System and method of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem using an archetype process

• US 7,596,537 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zxibix Inc.
• Original Assignee: Zxibix Inc.
• Inventors: Heidenreich, James Ralph, Higgins, Linda Shawn
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes; Michael B
• Application Number:
  US11/710,051
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/00 Computing arrangements using knowledge-based models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide computer implemented systems and methods of facilitating and evaluating user thinking about an arbitrary problem. The system includes first logic to specify at least one problem to populate at least one problem statement structure. It also includes second logic to populate at least one conclusion, to populate at least one conclusion structure. It also includes third logic to facilitate specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the problem or conclusions. Certain embodiments include control logic to persuade user interaction with the first, second, and third logic within a defined set of interaction sequences, wherein the defined set of interaction sequences define an archetype process for user thinking about the problem.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system for facilitating, evaluating, and guiding user development of thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in a computer readable storage medium, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to facilitate user specification and population of at least one problem structure, or at least one conclusion structure, or both, related to the arbitrary problem, said conclusion specification related to the problem specification when both occur;

instructions to facilitate user specification and population of at least one knowledge structure, related to the problem specification, the conclusion specification, or both;

instructions to persuade user interaction and specification to a series of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about the arbitrary problem;

instructions to construct a user model structure comprising user development of the problem structure, conclusion structure, and knowledge structure;

instructions to display or output a resulting user structure;

instructions to evaluate user actions relative to the archetype process or an exemplary archetype model structure, or both, and to provide suggestions to the user regarding actions to take in developing their thinking about an arbitrary problem, in display or output.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to evaluate user interaction relative to an archetype process for user thinking about an arbitrary problem.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to evaluate the user model structure relative to an exemplary archetype model structure.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the archetype model structure is a dynamic structure that is responsive to user actions.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the archetype model structure comprises a set of rules specifying relationships among the problem structure, the conclusion structure and the knowledge structure.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to perform gap analysis between archetype process expectations and the user model structure, to determine suggestions for the user.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein a suggestion comprises a suggestion of next steps for the user to take.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein a suggestion comprises a suggestion to make an addition or modification to the problem structure, conclusion structure, or knowledge structure.

9. The system of claim 1 where a suggestion comprises a suggestion to create or modify linkages in the user model structure.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising that a suggestion is provided in the form of an automatically generated suggested addition or modification to the problem structure, conclusion structure, knowledge structure, or linkage.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising that the instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to analyze linkage among the problem structure, the conclusion structure and the knowledge structure.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising that the instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to perform relationship analysis according to predefined relationship criteria.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising that the instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to perform content analysis to determine suggestions for the user.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to track user interactions and utilize user interaction history in suggestion provisioning.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising that a suggestion is provided to the user in a visually distinctive manner.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising that a suggestion is provided in the form of workspace controls.

17. A computer implemented system for facilitating, evaluating, and guiding user development of thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

processor executable instructions executed by one or more processors and operable to;

facilitate user specification and population of at least one problem structure or at least one conclusion structure, or both, related to the arbitrary problem, said conclusion specification related to the problem specification when both occur;

facilitate user specification and population of at least one knowledge structure, related to the problem specification, the conclusion specification, or both;

persuade user interaction and specification to a series of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about an arbitrary problem;

construct a user model structure comprising user development of the problem structure, conclusion structure, and knowledge structure;

display or output a resulting user structure;

evaluate user actions relative to the archetype process or an exemplary archetype model structure, or both, and provide suggestions to the user regarding actions to take in developing their thinking about an arbitrary problem, in display or output.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to evaluate user interaction relative to an archetype process for user thinking about an arbitrary problem.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to evaluate the user model structure relative to an exemplary archetype model structure.

20. The system of claim 17 wherein the archetype model structure is a dynamic structure that is responsive to user actions.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the archetype model structure comprises a set of rules specifying relationships among the problem structure, the conclusion structure and the knowledge structure.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to perform gap analysis between archetype process expectations and the user model structure, to determine suggestions for the user.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein a suggestion comprises a suggestion of next steps for the user to take.

