System and method to customize the facilitation of development of user thinking about an arbitrary problem

• US 7,610,253 B1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• 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:
  US11/977,491
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 706/45
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for facilitating multiple users or teams or a group of users or individual users in the development of user thinking about an arbitrary problem in a customized or specialized manner. The system includes logic to facilitate user specification of a problem structure, or a conclusion, or both, and facilitation of specification of a knowledge structure, related to the arbitrary problem. Some embodiments of the systems and methods further provide for the sharing of user models regarding the arbitrary problem.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media having processor executable instructions for implementing a multiple user system for customized facilitation and documentation of user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

instructions to facilitate user specification of at least one of an at least one problem and an at least one conclusion, or both;

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

to populate a knowledge structure;

instructions to manage linkages of the at least one knowledge structure and at least one of the at least one problem, the at least one conclusion, or both;

instructions to persuade multiple user interactions with at least one of the facilitations to a set of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about at least one arbitrary problem;

Customization instructions to modify at least one of the facilitation of user specification, facilitation of problem specification, facilitation of conclusion specification, facilitation of knowledge specification, interactions, sequences of interactions, interaction sequences, components of the user model, display and output, or any combination thereof, to provide a customized archetype process for user thinking about the problem;

At least one of instructions to display, instructions to store and instructions to output at least a subset of at least one resulting user structure, or any combination thereof;

instructions to allow at least one user to share the at least one of display, stored, or output of at least a subset of a resulting user structure with at least one other user.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising customization instructions to selectively include or preclude, or include and preclude, interactions or interaction sequences of an archetype process or a customized archetype process, or both.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to selectively include or preclude, or include and preclude, types of components for at least one of the problem specification, conclusion specification and knowledge specification, or any combination thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of instructions to modify and instructions to add rules, or both, for the archetype process or a customized archetype process, or both.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to make suggestions to the user.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising customization instructions to modify or to add to, or both, at least one of the suggestion made to the user or the evaluation criteria for the suggestion made, or both.

7. The system of claim 5 further comprising that the suggestion to the user is at least one of a suggested next step, suggested added or modified component, suggested information, suggested reference or autogenerated component, or any combination thereof.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising customization instructions to substitute at least one of an external tool, system and resource, or any combination thereof, for at least one of the interactions or interaction sequences, or both, of at least one of the archetype process and a customized archetype process, or both.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising customization instructions to add at least one of an external tool, system, and resource, or any combination thereof, to at least one of the interactions of the archetype process or of a customized archetype process, or both.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to add at least one of an external tool, system, and resource, or any combination thereof, to the resulting user structure.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising that the customization is initiated by, controlled by or provided input from, or a combination thereof, at least one electronic source or system, or both.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising that the user specification of at least a subset of the problem specification, conclusion specification, and knowledge specification, or any combination thereof, is derived from at least one external source.

13. A system for customized facilitation of users in developing and documenting their thinking about one or more arbitrary problems, comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory or computer readable media having processor executable instructions, or both, for implementing the system for customized facilitation of users in developing and documenting their thinking about one or more arbitrary problems, comprising;

instructions to facilitate user specification of at least one of an at least one problem and an at least one conclusion, or both;

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

to populate a knowledge structure;

instructions to manage linkages of the at least one knowledge structure and at least one of the at least one problem, the at least one conclusion, or both;

instructions to persuade multiple user interactions with at least one of the facilitations to a set of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about at least one arbitrary problem;

Customization instructions to modify at least one of the facilitation of user specification, facilitation of problem specification, facilitation of conclusion specification, facilitation of knowledge specification, interactions, sequences of interactions, interaction sequences, components of the user model, display and output, or any combination thereof, to provide a customized archetype process for user thinking about the problem;

At least one of instructions to display, instructions to store and instructions to output at least a subset of at least one resulting user structure, or any combination thereof.

