Method and system for trouble shooting and correcting computer software problems

• US 6,029,258 A
• Filed: 10/09/1997
• Issued: 02/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ahmad, Arshad F.
• Primary Examiner(s): WRIGHT, NORMAN M
• Application Number:
  US08/947,685
• Time in Patent Office: 866 Days
• Field of Search: 714/25, 714/26, 714/31, 714/38, 714/46, 714/48, 714/47
• US Class Current: 714/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/366 using diagnostics G06F11/0703 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and system for trouble shooting and correcting computer software problems. A Trouble Shooting System is launched onto a computer when a user of a software application encounters a problem during use of that software application. The Trouble Shooting System includes a Character Interface, a Trouble Shooting Program, and an Internet-based Trouble Shooting site and server. The Character Interface allows the user to select from a menu of problems, or the user may type into the Character Interface a natural language string to identify the problem. The Trouble Shooting Program generates offset values corresponding to the problem identified by the user. The Trouble Shooting program uses the offset values to locate problem solutions in an Information Store of problem solutions. The problem solutions located in the Information Store are passed to the user for implementation of a correction of the problem. If no solution is found in the Information Store, the Trouble Shooting Program may connect the user'"'"'s computer to the remote Internet-based Trouble Shooting site and server to obtain and download additional problem solutions and tools to the Information Store on the user'"'"'s computer. If a solution to the problem continues to evade the user, the Trouble Shooting Program then may recommend that the user contact the product support services of the provider of the user'"'"'s malfunctioning software application.

Claims

1. A method of identifying and correcting a computer program problem, comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a Character Interface, identification information about said problem, said identification information including a natural language string describing said problem;

causing said Character Interface to provide said identification information to a Trouble Shooting Program;

causing said Trouble Shooting Program to send said natural language string to a Trouble Shooting Engine;

causing said Trouble Shooting Engine to send said natural language string to a Natural Language Parser;

causing said Natural Language Parser to parse said natural language string into a list of natural language words;

sending said list of natural language words to a Look-Up Table;

causing said Look-Up Table to generate offset values corresponding to each word of said list of natural language words;

causing said Trouble Shooting Program to use said offset values to locate a solution to said problem in an Information Store of problem solutions; and

causing said Trouble Shooting Program to implement said solution to said problem.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said Information Store of problem solutions is resident on a local computing device.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said Information Store of problem solutions is resident on a remote server.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving, at a Character Interface, identification information about said problem, further comprises the step of receiving said natural language string from a menu of possible problems.

5. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said step of causing said Trouble Shooting Program to implement said solution to said problem, further comprises the steps of:

causing said Trouble Shooting Program to provide said solution through said Character Interface;

if said solution is acceptable, terminating operation of said Trouble Shooting Program; and

if said solution is not acceptable, causing said Trouble Shooting Program to return to said Information Store of problem solutions to obtain a second solution to said problem.

6. The method recited in claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

prior to returning to said Information Store to obtain a second solution to said problem,

downloading additional problem solutions to said Information Store;

after downloading said additional problem solutions, causing said Trouble Shooting Program to use said offset values to locate said second solution in said Information Store;

causing said Trouble Shooting Program to implement said second solution.

7. The method recited in claim 6, wherein said step of downloading additional problem solutions to said Information Store comprises the steps of:

interfacing said Trouble Shooting Program with a remote server via a distributed electronic network; and

downloading said additional problem solutions from an Internet-based database of problem solutions resident on said remote server.

8. The method recited in claim 6, wherein said step of downloading additional problem solutions to said Information Store comprises:

downloading said additional problem solutions from a computer-readable data storage medium.

9. A system for identifying and correcting a computer program problem, comprising:

a Character Interface operative to receive identification information about a computer program problem, said identification information including a natural language string describing said computer program problem;

a Trouble Shooting Program operative

to interface with said computer program,

to send said natural language string to a Natural Language Parser;

said Natural Language Parser being operative

to parse said natural language string into a list of natural language words, and

to send said list of natural language words to a Look-Up Table;

said Look-Up Table being operative

to generate offset values corresponding to each word of said list of natural language words; and

said Trouble Shooting Program being further operative

to use said offset values to locate a solution to said problem in a database of problem solutions, and

to implement said solution to correct said computer program problem.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said Character Interface is further operative to provide a selectable menu of possible computer program problems.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said Trouble Shooting Program is further operative

to interface with a remote server via the Internet;

and

to download additional problem solution resources to said database of problem solutions.

12. A computer-readable medium on which is stored a Trouble Shooting Program for identifying and correcting a computer program problem, said Trouble Shooting Program comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

receiving identification information about said problem via a Character Interface;

causing said Character Interface to provide said identification information to a Trouble Shooting Engine;

causing said Trouble Shooting Engine to generate offset values corresponding to said identification information;

if said identification information is received in the form of a natural language string, parsing said natural language string into a list of natural language words;

passing said list of natural language words to a Look-Up Table; and

causing said Look-Up Table to generate offset values corresponding to each word of said list of natural language words;

using said offset values generated by said Trouble Shooting Engine to locate a solution to said problem in a database of problem solutions; and

implementing said solution to said problem.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein said step of implementing said solution to said problem, further comprises the step of:

if said solution does not correct said problem, downloading additional problem solutions to said database of problem solutions from a remote server via the Internet.