This is a utility patent application being filed in the United States as a non-provisional application for patent under Title 35 U.S.C. §100 et seq. and 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) and, claiming the benefit of the prior filing date under Title 35, U.S.C. §119(e) of the U.S. provisional application for patent that was filed on Oct. 24, 2012 and assigned Ser. No. 61/717,937, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates specifically to a new system of help for any web or non-web based system and/or software program.
When the first monochromatic monitored personal computer systems rolled out into the market place, such as the APPLE computers or the MICROSOFT 8088 based Personal Computers back in the 1980's, the typical techno-nerd was the typical user. “Help, who needs your stinking help” may have been the attitude of such user. But today, in a world in which every young to middle aged person cringes when receiving a call from an elderly parent with computer questions, there may be a different attitude, a different cry, a different slogan. It may go like this, “HELP!”.
The techno-industry has answered this cry for help. There is the standard cry for help in the form of the “F1” key, the Help menu, the looming “?” link, the online help, the email help, the chat box, the IT guy sitting down the hallway, a group of very silly looking zit-faced high school punks sitting behind a desk at BESTBUY and acting like the actually know something and of course, the GOOGLE search engine. But, in the face of all this so called “help” many a user find themselves in the middle of something and desperately needing help. And typically, the user needs it here and now and does not need for it to distract them from what they are doing. Maybe like little “help fairies” that can pop up on their shoulder and whisper all of the right answers in a very high-pitched squeaky voice. But today, help systems are somewhat intrusive and distracting. There is a need within the computing industry for a solution, such as a computerized system, method and computer program product or plug-in module, etc., to provide “Help” to the user wherein the user is not directed away from the screen where the help instructions are inputted.
In state of the art help systems, end-users are taken to an entirely separate graphical user interface screen (e.g. web page) away from the screen where they need help, and then are either:
Many help systems available today operate to “tell” the user what to do, such as in the form of numbered instructions, or “show” them what to do on video. As such, the user must bounce between the activity for which the user needs help, and the source of the help. This can be time consuming, frustrating, error prone and inefficient. The user tries to memorize all of the steps necessary by interfacing with the help source, then jumping back to the activity of concern and trying to remember and implement the, hopefully memorized steps. However, as one quickly realizes, there are limitations of the human working memory (more commonly called short-term memory). Working memory only can hold 3 or 4 information pieces at a time. This limitation is far exceeded by the amount of information required for learning a new system, software program, application, etc., even if that information is segmented into brief 60 second video tutorials.
While this amount of time is seemingly very brief, it is deceptive how many steps are usually demonstrated in 60 seconds, and thus how much information is required of a new user to remember. Rather than containing the working memory capacity of 3 or 4 steps, 60 second videos often contain as many as 10 to 30 steps (depending upon how fast the demonstrator in the video demonstrates the subject matter).
The end result is users have to watch the video over and over, only able to apply small bits of what they learn at a time. And if there are too many video tutorials of this length (or shorter) required to learn an application, users are discouraged from using the application because of the inconvenience of having to watch so many videos, remembering what was seen, then applying the lessons to the program they are learning.
Likewise, with text-based tutorials, continuously searching on a remote help page for the often dozens of functions needed to start to effectively operate a reasonably in-depth software program is an extremely cumbersome process that is taxing on working memory. It is also very time consuming, especially considering the user may need to go back to the same help functions again and again until they finally learn the program's basic functionality to a point of no longer needing help.
The present disclosure focuses on a solution for providing a user help function in a web based program or computer installed program (i.e. non-web based) that is “in context” rather than directing the user to a different screen or window, requiring the user to bounce back and forth or memorize steps.
In various embodiments of the help system presented herein, the user clicks, selects or actuates a help button (collectively and non-limiting is referred to as click) and the help appears right on the same page where the user needs the help.
The user then searches for the help item they need. Once found, the user is taken through the process of actually doing what they need help on via a series of hints that pop up telling the user exactly what to do, 1 step at a time.
Thus, various embodiments of the help system actually instruct and allow the user to “do” what they have to do, each step along the way. Thus, there is no memorization necessary as in the case of video tutorials, or “localization” problems, as is the case with text help systems where the user has to localize on the program what the text is referring to in the help. The various embodiments presented herein thus operate to alleviate or eliminate a substantial amount of the time, stress and frustration users often experience trying to learn all the steps necessary to use a new system, application, software program, etc.
The present disclosure presents one or more embodiments of a help function that overcomes, facilitates or helps to alleviate the drawback of the limitations of human working memory (more commonly called short-term memory).
