Obtaining user assistance

• US 7,922,086 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uber Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Wood, JR., Lowell L., Rinaldo, Jr., John D., Malamud, Mark A., Lord, Robert W., Levien, Royce A., Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/528,480
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• Field of Search: 235/440, 235/385, 235/486, 235/472.02, 235/446, 235/485
• US Class Current: 235/440
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/56 including a user help function

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 function of a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device;

b) detecting a function of the second electronic device; and

c) determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the detected function of the first electronic device and the detected function of the second electronic device, the determining including determining a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and

d) providing an assistance corresponding to the operation.

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

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

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

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

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

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes inventorying a group of functions of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting a group of at least one of an operability, a capability, a capacity, and/or an interactability of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting a function of the second electronic device includes detecting a group of at least one of an operability, a capability, a capacity, and/or an interactability of the second electronic device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes determining a human-useable output generatable by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes determining a machine-useable output generatable by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes empirically determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes querying a database for an indication of a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance corresponding to the operation includes providing a human-user assistance corresponding to the operation.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance corresponding to the operation includes providing human-user information corresponding to the operation.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing an assistance corresponding to the operation includes providing a machine-useable assistance corresponding to the operation.

18. 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 function of first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device;

(ii) detect a function of the second electronic device;

(iii) determine a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device, and a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and

(iv) obtain an assistance corresponding to the operation.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further comprise:

(v) provide the assistance corresponding to the operation.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the computing device includes the first electronic device.

21. A device comprising:

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

b) an inventory module operable to acquire information corresponding to a function of the first electronic device and a function of the second electronic device;

c) an identification module operable to determine a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device, and determine a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and

d) a broadcast module operable to provide a human-user assistance corresponding to the useful operation.

22. The device of claim 21, further comprising:

e) an acquisition module operable to obtain the human-user assistance corresponding to the useful operation.

23. A computer program product encoding a computer program operable to execute a computer process on a computing device, the computer process comprising:

a) identifying a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device;

b) identifying a function of the second electronic device; and

c) determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device, the determining including determining a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and

d) providing an assistance corresponding to the operation.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, the computer process further comprises:

e) obtaining the assistance corresponding to the operation.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program product includes a computer-readable medium.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer-readable medium includes a computer-readable medium carried by a computer-readable carrier.

27. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein the computer program product includes a communications medium.