System and method to facilitate user thinking about an arbitrary problem with output and interface to external components and resources

• US 7,702,606 B1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Issued: 04/20/2010
• 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): Sparks; Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): COUGHLAN, PETER D
• Application Number:
  US11/977,549
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models

Abstract

Preferred embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, as well as providing capabilities to output to and interface with external or additional computer systems, resources, or devices, or any combination thereof. The system includes logic to facilitate user specification of a user model structure for the arbitrary problem, and may utilize an archetype structure or an archetype process or both. Some embodiments of the system and method include a presentation or other output creation engine in conjunction with the system and method for facilitating development of thinking about the arbitrary problem. The system includes output and interface logic to accomplish interfacing with and/or incorporation of a plurality of external or additional computer systems, information sources, resources, or devices.

Claims

1. A system for user authoring of an electronic presentation in conjunction with facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

one or more computer readable media or memory or both having processor executable instructions for implementing said system, said instructions comprising;

instructions to facilitate user specification of an electronic presentation;

instructions to relate at least some portion of the electronic presentation to at least a subset of at least one model comprising a user model regarding an arbitrary problem, comprising at least one of a at least one problem, a at least one conclusion, and a at least one knowledge structure, or any combination thereof;

instructions to evaluate at least a subset of at least one of the electronic presentation or the user model, or both, relative to an archetype structure for user thinking about an arbitrary problem;

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

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide at least one suggestion to a user.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide at least one request for information.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide additional information to a user.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to provide at least one search result.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to utilize at least one of a search engine, data base, or agent, or any combination thereof.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising instructions to receive input from at least one of an additional resource, system or device, or any combination thereof.

8. A system for user authoring an electronic presentation in conjunction with facilitating user thinking about an arbitrary problem, comprising:

At least one processor;

At least one of a at least one memory or at least one computer readable medium, or both, having processor executable instructions for implementing the system for facilitating user thinking in conjunction with the development of at least one electronic presentation, said instructions comprising;

instructions to facilitate user specification of an electronic presentation;

instructions to relate at least some portion of the electronic presentation to at least a subset of at least one model comprising a user model regarding an arbitrary problem, comprising at least one of a at least one problem, a at least one conclusion, and a at least one knowledge structure, or any combination thereof;

instructions to evaluate at least a subset of at least one of the at least one electronic presentation or the user model, or both, relative to an archetype structure for user thinking about an arbitrary problem;

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

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising instructions to provide at least one suggestion to a user.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising instructions to provide at least one request for information.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising instructions to provide additional information to a user.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising instructions to provide at least one search result.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising instructions to utilize at least one of a search engine, data base, or agent, or any combination thereof.