Various embodiments of the help function disclosed herein, on the other hand, alleviate the need for a user to memorize a list of instructions, enables the user do a single task at a time, and reduces the amount of working memory utilized by a user. This is accomplished in the various embodiments by individual help items being provided through a series of 1-step directions. These directions are on the page pointing to and telling the user exactly what needs to be done for that step. Once the user accomplishes the step, the help function automatically brings the user to the next step of the sequence until the desired function is accomplished.
It should be appreciated that while the various embodiments are described as a “help function”, the embodiments may be hardware, software, firmware, computer systems running a program or executing steps of a program, combinations thereof, etc. Thus, the use of any of these terms, unless specifically noted otherwise, is used interchangeably throughout this description.
The various embodiments of the help function are different than standard prior art “wizards” because these prior art wizards lead a new user through a sequence of steps related to the functioning of the software system as a whole (e.g. “Quick Start wizards). However, the embodiments of the help function take this a step further by granulating this process down to single functions which are accessible and needed for day-to-day operations, both for beginning and advanced levels of usability. Additionally, prior art wizards typically lead the user through a one-time start-up process that is not the same process a user will be using on a day-to-day basis for that application, but rather one designed for start-up purposes. (In other words, many applications make the startup process easier for users than what the process is without the wizard, thus leaving users really not fully knowledgeable how to use the system once the startup/wizard period is over).
Another aspect that may be incorporated into various embodiments of the help function is various hard-coded pre-sets that trigger the help function to initiate a particular wizard sequence. This can be both time-based or usage based.
For example, a particular granulated help sequence can be hard-coded to appear on a page the first 1, 2 or 3 times a user navigates to that page, but not thereafter (unless the user specifically requests it thereafter via the Help link). Or a particular granulated help sequence can be hard-coded to appear on a page the first day, week or month a user is using the software program, but not thereafter (again, unless the user specifically requests it thereafter via the Help link).
Or, another example is the granulated help sequence can be triggered by certain user events. For example, in a task management or list management system, the help sequence to show the user how to limit how many items they are seeing in a list or on a page may be automatically triggered only after, for example, 10 items are listed. (This feature is helpful in a task management or to-do list system where it can be overwhelming for a user to see too many items on a page at once). Thus, the granulated help sequence only appears and does so automatically with no user prompting at a pre-determined time the user would need this form of help.
Help System
The present discloser presents a help function that may be embodied within a computer based system, method and application/software/module, etc. and operates to guide a user through a series of steps elicited from the Help utility linked to the application, program, system, etc., that the user is currently interfacing with or using (collectively and in a non-limiting way, referred to throughout as an “application”). The application may run as a plug-in or add-on on an existing web-based or non-networked computer system. Or the application may be a module incorporated in with the original software. As such, the application is customized to the specific type of environment (e.g. website, system software, etc.) so that the categories, topics, and step-by-step instructions are specific to the environment.
Embodiments of the help function provide a series of instructions comprising a series of user single click actions, wherein the instructions for each step are located next to the input area on the screen for that particular step. In a some embodiments, the instructions may include text based comment bubbles located next to the input area and further comprising arrows pointing from the bubbles to the input area.
In some embodiments, the steps in the help function may comprise: a) activating a general categories help module in response to user performance of a single action on a first graphical user interface screen; b) activating topic specific instructions in response to user performance of a single action on a second graphical user interface screen; c) displaying instructions on subsequent graphical user interface screens comprising description of user input and location of input pertaining to said topic, wherein said instructions are co-located with location of input on said screen; and, d) redirecting system to return to first graphical user interface screen upon completion of said instructions.
Various embodiments of the help function may provide the user a count of the step they are on and the total number of steps in the process.
The help function may further display on the graphical user interface screen visual cues to instruct the user on how to activate the help function and then the steps to follow once it is activated. Visual cues comprise icons, images, symbols, etc. displayed on a screen that point to, or otherwise identify, the button that the user needs to click on in order to activate the help system. The cues (e.g. a number “1” with an arrow pointing to the Help Button) may be designed to only show the first few times the user accesses the help software/module, and/or for the first few days, weeks, months after it is installed.
Hintmaker
Various embodiments of the help function may also incorporate a “hintmaker” function. The hintmaker, may comprise a an application to allow a user, which may be any user but also may be limited to the system administrator and/or his computer programmers) to create a customized Help System for a particular situation. For example, the Help System may be used as a plug-in of a website, added to an existing software product that is downloaded and installed on a user's electronic computing device (e.g. laptop, smartphone, iPad, etc.), and/or accessed via the web by an installed product as needed.
Special features within the hintmaker enable the user to modify the comment bubbles of the Help System for the purpose of customizing it. Features comprise: adding a background image and a transparent image overlay to a comment bubble (e.g. “Hint”); the ability to resize the bubble and move the arrow anywhere along the bubble's border; the ability to select the color of the bubble's border and the background color within the bubble; select the bubble's border thickness, background reflection opacity and thickness; add text boxes within the bubbles, and additional notes on the same page (e.g. to the programmers).