14. A system for customized facilitation of users in developing and documenting their thinking about one or more arbitrary problems, comprising:

an interface;

a process manager system executable on one or more processors, configured to accomplish activities comprising;

facilitating user specification of at least one of an at least one problem and an at least one conclusion, or both;

facilitating specification of knowledge, related to at least one of the at least one problem specification or the conclusion specification, or both;

to populate a knowledge structure;

managing linkages of the at least one knowledge structure and at least one of the at least one problem, the at least one conclusion, or both;

persuading multiple user interactions with at least one of the facilitations to a set of interactions within a predefined set of interaction sequences, wherein the predefined set of interactions define an archetype process for user thinking about at least one arbitrary problem;

enabling the modification of at least one of the facilitation of user specification, facilitation of problem specification, facilitation of conclusion specification, facilitation of knowledge specification, interactions, sequences of interactions, interaction sequences, components of the user model, display and output, or any combination thereof, to provide a customized archetype process for user thinking about the problem;

accomplishing at least one of display, store and output at least a subset of at least one resulting user structure, or any combination thereof.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising customization instructions to selectively include or preclude, or include and preclude, interactions or interaction sequences of an archetype process or a customized archetype process, or both.

16. The system of claim 14 further comprising instructions to selectively include or preclude, or include and preclude, types of components for at least one of the problem specification, conclusion specification and knowledge specification, or any combination thereof.

17. The system of claim 14 further comprising at least one of instructions to modify and instructions to add rules, or both, for the archetype process or a customized archetype process, or both.

18. The system of claim 14 further comprising instructions to make suggestions to the user.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising customization instructions to modify or to add to, or both, at least one of the suggestions made to the user or the evaluation criteria for the suggestion made, or both.

20. The system of claim 18 further comprising that the suggestion to the user is at least one of a suggested next step, suggested added or modified component, suggested information, suggested reference or autogenerated component, or any combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 14 further comprising customization instructions to substitute at least one of an external tool, system and resource, or any combination thereof, for at least one of the interactions or interaction sequences, or both, of at least one of the archetype process and a customized archetype process, or both.

22. The system of claim 14 further comprising customization instructions to add at least one of an external tool, system, and resource, or any combination thereof, to at least one of the interactions of the archetype process or a customized archetype process, or both or to the user model, or any combination thereof.

23. The system of claim 14 further comprising that the customization is initiated by, controlled by or provided input from, or a combination thereof, at least one electronic source or system, or both.

24. The system of claim 14 further comprising that the user specification of at least a subset of the problem specification, conclusion specification, and knowledge specification, or any combination thereof, is derived from at least one external source.

25. A system for customized facilitation of development and documentation of user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

processor executable instructions embodied in at least one of a computer readable media, computer readable device, or memory, or a combination thereof, said instructions comprising;

instructions to facilitate the development of a structured user model regarding at least one arbitrary problem, utilizing an exemplary archetype structure for user thinking about the arbitrary problem, said model comprising;

user specification of at least one of an at least one problem or an at least one conclusion, or both;

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

instructions to manage linkages of the knowledge structure and at least one of the problem or conclusion, or both;

customization instructions to modify at least one of the facilitation of the development of the user model, facilitation of problem specification, facilitation of conclusion specification, facilitation of knowledge specification, archetype structure, archetype structure relationships, components of the user model, display, or output, or any combination thereof, in order to provide customized facilitation;

at least one of instructions to display, instructions to store, or instructions to output at least a subset of the resulting user model, or any combination thereof.

26. The system of claim 25 further comprising instructions to evaluate at least a subset of the user model structure relative to an exemplary archetype structure for user thinking about a problem or relative to a customized archetype structure for user thinking about a problem, or both.

27. The system of claim 25 further comprising that the archetype model structure or the customized archetype structure, or both, is specified at least in part in a set of rules specifying relationships among at least a subset of the problem, conclusion, and knowledge, or any combination thereof.

28. The system of claim 25 further comprising customization instructions to specify content available for at least a subset of the user structure.

29. The system of claim 25 further comprising that the customization instructions include instructions to selectively include or preclude, or include and preclude, types of components for at least one of the archetype structure, the customized archetype structure, and the user model, or any combination thereof.

30. The system of claim 25 further comprising customization instructions to add customized types of formatted structures for at least one of the archetype model structure, the customized archetype structure, the user model or any combination thereof.

