Functionality recommendation system

• US 7,240,353 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Yeluri, Vijaykalyan, Lau, Denny W., Feingold, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr.; Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US10/996,714
• Publication Number:
  US 20060179023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 951 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705/37, 700/17, 700/83, 725/9, 725/24, 707/2, 707/6, 707/10, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 725/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a system, method and computer instructions for recommending functionality to users of a system with one or more users. In an embodiment, a functionality recommendation system includes a usage tracking module for tracking usage of functionality by users of a system with one or more users and a recommendation module for: (1) suggesting functionality to users not using the functionality; and/or (2) prompting users of functionality to suggest use of that functionality to users not using the functionality. The functionality recommendation system may also include a recommendation listing module that organizes suggestions, a recommendation output module that outputs suggestions, and/or a functionality tutorial module that outputs information regarding suggested functionality, for example.

Claims

1. A functionality recommendation system comprising:

a usage tracking module comprising a table and a counter, wherein said table includes an entry for a functionality available on a picture arching and communicating system workstation, and wherein said counter tracks the usage of said functionality by a user group; and

a recommendation module capable of suggesting that one or more non-users of said functionality use said functionality based on said usage,

wherein said recommendation module suggests said functionality to one or more non-users when at least a configurable percentage of said user group use said functionality, and

wherein said recommendation module does not suggest said functionality to one or more non-users when the percentage of said user group that use said functionality is less than said configurable percentage.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recommendation listing module that organizes suggestions generated by said recommendation module.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recommendation output module that outputs one or more suggestions generated by said recommendation module.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a functionality tutorial module that outputs information regarding said functionality.

5. A method for recommending a functionality comprising:

tracking usage of a functionality available on a picture arching and communicating system workstation by one or more members of a user group;

when at least a configurable percentage of said user group use said functionality, suggesting said functionality to one or more members of said user group that do not use said functionality;

when the percentage of said user group that use said functionality is less than the configurable percentage. not suggesting said functionality to one or more members of said user group that do not use said functionality.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising outputting one or more suggestions to one or more members of said user group.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising outputting a functionality tutorial that contains information regarding said functionality to one or more members of said user group.

8. A computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for a computer, the set of instructions comprising:

a usage tracking routine for tracking usage of a functionality available on a picture arching and communicating system workstation by a user group; and

a recommendation routine for suggesting one or more non-users of said functionality use said functionality based on said usage,

wherein said recommendation routine suggests said functionality to one or more non-users when at least a configurable percentage of said user group use said functionality, and

wherein said recommendation routine does not suggest said functionality to one or more non-users when the percentage of said user group that use said functionality is less than the configurable percentage.

9. The set of instructions of claim 8, further comprising a recommendation listing routine for organizing suggestions generated by said recommendation routine.

10. The set of instructions of claim 8, further comprising a recommendation output routine for outputting one or more suggestions generated by said recommendation routine.

11. The set of instructions of claim 8, further comprising a functionality tutorial routine for outputting information regarding said functionality.

12. A functionality recommendation system comprising:

a usage tracking module comprising a table and a counter, wherein said table includes an entry for a functionality and said counter tracks the usage of said functionality by a user group; and

a recommendation module capable of prompting one or more users of said functionality to suggest that one or more non-users of said functionality use said functionality based on said usage,

wherein said recommendation module prompts said one or more users to suggest said functionality to said one or more non-users when at least a configurable percentage of said user group does not use said functionality, and

wherein said recommendation module does not prompt said one or more users to suggest said functionality to said one or more non-users when the percentage of said user group that does not use said functionality is less than the configurable percentage.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a recommendation listing module that organizes suggestions generated by said recommendation module.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a recommendation output module that outputs one or more suggestions generated by said recommendation module.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a functionality tutorial module that outputs information regarding said functionality.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein said functionality is available on a picture arching and communicating system workstation.

17. A method for recommending a functionality comprising:

tracking usage of a functionality by one or more members of a user group;

when at least a configurable percentage of said user group does not use said functionality, prompting one or more members of said user group that use said functionality to suggest said functionality to one or more members of said user group that do not use said functionality; and

when the percentage of said user group that does not use said functionality is less than the configurable percentage, not prompting one or more members of said user group that use said functionality to suggest said functionality to one or more members of said user group that do not use said functionality.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising outputting one or more suggestions to one or more members of said user group.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising outputting a functionality tutorial that contains information regarding said functionality to one or more members of said user group.

20. A computer-readable storage medium including a set of instructions for a computer, the set of instructions comprising:

a usage tracking routine for tracking usage of a functionality by a user group; and

a recommendation routine for prompting one or more users of said functionality to suggest that one or more non-users of said functionality use said functionality based on said usage,

wherein said recommendation routine prompts said one or more users to suggest said functionality to said one or more non-users when at least a configurable percentage of said user group does not use said functionality, and

wherein said recommendation routine does not prompt said one or more users to suggest said functionality to said one or more non-users when the percentage of said user group that does not use said functionality is less than the configurable percentage.

21. The set of instructions of claim 20, further comprising a recommendation listing routine for organizing suggestions generated by said recommendation routine.

22. The set of instructions of claim 20, further comprising a recommendation output routine for outputting one or more suggestions generated by said recommendation routine.

23. The set of instructions of claim 20, further comprising a functionality tutorial routine for outputting information regarding said functionality.