Contextual interactive program feedback

• US 9,612,802 B1
• Filed: 09/27/2013
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Cox, Timothy J., Joyce, Scott, Labaj, Donald
• Primary Examiner(s): Kang, Insun
• Application Number:
  US14/039,684
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/20 Software design

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards collecting feedback from users of a program in the current context in which the user is interacting with a part of the program. The collected feedback is thus likely relevant to that part of the program. By associating the collected feedback with metadata that corresponds to the context of the program at the current program location of collection, more meaningful, useful data is obtainable for improving an existing program, developing new programs, debugging and so forth.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms relative to a user interface component or set of components of a program having one or more user interface screens, providing the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms further comprising;

rendering a first interactive feedback component for a first program component of the program; and

rendering a second interactive feedback component for a second program component of the program;

detecting actuation of a selected interactive feedback mechanism in the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms;

presenting a feedback collection mechanism in response to detecting the actuation of the selected interactive feedback mechanism;

collecting contextual feedback from a user while the user is in context of performing a task associated with an input field within a current user interface screen of the program, the feedback collected based upon detecting interaction with the selected interactive feedback mechanism,

the contextual feedback comprising context metadata including metadata that corresponds to where the feedback was collected within the program, the contextual metadata comprising a program identifier and a program context identifier, the program context identifier identifying the selected interactive feedback mechanism in the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms;

collecting additional metadata comprising a duration of time associated with a user interaction with the current user interface screen of the program; and

persisting the contextual feedback in association with the contextual metadata, the contextual metadata comprising an identifier of the program component associated with the selected interactive feedback mechanism, wherein the identifier of the program component is an identifier of the first program component or an identifier of the second program component.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms further comprises:

rendering the selected interactive feedback mechanism within a graphical user interface component for a program screen, wherein the feedback is provided by the user while the user is still in context of performing a task within the graphical user interface, wherein the user provides the feedback as the task is being performed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the program comprises a wizard and wherein persisting the feedback in association with the contextual metadata comprises:

persisting an identifier of the program screen and the program context identifier, wherein the program context identifier identifies a step in the wizard being presented at a time the feedback was entered.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

collecting gesture related input data provided as the feedback by the user, wherein the gesture related input data comprises physical gestures.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the context metadata comprises an identifier of a control associated with the program component active at a time of feedback entry, and wherein the additional metadata further comprises a duration of user interaction with the control, wherein a long duration of time is indicative of user difficulty with a program component.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms are provided on a single user interface screen, and further comprising:

rendering a first interactive feedback mechanism associated with a first control for the first program component; and

on detecting a context change on a same screen, rendering a second interactive feedback mechanism associated with a second control for the second program component on, the same screen, wherein the context change comprises user interaction with the second control.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms further comprises:

rendering a representation of an interactive feedback mechanism associated with a program screen after a threshold inactivity delay time before the user enters data associated with the program screen, wherein the interactive feedback mechanism is presented to a user to solicit the feedback after the threshold inactivity delay time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms further comprises:

rendering a representation of an interactive feedback mechanism in the plurality of interactive feedback mechanism that visibly indicates when the interactive feedback mechanism is active for interaction versus when the feedback mechanism is inactive.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the contextual metadata corresponds to a context of the program at a current program location where the feedback was collected within the program and further comprising:

processing the feedback and the contextual metadata to analyze the program.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors and a memory, the memory configured to include a program having one or more user interface screens,

a plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms are provided relative to a set of components of the program, providing the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms further comprises;

after a threshold inactivity delay time before a user interaction with a given program component on the one or more user interface screens, rendering a selected interactive feedback mechanism for a given program component on a selected user interface screen in the one or more user interface screens, the selected user interface screen having the selected interactive feedback mechanism accessible thereon;

collect feedback via a feedback collection mechanism from a user while the user is in context of performing a task associated with an input field within the selected user interface screen;

the program persisting the feedback and contextual metadata, including metadata that represents a current program context when the selected interactive feedback mechanism is triggered, and the contextual metadata including metadata that corresponds to where the feedback was collected within the program, the contextual metadata comprising a program identifier and a program context identifier, the program context identifier identifying which interactive feedback mechanism in the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms rendered as the selected interactive feedback mechanism; and

