Method and apparatus to provide machine-assisted training

• US 8,554,130 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2004
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Original Assignee: Cadence Design Systems Incorporated (Cadence Group)
• Inventors: Jentzsch, Eyck, Matzke, Wolf-Ekkehard
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai, Xuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CARLOS, ALVIN LEABRES
• Application Number:
  US10/942,287
• Time in Patent Office: 3,310 Days
• Field of Search: 345/173, 434/118, 434/219, 434/236, 434/308, 434/322, 434/323, 434/335, 434/350, 434/362, 434/247, 434/353, 482/8, 705/2, 705/11, 706/59, 709/201, 709/203, 709/249, 715/500, 715/513, 715/707, 715/762
• US Class Current: 434/362
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

A method and an apparatus to provide machine-assisted training have been disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes monitoring action performed by a trainee during machine-assisted training and dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training in response to the trainee'"'"'s action. Other embodiments have been claimed and described.

Claims

1. A method to provide machine-assisted training to code SystemC, the method comprising:

with a processor,

collecting information from a trainee before starting the machine-assisted training to determine a trainee'"'"'s knowledge level of SystemC;

creating a knowledge model for the machine-assisted training based on the information collected from the trainee;

monitoring action performed by the trainee during the machine-assisted training;

during the machine-assisted training, automatically causing the knowledge model to be updated in response to the action performed by the trainee; and

during the machine-assisted training, automatically and dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training based on the updated knowledge model, wherein dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training comprises at least one of the following;

changing a level of detail of presentation materials of the machine-assisted training, changing a presentation speed of the machine-assisted training, and changing a level of explanation in the machine-assisted training.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

evaluating the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level of SystemC after presenting to the trainee a predetermined portion of the machine-assisted training; and

dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training based on the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

allowing the trainee to move onto a next portion of the machine-assisted training if the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level is at or above a predetermined level; and

requesting the trainee to repeat the predetermined portion of the machine-assisted training if the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level is below the predetermined level.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

dynamically generating an exercise for the trainee to complete based on the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein

a questionnaire is used to collect information from the trainee before starting the machine-assisted training.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein

the knowledge model includes a plurality of knowledge areas with each of the knowledge areas having a plurality of knowledge levels.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein

SystemC includes a class library for hardware design of circuits.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein

the machine-assisted training is customized to one or more of

substance of presentation materials of the training, annotations to the presentation materials, and a presentation speed of the training.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein

the training is to code in SystemC for hardware design of circuits.

5. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions stored therein that, if executed by a processor, will cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

creating a knowledge model for a machine-assisted training to code SystemC based on information collected from a trainee before starting the machine-assisted training, wherein the information collected from the trainee includes the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level of SystemC;

monitoring action performed by the trainee during the machine-assisted training;

during the machine-assisted training, automatically causing the knowledge model to be updated in response to the action performed by the trainee; and

during the machine-assisted training, automatically and dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training based on the updated knowledge model, wherein dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training comprises at least one of the following;

changing a level of detail of presentation materials of the machine-assisted training, changing a presentation speed of the machine-assisted training, and changing a level of explanation in the machine-assisted training.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising:

customizing the machine-assisted training based on the information collected from the trainee before starting the machine-assisted training.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5, further comprising:

evaluating the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level of SystemC after presenting to the trainee a predetermined portion of the machine-assisted training; and

dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training based on the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

allowing the trainee to move onto a next portion of the machine-assisted training if the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level is at or above a predetermined level; and

requesting the trainee to repeat the predetermined portion of the machine-assisted training if the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level is below the predetermined level.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7, further comprising:

dynamically generating an exercise for the trainee to complete based on the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein

SystemC includes a class library for hardware design of circuits.

22. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 5, wherein

the machine assisted training to code in SystemC is for hardware design of circuits.

10. A system comprising:

a client to collect information from a trainee to enable machine-assisted training to code SystemC, wherein the information collected from the trainee includes

information collected from the trainee before starting the machine-assisted training of the trainee'"'"'s knowledge level of SystemC, the information used to create a knowledge model for the machine-assisted training and

information related to actions performed by the trainee during the machine-assisted training;

a user interface communicably coupled to the client to receive the information; and

a processor to use the information collected from the trainee before starting the machine-assisted training to create the knowledge model before starting the machine-assisted training and to automatically update the knowledge model in response to the action performed by the trainee, the processor automatically and dynamically adjust the machine-assisted training based on the information related to the actions performed by the trainee during the machine-assisted training, wherein dynamically adjusting the machine-assisted training comprises at least one of the following;

changing a level of detail of presentation materials of the machine-assisted training, changing a presentation speed of the machine-assisted training, and changing a level of explanation in the machine-assisted training.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a database communicably coupled to the processor to store documents, configuration information, and scripts, wherein the processor is operable to access the database to retrieve one or more of the documents, the configuration information, and the scripts to modify presentation materials of the machine-assisted training.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a trainer agent communicably coupled to the database to update the documents, the configuration information, and the scripts stored on the database.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the trainer agent comprises:

a document builder to put together the presentation materials.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the trainer agent comprises:

a knowledge level filter to determine the knowledge level of the trainee based on the actions performed by the trainee.

20. The system of claim 10, wherein

SystemC includes a class library for hardware design of circuits.

23. The system of claim 10, wherein

the machine assisted training to code in SystemC is for hardware design of circuits.