System for testing human factors and performance of a system program

• US 5,086,393 A
• Filed: 08/17/1989
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Mesnard, Robert M., Kerr, Randal H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Kimthanh T.
• Application Number:
  US07/395,171
• Time in Patent Office: 901 Days
• Field of Search: 371/19, 434/118, 364/419, 364/300
• US Class Current: 702/186
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3414 Workload generation, e.g. scripts, playback
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3419 by assessing time
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3438 monitoring of user actions tracking the activity of the user H04L67/535
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/86 Event-based monitoring

Abstract

A system for testing certain attributes (i.e., performance and usability) of an interactive system program. A memory device stores data representative of interactive commands generated by a user. A device is also provided for executing an emulator overlay connected to the memory device for receiving data therefrom and modifying it in subsequent transmission. The emulator overlay has a time measuring device associated with it for determining performance of an interactive system program. A device is also provided for storing and executing an interactive system program connected to the emulator overlay. Finally, another memory device is provided for storing the data representative of system program performance. The system is capable of capturing human factors data, including screen images and associated keystrokes entered during a user session a user session, measuring time intervals between the screen images and keystrokes, and providing such data to a system analyst to determine usability of host computer resident software.

Claims

1. A system for presenting data to be evaluated for its human factors quality comprising:

a) first means for generating data representative of images for display to a user;

b) second means for generating data representative of interactive commands for said user;

c) first storage means for storing data representative of images for display generated by said first data generating means;

d) second storage means for storing data representative of interactive commands generated by said second data generating means;

e) a driver operatively connected to said first and second storage means for receiving data therefrom and for generating a simulation of an interactive session using said first and second storage means;

f) and means for communicating said simulation to an evaluator for determining the quality of human factors.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising:

g) means for allowing said evaluator to access said first and second storage means for commenting, modifying and evaluating said simulation.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 and further comprising:

g) means in operative relationship with said evaluator for accepting data representative of comments and modifications therefrom.

5. In a method for gathering human factors data, the steps comprising:

a) executing host computer resident software on a host computer by using a smart terminal, said smart terminal having loaded therein a transparent data capture mechanism;

b) capturing and storing human factors data including screen presentations and associated keystroke commands entered during a user session by using said capture mechanism;

c) measuring and storing time intervals between said screen presentations and entry of the associated keystroke commands;

d) and evaluating said stored screen presentations, said stored keystroke commands and said stored time intervals to determine usability of said host computer resident software.

4. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein said image data and said command data are representative of a computer program in the process of being written.

6. A method in accordance with claim 5 wherein said evaluation step is performed by replaying all of said stored screen presentations and all of said stored keystroke commands captured and stored during said user session.

7. A method in accordance with claim 5 and further including the step of:

e) transferring said human factors data to an evaluator from a remote location.