31. The system of claim 25 further comprising customization instructions to substitute at least one of an external tool, system and resource, or any combination thereof, for at least one of the components of the archetype model structure or a customized archetype model structure, or both.

32. The system of claim 25 further comprising customization instructions to add at least one of an external tool, system, and resource, or any combination thereof, to at least one of the archetype structure, a customized archetype structure, the user model, or any combination thereof.

33. The system of claim 25 further comprising customization instructions to modify or add rules, or both, for the archetype structure or the customized archetype structure, or both.

34. The system of claim 25 further comprising instructions to make suggestions to the user.

35. The system of claim 34 further comprising customization instructions to modify or to add to, or both, at least one of the suggestion made to the user or the evaluation criteria for the suggestion made, or both.

36. The system of claim 34 further comprising that the suggestion to the user is at least one of a suggested next step, suggested content, suggested reference, suggested added or modified component, or autogenerated component, or any combination thereof.

37. The system of claim 25 further comprising that the customization is initiated by, controlled by or provided input from, or a combination thereof, at least one electronic source or system, or both.

38. The system of claim 25 wherein the user specification of at least a subset of the problem specification, conclusion specification, and knowledge specification, or any combination thereof, is derived from at least one external source.

39. A system for customized facilitation of development and documentation of user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

an interface;

a process manager system executable on one or more processors, configured to accomplish activities comprising;

facilitating the development of a structured user model regarding at least one arbitrary problem, utilizing an exemplary archetype structure for user thinking about the arbitrary problem, said model comprising;

user specification of at least one of an at least one problem or an at least one conclusion, or both;

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

managing linkages of the knowledge structure and at least one of the problem or conclusion, or both;

accomplishing at least one of display, storage, or output at least a subset of the resulting user model, or any combination thereof;

enabling the modification of at least one of the facilitation of the development of the user model, facilitation of problem specification, facilitation of conclusion specification, facilitation of knowledge specification, archetype structure, archetype structure relationships, components of the user model, display, or output, or any combination thereof, in order to provide customized facilitation.

40. The system of claim 39 further comprising instructions to evaluate at least a subset of the user model structure relative to an exemplary archetype structure for user thinking about a problem or relative to a customized archetype structure for user thinking about a problem, or both.

41. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the archetype model structure or the customized archetype structure, or both, is specified at least in part in a set of rules specifying relationships among at least a subset of the problem, conclusion, and knowledge, or any combination thereof.

42. The system of claim 39 further comprising customization instructions to specify content available for at least a subset of the user structure.

43. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the customization instructions include instructions to selectively include or preclude, or include and preclude, types of components for at least one of the archetype structure, the customized archetype structure, and the user model, or any combination thereof.

44. The system of claim 39 further comprising customization instructions to add customized types of formatted structures for at least one of the archetype model structure, the customized archetype structure, the user model or any combination thereof.

45. The system of claim 39 further comprising customization instructions to substitute at least one of an external tool, system and resource, or any combination thereof, for at least one of the components of the archetype model structure or a customized archetype model structure, or both.

46. The system of claim 39 further comprising customization instructions to add at least one of an external tool, system, and resource, or any combination thereof, to at least one of the archetype structure, a customized archetype structure, the user model, or any combination thereof.

47. The system of claim 39 further comprising customization instructions to modify or add rules, or both, for the archetype structure or the customized archetype structure, or both.

48. The system of claim 39 further comprising instructions to make suggestions to the user.

49. The system of claim 48 further comprising customization instructions to modify or to add to, or both, at least one of the suggestion made to the user or the evaluation criteria for the suggestion made, or both.

50. The system of claim 48 further comprising that the suggestion to the user is at least one of a suggested next step, suggested added or modified component, suggested information, suggested reference or autogenerated component, or any combination thereof.

51. The system of claim 39 further comprising that the customization is initiated by, controlled by or provided input from, or a combination thereof, at least one electronic source or system, or both.

52. The system of claim 39 wherein the user specification of at least a subset of the problem specification, conclusion specification, and knowledge specification, or any combination thereof, is derived from at least one external source.