Message Director
The Help System and the Hintmaker may be incorporated in creating messages within a software program, such as messages from an administrator to computer programmers. In a particular exemplification, messages from an administrator of a task management system are relayed to team members or computer programmers of the software. The Message Director enables the administrator to automatically place each of the 3 attachments (hint with auto-filled text, entire image and form) into the Message Screen, which comprises instructions to the computer programmers to modify the software. Additionally, various embodiments may transfer the text inputted into the balloon into a title and/or text and/or description field of a database field, such as in a task management system. In the some embodiments, only the first 60 characters fill the title field, the rest overflowing into the description field. In other embodiments, the text may go directly into only the description field or any other combination of auto-fill that is either hard-coded into the system, or chosen by user preference controls.
The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or the like parts.
Glossary of Terms
As used herein, the term “Electronic Computing Device” refers to any electronic device comprising a central processing unit (i.e. processor) with the ability to transmit and receive electronic communications from the system server and between parties, and may comprise devices with cellular phone capacity and/or with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone capability via a web connectivity, such as: laptops, desktops, Android® tablets, iPads, and smartphones, cell phones, and personal digital assistant devices.
As used herein, the term “Software” refers to computer program instructions adapted for execution by a hardware element, such as a processor, wherein the instruction comprise commands that when executed cause the processor to perform a corresponding set of commands. The software may be written or coded using a programming language, and stored using any type of non-transitory computer-readable media or machine-readable media well known in the art. Examples of software in the present disclosure comprise any software components, programs, applications, computer programs, application programs, system programs, machine programs, and operating system software.
As used herein, the terms “Module” refers to a portion of a computer program or software that carries out a specific function and may be used alone or combined with other modules or algorithms of the same program.
As used herein, the term “A System” may be used to describe all aspects of an embodiment wherein it refers to the entire configuration of hardware and software in all embodiments. In a preferred embodiment, the “system” comprises a user computing device with Internet connectivity (e.g. laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.). In an alternative embodiment, the system comprises a client-server architecture comprising a user computing device with Internet connectivity, such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, to communicate with a system server via a network, wherein the software/modules are installed on the system server and electronically communicates with the user's device over the Internet. Furthermore, the user's computing device may have modules installed to assist in creating help instructions and/or hint comment bubbles, or accessible via the web.
As used herein the term “Client” computer or computing device refers to any electronic computing device capable of communicating with a remote server via the Internet such as a smartphone, hand-held “palm top” computer, laptop computer, desktop computer, terminal, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), PIM (Personal Information Manager), Network computer, wireless communicator (such as a cellular or satellite telephone), or a multi-User computing system.
As used herein the term “Server” computer refers to any computing device that stores and runs a Comment Bubble computer program, houses the system database comprising users' files of stored video that has been commented on, and communicates periodically with the Comment Bubbles module stored on the user's electronic computing device. The server system also facilitates the collection and distribution of content to and from a multiplicity of client computers.
As used herein, the term “Graphical User Interface Screen” refers to electronic computing device's screen where the images are seen.
As used herein, the term “User” refers to the individual who utilizes the Help System to assist them while computing within a webpage and/or non-networked software, mobile application, or any computer code wherein the Help System is installed or available (e.g. plug-in).
As used herein, the term “Administrator” refers to the individual(s) who create a Help System computer code/module/software for a particular application (e.g. a task manager software, a word processing software, a webpage for purchasing products, etc.) The administrator may create the help instructions and/or hint comment bubbles, or direct programmers to do so on an actual live web page or software application or other embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that in some settings an administrator is a special job function but in others, it is simply a user that has access to the administrator functions.
