GUIDANCE ACROSS COMPLEX TASKS

• US 20100077327A1
• Filed: 09/22/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pulsipher, Jon, Kishore, Ajitesh
• Application Number:
  US12/235,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20100077327A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/764
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Architecture that guides a user through a complex set of steps of a task that can span multiple applications and services, and/or multiple subprograms/services within a single application. A publication mechanism publishes categorized tasks and task steps to the end user client. Task publication allows end user/community modification or task creation for self use or for publishing to other users. A user interface (UI) associates a specific step with the larger task and helps the user to return back to the list of steps and otherwise navigate at the user discretion. A profile mechanism facilitates the storage of user choices over time and the development of a user profile from which future or similar task completion can be based. The architecture serves as a teaching tool that exposes the user to a variety of applications and services of which the user might now otherwise be aware.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented task processing system, comprising:

a presentation component for presenting categories of tasks for execution and selecting a task from the categories of tasks;

a guidance component for generating and presenting selectable options that guide execution of elements of the task across disparate resources; and

an execution component for executing an element across the disparate resources based on a selected option.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the disparate resources include at least one of applications or service domains.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the disparate resources reside on a client computing system.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a profile component for building a user profile based in part on a category selected.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the presentation component presents a set of candidate tasks based on the user profile.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a navigation component for maintaining relationships of the tasks and task elements and facilitating navigation of the tasks and task elements.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a publication component for publishing the categories for presentation by the presentation component.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a publication component for publishing a customized task or task element to other entities.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a discovery component for randomly selecting and including a new category in the categories for presentation, the new category not previously selected as part of task execution.

10. A computer-implemented task processing system, comprising:

a presentation component for presenting categories of tasks from which a task is selected for execution;

a guidance component for generating and presenting options that guide completion of steps of the task across disparate applications or services;

a navigation component for maintaining relationships between the tasks and steps and facilitating navigation of the tasks and steps; and

a profile component for building a user profile based in part on selections associated with task execution.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a scoring component for assigning weighting data to a category from which the task was selected, the weighted category stored as part of the user profile and, the weighted category presented in the categories based on selection of a new task and according to the user profile.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a publication component for publishing the categories and customized tasks or task steps for presentation by the presentation component.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising a discovery component for tailoring the categories to a user based on user interaction over time.

14. A computer-implemented method of processing a task, comprising:

presenting categories of tasks from which a task is selected for execution across disparate resources;

exposing steps for completing the selected task; and

presenting selectable options that guide completion of the steps across the disparate resources.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

customizing a task; and

publishing the customized task to other entities.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

applying points to the task based on user interaction and client processing; and

storing the points as a score of a task profile for a user.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting the categories based on the task profile of the user.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising processing the profile to extract user information and provide targeted content to a user based on the user information.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

randomly selecting a new category; and

presenting the new category in the categories.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising delaying execution of the task for a later time.