24. The system of claim 17 wherein a suggestion comprises a suggestion to make an addition or modification to the problem structure, conclusion structure, or knowledge structure.

25. The system of claim 17 where a suggestion comprises a suggestion to create or modify linkages in the user model structure.

26. The system of claim 17 further comprising that a suggestion is provided in the form of an automatically generated suggested addition or modification to the problem structure, conclusion structure, knowledge structure, or linkage.

27. The system of claim 17 further comprising that the instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to analyze linkage among the problem structure, the conclusion structure and the knowledge structure.

28. The system of claim 17 further comprising that the instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to perform relationship analysis according to predefined relationship criteria.

29. The system of claim 17 further comprising that the instructions to evaluate comprise instructions to perform content analysis to determine suggestions for the user.

30. The system of claim 17 further comprising instructions to track user interactions and utilize user interaction history in suggestion provisioning.

31. The system of claim 17 further comprising that a suggestion is provided to the user in a visually distinctive manner.

32. The system of claim 17 further comprising that a suggestion is provided in the form of workspace controls.

33. A computer implemented system for facilitating, evaluating and guiding user development of thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in a computer readable storage medium, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to facilitate user specification and population of at least one problem structure or at least one conclusion structure, or both, related to the arbitrary problem, said conclusion specification related to the problem specification when both occur;

instructions to facilitate user specification and population of at least one knowledge structure, related to the problem specification, the conclusion specification, or both;

instructions to persuade user interaction and specification to a series of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user development of thinking about an arbitrary problem;

instructions to construct a resulting user model structure;

instructions to evaluate user actions relative to the archetype process or an exemplary archetype model structure, or both;

instructions to provide a view presentation to the user that depicts workspaces representing at least a subset of the archetype process and the user model structure and provides visible suggestion feedback to the user to suggest actions to take in developing their thinking about the arbitrary problem, in display or output.

34. The system of claim 33 further comprising that the view presentation depicts at least one workspace representation in visual or spatial relationship to at least one other workspace representation, as suggestion feedback to convey next actions the user may want to take.

35. The system of claim 33 further comprising that the suggestion feedback is provided to the user in a visually distinctive manner.

36. The system of claim 33 further comprising that the view presentation includes three dimensional depiction.

37. The system of claim 33 further comprising that visible suggestion feedback comprises visual feedback depiction features that suggest whether a problem specification, conclusion specification, or knowledge specification is lacking relative to an archetype model structure.

38. The system of claim 33 further comprising that the suggestion feedback is provided in the form of workspace controls.

39. A computer implemented system for facilitating, evaluating and guiding user development of thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

processor executable instructions executed by one or more processors and operable to;

facilitate user specification and population of at least one problem structure, or at least one conclusion structure, or both, related to the arbitrary problem, said conclusion specification related to the problem specification when both occur;

facilitate user specification and population of at least one knowledge structure, related to the problem specification, the conclusion specification, or both;

persuade user interaction and specification to a series of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user development of thinking about an arbitrary problem;

instructions to construct a resulting user model structure;

instructions to evaluate user actions relative to the archetype process or an exemplary archetype model structure, or both;

instructions to provide a view presentation to the user that depicts workspaces representing at least a subset of the archetype process and the user model structure and provides visible suggestion feedback to the user to suggest actions to take in developing their thinking about the arbitrary problem, in display or output.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the view presentation depicts at least one workspace representation in visual or spatial relationship to at least one other workspace representation, as suggestion feedback to convey next actions the user may want to take.

41. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the suggestion feedback is provided to the user in a visually distinctive manner.

42. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the view presentation includes three dimensional depiction.

43. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the visible suggestion feedback comprises visual feedback depiction features that suggest whether a problem specification, conclusion specification, or knowledge specification is lacking relative to an archetype model structure.

44. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the suggestion feedback is provided in the form of workspace controls.