General Process-Help System
In step 110,
As further illustrated in
The numbers with arrows may also be color coded to assist the user is quickly locating them on the screen. For example, see the red arrow with “2” on
After activating the Help System, the user searches for a needed help item through a standard help search field (step 120,
In the exemplification, the user has typed in “change company name” (see
After entering in and saving the new company name the user is automatically redirected back to the page they started from when the activated the Help System (
Hintmaker
The following disclosure pertains to software/modules for enabling an administrator to easily create the text comment bubbles exemplified in
Message Director
The Message Director tab within the Hintmaker software causes a screen to appear to automatically place each of the 3 attachments (hint, entire image and form) into the Message Director (See
Step 1
The first step in using the Message Director module comprises importing a screen shot (or relevant parts of the screen image) into the module. The two primary means for the administrator to accomplish this are: 1) by taking a full screenshot or a portion of the screen, as defined by the yellow bounding box in the image (see
Step 2:
Once the image or screen-shot is imported into the Message Director software/module, the administrator triggers the Message Director™ input screen (see
As non-limiting example, the information inputted into the screen 1510 may comprise the following items:
Title
Description
Priority Number
Due Date
Start Date
Team Member (to assign it to)
Projects (to assign it to)
Lists (to assign it to)
Tags
Comments
The attachment 1540 (the image of the input screen 1510 on the Screenshot with the arrow) may, in a sample embodiment, automatically be given the name found in the title. The attachment name field is editable so the administrator can change it to any name he or she chooses. When the administrator invokes the “Save” button, the entire attachment 154021 is ported into the primary software (e.g. Hintmaker) that the Message Director module is incorporated into or is functioning as a plug-in, add-on, etc. In the exemplification disclosed, the attachment 1540 is imported into the Doolebrate® task management software. (See
General System Architecture
As illustrated in
The “Network” comprises any public network such as the Internet or World Wide Web, or any public or private network as may be developed in the future, which provides a similar service as the present Internet. A Client System 1810 is a User's electronic communications device with web browser capabilities (e.g., laptop, smartphone, etc. . . . ) configured to communicate with the System Server 1840 via the Network 1830, in order to receive and respond to system reports regarding the subject's electronic communications activities. Likewise, the Subject System 1830 is a Subject's electronic communications device with web browser capabilities (e.g., laptop, smartphone, etc. . . . ) configured to be monitored by the System Server 1840 via the Network 1830. The User's and Subject's System may connect to the network via a variety of methods such as a phone modem, wireless (cellular, satellite, microwave, infrared, radio, etc.) network, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or any such means as necessary to communicate to a server computer connected directly or indirectly to the Network. In one embodiment, the Client System 1820 and 1830 are personal computers running software comprising Help System, Hintmaker, and Message Director modules for use with one or more software programs on the client systems.
The Service Provider System 1840 comprises: a network card or other device for connecting to the Network 1830; a Memory unit comprising random access memory (RAM) for program execution, flash memory, and hard disc drive and storing the subject matter detection and reporting software; a central processing unit (CPU) executing the Help System algorithm/software; and a system database storing records of the User's Account and Activity. Records may comprise, for example: user's task management software accounts with customized Help System, Hintmaker, and Message Director modules.
Mobile Device Schematic
The device further comprises modules and/or software for use in inserting comments into videos stored and retrieved on the user's device, and/or stored and retrieved from a networked location, such as their file on the system database. The modules 1950 comprise the Help System module 1960, as well as Hintmaker modules 1970, and Message Director modules 1980.
The client computer has a secondary memory device, such as, for example, a hard disk drive or other non-volatile memory. The client program of the system is stored on the secondary memory device of the client computer, such as a mobile device (e.g. smartphone) and is executed by the client computer's processor. It will be appreciated by one with skill in the art that the module might be installed on the client computer as a mobile application from a number of sources such as, for example, downloaded over the Internet from a server, or bundled with software provided by another software manufacturer (such as a Web browser provided by a Web browser manufacturer). It will be appreciated that the application will function in substantially the same manner regardless of the installation source or method.
Electronic schematic configurations of laptop and desktop computing devices are well known in the art. For example, US 20120215328, discloses the schematics of a laptop computer (see
Computer Program Product
The client device (user's or administrator's computing device) (e.g. smartphone, laptop, etc.) may comprise a native application, a web application, or a widget type application to carry out the methods of the Help System, Hintmaker, and Message Director modules. In a preferred embodiment, a native application is installed on the device, wherein it is either pre-installed on the device or it is downloaded from the Internet. It may be written in a language to run on a variety of different types of devices; or it may be written in a device-specific computer programming language for a specific type of device. In another embodiment, a web application resides on the system server and is accessed via the network. It performs basically all the same task as a native application, usually by downloading part of the application to the device for local processing each time it is used. The web application software is written as Web pages in HTML and CSS or other language serving the same purpose, with the interactive parts in Javascript or other language serving the same purpose. Or the application can comprise a widget as a packaged/downloadable/installable web application; making it more like a traditional application than a web application; but like a web application uses HTML/CSS/JavaScript and access to the Internet.
Although the various features, aspects and functions of the invention have been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternate embodiments, will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It is therefore contemplated that such modifications can be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention as defined.
This is a utility patent application being filed in the United States as a non-provisional application for patent under Title 35 U.S.C. §100 et seq. and 37 C.F.R. §1.53(b) and, claiming the benefit of the prior filing date under Title 35, U.S.C. §119(e) of the U.S. provisional application for patent that was filed on Oct. 24, 2012 and assigned Ser. No. 61/717,937, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61717937 | Oct 2012 | US |