Information processing device and method

• US 7,272,793 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2003
• Issued: 09/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Komori, Yasuhiro, Mutsuno, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Kieu D.
• Application Number:
  US10/688,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,433 Days
• Field of Search: 715/705, 715/707, 715/866, 434/365, 434/350
• US Class Current: 715/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

An information processing device according to the present invention is included in an information processing apparatus and outputs guidance information for an operation performed for the information processing apparatus by a user. In the information processing device, a user information acquisition unit identifies a user who is operating the information processing device, and an input control unit identifies the type of operation performed by the user. The information processing device also includes an operation history database for storing operation history information unique to the user and a voice guidance database for storing at least one piece of guidance information on the operation. A guidance selection unit selects appropriate guidance information on the basis of the operation history information on the operation unique to the user, and a voice output unit outputs the selected guidance information.

Claims

1. An information processing device included in an information processing apparatus and outputting guidance information for an operation performed for the information processing apparatus by a user, the information processing device comprising:

history information storing means for storing operation history information unique to the user, the operation history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has performed each operation;

operation identification means for identifying the type of operation performed by the user;

guidance information storing means for storing at least simple guidance information and detailed guidance information which is more detailed than the simple guidance information for a single operation;

selection means for selecting appropriate guidance information from the guidance information storing means on the basis of the operation history information on the operation unique to the user; and

output means for outputting the selected guidance information,

wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, and

wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information.

2. An information processing device according to claim 1, further comprising determination means for determining the degree of the user'"'"'s knowledge about the operation on the basis of the operation history information on the user, wherein

the selection means selects appropriate guidance information from the guidance information storing means on the basis of the results determined by the determination means.

3. An information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the output means outputs the guidance information by voice.

4. An information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the output speed of the voice guidance is increased when the number of times the operation has been performed is larger than the first threshold, and the output speed of the voice guidance is reduced when the number of times the operation has been performed is smaller then the second threshold.

5. An information processing device included in an information processing apparatus and outputting guidance information for troubleshooting of the information processing apparatus used by a user, the information processing device comprising:

history information storing means for storing trouble history information unique to the user, the trouble history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has experienced each kind of trouble during the use of the information apparatus;

trouble identification means for identifying the type of trouble the user experiences;

guidance information storing means for storing at least simple guidance information and detailed guidance information which is more detailed than the simple guidance information for troubleshooting for a single kind of trouble;

selection means for selecting appropriate guidance information from the guidance information storing means on the basis of the trouble history information on the trouble unique to the user; and

output means for outputting the selected guidance information;

wherein, when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, and

wherein, when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information.

6. An information processing device according to claim 5, further comprising determination means for determining the degree of the user'"'"'s knowledge about the troubleshooting on the basis of the trouble history information on the user, wherein

the selection means selects appropriate guidance information from the guidance information storing means on the basis of the results determined by the determination means.

7. An information processing method for outputting guidance information for an operation performed for an information processing apparatus by a user, the information processing method comprising:

an operation identification step of identifying the type of operation performed by the user;

a selection step of selecting appropriate guidance information from a guidance information storing unit on the basis of operation history information on the operation unique to the user, wherein the storing unit stores at least simple guidance information and detailed guidance information which is more detailed than the simple guidance information for a single operation, wherein the operation history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has performed each operation; and

an output step of outputting the selected guidance information,

wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, and

wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information.

8. An information processing method according to claim 7, further comprising a determination step of determining the degree of the user'"'"'s knowledge about the operation on the basis of the operation history information on the user, wherein

in the selection step, appropriate guidance information is selected from the guidance information storing unit on the basis of the results determined by the determination step.

9. An information processing method according to claim 7, wherein, in the output step, the guidance information is output by voice.

10. An information processing method for outputting guidance information for troubleshooting of an information processing apparatus used by a user, the information processing method comprising:

a trouble identification step of identifying the type of trouble the user experiences;

a selection step of selecting appropriate guidance information from a guidance information storing unit on the basis of trouble history information on the trouble unique to the user, wherein the storing unit stores at least simple guidance information and detailed guidance information which is more detailed than the simple guidance information for troubleshooting for a single kind of trouble, wherein the trouble history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has experienced each kind of trouble during the use of the information apparatus; and

an output step of outputting the selected guidance information,

wherein, when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, and

wherein, when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information.

11. An information processing method according to claim 10, further comprising a determination step of determining the degree of the user'"'"'s knowledge about the troubleshooting on the basis of the trouble history information on the user, wherein

in the selection step, appropriate guidance information is selected from the guidance information storing unit on the basis of the results determined by the determination step.

12. An information processing method for outputting guidance information for an operation performed for an information processing apparatus by a user or outputting guidance information for troubleshooting of the information processing apparatus used by the user, the information processing method comprising:

an identification step of identifying the type of operation performed by the user or identifying the type of trouble the user experiences;

a selection step of selecting appropriate guidance information from a guidance information storing unit on the basis of operation history information on the operation unique to the user or on the basis of trouble history information on the trouble unique to the user, the storing unit stores at least simple guidance information and detailed guidance information which is more detailed than the simple guidance information for troubleshooting for a single kind of trouble, and wherein the storing unit stores the operation history information, wherein the operation history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has performed each operation, and wherein the trouble history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has experienced each kind of trouble during the use of the information apparatus; and

an output step of outputting the selected guidance information, wherein when the selection is based;

on trouble history, so that when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, wherein, when the number of times the user has experienced the trouble is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information;

or

on operation history, so that when the number of times the user has performed the operation is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, and wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information.

13. An information processing method according to claim 12, further comprising a determination step of determining the degree of the user'"'"'s knowledge about the operation on the basis of the operation history information on the user or determining the degree of the user'"'"'s knowledge about the troubleshooting on the basis of the trouble history information on the user, wherein

in the selection step, appropriate guidance information is selected from the guidance information storing unit on the basis of the results determined by the determination step.

14. An information processing method according to claim 13, wherein the guidance information for the troubleshooting is output in preference to the guidance information for the operation.

15. An information processing method according to claim 12, wherein the guidance information for the troubleshooting is output in preference to the guidance information for the operation.

16. A program, stored on a medium that can be read by a machine, for causing a computer to output guidance information for an operation performed for an information processing apparatus by a user, the program comprising:

an operation identification step of identifying the type of operation performed by the user;

a selection step of selecting appropriate guidance information from a guidance information storing unit on the basis of operation history information on the operation unique to the user, wherein the storing unit stores at least simple guidance information and detailed guidance information which is more detailed than the simple guidance information for a single operation, wherein the operation history information comprises at least the number of times and time information of which the user has performed each operation; and

an output step of outputting the selected guidance information,

wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is smaller than a first threshold or when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold but the time difference between the current time information and the time information of the operation history is longer than a second threshold, the selection means selects the detailed guidance information, and

wherein, when the number of times the user has performed the operation is larger than the first threshold and the time difference of the operation is shorter than the second threshold, the selection means selects the simple guidance information.