Obtaining user assistance

• US 7,798,401 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2005
• Issued: 09/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Jung, Edward K. Y., Levien, Royce A., Malamud, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/037,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20060157550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 235/385, 235/440, 235/472.02, 235/486, 235/446, 235/485
• US Class Current: 235/385
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561

Abstract

An apparatus, device, method, computer program product, and system that detects a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and obtains an end user assistance corresponding to an at least substantially common aspect of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

a) detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

b) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein the obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user-centric data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting an operative local coupling between a first electronic device and a second electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes optically detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes querying at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes querying both the first electronic device and the second electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting a signal indicative of a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device further includes detecting an at least substantially common feature of a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the detecting an at least substantially common feature of a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes

detecting an at least substantially common characteristic emitted by a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a geographic locale.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a geographic locale includes

detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a premises.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a geographic locale includes

detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a residential premises.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a geographic locale includes

detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a business premises.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) identifying the at least substantially common feature.

13. A method comprising:

a) detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

b) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein the obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user preference.

14. A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computing device a computer process, the computer process comprising:

a) detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

b) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user-centric data.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer process further comprises:

c) providing the end user help.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product includes a computer-readable medium.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the computer-readable medium includes a computer-readable medium carried by a computer-readable carrier.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the computer program product includes a communications medium.

19. A system comprising:

a) a computing device; and

b) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to;

(i) detect a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

(ii) obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein the obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

1) obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user-centric data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the instruction further comprise:

c) provide the end user help.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first electronic device includes the computing device.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the computing device includes the first electronic device.

23. A device comprising:

a) a monitoring module operable to detect a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

b) an acquisition module operable to obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein the obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user-centric data.

24. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

c) a broadcast module operable to provide the end user help.

25. A method comprising:

a) detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device;

b) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device,

wherein the obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user-centric data; and

d) providing the user help to an end user.

27. A computer program product encoding a computer program for executing on a computing device a computer process, the computer process comprising:

a) detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

b) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user preference.

28. A system comprising:

a) a computing device; and

b) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to;

i) detect a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

ii) obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

1) obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user preference.

29. A device comprising:

a) a monitoring module operable to detect a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and

b) an acquisition module operable to obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtain an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user preference.

30. A method comprising:

a) detecting a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device;

b) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, wherein the obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common feature of the first electronic device and the second electronic device includes

i) obtaining an end user help including informational material and corresponding to an at least substantially common operability of the first electronic device and the second electronic device that saves a user preference; and

c) providing the user help to an end user.