INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC FORM WORKFLOW ASSISTANT THAT GUIDES INTERACTIONS WITH ELECTRONIC FORMS IN A CONVERSATIONAL MANNER

• US 20170192950A1
• Filed: 01/05/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaither, Shawn, Treitman, Richard, Behzadi, Arian, sub Yeom, Kyeung, Parmenter, David, Alisago, James, Gonzalez, Andres, Matveief, Anatole, Thevenet, Frederic
• Granted Patent: US 10,460,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/174 Form filling; Merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue

Abstract

Techniques for assisting users electronic forms. One exemplary technique involves initiating a workflow assistant based on user input of the user or a predetermined triggering event to prompt the user to complete the electronic form. The workflow assistant downloads or obtains the electronic form based on a user response and identifies a workflow based on the electronic form. The workflow identifies a sequence of user interactions to complete the electronic form. Identifying the workflow includes developing, based on fields in the electronic form, requests for content of fields from the user and possible predicted answer choices for the content of each of the fields. The workflow assistant then executes the workflow to conduct the user interactions to obtain the content for the fields of the electronic form to complete the electronic form.

Claims

1. A method for assisting a user with completing an electronic form, the method performed by a processor and comprising:

initiating a workflow assistant based on user input of the user or a predetermined triggering event to prompt the user to complete the electronic form;

downloading or obtaining, by the workflow assistant, the electronic form based on a user response from the user;

identifying, by the workflow assistant, a workflow based on the electronic form, the workflow identifying a sequence of user interactions to complete the electronic form, wherein identifying the workflow comprises developing, by the workflow assistant and based on fields in the electronic form, requests for content of fields from the user and possible predicted answer choices for the content the fields, the possible predicted answer choices developed based on a user profile, user circumstances of the user, or information about other users that the workflow assistant obtained; and

executing, by the workflow assistant, the workflow to conduct the user interactions to obtain the content for the fields of the electronic form to complete the electronic form.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein developing the requests for content of fields comprises identifying fields of the electronic form using form field recognition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein developing the possible predicted answer choices comprises identifying a user characteristic in the user profile corresponding to an identified field of the electronic form.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein executing the workflow to conduct the user interaction to obtain the content for the fields comprises guiding user interactions according to the workflow to populate the fields of the electronic form, wherein guiding the user interactions to populate the fields comprises iteratively requesting user interactions using the requests for content and the possible predicted answer choices and receiving responses to the requests.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising guiding, by the user assistant, user interactions to select the electronic form to complete.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising guiding, by the user assistant, user interactions to select the electronic form to complete based on a state of the electronic form or user circumstances.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising guiding, by the user assistant, user interactions to export the electronic form based on the state of the electronic form indicating that the form is completed or user circumstances, wherein exporting the electronic form comprises printing, electronic sharing, saving, messaging, providing a notification, or emailing the electronic form.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a touch-free modality is used for the user interactions, wherein the touch-free modality provides audible requests and interprets voice responses using voice recognition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the touch-free modality is determined based on a user device of the user not providing an appropriate type of input device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a modality used for the user interactions is determined based on a user characteristic in the user profile indicating that the user has a visual, manual, or cognitive disability or user circumstances.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein conducting the user interactions comprises providing audible requests, and wherein the responses comprise voice responses interpreted using voice recognition or selection from graphic representations of the possible predicted answer choices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interactions use a Braille-based, hand gesture-based, video recognition-based, eye gaze-based, switch control-based, and electroencephalogram (EEC) analysis-based input modality.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow identifies contingent user interactions, wherein a next user interaction of a contingent user interaction is based on a user response to a prior user interaction request.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow guides the user to skip population of a field or section of the electronic form based on a prior response from the user populating a field of electronic form with a particular response, wherein the field or section is skipped based on instructions of the form.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is pre-computed and stored with the electronic form.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the workflow is further based on a user characteristic, user circumstance, or a user device characteristic identified in the user profile.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising the workflow assistant:

requesting a biometric identification;

receiving the biometric identification; and

based on confirming the authenticity of the biometric identification, accessing user profile information or populating a signature field with an electronic signature.

18. A system comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions, wherein, when executed by the processor, the instructions perform operations comprising;

initiating a workflow assistant based on user input of the user or a predetermined triggering event to prompt the user to complete the electronic form;

downloading or obtaining, by the workflow assistant, the electronic form based on a user response from the user;

identifying, by the workflow assistant, a workflow based on the electronic form, the workflow identifying a sequence of user interactions to complete the electronic form, wherein identifying the workflow comprises developing, by the workflow assistant and based on fields in the electronic form, requests for content of fields from the user and possible predicted answer choices for the content the fields, the possible predicted answer choices developed based on a user profile, user circumstances of the user, or information about other users that the workflow assistant obtained; and

executing, by the workflow assistant, the workflow to conduct the user interactions to obtain the content for the fields of the electronic form to complete the electronic form.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising the user profile stored in a data repository, wherein the user profile identifies a visual, manual, and cognative disability of the user, wherein executing the workflow to conduct the user interactions is provided based on the disability.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, the instructions comprising:

instructions for initiating a workflow assistant based on user input of the user or a predetermined triggering event to prompt the user to complete the electronic form;

instructions for downloading or obtaining, by the workflow assistant, the electronic form based on a user response from the user;

instructions for identifying, by the workflow assistant, a workflow based on the electronic form, the workflow identifying a sequence of user interactions to complete the electronic form, wherein identifying the workflow comprises developing, by the workflow assistant and based on fields in the electronic form, requests for content of fields from the user and possible predicted answer choices for the content the fields, the possible predicted answer choices developed based on a user profile, user circumstances of the user, or information about other users that the workflow assistant obtained;

instructions for executing, by the workflow assistant, the workflow to conduct the user interactions to obtain the content for the fields of the electronic form to complete the electronic form.