information regarding how recently the files were modified by the skilled resource and uses said information for ranking different skilled resources.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the automated tool makes a determination regarding authorship of a particular computer file and assesses competency of the skilled resource with respect to a particular skill based on said determination.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said determination regarding authorship is based on whether identification information for the skilled resource is associated with the particular computer file.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein said determination regarding authorship is based on whether the identification information for the skilled resource appears within the particular computer file.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the automated tool identifies skills by at least one of:

(i) detecting file types;

(ii) searching for product names within the computer files;

(iii) identifying textual tags that have been specifically defined for a particular skill; and

searching for customer names within the computer files;

(iv) using a natural-language recognizer; and

(v) using a machine-learning text classifier that is trained to recognize a particular skill.

10. A method of facilitating identification of a skilled resource'"'"'s skill set, comprising:

(a) accessing a known skills database that includes a variety of skills and associated definitions for the skills; and

(b) analyzing content from a set of computer files in order to identify a subset of skills that are potentially applicable to a skilled resource,

wherein said analyzing step (b) is performed using an automated tool that compares characteristics of the computer files with the definitions for the skills in the known skills database.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the known skills database is arranged in a hierarchical manner in which a plurality of the skills are defined by reference to other ones of the skills.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein for a particular skill in the known skills database, the automated tool applies different predefined criteria to different types of files, and wherein said different predefined criteria are specific to the particular skill.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the automated tool takes into consideration how recently the files were modified by the skilled resource.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein the automated tool identifies skills by at least one of:

(i) detecting file types;

(ii) searching for product names within the computer files;

(iii) identifying textual tags that have been specifically defined for a particular skill;

(iv) searching for customer names within the computer files;

(v) using a natural-language recognizer; and

(vi) using a machine-learning text classifier that is trained to recognize a particular skill.

15. A method according to claim 10, wherein the automated tool makes a determination regarding authorship of a particular computer file and then assesses competency of the skilled resource with respect to a particular skill based on said determination.

16. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable process steps for facilitating identification of a skilled resource'"'"'s skill set, said process steps comprising steps of:

(a) filtering a master set of previously identified skills in order to identify a subset of skills that appear to be potentially applicable to a skilled resource;

(b) creating and presenting a query regarding skills actually possessed by the skilled resource, based on the identified subset;

(c) receiving a response that designates skills possessed by the skilled resource; and

(d) incorporating the response into a user skills database,

wherein the filtering in step (a) is performed by utilizing an automated tool to analyze content from a set of computer files.

17. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the previously identified skills in the master set are arranged in a hierarchical manner.

18. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the automated tool at least one of:

(i) takes into consideration, for purposes of determining a skill level, how recently the files were modified by the skilled resource; and

(ii) logs information regarding how recently the files were modified by the skilled resource and uses said information for ranking different skilled resources.

19. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the automated tool makes a determination regarding authorship of a particular computer file and assesses competency of the skilled resource with respect to a particular skill based on said determination.

20. A computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein the query includes a hierarchical arrangement of a plurality of the skills in the identified subset.