persisting the feedback further comprising persisting an identifier of a program component, the identifier of the program component is an identifier of the given program component associated with the selected interactive feedback mechanism.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the contextual metadata includes at least one of:

an interactive control identifier, a software revision/version number, user role data, a customer identifier, license information, timestamp data, system state data, device type data, display type data or duration data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the contextual metadata further comprising a duration of time associated with a user interaction with the selected user interface screen.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein contextual feedback collection for a given program is operated according to a mode, wherein the contextual feedback collection is turned on for a first version of the program and wherein the feedback collection is turned off for a second version of the program.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms are provided on a single user interface screen, and wherein a first interactive feedback mechanism associated with a first control on a first user interface screen for a first program component is rendered;

and

on detecting a context change, a second interactive feedback mechanism associated with a second control for a second program component is rendered on the first user interface screen, wherein the context change comprises a user interacting with the second control.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the program includes a plurality of user interface screens, wherein at least two of the user interface screens include an interactive feedback mechanism, and further comprising:

a first user interface screen, wherein a first interactive feedback mechanism for a first input field is rendered on the first user interface screen of the program, wherein the first interactive feedback mechanism is triggered to collect contextual program feedback associated with the first input field, wherein the contextual program feedback collected by the first interactive feedback mechanism is contextually relevant to the data the user is entering or attempting to enter into the first input field; and

a second user interface screen, wherein a second interactive feedback mechanism for a second input field is rendered on a second user interface screen of the program on detecting a context change from the first user interface screen to the second user interface screen, wherein the second interactive feedback mechanism is triggered to collect contextual program feedback associated with the second input field, wherein the contextual program feedback collected by the second interactive feedback mechanism is contextually relevant to data the user is entering or attempting to enter into the second input field.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the feedback collection mechanism is configured to input at least one of:

text data, audio data, video data, gesture-related data, checkbox-related data, vote-related data, radio-button related data, graphical data or image data.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable memories having machine-executable instructions, which when executed perform steps, comprising, outputting a user interface screen, including outputting a plurality of interactive data entry components of a program, and for each of at least two of the interactive data entry components, providing a plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms, providing the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms further comprising:

after a first threshold inactivity delay time before user interaction with a first interactive data entry component of the program, outputting a first interactive feedback mechanism for the first interactive data entry component in the plurality of interactive data entry components to prompt feedback from a user, wherein the first interactive feedback mechanism is triggered to collect feedback associated with data the user is entering or attempting to enter into the first interactive data entry component;

after a second threshold inactivity delay time before user interaction with a second interactive data entry component of the program, outputting a second interactive feedback mechanism for the second interactive data entry component in the plurality of interactive data entry components, wherein the second interactive feedback mechanism is triggered to collect feedback associated with data the user is entering or attempting to enter into the second interactive data entry component;

collecting feedback via the first interactive feedback mechanism and the second interactive feedback mechanism; and

persisting the feedback in association with feedback metadata including a program identifier and a program context identifier, the program context identifier identifying which interactive feedback mechanism was actuated as the selected interactive feedback mechanism, and persisting the feedback further comprises persisting an identifier of a program component, the identifier of the program component is an identifier of the first interactive data entry component or an identifier of the second interactive data entry component.

18. The computer-readable memories of claim 17 having further machine-executable instructions comprising:

using the feedback and the feedback metadata to modify the program or as part of development of a new program.

19. The computer-readable memories of claim 17, wherein outputting a selected interactive feedback mechanism for at least one of the plurality of interactive data entry components comprises:

rendering a visible representation of the selected interactive feedback mechanism, the visible representation comprising at least one of;

a button, an icon, a hovering link, or a menu selection or sub-selection, wherein the selected interactive feedback mechanism changes as time increases without user interaction with a given interactive data entry component to vary a position of the selected interactive feedback mechanism over time.

20. The computer-readable memories of claim 17 wherein outputting a selected interactive feedback mechanism for at least one of the plurality of interactive data entry components comprises further comprising:

rendering a visible representation of the selected interactive feedback mechanism in the plurality of interactive feedback mechanisms after the threshold inactivity delay time, wherein the selected interactive feedback mechanism changes as time increases without user interaction with a given interactive data entry component to vary an animation state of the selected interactive feedback mechanism over time.