Models for Guiding Physical Work

• US 20120156662A1
• Filed: 12/16/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mital, Vijay, Rubin, Darryl E.
• Application Number:
  US12/970,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20120156662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/219
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards guiding a user through a physical work task. A model comprising, rules, constraints and equations corresponding to the task generates a work plan based upon user input data and work-related data. The model determines a subtask to perform based upon the data and the current state of the task, and outputs data (plan objects) used to generate of visualization that instructs the user as to how to perform the subtask, e.g., what other part to attach a current component to, what tool is needed, advice, risk assessment, alternatives and so forth. The model may base the current state on a scene input to the model that represents the current state of the task and/or historical data that indicates the current state of the task.

Claims

1. In a computing environment, a system, comprising:

a model comprising rules, constraints or equations, or any combination of rules, constraints or equations, the model configured to determine a subtask of a work plan based upon work-related data, to input user-provided data including data representative of a physical object that is related to that subtask, and to output data including presentation data corresponding to the physical object and the subtask; and

and a presentation mechanism configured to process the presentation data into a presentation of at least part of the work plan that guides a user on using that physical object to perform the subtask.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation data comprises plan objects.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the presentation mechanism comprises a content synthesizer.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the work plan corresponds to a scene with at least one feature or object placed on a location or set of locations, and analytics directing this placement.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the model is further configured to input state or scene data, or both state and scene data corresponding to a current state of the work plan, and to determine the subtask based on the data to guide the user in completing at least one remaining part of the work plan.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the work-related data comprises a list of components.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the list of components is structured based upon an order in which the components are used to complete the work plan.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the work-related data comprises a list of tools.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the input user-provided data identifies one or more user tools.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the input user-provided data comprises an image, data representative of a recognized image, barcode scan results, RFID read results or a part number.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the model is configured to output data corresponding to one or more sequences, one or more alternatives, one or more suggestions, one or more recommendations, one or more implications, one or more warnings, one or more dependencies, one or more procedures, or one or more risks, or any combination of data corresponding to one or more sequences, one or more alternatives, one or more suggestions, one or more recommendations, one or more implications, one or more warnings, one or more dependencies, one or more procedures, or one or more risks.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-provided data is communicated from a mobile device, and wherein the presentation mechanism outputs a visualization to the mobile device.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-provided data is communicated from a camera coupled to a game console or computer, and wherein the presentation mechanism outputs a visualization to a display mechanism coupled to the game console or computer.

14. In a computing environment, a method performed at least in part on at least one processor, comprising:

inputting work-related data into a model comprising rules, constraints or equations, or any combination of rules, constraints or equations;

inputting state data corresponding to a state of a work plan into the model;

inputting user-provided data including data representative of a physical object into the model;

processing the work-related data, the state data and the user-provided to determine a subtask of a work plan; and

outputting data for presenting a visualization to a user that guides the user in using that physical object to perform the subtask.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein processing the state data comprises recognizing a completion state of the work plan and determining the subtask relative to the completion state.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein inputting the work-related data comprises inputting a structured list of components, in which the structure corresponds to an order of subtasks.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising, evaluating whether the data representative of the physical object corresponds to the subtask.

18. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising:

determining a subtask corresponding to a work plan;

receiving data representing a component associated with the work plan;

determining that the component is correct for the subtask;

locating one or more rules, constraints or equations, or any combination of one or more rules, constraints or equations, associated with that subtask; and

using the one or more rules, constraints or equations, or any combination of one or more rules, constraints or equations, to output plan objects from which a visualization of using the component part in performing the subtask is generated.

19. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18 having further computer-executable instructions comprising inputting a current state into the model, and wherein determining the subtask comprises determining the subtask relative to the current state.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 18 wherein the component corresponds to a part that is associated with a tool, and having further computer-executable instructions comprising, determining from user-provided data whether the user has a tool for performing the subtask.