AUTOMATIC CUSTOMIZATION OF A SOFTWARE APPLICATION

• US 20140372980A1
• Filed: 06/13/2013
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Verma, Anshu, Chithambaram, Nemmara S., Ranhanath, Vishwanath
• Granted Patent: US 9,430,227 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/121
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/70 Software maintenance or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/71 Version control security arrangements therefor G06F21/57; Configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4451 User profiles; Roaming

Abstract

A method for configuring a software application. The method includes obtaining user profiles each containing attribute values corresponding to a portion of an attribute list, identifying a user subset having same attribute values for a particular portion of the attribute list and forming an attribute signature, analyzing the configuration setting used by each user in the user subset to generate a statistical measure representing the user subset configuring the software application, matching a new user profile to the attribute signature of the user subset, presenting, to the new user and in response to the matching, the statistical measure representing the user subset configuring the software application, and receiving, in response to presenting the statistical measure, an approval from the new user to customize the software application, where the software application is automatically customized based on the statistical measure representing the user subset configuring the software application.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a configuration setting of a software application, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of profiles of a plurality of users of the software application,

wherein each of the plurality of profiles comprises a plurality of attribute values corresponding to a portion of an attribute list,

wherein the plurality of attribute values describe a user of the plurality of users, and

wherein at least two of the plurality of profiles correspond to two different portions of the attribute list;

identifying, by a computer processor, a subset of the plurality of users having same attribute values for a particular portion of the attribute list, wherein the same attribute values form an attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users;

analyzing, by the computer processor, the configuration setting used by each user in the subset of the plurality of users to generate a statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application;

matching a new profile of a new user to the attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users;

presenting, to the new user and in response to matching the new profile to the attribute signature, the statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application; and

receiving, in response to presenting the statistical measure, an approval from the new user to customize the software application, wherein the software application is automatically customized based on the statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the attribute signature comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a geographic region, a business category, a language, a currency, and a tax code, and

wherein the configuration setting comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of an invoice setting and a sales receipt setting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the configuration setting comprises:

retrieving, for each user in the subset of the plurality of users, a value of the configuration setting, wherein the value is used by a corresponding user configuring a configuration parameter of the software application; and

aggregating the value for all users in the subset of the plurality of users to generate a plurality of values corresponding to the subset of the plurality of users,

wherein the statistical measure is based on the plurality of values.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the configuration setting further comprises:

extracting, using a pre-determined clustering algorithm and based on a pre-determined similarity measure, a cluster of similar values from the plurality of values,

wherein the cluster is associated with a user count and a representative value, and

wherein the statistical measure comprises the user count and the representative value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein presenting the statistical measure comprises:

selecting, based on a pre-determined criterion, the cluster from a plurality of clusters extracted from the plurality of values, wherein the plurality of clusters correspond to a plurality of similar behaviors among all users in the subset of the plurality of users configuring the configuration parameter of the software application; and

presenting, in response to selecting the cluster, the representative value of the cluster to the new user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein matching the new profile of the new user to the attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users comprises:

determining the plurality of attribute values in the new profile as corresponding to the particular portion of the attribute list;

identifying, in response to the determining, a plurality of attribute signatures corresponding to the particular portion of the attribute list; and

comparing, in response to the identifying, the plurality of attribute signatures and the plurality of attribute values in the new profile to identify the attribute signature as a match.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the new user opt-in to provide user information with respect to the particular portion of the attribute list, and

wherein the new user opt-out from providing additional user information with respect to a remainder of the attribute list aside from the particular portion.

8. A system for identifying a configuration setting of a software application, comprising:

a processor;

memory storing instructions executable by the processor, wherein the instructions comprise;

a user profile analyzer configured to;

obtain a plurality of profiles of a plurality of users of the software application,

wherein each of the plurality of profiles comprises a plurality of attribute values corresponding to a portion of an attribute list,

wherein the plurality of attribute values describe a user of the plurality of users, and

wherein at least two of the plurality of profiles correspond to two different portions of the attribute list;

identify a subset of the plurality of users having same attribute values for a particular portion of the attribute list, wherein the same attribute values form an attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users; and

match a new profile of a new user to the attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users;

a configuration analyzer configured to;

analyze the configuration setting used by each user in the subset of the plurality of users to generate a statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application;

present, to the new user and in response to matching the new profile to the attribute signature, the statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application; and

receive, in response to presenting the statistical measure, an approval from the new user to customize the software application, wherein the software application is automatically customized based on the statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application; and

a repository configured to store at least the plurality of profiles, the attribute signature, the statistical measure, and the configuration setting.

