Method and system for generating help files based on user queries

• US 7,277,884 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Huentelman, Mark, Ashby, Robert, Vadai, Christine, McDowell, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Cottingham; John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/780,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,323 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707 2- 5, 707/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/337 Profile generation, learning or modification
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

A method and system for generating a help file based on failed user queries. A help file generation system collects failed user queries from user computer systems. The generation system assists a developer in identifying failed user queries that are related to a topic. The generation system then updates the entry in the help file for that topic based on the identified user queries. When a help system subsequently uses that help file, it checks the updated entry when searching for a match and will likely find a match to a relevant topic for a user query that previously failed.

Claims

1. A method in a computer system for generating a help file having topics, the method comprising:

collecting failed user queries;

collecting user queries that did not fail;

receiving a selection of a topic;

receiving a selection of some of the collected user queries; and

modifying the help file so that the selected topic is identified as being relevant to the selected user queries factoring in information derived from a failure rate of the user queries;

wherein the failure rate of a user query represents a ratio of a number of submissions of that user query that failed to the total number of submissions of that user query.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying includes adding data derived from the selected user queries to an entry of the selected topic.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the derived data is added as metadata that is searched by a help system when determining whether a topic matches a user query.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein when a help system searches for topics that match a user query, the help system weights matches within the derived data of the topics more heavily than matches within the content of the topics.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying includes adding data derived from the selected user queries to a search catalog of the help file.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the derived data is added as metadata that is searched by a help system when determining whether a topic matches a user query.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein when a help system searches for topics that match a user query, the help system weights matches based on the derived data of the topics more heavily than matches based on the content of the topics.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the failed user queries are collected from user computer systems.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the collecting includes collecting an indication of an application associated with the failed user query.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving of the selection of some of the collected user queries includes:

receiving a search criteria; and

searching the collected user queries for those that match the received search criteria.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the receiving of the selection of some of the collected user queries includes:

displaying the matching user queries; and

receiving a selection of some of the matching user queries.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the modifying of the entry includes adding data derived from the selected matching user queries to the entry for the selected topic.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein a user query is considered to have failed based on an indication received from a user.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the modifying includes adding the selected user queries to the entry of the selected topic.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the help file includes an index and a content file.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein a help file has an original language and the generated help file has a different language and the selection of the collected user queries is different for different languages.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the collected user queries are in the original language and the selected user queries are translated to the different language.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the collected user queries are in the different language.

19. The method of claim 1 including adding a new entry to the help file based on review of the collected user queries.

20. A computer system for modifying a help file having topics, comprising:

a component that collects failed user queries;

a component that selects some of the collected user queries; and

a component that modifies the help file based on the selected user queries so that a selected topic is identified when a selected user query is submitted,

wherein a help file has an original language and the modified help file has a different language and the selection of the collected user queries language specific selects user queries that are in the different language.

21. The computer system of claim 20 wherein the modifying includes adding the selected user queries to an entry for the selected topic.

22. The computer system of claim 20 wherein the failed user queries are collected from user computer systems.

23. The computer system of claim 20 wherein the component that selects receives a search criteria and searches the collected user queries for those that match the received search criteria.

24. The computer system of claim 23 wherein the component that selects displays the matching user queries and receives a selection of some of the matching user queries.

25. The computer system of claim 24 wherein the component that modifies adds the selected matching user queries to an entry for the selected topic.

26. The computer system of claim 20 wherein the collected user queries are in the original language and the selected user queries are translated to the different language.

27. The computer system of claim 20 wherein the collected user queries are in the different language.

28. The computer system of claim 20 including a component that adds a new entry to the help file based on review of the collected user queries.

29. A method in a computer system for generating a help file having topics, the method comprising:

collecting failed user queries;

receiving a selection of a topic;

receiving a selection of some of the collected user queries; and

modifying the help file so that the selected topic is identified as being relevant to the selected user queries

wherein a help file has an original language and the generated help file has a different language and the selection of the collected user queries selects user queries that are in the different language.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the modifying includes adding data derived from the selected user queries to an entry of the selected topic.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the derived data is added as metadata that is searched by a help system when determining whether a topic matches a user query.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein when a help system searches for topics that match a user query, the help system weights matches within the derived data of the topics more heavily than matches within the content of the topics.

33. The method of claim 29 wherein the modifying inciudes adding data derived from the selected user queries to a search catalog of the help file.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the derived data is added as metadata that is searched by a help system when determining whether a topic matches a user query.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein when a help system searches for topics that match a user query, the help system weights matches based on the derived data of the topics more heavily than matches based on the content of the topics.

36. The method of claim 29 wherein the failed user queries are collected from user computer systems.

37. The method of claim 29 wherein the collecting includes collecting an indication of an application associated with the failed user query.

38. The method of claim 29 wherein the receiving of the selection of some of the collected user queries includes:

receiving a search criteria; and

searching the collected user queries for those that match the received search criteria.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein the receiving of the selection of some of the collected user queries includes:

displaying the matching user queries; and

receiving a selection of some of the matching user queries.

40. The method of claim 39 wherein the modifying of the entry includes adding data derived from the selected matching user queries to the entry for the selected topic.

41. The method of claim 29 wherein a user query is considered to have failed based on an indication received from a user.

42. The method of claim 29 including collecting user queries that did not fail and providing information derived from a failure rate of the user queries.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein the modifying includes adding the selected user queries to the entry of the selected topic.

44. The method of claim 29 wherein the help file includes an index and a content file.

45. The method of claim 29 wherein the collected user queries are in the original language and the selected user queries are translated to the different language.

46. The method of claim 29 wherein the collected user queries are in the different language.

47. The method of claim 29 including adding a new entry to the help file based on review of the collected user queries.

48. A computer system for modifying a help file having topics, comprising:

a component that collects failed user queries and collects user queries that did not fail;

a component that selects some of the collected user queries; and

a component that modifies the help file based on the selected user queries and information derived from a failure rate of user queries so that a selected topic is identified when a selected user query is submitted;

wherein the failure rate of a user query represents a ratio of a number of submissions of that user query that failed to the total number of submissions of that user query.

49. The computer system of claim 48 wherein the modifying includes adding the selected user queries to an entry for the selected topic.

50. The computer system of claim 48 wherein the failed user queries are collected from user computer systems.

51. The computer system of claim 48 wherein the component that selects receives a search criteria and searches the collected user queries for those that match the received search criteria.

52. The computer system of claim 51 wherein the component that selects displays the matching user queries and receives a selection of some of the matching user queries.

53. The computer system of claim 52 wherein the component that modifies adds the selected matching user queries to an entry for the selected topic.

54. The computer system of claim 48 wherein a help file has an original language and the modified help file has a different language and the selection of the collected user queries is language specific.

55. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the collected user queries are in the original language and the selected user queries are translated to the different language.

56. The computer system of claim 54 wherein the collected user queries are in the different language.

57. The computer system of claim 48 including a component that adds a new entry to the help file based on review of the collected user queries.