OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE SERVER DEVICE, OPERATIONAL ASSISTANCE METHOD AND COMPUTER PROGRAM

• US 20090228479A1
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Risa
• Granted Patent: US 8,126,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game

Abstract

An operational assistance server device, method and computer readable article of manufacture for providing operational assistance to a user operating an application is provided. The operational assistance server device includes: an operation table; an operation table storage unit for storing the operation table; an user'"'"'s operation history; an operation sequence generation unit for generating the operation sequence; an operation record storage unit; operation subsequences; an appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit for extracting appearing operation sequences from the operation subsequences; and an appearing-operation-sequence storage unit for storing the appearing operation sequences extracted by the appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit; where the appearing operation sequence appears at a frequency higher than a predetermined value. The method and computer readable article of manufacture storing the method includes the steps of: generating the operation sequence; storing the generated operation sequences; extracting the appearing operation sequences; and storing the extracted appearing operation sequences.

Claims

1. An operational assistance server device for providing operational assistance to a user operating an application, comprising:

an operation table comprising previously defined (i) at least one operation on said application and (ii) at least one operation ID identifying at least one respective operation;

an operation table storage unit for storing said operation table;

at least one user'"'"'s operation history consisting of at least one operation by said user;

at least one operation sequence consisting of some of said at least one operation ID, generated by converting said at least one user'"'"'s operation history into corresponding said at least one operation IDs with reference to said operation table;

an operation sequence generation unit for generating said at least one operation sequence;

an operation record storage unit for storing said at least one operation sequence generated by said operation sequence generation unit;

at least one operation subsequence constituting said at least one operation sequence stored in said operation record storage unit;

an appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit for extracting at least one appearing operation sequence from said at least one operation subsequence; and

an appearing-operation-sequence storage unit for storing said at least one appearing operation sequences extracted by said appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit;

wherein said at least one appearing operation sequence appears at a frequency higher than a predetermined value.

2. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an operational-assistance-means output unit for (i) extracting said at least one appearing operation sequence having first several operation IDs that match an operation sequence generated by said operation sequence generation unit when said user performs operations, and (ii) outputting at least one operational assistance means with reference to both the operation table storage unit and the operation ID, as an operation recommended to the user immediately after the first several operation IDs in said extracted at least one appearing operation sequence; and

said operation table storage unit further storing said at least one operational assistance means which (i) correspond to respective said at least one operation IDs and (ii) are to be presented to said users.

3. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a support level being a proportion of (i) a total number of said at least one appearing operation sequences to (ii) a total number of said at least one operation sequences stored in said operation record storage unit;

wherein said appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit extracts each appearing operation sequence having said support level higher than a predetermined value.

4. The operational assistance server device according to claim 3, wherein

said appearing-operation-sequence storage unit stores said support level in association with each appearing operation sequence extracted by said appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit, and

said support levels stored in the appearing-operation-sequence storage unit are used as extraction priorities in extracting said at least one appearing operation sequence from said appearing-operation-sequence storage unit.

5. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an evaluation obtaining unit for obtaining an evaluation value at which said user rates said application;

wherein said operation sequence generation unit (i) filters said at least one user'"'"'s operation history based on said evaluation value and (ii) generates said at least one operation sequence based on filtered said at least one user'"'"'s operation history.

6. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, wherein said user operating said application is a user operating an avatar representing said user in a virtual world.

7. An operational assistance method of providing operational assistance to a user operating an application, comprising the steps of:

generating at least one operation sequence from an operation history of the user by converting the user'"'"'s operations into at least one corresponding operation ID based on an operation table;

storing generated said at least one operation sequences as operation records;

extracting at least one appearing operation sequences from at least one operation subsequence, each of said at least one appearing operation sequence appearing at a frequency higher than a predetermined value; and

storing extracted at least one appearing operation sequence;

wherein (i) said operation table comprises previously defined operations on said application and previously defined operation IDs identifying respective said operations, (ii) said operation sequence consists of some of said at least one operation IDs, (iii) said operation history consists of at least one operation by said user, (iv) said at least one operation subsequence constitutes said operation sequence stored as said operation records.

8. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

extracting said at least one appearing operation sequence having first several operation IDs that match an operation sequence generated from said operation history when said user performs operations;

outputting operational assistance means, as an operation recommended to the user, with reference to (i) said operation table and (ii) said operation ID immediately after the first several operation IDs in extracted said at least one appearing operation sequence; and

storing, in said operation table, (i) said operational assistance means which correspond to respective said at least one operation ID and are to be presented to said users and (ii) the first several operation IDs matching said operation sequence generated from said operation history.

9. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, further comprising:

at least one support level being a proportion of (i) a total number of said at least one appearing operation sequences to (ii) a total number of said at least one operation sequences stored in said operation record storage unit;

wherein each said at least one appearing operation sequence appearing at a frequency higher than a predetermined value has a support level higher than a predetermined value.

10. The operational assistance method according to claim 9, wherein

said at least one support level is stored in association with respective extracted said at least one appearing operation sequence, and

said at least one support level is used as extraction priorities in extracting said at least one appearing operation sequence.

11. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining an evaluation value at which said user rates said application; and

filtering said operation history based on said evaluation value;

generating said at least one operation sequence based on filtered said operation history.

12. The operational assistance method according to claim 11, wherein said at least on operation sequence is generated from said operation history having an evaluation value of said application higher than a predetermined value.

13. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, wherein said user operating said application is a user operating an avatar representing said user in a virtual world.

14. A computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions which when executed implement a method of providing operational assistance to a user operating an application, said method comprising the steps of:

generating at least one operation sequence from an operation history of the user by converting the user'"'"'s operations into at least one corresponding operation ID based on an operation table;

storing generated said at least one operation sequences as operation records;

extracting at least one appearing operation sequences from at least one operation subsequence, each of said at least one appearing operation sequence appearing at a frequency higher than a predetermined value; and

storing extracted at least one appearing operation sequence;

wherein (i) said operation table comprises previously defined operations on said application and previously defined operation IDs identifying respective said operations, (ii) said operation sequence consists of some of said at least one operation IDs, (iii) said operation history consists of at least one operation by said user, (iv) said at least one operation subsequence constitutes said operation sequence stored as said operation records.

15. The computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 14, further causing the computer to execute the steps of:

extracting said at least one appearing operation sequence having first several operation IDs that match an operation sequence generated from said operation history when said user performs operations; and

outputting operational assistance means, as an operation recommended to the user, with reference to (i) said operation table and (ii) said operation ID immediately after the first several operation IDs in extracted said at least one appearing operation sequence;

storing, in said operation table, (i) said operational assistance means which correspond to respective said at least one operation ID and are to be presented to said users, and (ii) said first several operation IDs matching said operation sequence generated from the user'"'"'s operation history.

16. The computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 14, further comprising:

at least one support level being a proportion of (i) a total number of said at least one appearing operation sequences to (ii) a total number of said at least one operation sequences stored in said operation record storage unit;

wherein each said at least one appearing operation sequence appearing at a frequency higher than a predetermined value has a support level higher than a predetermined value.

17. The computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein:

said at least one support level is stored in association with respective extracted said at least one appearing operation sequence; and

said at least one support level is used as extraction priorities in extracting said at least one appearing operation sequence.

18. The computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 14, further causing the computer to execute the steps of:

obtaining an evaluation value at which said user rates said application;

filtering said operation history based on said evaluation value; and

generating said at least one operation sequence based on filtered said operation history.