Method for categorizing, describing and modeling types of system users

• US 6,853,966 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2002
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bushey, Robert R., Mauney, Jennifer M.
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US10/134,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 703/13, 706/46, 345/326, 345/327, 345/440, 705/10, 705/1, 707/102, 707/101
• US Class Current: 703/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A method is provided for modeling types of customer service representatives that use a customer service representative interface. The models are used to provide data for designing the customer service representative interface. The method includes identifying behavior types of customer service representatives that use the customer service representative interface and modeling the identified behavior types of the customer service representatives to design a desired customer service representative interface.

Claims

1. A method for modeling types of customer service representatives that use a customer service representative interface, the models being used to provide data for designing the customer service representative interface, comprising:

identifying a plurality of behavior types of a plurality of customer service representatives that use the customer service representative interface; and

modeling the identified behavior types of the customer service representatives to design a desired customer service representative interface.

2. The method recited in claim 1, further comprising describing behaviors associated with a behavior type, based on behaviors of selected customer service representatives associated with the behavior type.

3. The method recited in claim 2, wherein the behaviors include at least one of navigation behaviors, parallel processing behaviors and customer sales behaviors.

4. The method recited in claim 2, further comprising charting the behaviors on at least one of a two dimensional chart, a three dimensional chart and a four dimensional chart.

5. The method recited in claim 4 wherein the dimensions include at least one of performance measures, cognitive workload measures, behavioral measures and user characteristic measures.

6. The method recited in claim 4 wherein the dimensions include a combination of performance, cognitive workload, behavioral, and user characteristic measures.

7. The method recited in claim 2 wherein describing is related to examining the behaviors for similarities within a plurality of groups associated with the identified behavior types.

8. The method recited in claim 2 wherein describing is related to examining the behaviors for differences between a plurality of groups associated with the identified behavior types.

9. The method recited in claim 2, wherein describing comprises listing tasks by frequency and importance and selecting a task from the most important and frequent tasks for detailed task analysis.

10. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the detailed task analysis comprises capturing at least one of the perceptual, cognitive, and motor stages of human behavior.

11. The method recited in claim 10 further comprising quantifying each stage as to processing speed and cognitive load.

12. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the detailed task analysis is accomplished by using at least one of a GOMS and modified GOMS methodology.

13. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the models include qualitative models.

14. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the models include quantitative models.

15. The method recited in claim 14 wherein the quantitative models incorporate the capability to make numerical performance predictions.

16. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the models of the behaviors are constructed in an interactive process that results in the models representing the strategies and activities for each group.

17. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising validating the models.

18. The method recited in claim 17 wherein validating the models uses actual data.

19. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising creating a user interface using information from the models.

20. A method for modeling behaviors of customer service representative interface users, the models being used to provide data for designing a customer service representative interface, comprising:

creating a list of desirable behaviors;

obtaining data related to the desirable behaviors from a plurality of users;

identifying groups of users with similar desirable behaviors;

selecting at least one user from each user group to represent the user group'"'"'s behavior;

obtaining additional data from the selected users, the additional data being related to the selected users'"'"' behaviors; and

creating models of said selected users'"'"' behaviors to design a desired customer service representative interface, based on the additional data obtained from the selected users.