IN-PRODUCT QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, AND TIPS

• US 20130097497A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Matejka, Justin Frank, Grossman, Tovi, Fitzmaurice, George
• Granted Patent: US 9,141,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for providing help content related to a software application to a user. The technique involves receiving textual input related to a first software application from a first user and comprising help content and generating a first discussion element based on the textual input. The technique further involves receiving first contextual information associated with the first user and related to the first software application, associating the first contextual information with the first discussion element, and transmitting the first discussion element to a server machine for processing.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing help content related to a software application to a user, the method comprising:

receiving textual input related to a first software application from a first user and comprising help content;

generating, via a processing unit, a first discussion element based on the textual input;

receiving first contextual information associated with the first user and related to the first software application;

associating the first contextual information with the first discussion element; and

transmitting the first discussion element to a server machine for processing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first contextual information comprises one or more application commands.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the first contextual information comprises recording a series of commands executed by the first user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating with the first discussion element at least one of an application screenshot or a user design file.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second contextual information associated with a second user and related to the first software application;

transmitting the second contextual information to the server machine;

based on a measure of correlation between the first and second contextual information, receiving the first discussion element from the server machine; and

causing the first discussion element to be displayed to the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving a textual query from the second user;

determining a measure of correlation between the textual input and the textual query; and

based on the measure of correlation, determining that the discussion element should be displayed to the second user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first contextual information and the second contextual information comprises one or more application commands.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the first contextual information comprises recording a series of commands executed by the first user, and wherein receiving the second contextual information comprises recording a series of commands executed by the second user.

9. The method of claim 5, further comprising causing the first discussion element to be displayed to the second user in a context menu associated with an application command.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing unit, cause the processing unit to provide help content related to a software application to a user, by performing the steps of:

receiving textual input related to a first software application from a first user and comprising help content;

generating, via a processing unit, a first discussion element based on the textual input;

receiving first contextual information associated with the first user and related to the first software application;

associating the first contextual information with the first discussion element; and

transmitting the first discussion element to a server machine for processing.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first contextual information comprises one or more application commands.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein receiving the first contextual information comprises recording a series of commands executed by the first user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising associating with the first discussion element at least one of an application screenshot or a user design file.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving second contextual information associated with a second user and related to the first software application;

transmitting the second contextual information to the server machine;

based on a measure of correlation between the first and second contextual information, receiving the first discussion element from the server machine; and

causing the first discussion element to be displayed to the second user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a textual query from the second user;

determining a measure of correlation between the textual input and the textual query; and

based on the measure of correlation, determining that the discussion element should be displayed to the second user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first contextual information and the second contextual information comprises one or more application commands.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein receiving the first contextual information comprises recording a series of commands executed by the first user, and wherein receiving the second contextual information comprises recording a series of commands executed by the second user.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising causing the first discussion element to be displayed to the second user in a context menu associated with an application command.

19. A computing device, comprising:

a memory; and

a central processing unit coupled to the memory, configured to;

receive textual input related to a first software application from a first user and comprising help content;

generate, via the central processing unit, a first discussion element based on the textual input;

receive first contextual information associated with the first user and related to the first software application;

associate the first contextual information with the first discussion element; and

transmitting the first discussion element to a server machine for processing.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the first contextual information comprises one or more application commands.