Operational assistance server device, operational assistance method and computer program

• US 8,126,933 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Nishiyama, Risa
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weinrich, Brian E
• Application Number:
  US12/394,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20090228479A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,096 Days
• Field of Search: 707/803, 707/694
• US Class Current: 707/803
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6027 using adaptive systems learning from user actions, e.g. for skill level adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game

Abstract

An operational assistance server device, method and computer readable article of manufacture for providing operational assistance to a user operating an application is provided. The operational assistance server device includes: an operation table; an operation table storage unit for storing the operation table; an user'"'"'s operation history; an operation sequence generation unit for generating the operation sequence; an operation record storage unit; operation subsequences; an appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit for extracting appearing operation sequences from the operation subsequences; and an appearing-operation-sequence storage unit for storing the appearing operation sequences extracted by the appearing-operation-sequence extraction unit; where the appearing operation sequence appears at a frequency higher than a predetermined value. The method and computer readable article of manufacture storing the method includes the steps of: generating the operation sequence; storing the generated operation sequences; extracting the appearing operation sequences; and storing the extracted appearing operation sequences.

Claims

1. An operational assistance server device for providing operational assistance to a current user operating an application, comprising:

an action table database for storing an action table wherein said action table comprises (i) at least one previously defined operation on said application and (ii) a unique operation ID corresponding to each of said at least one previously defined operation;

an action log recording unit for generating an action sequence of avatar actions on site basis,

wherein said action sequence consists of one or more of said operation ID from an operation history of past users, wherein said operation history of said past users consists of one or more operations by said past users, and

wherein said generating said action sequence comprises converting said one or more operations into corresponding operation IDs with reference to said action table to form said action sequence having a sequence of numbers with each number representing and operation ID;

an action log database for storing said at least one action sequence generated by said action log recording unit;

an action model generation unit for generating an action model from at least one frequent action subsequence candidate, wherein the at least one frequent action subsequence candidate occurs at a frequency higher than a predetermined value;

an action model database for storing said action model; and

an action recommendation unit for (i) matching a current user action sequence with a first several operation IDs said action model to determine a recommended action model, and (ii) outputting a recommendation method to said current user action model.

2. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, wherein a support level is a proportion of (i) a number of logs including an action subsequence in the action log database to (ii) a total number of logs stored in the action log database.

3. The operational assistance server device according to claim 2, wherein

said support level is stored in association with each action model, and

said stored support level is used as an extraction priority in extracting said action model from said action model database.

4. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an evaluation obtaining unit for obtaining an evaluation value at which said past user rates said application,

wherein said action log recording unit (i) filters said operation history based on said evaluation value and (ii) generates said at least one action sequence based on said filtered operation history.

5. The operational assistance server device according to claim 1, wherein said user operating said application is a user operating an avatar representing said user in a virtual world.

6. The operational assistance server device of claim 1 wherein

the action model generation unit for generating the action model is performed by (i) repeatedly extracting one or more action subsequence sets having a minimum number of elements, (ii) merging said minimum element action subsequence sets to generate one or more frequent action subsequence candidates, and selecting as one or more action models those frequent action subsequence candidates having a support level which exceeds a minimum support level.

7. An operational assistance method of providing operational assistance to a current user operating an application, comprising the steps of:

generating an action sequence of avatar actions on a site basis from an operation history of past users wherein said operation history includes at least one operation, by converting said past users'"'"' at least one operation into corresponding operation IDs based on an action table to form said action sequence having a sequence of numbers with each number representing said operation ID;

storing said generated action sequence in an action log database;

generating an action model from at least one action subsequence said action model having a frequency higher than a predetermined value;

storing the generated action model;

extracting said action model having first several operation IDs that match a current action sequence generated from a current operation history when a current user performs operations;

outputting operational assistance means, as an action recommended to said current user, with reference to (i) said action table and (ii) said operation ID immediately after the first several operation IDs in said extracted action model; and

storing, in said action table, (i) said operational assistance means which correspond to respective said operation ID and are to be presented to said users and (ii) the first several operation IDs matching said current action sequence generated from said current operation history;

wherein (i) said action table comprises previously defined operations on said application and unique previously defined operation IDs corresponding to each of said previously defined operations, (ii) said action sequence consists of one or more of said operation IDs and (iii) said at least one action subsequence constitutes said action sequence stored as said action log database.

8. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, wherein a frequency higher than a predetermined value includes a support level higher than a predetermined value, wherein said support level is a proportion of (i) a number of logs including an action subsequence in the action log database unit to (ii) a total number of stored in the action log database unit.

9. The operational assistance method according to claim 8, wherein

said support level is stored in association with respective said generated action models, and

said stored support level is used as an extraction priority in extracting said generated action models.

10. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining an evaluation value at which said user rates said application;

filtering said operation history based on said evaluation value; and

generating said at least one action sequence based on said filtered operation history.

11. The operational assistance method according to claim 10, wherein said at least one action sequence is generated from said operation history having an evaluation value of said application higher than a predetermined value.

12. The operational assistance method according to claim 7, wherein said user operating said application is a user operating an avatar representing said user in a virtual world.

13. The operational assistance method of claim 7, wherein the method provides unsolicited operational assistance to a current user operating an application.

14. A non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture tangibly embodying computer readable instructions which when executed implement a method of providing operational assistance to a current user operating an application, said method comprising the steps of:

generating an action sequence of avatar actions on a site basis from an operation history including at least one operation by converting said at least one operation into a corresponding operation ID based on an action table to form said action sequence having a sequence of numbers with each number representing said operation ID;

storing said generated action sequence;

generating an action model from at least one action subsequence, wherein the action model occurs at a frequency higher than a predetermined value;

storing said generated action model in an action log database;

extracting said at least one action model having first several operation IDs that match a current user'"'"'s action sequence generated from a current user operation history;

outputting operational assistance means, as an action recommended to said current user, with reference to (i) said action table and (ii) said operation ID immediately after the first several operation IDs in said extracted action model;

storing, in said action table, (i) said operational assistance means which correspond to respective said operation ID and as to be presented to said current user, and (ii) said first several operation IDs matching said current action sequence generated from said current user'"'"'s operation history;

wherein (i) said action table comprises previously defined operations on said application and unique previously defined operation IDs corresponding to each of said previously defined operations, (ii) said action sequence consists of one or more of said operation IDs, and (iv) said action subsequence constitutes said stored generated action sequence.

15. The non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 14,

wherein a frequency higher than a predetermined value includes a support level higher than a predetermined value,

wherein said support level is a proportion of (i) a number of logs inculding an action subsequence in the action log database to (ii) a total number of stored in said action log database.

16. The non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein:

said support level is stored in association with respective said generated action model; and

said stored support level is used as an extraction priority in extracting said action model.

17. The non-transitory computer readable article of manufacture according to claim 14, further causing the computer to execute the steps of:

obtaining an evaluation value at which past users rate said application;

filtering said operation history based on said evaluation value; and

generating said action sequence based on said filtered operation history.