IN-PRODUCT QUESTIONS, ANSWERS, AND TIPS

• US 20130103714A1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Published: 04/25/2013
• 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 9,465,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• 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 a first discussion element associated with a first user and including textual input related to a first software application and first contextual information related to the first software application. The technique further involves receiving second contextual information associated with a second user and related to the first software application, determining a measure of correlation between the first contextual information and the second contextual information, determining that the first discussion element should be transmitted to the second user based on the measure of correlation, and transmitting the first discussion element to the second user.

Claims

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

receiving a first discussion element associated with a first user and comprising textual input related to a first software application and first contextual information related to the first software application;

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

determining, via a processing unit, a measure of correlation between the first contextual information and the second contextual information;

based on the measure of correlation, determining that the first discussion element should be transmitted to the second user; and

transmitting the first discussion element to the second user.

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining comprises executing one or more correlation algorithms.

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 the first discussion element from the second user, wherein the first discussion element has been modified by the second user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first discussion element includes textual input and multimedia content added by the second user to create a modified first discussion element.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

storing the modified first discussion element in a database; and

transmitting the modified first discussion element to the first user.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second discussion element associated with a third user, the second discussion element comprising textual input related to the first software application;

receiving a textual query from a fourth user;

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

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

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second discussion element associated with a third user, the second discussion element comprising third contextual information related to the first software application, the third contextual information comprising one or more first application commands;

receiving a query from a fourth user, the query specifying one or more second application commands;

determining a third measure of correlation between the one or more first application commands and the one or more second application commands; and

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

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 a first discussion element associated with a first user and comprising textual input related to a first software application and first contextual information related to the first software application;

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

determining, via a processing unit, a measure of correlation between the first contextual information and the second contextual information;

based on the measure of correlation, determining that the first discussion element should be transmitted to the second user; and

transmitting the first discussion element to the second user.

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 10, wherein determining comprises executing one or more correlation algorithms.

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 the first discussion element from the second user, wherein the first discussion element has been modified by the second user.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the first discussion element includes textual input and multimedia content added by the second user to create a modified first discussion element.

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

storing the modified first discussion element in a database; and

transmitting the modified first discussion element to the first user.

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

receiving a second discussion element associated with a third user, the second discussion element comprising textual input related to the first software application;

receiving a textual query from a fourth user;

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

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

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

receiving a second discussion element associated with a third user, the second discussion element comprising third contextual information related to the first software application, the third contextual information comprising one or more first application commands;

receiving a query from a fourth user, the query specifying one or more second application commands;

determining a third measure of correlation between the one or more first application commands and the one or more second application commands; and

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

19. A computing device, comprising:

a memory; and

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

receive a first discussion element associated with a first user and comprising textual input related to a first software application and first contextual information related to the first software application;

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

determine, via the central processing unit, a measure of correlation between the first contextual information and the second contextual information;

based on the measure of correlation, determine that the first discussion element should be transmitted to the second user; and

transmit the first discussion element to the second user.

20. The computing device of claim 19, further configured to receive the first discussion element from the second user, wherein the first discussion element has been modified by the second user.