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

• US 8,621,416 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 12/31/2013
• 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:
  US13/037,099
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 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;

determining a user'"'"'s navigational performance of an application; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the user'"'"'s navigational performance;

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 the user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.

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

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first user mood state of the user is further determined 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 the user mood state profiling questions from the user; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the one or more responses.

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

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

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

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first mood state of the user is further determined by:

performing direct observation on the user.

10. 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;

determining a user'"'"'s navigational performance of an application; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the user'"'"'s navigational performance;

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.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising creating a user mood state profile configured to indicate the first user mood state of the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the application is an interview-based application.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining the first user mood state of the user further comprises:

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 the user mood state profiling questions from the user; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the one or more responses.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the altered element of the application comprises an alteration of one or more navigation paths of the application.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the altered element of the application comprises an alteration of one or more user interface elements of the application.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein determining the first user mood state of the user further comprises:

performing direct observation on the user.

18. 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;

determining a user'"'"'s navigational performance of an application; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the user'"'"'s navigational performance;

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.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, 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.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the application is an interview-based application.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining the first user mood state of the user further comprises:

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 the user mood state profiling questions from the user; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the one or more responses.

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

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the altered element of the application comprises an alteration of one or more user interface elements of the application.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein determining the first user mood state of the user further comprises:

performing direct observation on the user.

26. 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;

determining a user'"'"'s navigational performance of the application; and

determining the first user mood state of the user from the user'"'"'s navigational performance;

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 the 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.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the application is an interview-based application.

28. The method of claim 26, 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.

29. The method of claim 28, 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.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the first user mood state is further determined by:

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

receiving responses from the one or more users; and

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

31. The method of claim 26, wherein the first mood state is further determined by:

performing direct observation on the one or more users.

32. The method of claim 26, 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.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the user mood state profile comprises one or more mood subscales.