SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LIVE HELP

• US 20190026132A1
• Filed: 09/21/2016
• Published: 01/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntegenX Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IntegenX Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: KING, David, PARK, Chungsoo Charles
• Granted Patent: US 10,725,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0487 using specific features provided by the input device, e.g. functions controlled by the rotation of a mouse with dual sensing arrangements, or of the nature of the input device, e.g. tap gestures based on pressure sensed by a digitiser
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales

Abstract

A live help system provides an intuitive display of help information on a user'"'"'s graphical user interface. A request is received from a client device for help, and a live help provider interface is initiated at a live help location. Data is acquired regarding a user'"'"'s location, including data on external devices in the user'"'"'s location. Indicators are provided to allow the live help provider to point to or otherwise indicate items on the user interface or outside of the user interface. Live help input is captured at the live help provider interface. Instructions are then transmitted to the display of the client device to display live help input, as though the agent were present and interacting with or indicating items on the screen or off the screen.

Claims

1. A method for providing live help to a user of a client device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for help from the client device;

obtaining data from the client device, the data including at least location data corresponding to the location of the user and external device data corresponding to one or more additional devices external to the client device;

initiating a live help provider interface in response to the request for help, the live help provider interface including the data from the client device;

processing one or more inputs from an agent using the live help provider interface; and

causing to display one or more indicators at a user interface of the client device, the indicators associated with the one or more inputs from the agent, the indicators configured to be displayed as though the agent were present at the location of the user and able to touch portions of the user interface to indicate or interact with one or more items on the user interface or at the location of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing to display of one or more live help elements at the user interface of the client device, the one or more live help elements appearing as though the user interface were a transparent or semitransparent window and the live help provider were touching, gesturing, or indicating from the opposite side of the window.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the one or more inputs from the agent from one or more of;

a pointing device, a gesturing device, a keyboard, a motion capture device, and an imaging device.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the motion capture device includes one or more of:

a camera, a proximity sensor, a smart glove, a sonar, and an echolocation sensor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the agent is one or both of a remote human assistant and an automated help service.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

presenting, at the live help provider interface, a virtual reality environment, the virtual reality environment configured to allow the agent to indicate one or more actions corresponding to the one or more additional devices at the location of the user.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the location data includes one or more spatial relationships at the location of the user, and wherein the one or more indicators are based on the one or more spatial relationships.

8. A system for providing live help to a user of a client device, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions that are configurable to cause the system to;

receive a request for help from the client device;

obtain data from the client device, the data including at least location data corresponding to the location of the user and external device data corresponding to one or more additional devices external to the client device;

initiate a live help provider interface in response to the request for help, the live help provider interface including the data from the client device;

process one or more inputs from an agent using the live help provider interface; and

cause to display one or more indicators at a user interface of the client device, the indicators associated with the one or more inputs from the agent, the indicators configured to be displayed as though the agent were present at the location of the user and able to touch portions of the user interface to indicate or interact with one or more items on the user interface or at the location of the user.

9. The system of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause the system to:

display one or more live help elements at the user interface of the client device, the one or more live help elements appearing as though the user interface were a transparent or semitransparent window and the live help provider were touching, gesturing, or indicating from the opposite side of the window.

10. The system of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause the system to:

receive the one or more inputs from the agent from one or more of;

a pointing device, a gesturing device, a keyboard, a motion capture device, and an imaging device.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the motion capture device includes one or more of:

a camera, a proximity sensor, a smart glove, a sonar, and an echolocation sensor.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the agent is one or both of a remote human to assistant and an automated help service.

13. The system of claim 8, the instructions further configurable to cause the system to:

present, at the live help provider interface, a virtual reality environment, the virtual reality environment configured to allow the agent to indicate one or more actions corresponding to the one or more additional devices at the location of the user.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the location data includes one or more spatial relationships at the location of the user, and wherein the one or more indicators are based on the one or more spatial relationships.

15. A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code capable of being executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions configurable to cause:

receiving a request for help from the client device;

obtaining data from the client device, the data including at least location data corresponding to the location of the user and external device data corresponding to one or more additional devices external to the client device;

initiating a live help provider interface in response to the request for help, the live help provider interface including the data from the client device;

processing one or more inputs from an agent using the live help provider interface; and

causing to display one or more indicators at a user interface of the client device, the indicators associated with the one or more inputs from the agent, the indicators configured to be displayed as though the agent were present at the location of the user and able to touch portions of the user interface to indicate or interact with one or more items on the user interface or at the location of the user.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, the program code comprising instructions further configurable to cause:

displaying one or more live help elements at the user interface of the client device, the one or more live help elements appearing as though the user interface were a transparent or semitransparent window and the live help provider were touching, gesturing, or indicating from the opposite side of the window were touching, gesturing, or indicating from the opposite side of the window.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, the program code comprising instructions further configurable to cause:

receiving the one or more inputs from the agent from one or more of;

a pointing device, a gesturing device, a keyboard, a motion capture device, and an imaging device.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the agent is one or both of a remote human assistant and an automated help service.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, the program code comprising instructions further configurable to cause:

presenting, at the live help provider interface, a virtual reality environment, the virtual reality environment configured to allow the agent to indicate one or more actions corresponding to the one or more additional devices at the location of the user.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the location data includes one or more spatial relationships at the location of the user, and wherein the one or more indicators are based on the one or more spatial relationships.