Apparatus and method for adjusting interaction level, and storage medium for storing program therefor

• US 6,654,732 B1
• Filed: 07/23/1999
• Issued: 11/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Takayama, Kuniharu, Sekiguchi, Minoru, Maeda, Yoshiharu, Naito, Hirohisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Gordon, Paul P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US09/359,049
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45-47, 706/49
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric

Abstract

An automation level selection unit automatically selects one automation level corresponding to a given trigger based on a situation, the prediction of performance, the detection of a user reaction, or the record of a user operation in the past. A level-based process control unit controls a predetermined process corresponding to the automation level selected by the automation level selection unit.

Claims

1. An interaction level adjustment apparatus for use in a system which performs an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level, comprising:

a selector which automatically selects one interaction level, which indicates to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, based on a predetermined condition from among a plurality of selectable interaction levels; and

a controller which instructs the system to perform a process corresponding to the interaction level selected by said selector.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selector selects one interaction level based on a situation associated with the system.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a knowledge base which describes rules for selecting among the selectable interaction levels based on situations associated with the system, and

wherein said selector selects the interaction level from among the selectable interaction levels based on the situation associated with the system according to the rules described in the knowledge base.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising:

an editor which describes rules in said knowledge base at an instruction of a user, and edits said knowledge base.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein

said editor obtains rules from said knowledge base based on a history of user operations, and amends said knowledge base.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when a specific interaction level is repeatedly selected for a specific operation, said editor amends said knowledge base such that an interaction level higher than the specific interaction level can be selected when the specific operation is next performed.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when said system performs a predetermined operation, said selector selects an interaction level from among the selectable interaction levels based on at least one of performance of the system and performance of a user.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selector determines an interaction level to be selected, based on a reaction of a user when the system performs a specific operation at an interaction level, when the specific operation is next performed.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selector determines an interaction level to be selected, based on how a user is involved when a specific operation is performed by the system at an interaction level, when the specific operation is next performed.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a storage which stores an interaction level selection frame in which information about the selectable interaction levels is stored, and

wherein said selector selects the interaction level from said interaction level selection frame.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a generator which generates said interaction level selection frame by extracting at least one interaction level which is used in an operation performed by the system from among a plurality of reference interaction levels, and by assigning a process procedure corresponding to each extracted interaction level.

12. An interaction level adjustment apparatus for use in a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level, comprising:

a plurality of controllers, each of which selects one interaction level, which indicates to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, based on a predetermined condition from among a plurality of selectable interaction levels for corresponding operations, and instructs the system to perform a process corresponding to the selected interaction level; and

a manager which manages said plurality of controllers provided for the plurality of operations.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said manager generally manages an interaction level selected by said plurality of controllers.

14. An interaction level adjustment apparatus for use in a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level of an operation of the system, comprising:

a selector which selects one interaction level, which indicates to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, based on a predetermined condition from among a plurality of interaction levels;

a determiner which determines a process corresponding to the interaction level selected by said selector based on the operation performed by the system; and

a controller which instructs the system to perform the process determined by said determiner.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of interaction levels are determined based on an operation performed by the system.

16. An interaction level adjustment apparatus for use in a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level of an operation of the system, comprising:

a determiner which determines a plurality of interaction levels based on an operation performed by the system;

a linkage unit which links processes to corresponding interaction levels according to the operation performed by the system;

a selector which selects one interaction level, which indicates to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, based on a predetermined condition from among the plurality of interaction levels; and

a controller which instructs the system to perform the process linked to the interaction level selected by said selector.

17. An interaction level adjusting method for use with a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level indicating to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, comprising:

automatically determining whether the operation corresponding to the given trigger is to be performed interactively between the system and a user or automatically by the system, based on at least one of a situation related to the system, performance of at least one of the system and the user, a reaction of the user taken when the system performs an operation, and how the user has been involved in the operation performed by the system.

18. An interaction level adjusting method for use with a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level indicating to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, comprising:

automatically switching interaction levels set for the operation corresponding to the given trigger based on at least one of a situation related to the system, performance of at least one of the system and the user, a reaction of the user taken when the system performs an operation, and how the user has been involved in the operation performed by the system.

19. An interaction level adjusting method for use with a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level, comprising:

selecting one interaction level, which indicates to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, from among a plurality of interaction levels based on at least one of a situation related to the system, performance of at least one of the system and the user, a reaction of the user taken when the system performs an operation, and how the user has been involved in the operation performed by the system; and

instructing the system to perform a process corresponding to the selected interaction level.

20. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for use in a system for performing an operation corresponding to a given trigger and for adjusting an interaction level by directing a computer to perform a method comprising:

selecting one interaction level, which indicates to what extent the operation is performed through an interactive process between the system and a user of the system, from among a plurality of interaction levels based on at least one of a situation related to the system, performance of at least one of the system and the user, a reaction of the user taken when the system performs an operation, and how the user has been involved in the operation performed by the system; and

instructing the system to perform a process corresponding to the selected interaction level.