SYSTEM AND METHOD OF GUIDING A USER IN UTILIZING FUNCTIONS AND FEATURES OF A COMPUTER BASED DEVICE

• US 20190146815A1
• Filed: 01/14/2019
• Published: 05/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2014
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Symmpl, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symmpl, Inc.
• Inventors: SMITH, III, JAY, Sims, Anson
• Granted Patent: US 10,846,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2457 with adaptation to user needs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A system/method is provided for guiding a user in utilizing functions of a computer-based device. The computer-based method includes operating a software application that interfaces with one or more applications on one or more remote computing devices. The computed-based method includes rendering a first screen having a plurality of display elements that are linked to a plurality of activities including a first activity and a second activity. The computer-based method includes receiving a selection of a display element of the plurality of display elements that is linked to the first activity. The computer-based method includes obtaining first activity information that includes first ancillary information. The computer-based method includes generating an inference of an interest or preference of a user based on the first ancillary information and outputting or performing a suggestion or recommendation to the user based on the inference of the interest or preference of the user.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of guiding a user in operating a computer-based application running on a computer-based device, the computer-based method comprising:

operating, by a processor, a software application that runs on the computer-based device and interfaces with one or more applications on one or more remote computing devices;

rendering, by the processor and on a display, a first screen having a plurality of display elements that are linked to a plurality of activities including a first activity and a second activity;

receiving, by the processor, a selection of a display element of the plurality of display elements that is linked to the first activity;

obtaining, by the processor and from a first remote computing device associated with the first activity, first activity information that includes first ancillary information;

generating, by the processor, an inference of an interest or preference of a user based on the first ancillary information; and

outputting or performing, by the processor and on a display or through a speaker, a suggestion or recommendation to the user based on the inference of the interest or preference of the user.

2. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein outputting or performing the suggestion or recommendation includes displaying the suggestion or recommendation on an avatar in a virtual environment.

3. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a selection of the second activity;

obtaining, by the processor and from a second remote computing device associated with the second activity, second activity information that includes second ancillary information; and

extracting, by the processor, the second ancillary information from the second activity information.

4. The computer-based method of claim 3, wherein generating the inference of the interest or preference of the user is further based on the second ancillary information.

5. The computer-based method of claim 3, wherein the first activity information includes a photo or image and the first ancillary information includes geo-location data and a description of the photo or the image, wherein the second activity information includes body text.

6. The computer-based method of claim 5, wherein generating, by the processor, the inference of the interest or preference of the user is based on the geo-location data and the description included in the first ancillary information and the body text included in the second activity information.

7. The computer-based method of claim 1, wherein the inference of the interest or preference of the user is a conversation topic, a product, a location or an event.

8. The computer-based method of claim 1, further comprising:

dividing the first activity into a plurality of tasks and each task of the plurality of tasks into a plurality of sub-tasks;

assigning each task of the plurality of tasks a level of task difficulty and each sub-task of the plurality of sub-tasks a level of sub-task difficulty;

determining a capability score of the user that represents a level of technical expertise of the user based on user responses to each task and each sub-task; and

determining a number of tasks or sub-tasks of a division of a subsequent sub-task, task or activity based on the capability score of the user.

9. A computer-based method of guiding a user in operating a computer-based application running on a computer-based device, the computer-based method comprising:

operating, by a processor, a software application that runs on the computer-based device and interfaces with one or more applications on one or more remote computing devices;

rendering, by the processor and on a display, a first screen having a plurality of display elements that are linked to a plurality of activities including a first activity and a second activity;

receiving, by the processor, a selection of a display element of the plurality of display elements that is linked to the first activity;

obtaining, by the processor and from a first remote computing device associated with the first activity, first activity information that includes first ancillary information;

extracting, by the processor, the first ancillary information from the first activity information using one or more identification tags to parse the first activity information;

generating, by the processor, an inference of an interest or preference of a user based on the first ancillary information; and

outputting or performing, by the processor and on a display or through a speaker, a suggestion or recommendation to the user based on the inference of the interest or preference of the user.

10. The computer-based method of claim 9, wherein outputting or performing the suggestion or recommendation includes displaying the suggestion or recommendation on an avatar in a virtual environment.

11. The computer-based method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving, by the processor, a selection of the second activity;

obtaining, by the processor and from a second remote computing device associated with the second activity, second activity information that includes second ancillary information; and

extracting, by the processor, the second ancillary information from the second activity information.

12. The computer-based method of claim 11, wherein generating the inference of the interest or preference of the user is further based on the second ancillary information.

13. The computer-based method of claim 9, wherein the inference of the interest or preference of the user is a conversation topic, a product, a location or an event.

14. The computer-based method of claim 9, further comprising:

dividing the first activity into a plurality of tasks and each task of the plurality of tasks into a plurality of sub-tasks;

assigning each task of the plurality of tasks a level of task difficulty and each sub-task of the plurality of sub-tasks a level of sub-task difficulty;

determining a capability score of the user that represents a level of technical expertise of the user based on user responses to each task and each sub-task; and

determining a number of tasks or sub-tasks of a division of a subsequent sub-task, task or activity based on the capability score of the user.

15. A computer-based user assistance system, comprising:

a memory configured to store a software application;

a display configured to render a suggestion or recommendation;

a speaker for generating audio messages to a user; and

a processor coupled to the memory and configured to;

execute the software application that interfaces with one or more application on one or more remote computing devices, wherein the software application performs operations comprising;

rendering, on the display, a first screen having a plurality of display elements that are linked to a plurality of activities including a first activity and a second activity;

receiving a selection of a display element of the plurality of display elements that is linked to the first activity;

obtaining, from a first remote computing device associated with the first activity, first activity information that includes first ancillary information;

generating an inference of an interest or preference of a user based on the first ancillary information; and

outputting or performing, on the display or through the speaker, the suggestion or recommendation to the user based on the inference of the interest or preference of the user.

16. The computer-based user assistance system of claim 15, wherein outputting or performing the suggestion or recommendation includes displaying the suggestion or recommendation on an avatar in a virtual environment.

17. The computer-based user assistance system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a selection of the second activity;

obtaining, from a second remote computing device associated with the second activity, second activity information that includes second ancillary information; and

extracting the second ancillary information from the second activity information.

18. The computer-based user assistance system of claim 17, wherein generating the inference of the interest or preference of the user is further based on the second ancillary information.

19. The computer-based user assistance system of claim 15, wherein the inference of the interest or preference of the user is a conversation topic, a product, a location or an event.

20. The computer-based user assistance system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise:

dividing the first activity into a plurality of tasks and each task of the plurality of tasks into a plurality of sub-tasks;

assigning each task of the plurality of tasks a level of task difficulty and each sub-task of the plurality of sub-tasks a level of sub-task difficulty;

determining a capability score of the user that represents a level of technical expertise of the user based on user responses to each task and each sub-task; and

determining a number of tasks or sub-tasks of a division of a subsequent sub-task, task or activity based on the capability score of the user.