ASSISTING A USER OF A SOFTWARE APPLICATION

• US 20150301729A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 10/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Matas, Michael James, Wang, Qian
• Granted Patent: US 10,466,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

The principles described herein provide methods and systems of providing new user assistance information for performing actions within a user interface as a user navigates the user interface. For example, information may be presented to the user in a way that aids the user in discovering and performing available actions within the user interface without being overly disruptive to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a first view of a graphical user interface for a client application, wherein one or more actions are available to a user within the first view;

detecting, using at least one processor, a disruption in user activity relative to the first view;

identifying a particular action from the one or more actions available within the first view based on a prioritization of the one or more actions; and

in response to the detected disruption, presenting user assistance information associated with the particular action.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting the user assistance information associated with the particular action comprises presenting instructions for completing the particular action.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein presenting the instructions for completing the particular action comprises presenting a graphical illustration of the particular action within the first graphical user interface.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein presenting the instructions for completing the particular action comprises presenting textual instructions for completing the particular action.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a completion of the particular action by the user within the first graphical user interface; and

presenting an action progress indicator that indicates a progress as the user performs the particular action.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the disruption in user activity comprises detecting an activity delay based on a predetermined delay threshold.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the disruption in user activity comprises detecting a failed attempt by the user to perform one of the one or more actions available within the first view.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a second view of the graphical user interface, wherein one or more actions are available to the user within the second view;

detecting, using the at least one processor, a disruption in user activity relative to the second view;

identifying a second particular action from the one or more actions available within the second view based on a prioritization of the one or more actions within the second view; and

in response to a detected disruption in user activity relative to the second view, presenting user assistance information associated with the second particular action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority assigned to the particular action is determined based on whether the action associated with the user assistance information has been performed previously.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising presenting the user assistance information only in response to determining that the action associated with the user assistance information has not been performed previously.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority assigned to the particular action is determined based on a discoverability of the particular action relative to a discoverability of other actions available for user interaction within the first view.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a priority assigned to the particular action is determined based on a display order assigned to user assistance information associated with the one or more actions available within the first view.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the user assistance information is passively dismissed without successful completion of the particular action; and

presenting the user assistance information associated with the particular action a second time in response to a second activity disruption in the first view.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a list of successfully completed actions and actively dismissed user assistance information in a user profile associated with the graphical user interface; and

accessing the list of successfully completed actions and actively dismissed user assistance information from the user profile in a new instance of the graphical user interface.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the user assistance information displays a message associated with a likely subsequent action in response to detecting a successful completion of the particular action.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a user interaction to perform the particular action prior to presenting the user assistance information associated with the particular action; and

storing the user assistance information as actively dismissed user assistance information.

17. A system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to;

present a first view of a graphical user interface for a client application, wherein one or more actions are available to a user within the first view;

detect a disruption in user activity relative to the first view;

identify a particular action from the one or more actions available within the first view based on a prioritization of the one or more actions; and

in response to the activity disruption, presenting user assistance information associated with the particular action.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

present a second view of the graphical user interface, wherein one or more actions are available to the user within the second view;

detect, using the at least one processor, a disruption in user activity relative to the second view;

identify a second particular action from the one or more actions available within the second view based on a prioritization of the one or more actions within the second view; and

in response to a detected disruption in user activity relative to the second view, present user assistance information associated with the second particular action.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein a priority assigned to the user assistance information is determined based on a discoverability of the particular action relative to a discoverability of other actions available for user interaction within the first view.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein a priority assigned to the user assistance information is determined based on a display order assigned to user assistance information associated with the one or more actions available within the first view.