9. The system of claim 8,

wherein the attribute signature comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a geographic region, a business category, a language, a currency, and a tax code, and

wherein the configuration setting comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of an invoice setting and a sales receipt setting.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein analyzing the configuration setting comprises:

retrieving, for each user in the subset of the plurality of users, a value of the configuration setting, wherein the value is used by a corresponding user for configuring a configuration parameter of the software application; and

aggregating the value for all users in the subset of the plurality of users to generate a plurality of values corresponding to the subset of the plurality of users,

wherein the statistical measure is based on the plurality of values.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein analyzing the configuration setting further comprises:

extracting, using a pre-determined clustering algorithm and based on a pre-determined similarity measure, a cluster of similar values from the plurality of values,

wherein the cluster is associated with a user count and a representative value, and

wherein the statistical measure comprises the user count and the representative value.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein presenting the statistical measure comprises:

selecting, based on a pre-determined criterion, the cluster from a plurality of clusters extracted from the plurality of values, wherein the plurality of clusters correspond to a plurality of similar behaviors among all users in the subset of the plurality of users configuring the configuration parameter of the software application; and

presenting, in response to selecting the cluster, the representative value of the cluster to the new user.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein matching the new profile of the new user to the attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users comprises:

determining the plurality of attribute values in the new profile as corresponding to the particular portion of the attribute list;

identifying, in response to the determining, a plurality of attribute signatures corresponding to the particular portion of the attribute list; and

comparing, in response to the identifying, the plurality of attribute signatures and the plurality of attribute values in the new profile to identify the attribute signature as a match.

14. The system of claim 13,

wherein the new user opt-in to provide user information with respect to the particular portion of the attribute list, and

wherein the new user opt-out from providing additional user information with respect to a remainder of the attribute list aside from the particular portion.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions for identifying a configuration setting of a software application, the instructions, when executed by a computer processor, comprising functionality for:

obtaining a plurality of profiles of a plurality of users of the software application,

wherein each of the plurality of profiles comprises a plurality of attribute values corresponding to a portion of an attribute list,

wherein the plurality of attribute values describe a user of the plurality of users, and

wherein at least two of the plurality of profiles correspond to two different portions of the attribute list;

identifying a subset of the plurality of users having same attribute values for a particular portion of the attribute list, wherein the same attribute values form an attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users;

analyzing the configuration setting used by each user in the subset of the plurality of users to generate a statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application;

matching a new profile of a new user to the attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users;

presenting, to the new user and in response to matching the new profile to the attribute signature, the statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application; and

receiving, in response to presenting the statistical measure, an approval from the new user to customize the software application, wherein the software application is automatically customized based on the statistical measure representing the subset of the plurality of users configuring the software application.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15,

wherein the attribute signature comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of a geographic region, a business category, a language, a currency, and a tax code, and

wherein the configuration setting comprises at least one selected from a group consisting of an invoice setting and a sales receipt setting.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein analyzing the configuration setting comprises:

retrieving, for each user in the subset of the plurality of users, a value of the configuration setting, wherein the value is used by a corresponding user for configuring a configuration parameter of the software application; and

aggregating the value for all users in the subset of the plurality of users to generate a plurality of values corresponding to the subset of the plurality of users,

wherein the statistical measure is based on the plurality of values.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein analyzing the configuration setting further comprises:

extracting, using a pre-determined clustering algorithm based on a pre-determined similarity measure, a cluster of similar values from the plurality of values,

wherein the cluster is associated with a user count and a representative value, and

wherein the statistical measure comprises the user count and the representative value.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein presenting the statistical measure comprises:

selecting, based on a pre-determined criterion, the cluster from a plurality of clusters extracted from the plurality of values, wherein the plurality of clusters correspond to a plurality of similar behaviors among all users in the subset of the plurality of users configuring the configuration parameter of the software application; and

presenting, in response to selecting the cluster, the representative value of the cluster to the new user.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein matching the new profile of the new user to the attribute signature of the subset of the plurality of users comprises:

determining the plurality of attribute values in the new profile as corresponding to the particular portion of the attribute list;

identifying, in response to the determining, a plurality of attribute signatures corresponding to the particular portion of the attribute list; and

comparing, in response to the identifying, the plurality of attribute signatures and the plurality of attribute values in the new profile to identify the attribute signature as a match,

wherein the new user opt-in to provide user information with respect to the particular portion of the attribute list, and

wherein the new user opt-out from providing additional user information with respect to a remainder of the attribute list aside from the particular portion.