System and method for adapting software elements based on mood state profiling

• US 7,930,676 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, Erikheath A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri; Anil
• Application Number:
  US11/741,518
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 717100-102, 717120-123, 706 45- 49
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files

Abstract

Various embodiments of a system and method for adapting software elements based on mood state profiling are described. The system and method for adapting software elements may include a mood state component configured to, among other things, create a mood state profile of a user. The mood state profile may indicate characteristics of a user'"'"'s mood state. The system and method for adapting software elements based on mood state profiling may also include a method of application development. The method of application development may include creating an application profile that indicates the mood-altering characteristics of the application. The application profile may be used to, among other things, determine modifications to the application during the application development phase. The mood state component may also enable applications to adapt to a user'"'"'s mood state while the application is in use (e.g., at runtime).

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the processor to implement a user mood state component configured to;

receive a plurality of information for a plurality of characteristic values associated with a first user mood state of a user;

determine, using the plurality of information for the plurality of characteristic values, the first user mood state of the user by;

presenting to the user, one or more user mood state profiling questions that have been validated against one or more user mood state profiling scales;

receiving one or more responses to said user mood state profiling questions from the user; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from said responses;

determine that the first user mood state differs from a desired mood state of the user;

alter an element of the application to generate an altered element; and

generate, using the altered element of the application, a second user mood state of the user, wherein the second user mood state differs from the first user mood state, and wherein the second user mood state approximates the desired mood state of the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the user mood state component is configured to create a user mood state profile configured to indicate the first user mood state of the user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said application is an interview-based application.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user mood state component is a component of said application.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the altered element of the application comprises altering an alteration of one or more navigation paths of said application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the altered element of the application comprises an alteration of one or more user interface elements of said application.

8. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of information for a plurality of characteristic values associated with a first user mood state of a user;

determining, using a processor of a computer and the plurality of information for the plurality of characteristic values, the first user mood state of the user by;

presenting to the user, one or more user mood state profiling questions that have been validated against one or more user mood state profiling scales;

receiving one or more responses to said user mood state profiling questions from the user; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from said responses;

determining, using the processor of the computer, that the first user mood state differs from a desired mood state of the user;

altering, using the processor of the computer, an element of the application to generate an altered element; and

generating, using the altered element of the application a second user mood state of the user, wherein the second user mood state differs from the first user mood state and wherein the second user mood state approximates the desired mood state of the user.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising creating a user mood state profile configured to indicate the first user mood state of the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein said user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein said application is an interview-based application.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the altered element of the application comprises an alteration of one or more navigation paths of said application.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the altered element of the application comprises an alteration of one or more user interface elements of said application.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions computer-executable to implement:

receiving a plurality of information for a plurality of characteristic values associated with a first user mood state of a user;

determining, using the plurality of information for the plurality of characteristic values, the first mood state of the user by;

presenting to the user, one or more user mood state profiling questions that have been validated against one or more user mood state profiling scales;

receiving one or more responses to said user mood state profiling questions from the user; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from said responses;

determining that the first user mood state differs from a desired mood state of the user;

altering an element of the application to generate an altered element; and

generating, using the altered element of the application, a second user mood state of the user, wherein the second user mood state differs from the first user mood state and wherein the second user mood state approximates the desired mood state of the user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the program instructions are further executable to implement creating a user mood state profile configured to indicate the first user mood state of the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein said user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein said application is an interview-based application.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the altered element of the application comprises altering an alteration of one or more navigation paths of said application.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the altered element of the application comprises altering an alteration of one or more user interface elements of said application.

20. A method of application development, comprising:

engaging one or more users in a trial run of an application, wherein the first application is a prototype and wherein the application comprises a plurality of portions with a plurality of desired profiles;

determining a first mood altering characteristic of the application, wherein the first mood altering characteristic generates a first user mood state of the one or more users, wherein the first user mood state is determined by;

presenting one or more of said users with user mood state profiling questions that have been validated against one or more user mood state profiling scales;

receiving responses from one or more of said users; and

determining the first user mood state of one or more of said users from said responses;

in response to said determining the first mood altering characteristic, determining a portion of the plurality of portions of the application having a desired profile of the plurality of desired profiles and corresponding to the first mood altering characteristic generating the first user mood state, wherein the first user mood state differs from the desired profile associated with the portion of the application;

modifying said portion of the application to create a second mood altering characteristic; and

generating, using the second mood altering characteristic, a second user mood state of the one or more users, wherein the second user mood state approximates the desired profile for the portion of the application.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said application is an interview-based application.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the first mood altering characteristic of the application comprises:

creating an application profile comprising the first mood altering characteristic for each of a plurality of segments of the application.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein determining a portion of the plurality of portions of the application corresponding to the first mood altering characteristic comprises accessing the application profile to determine one of the plurality of segments having the first mood altering characteristic.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

performing direct observation on one or more of said users in order to further determine said first user mood state of the one or more of said users.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein determining the first mood altering characteristic uses a mood state component configured to:

determine the first user mood state; and

create a corresponding user mood state profile.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.