Apparatus and methods for analyzing software systems

• US 6,384,843 B1
• Filed: 01/06/2000
• Issued: 05/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ergolight Limited
• Original Assignee: Ergolight Limited
• Inventors: Harel, Avraham
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao H.
• Application Number:
  US09/478,758
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: 345/333, 345/334, 345/335, 345/336, 345/337, 345/338, 345/339, 345/762, 345/765, 345/744, 345/705, 345/707, 345/764, 419/118, 419/119, 703/22, 703/23
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

Computerized apparatus for identifying human difficulties in operating a computerized system, the apparatus including a human difficulty identifier operative to identify putative instances of an end user'"'"'s experience of difficulty in operating the computerized system, an operation recorder operative to store a record of the end user'"'"'s operations during each such putative instance, an intention recorder operative to prompt an end user to indicate his intention during each such putative instance and to store the intention in association with the record of operations for the putative instance and an output generator operative to generate an output indication of the record of operations and of the end user'"'"'s intention for each of the putative instances of experiences of difficulty.

Claims

1. Computerized apparatus for identifying usability problems occurring in the course of operating a computerized system, the apparatus including:

a candidate usability problem identifier operative to generate records of occurrences of putative usability problems by monitoring an end user who is using the computerized system;

a candidate usability problem database operative to store the records of occurrences of putative usability problems; and

a database accessing unit operative to access the database and to derive therefrom information useful for resolving the usability problems.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the database accessing unit includes a helpdesk access unit operative to access the database and to derive therefrom, on-line, information useful for operating a helpdesk.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the database accessing unit includes a developer'"'"'s access unit operative to access the database and to derive therefrom information useful for redesigning the computerized system.

4. Computerized apparatus for identifying human difficulties in operating a computerized system, the apparatus including:

a human difficulty identifier operative to identify putative instances of an end user'"'"'s experience of difficulty in operating the computerized system;

an operation recorder operative to store a record of the end user'"'"'s operations during each said putative instance; and

an output generator operative to generate an output indication of the record of operations for each of the putative instances of experiences of difficulty.

5. Apparatus for identifying usability problems encountered when using developer-defined computerized systems each having a user interface, the apparatus including:

a user interface description elicitor operative to elicit from a developer of a developer-defined computerized system, and to record, a description of the user interface of the computerized system;

a usability problem recorder operative to record usability problem data; and

a usability problem occurrence analyzer using the description to analyze occurrences of usability problems recorded by the usability problem recorder.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the usability problem recorder is operative to monitor an end user'"'"'s interaction with the computerized system in order to identify automatically detectable usability problems.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the usability problem recorder is also operative to request the end user'"'"'s confirmation of automatically detectable usability problems.

8. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the usability problem recorder is operative to accept a user-initiated report of a usability problem.

9. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the usability problem recorder is operative to accept a user-initiated report of a usability problem.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the user interface description elicitor is operative to store associations between components of a user interface of a computerized system and between functions of the computerized system.

11. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the user interface includes a plurality of input options, the apparatus also including an input option frequency recorder operative to accumulate input option frequency information including frequency of utilization for each of said plurality of input options.

12. Apparatus according to claim 11 and also including a user interface redeveloper operative to recommend a modification of at least a portion of the user interface based at least partly on the input option frequency information.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 and also including a user interface redeveloper operative to recommend a modification of at least a portion of the user interface based at least partly on the usability problem data.

14. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the usability problem data includes a record of each occurrence of a usability problem, expressed in terms of the description.

15. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the usability problem recorder is operative, when recording the occurrence of a usability problem, to prompt the end user to indicate his intention when the usability problem occurred.

16. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the usability problem recorder is operative to accept from an end user an explanation of his intention phrased in his own words.

17. Apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the capability problem recorder is operative to prompt an end user to indicate his intention as a combination of at least one functions of a computerized system.

18. Apparatus according to claim 15 and also including a troubleshooter operative to troubleshoot by analyzing an end user'"'"'s indicated intention.

19. Apparatus for developing a computerized system operative to perform a multiplicity of system functions responsive to a corresponding multiplicity of user interface components respectively, the multiplicity of user interface components forming a user interface, the apparatus including a computerized system usage statistics accumulator operative to accumulate computerized statistics regarding usage of the computerized system;

and a user interface modification aid operative to propose a modification of the user interface based on the computerized statistics;

a user interface description elicitor operative to elicit from a developer of a developer-defined computerized system, and to record, a description of the user interface of the computerized system;

a usability problem recorder operative to record usability problem data; and

a usability problem occurrence analyzer using the description to analyze occurrences of usability problems recorded by the usability problem recorder.

20. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the computerized system usage statistics accumulator includes a user difficulty accumulator operative to accumulate computerized statistics regarding difficulties encountered by end users of the computerized system.

21. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein if the statistics indicate that an individual user interface component causes substantial difficulty, the user interface modification aid is operative to propose that the user interface be modified such that the system function is not performed responsive to the individual user interface component.

22. Apparatus according to claim 20 wherein the user difficulty accumulator is operative to identify mode errors based on the computerized statistics regarding difficulties.

23. Apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the computerized system usage statistics accumulator includes a user interface component counter operative to count the number of times each user interface component is activated by at least one end user of the computerized system.