Automatic invocation of computational resources without user intervention across a network

• US 6,633,861 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Issued: 10/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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): STARKS, WILBERT L
• Application Number:
  US09/916,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20010051938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45, 706/47, 345/825, 707/3, 707/10, 709/220, 709/218
• US Class Current: 706/47
• 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: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A system is described for automatically invoking computational resources without intervention or request from a user of the system. The computational resources may operating by searching across a network, or may themselves be located across a network. 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 computer network for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer network comprising:

a communication network;

a first computer coupled to the communication network, the first computer configured to operate a base application; and

a second computer coupled to the first computer via the communication network, the second computer configured to operate a computational resource;

wherein the first computer is configured to receive the user interaction via the base application, to determine information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction, to dynamically construct an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context, and to communicate the instruction to the second computer;

wherein the second computer is configured to execute the instruction received from the first computer using the computational resource to generate the result, and to communicate the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

wherein the first computer is configured to display the result.

2. A computer network for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer network comprising:

a communication network;

a first computer coupled to the communication network, the first computer configured to operate a base application; and

a second computer coupled to the first computer via the communication network, the second computer configured to operate a computational resource;

wherein the first computer is configured to receive the user interaction via the base application, to determine information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction, and to communicate the information characterizing the context to the second computer;

wherein the second computer is configured to dynamically construct an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context received from the first computer, to execute the instruction using the computational resource to generate the result, and to communicate the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

wherein the first computer is configured to display the result.

3. A computer network for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer network comprising:

a communication network;

a first computer coupled to the communication network, the first computer configured to operate a base application; and

a second computer coupled to the first computer via the communication network, the second computer configured to operate a computational resource;

wherein the first computer is configured to receive the user interaction via the base application, and to communicate the user interaction to the second computer;

wherein the second computer is configured to determine information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction received from the first computer, to dynamically construct an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context, to execute the instruction using the computational resource to generate the result, and to communicate the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

wherein the first computer is configured to display the result.

4. A data processing system for dynamically invoking a computational resource comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory configured to store instructions for execution by the processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions for operating a base application;

instructions for receiving a user interaction via the base application;

instructions for operating an agent configured to establish information characterizing a context based on the user interaction received via the base application; and

instructions for dynamically instructing a computational resource to generate a result by performing computational operations in response to the information characterizing the context.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the instructions for receiving the user interaction comprise instructions for receiving status information for an apparatus being diagnosed.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the status information for the apparatus comprises information related to a symptom associated with the apparatus.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the result generated by the computational resource indicates a fault corresponding to the symptom.

8. The system of claim 4 wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for executing the computational resource.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein the instructions for dynamically instructing the computational resource comprise instructions for accessing the computational resource via a communication network coupled to the system.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein the memory is further configured to store instructions for outputting the result.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein the computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

12. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer program product comprising:

code for operating a base application;

code for receiving the user interaction via the base application;

code for determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction received via the base application;

code for dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context;

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

code for outputting the result.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the code for determining the information characterizing the context comprises:

code for operating an agent configured to monitor the user interaction; and

code for determining the information characterizing the context based on the user interaction monitored by the agent.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the code for receiving the user interaction comprises code for receiving status information for an apparatus being diagnosed.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the status information for the apparatus comprises information related to a symptom associated with the apparatus.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the result generated by the computational resource indicates a fault corresponding to the symptom.

17. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising code for executing the computational resource.

18. The computer program product of claim 12 further comprising code for accessing the computational resource via a network.

19. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.

20. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer program product comprising:

code for operating a base application on a first computer;

code for receiving the user interaction via the base application on the first computer;

code for determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction on the first computer;

code for dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context on the first computer;

code for communicating the instruction from the first computer to a second computer;

code for operating a computational resource on the second computer;

code for generating the result, using the computational resource, by executing the instruction received from the first computer on the second computer;

code for communicating the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

code for outputting the result on the first computer.

