Automatic invocation of computational resources without user intervention

• US 6,041,182 A
• Filed: 05/24/1996
• Issued: 03/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited, Ricoh Corporation (Ricoh Company Limited)
• Inventors: Graham, Jamey, Hart, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Application Number:
  US08/653,601
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 395/702, 395/704, 395/709, 395/712, 395/163, 395/705, 702/82, 702/183, 710/8, 364/468.15, 706/11
• US Class Current: 706/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 7/01 Probabilistic graphical models, e.g. probabilistic networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/927 Education or instruction
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 706/934 Information retrieval or Information management

Abstract

A system is described for automatically invoking computational resources without intervention or request from a user of the system. In the system a query-free information retrieval system is described in which the exact technical documentation contained in existing user or other technical manuals is provided to a user investigating apparatus having a fault. The user enters symptoms based upon the user'"'"'s analysis of the apparatus, and in response the system provides information concerning likely faults with the apparatus. As the symptoms are entered, the relative value of individual faults is determined and related to the symptoms they cause. The user can then select technical information relating to probable faults in the system.

Claims

1. A system for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user comprising:

means for operating for the user a base application such that the computational resource is external to the base application;

means for receiving into the base application a series of user interactions which establish a context; and

means for in response to the series of user interactions dynamically instructing, responsive to the context, the computational resource to perform selected computational operations, said system integrated within a single computer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said single computer is a laptop.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein the computational resource comprises a computing system having an information retrieval system.

4. A system as in claim 3 wherein the computational resource further comprises a database system.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein the means for operating for the user a base application comprises an expert system.

6. A system as in claim 5 wherein the expert system further comprises a belief network.

7. A system as in claim 1 wherein the means for receiving into the base application a series of user interactions which establish a context comprises a data entry device.

8. A system as in claim 1 wherein the means for instructing the computational resource in response to the series of user interactions comprises means for displaying the availability of information to the user.

9. In a data processing system, a method for dynamically generating a result responsive to a series of user interactions, said method comprising:

operating a base application and a computational resource external to the base application using a single computer;

receiving, using the base application, the series of user interactions;

monitoring a context defined by the series of user interactions;

dynamically constructing an instruction to the computational resource responsive to the context;

executing, using the computational resource, the instruction to generate a result; and

displaying the result.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system and said executing the instruction comprises retrieving an indication of the availability of information.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said computational resource comprises a database system and said executing the instruction comprises accessing a database.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said dynamically constructing an instruction comprises formulating a query responsive to the context.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein operating the base application comprises operating an expert system.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein operating the base application further comprises operating a belief network.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system and said executing the instruction comprises retrieving an indication of availability of information.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

said receiving a series of user interactions comprises receiving entries of symptoms about a condition; and

said retrieved indication of availability refers to information about the condition.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the expert system includes probabilistic information relating to individual symptoms to the condition which causes those symptoms;

and wherein said executing the instruction further comprises retrieving documentation about the condition.

18. In a data processing system, a method for accessing information, said method comprising:

operating a base application that receives a sequence of user inputs;

operating a computational resource external to the base application;

monitoring a context defined by the sequence of user inputs to the base application;

dynamically constructing a query to the computational resource responsive to the context;

searching with the computational resource, using the query, for information relevant to the context.

19. A method for dynamically invoking a computational resource on a computer comprising:

operating on the computer a base application external to the computational resource;

receiving into the base application a series of user interactions which establish a context; and

dynamically instructing in response to the series of user interactions, responsive to the context, the computational resource to perform selected computational operations;

wherein said base application and said computational resource external to the base application reside in a single computer.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein said dynamically instructing comprises instructing an information retrieval system.

21. A method as in claim 19 wherein said dynamically instructing comprises instructing a database system.

22. A method as in claim 19 wherein said operating comprises operating an expert system.

23. A method as in claim 19 wherein said operating further comprises operating a belief network.

24. A computer system comprising:

a memory;

a display;

a processor, connected to the memory and the display by a bus, the processor operatively disposed to;

operate a base application and a computational resource external to the base application;

receive using the base application, a series of user interactions;

monitor a context defined by the series of user interactions;

dynamically construct an instruction to the computational resource responsive to the context;

execute, using the computational resource, the instruction to generate a result; and

display the result.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein said computer system is a laptop computer.

26. A system for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user comprising:

means for operating for the user a base application such that the computational resource is external to the base application;

means for receiving into the base application a series of user interactions which establish a context; and

means for in response to the series of user interactions dynamically instructing, responsive to the context, the computational resource to perform selected computational operations, said means for dynamically instructing employing a belief network, said system embodied within a single computer.

27. In a data processing system, a method for accessing information comprising:

operating a base application that receives a sequence of user inputs;

operating a computational resource external to the base application;

monitoring a context defined by the sequence of user inputs to the base application;

dynamically constructing a query to the computational resource responsive to the context using a belief network;

searching with the computational resource, using the query, for information relevant to the context; and

displaying information discovered in said searching.

28. A computer-readable storage medium storing software for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said software comprising:

a base application receiving a sequence of user interactions;

said computational resource, wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system; and

software for, in response to a context established by said series of user interactions, dynamically instructing the computational resource to perform selected computational operations.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 28 wherein said computational resource stores established links between contexts and sequences of user interactions.

30. A computer-readable medium storing software for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said software comprising:

a base application receiving a series of user interactions; and

software for, in response to a context established by said series of user interactions, dynamically instructing a computational resource to perform selected computational operations.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein said computational resource stores established links between contexts and sequences of user interactions.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

33. A computer-readable medium storing software for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said software comprising:

software that monitors a series of user interactions with a base application and that dynamically instructs, in response to a context established by said series of user interactions, a computational resource to perform selected computational operations;

wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein said computational resource stores established links between contexts and sequences of user interactions.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

36. A computer program product for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said product comprising:

code that operates for the user a base application such that the computational resource is external to the base application;

code that receives into the base application a series of user interactions which establish a context;

code that, for in response to the series of user interactions, dynamically instructs, responsive to the context, the computational resource to perform selected computational operations; and

a computer-readable storage medium for storing the codes.

37. The computer program product of claim 36 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

38. A computer program product for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said product comprising:

code that operates for the user a base application such that the computational resource is external to the base application;

code that receives into the base application a series of user interactions which establish a context;

code that, in response to the series of user interactions, dynamically instructs, responsive to the context, the computational resource to perform selected computational operations; and

a computer-readable storage medium for loading said codes into a computer.

39. The computer program product of claim 38 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

40. The computer program product of claim 39 wherein said code that dynamically instructs comprises code for formulating a query to said information retrieval system.

41. A computer system comprising a computer-readable storage medium for storing software for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said software comprising:

a base application receiving a sequence of user interactions;

said computational resource, wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system; and

software for, in response to a context established by said series of user interactions, dynamically instructing the computational resource to perform selected computational operations.

42. A computer system comprising a computer-readable medium storing software for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user said software comprising:

a base application receiving a series of user interactions; and

software for, in response to a context established by said series of user interactions, dynamically instructing a computational resource to perform selected computational operations.

43. The computer system of claim 42 wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

44. A computer system comprising a computer-readable medium storing software for dynamically invoking a computational resource for a user, said software comprising:

software that monitors a series of user interactions with a base application and that dynamically instructs, in response to a context established by said series of user interactions, a computational resource to perform selected computational operations; and

wherein said computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.