Creating A Usability Observation Video For A Computing Device Being Studied For Usability

• US 20090006966A1
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bodin, William K., Thorson, Derral C., Maynard, Ann M.
• Application Number:
  US11/769,391
• Publication Number:
  US 20090006966A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/723
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for creating a usability observation video for a computing device being studied for usability that include: recording, by a digital video recorder as a usability observation video, a user interacting with a computing device during a usability session for studying the usability of the device; detecting, by an event listener on the computing device, an event generated as a result of user interaction with the device; notifying, by the event listener, a usability engine of the event; and supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event.

Claims

1. A method of creating a usability observation video for a computing device being studied for usability, the method comprising:

recording, by a digital video recorder as a usability observation video, a user interacting with a computing device during a usability session for studying the usability of the device;

detecting, by an event listener on the computing device, an event generated as a result of user interaction with the device;

notifying, by the event listener, a usability engine of the event; and

supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event further comprises:

recording the description of the event in a session log;

identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

associating the description of the event with the identified portion of the usability observation video.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event further comprises:

identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

embedding the description of the event in the identified portion of the usability observation video.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing, by the event listener to the usability engine in response to detecting the event, an image of a graphical user interface of the device;

identifying, by the usability engine, the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

displaying concurrently, by the usability engine, the identified portion of the usability observation video and the image of the graphical user interface of the device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying, by the usability engine, the usability observation video to a usability expert;

receiving, by the usability engine, usability observations from the usability expert; and

supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with the usability observations.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining, by the usability engine, that the interaction of the user with the computing device was successful in dependence upon success criteria; and

providing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video to a helpdesk server to provide assistance for other users attempting to replicate the successful interaction.

7. A system for creating a usability observation video for a computing device being studied for usability, the system comprising:

means for recording, as a usability observation video, a user interacting with a computing device during a usability session for studying the usability of the device;

means for detecting, on the computing device, an event generated as a result of user interaction with the device;

means for notifying a usability engine of the event; and

means for supplementing the usability observation video with a description of the event.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein means for supplementing the usability observation video with a description of the event further comprises:

means for recording the description of the event in a session log;

means for identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

means for associating the description of the event with the identified portion of the usability observation video.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein means for supplementing the usability observation video with a description of the event further comprises:

means for identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

means for embedding the description of the event in the identified portion of the usability observation video.

10. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

means for providing, to the usability engine in response to detecting the event, an image of a graphical user interface of the device;

means for identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

means for displaying concurrently the identified portion of the usability observation video and the image of the graphical user interface of the device.

11. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

means for displaying the usability observation video to a usability expert;

means for receiving usability observations from the usability expert; and

means for supplementing the usability observation video with the usability observations.

12. The system of claim 7 further comprising:

means for determining that the interaction of the user with the computing device was successful in dependence upon success criteria; and

means for providing the usability observation video to a helpdesk server to provide assistance for other users attempting to replicate the successful interaction.

13. A computer program product for creating a usability observation video for a computing device being studied for usability, the computer program product disposed upon a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of:

recording, by a digital video recorder as a usability observation video, a user interacting with a computing device during a usability session for studying the usability of the device;

detecting, by an event listener on the computing device, an event generated as a result of user interaction with the device;

notifying, by the event listener, a usability engine of the event; and

supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event further comprises:

recording the description of the event in a session log;

identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

associating the description of the event with the identified portion of the usability observation video.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with a description of the event further comprises:

identifying the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

embedding the description of the event in the identified portion of the usability observation video.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

providing, by the event listener to the usability engine in response to detecting the event, an image of a graphical user interface of the device;

identifying, by the usability engine, the portion of the usability observation video recorded when the event was detected using timecodes embedded in the usability observation video; and

displaying concurrently, by the usability engine, the identified portion of the usability observation video and the image of the graphical user interface of the device.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

displaying, by the usability engine, the usability observation video to a usability expert;

receiving, by the usability engine, usability observations from the usability expert; and

supplementing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video with the usability observations.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of:

determining, by the usability engine, that the interaction of the user with the computing device was successful in dependence upon success criteria; and

providing, by the usability engine, the usability observation video to a helpdesk server to provide assistance for other users attempting to replicate the successful interaction.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.