21. A computer program product stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer program product comprising:

code for operating a base application on a first computer;

code for receiving the user interaction via the base application on the first computer;

code for determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction on the first computer;

code for communicating the information characterizing the context from the first computer to a second computer;

code for dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context on the second computer;

code for operating a computational resource on the second computer;

code for generating the result, using the computational resource, by executing the instruction on the second computer;

code for communicating the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

code for outputting the result on the first computer.

22. A computer program product, stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the computer program product comprising:

code for operating a base application on a first computer;

code for receiving the user interaction via the base application on the first computer;

code for communicating the user interaction from the first computer to a second computer;

code for determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction on the second computer;

code for dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context on the second computer;

code for operating a computational resource on the second computer;

code for generating the result, using the computational resource, by executing the instruction on the second computer;

code for communicating the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

code for outputting the result on the first computer.

23. A computer-implemented method of outputting a result in response to a user interaction, the method comprising:

operating a base application;

receiving the user interaction via the base application;

determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction received via the base application;

dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context;

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

outputting the result.

24. In a system comprising a first computer and a second computer coupled to a communication network, a method of dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the method comprising:

operating a base application on the first computer;

operating a computational resource on the second computer;

receiving, at the first computer, the user interaction via the base application;

determining, at the first computer, information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction;

dynamically constructing, at the first computer, an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context;

communicating the instruction from the first computer to the second computer;

executing, at the second computer, the instruction received from the first computer using the computational resource to generate the result;

communicating the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

outputting the result using the first computer.

25. In a system comprising a first computer and a second computer coupled to a communication network, a method of dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the method comprising:

operating a base application on the first computer;

receiving the user interaction via the base application on the first computer;

determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction on the first computer;

communicating the information characterizing the context from the first computer to the second computer;

dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context on the second computer;

operating a computational resource on the second computer;

generating the result, using the computational resource, by executing the instruction on the second computer;

communicating the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

outputting the result on the first computer.

26. In a system comprising a first computer and a second computer coupled to a communication network, a method of dynamically generating a result responsive to a user interaction, the method comprising:

operating a base application on the first computer;

receiving the user interaction via the base application on the first computer;

communicating the user interaction from the first computer to the second computer;

determining information characterizing a context defined by the user interaction on the second computer;

dynamically constructing an instruction responsive to the information characterizing the context on the second computer;

operating a computational resource on the second computer;

generating the result, using the computational resource, by executing the instruction on the second computer;

communicating the result from the second computer to the first computer; and

outputting the result on the first computer.

27. A system for dynamically invoking a computational resource comprising:

means for operating a base application;

means for receiving a user interaction via the base application;

means for determining information characterizing a context based on the user interaction received via the base application; and

means for dynamically instructing a computational resource to generate a result by performing computational operations in response to the information characterizing the context.

28. A method of dynamically invoking a computational resource comprising:

operating a base application;

receiving a user input via the base application;

determining information characterizing a context based upon the user input received via the base application; and

dynamically instructing a computational resource to generate a result by performing a computational operation in response to the information characterizing the context.

29. A method of dynamically invoking a computational resource comprising:

operating a base application;

receiving a user input via the base application;

determining information characterizing a context based upon the user input received via the base application;

configuring an instruction in response to the information characterizing the context; and

executing the instruction to a result using a computational resource.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein receiving the user input comprises receiving status information for an apparatus being diagnosed.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein receiving the status information for the apparatus being diagnosed comprises receiving information related to a symptom associated with the apparatus.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein executing the instruction to generate the result using the computational resource comprises indicating a fault corresponding to the symptom.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein executing the instruction to generate the result using the computational resource comprises executing the computational resource.

34. The method of claim 29 wherein executing the instruction to generate the result using the computational resource comprises accessing the computational resource via a communication network.

35. The method of claim 29 wherein executing the instruction to generate the result using the computational resource comprises outputting the result.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the computational resource comprises an information retrieval system.