Methods, systems and computer program products for guiding users through task flow paths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9910487-B1
Application number	US-201313968632-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 16, 2013
Priority date	Aug 16, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

A current task flow path of a user is identified based on task flow nodes of the current task flow path, and a data context of the task flow nodes. The task flow nodes may include actions performed by the user with one or more software applications. A suggestion point of the current task flow path is detected. The suggestion point may be detected based upon a user action indicating that the user needs assistance to proceed with the current task flow path. A candidate task flow node is selected responsive to a comparison of the current task flow path to historical task flows. A suggestion is displayed to the user based on the candidate task flow node.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
determining, using a computing device, task flow nodes that have been executed by a user, wherein the task flow nodes comprise actions performed by the user with one or more software applications as part of a currently executing task flow path;
determining, using the computing device, a data context of the task flow nodes, the data context comprising data associated with a type of software application of the task flow node and/or data used by the task flow node as part of the currently executing task flow path;
identifying, using the computing device, the currently executing task flow path of the user based on the determined task flow nodes of the currently executing task flow path and the determined data context of the task flow nodes;
detecting a suggestion point of the currently executing task flow path based upon a user action indicating that the user needs assistance to proceed with the currently executing task flow path, wherein detecting the suggestion point comprises determining that a suggestion certainty measure of an analysis of the currently executing task flow path, historical task flow information, and the data context meets a suggestion certainty threshold to provide a level of certainty that there is sufficient information to provide a suggestion;
selecting a candidate task flow node responsive to a comparison of the currently executing task flow path to the historical task flow information;
generating the selection based on the candidate task flow node that was selected; and
displaying the suggestion to the user,
wherein displaying the suggestion to the user comprises:
displaying a probability of success in achieving an identified objective of the currently executing task flow path associated with the suggestion; and
displaying to the user a scenario view of the candidate task flow node, wherein the scenario view is a simulated visual display of a screen, window, or other visual portion of a respective software application associated with the candidate task flow node as a result of executing the candidate task flow node in the currently executing task flow path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scenario view of the candidate task flow node comprises a view of the candidate task flow node customized based on the data context.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the scenario view of the candidate task flow node comprises a view of the candidate task flow node comprising simulated data customized based on the data context.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying the scenario view comprises displaying the scenario view of a following task flow node that is predicted to follow the candidate task flow node.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the displaying the scenario view comprises displaying a plurality of scenario views corresponding to a plurality of candidate task flow nodes.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying an objective of the user based on the task flow nodes of the currently executing task flow, and
wherein the displaying comprises displaying a probability of success in achieving the identified objective associated with the suggestion.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising calculating the probability of success in achieving the identified objective based on the historical task flow information, the data context and the comparison.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the task flow nodes comprise actions performed with at least two separate software applications that are included in the currently executing task flow path.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising capturing positive historical task flow information in response to completion of a task flow path.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising capturing negative historical task flow information in response to an abandonment or negative result of a task flow path.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising autocompleting the currently executing task flow path based on a user selection of a candidate task flow node.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating metadata based on a positive result of a task flow path; and
associating the metadata to the task flow path, wherein the metadata is used in the comparison.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating metadata based on a negative result of a task flow path; and
associating the metadata to the task flow path, wherein the metadata is used in the comparison.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparison comprises a comparison of user behavior of the currently executing task flow path to behavior of the historical task flow information.

15. A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory coupled to the processor and comprising computer readable program code embodied in the memory that when executed by the processor causes the processor to perform operations comprising:
determining task flow nodes that have been executed by a user, wherein the task flow nodes comprise actions performed by the user with one or more software applications as part of a currently executing task flow path;
determining a data context of the task flow nodes, the data context comprising data associated with a type of software application of the task flow node and/or data used by the task flow node as part of the currently executing task flow path;
identifying the currently executing task flow path of the user based on the determined task flow nodes of the currently executing task flow path and the determined data context of the task flow nodes;
detecting a suggestion point of the currently executing task flow path based upon a user action indicating that the user needs assistance to proceed with the currently executing task flow path, wherein detecting the suggestion point comprises determining that a suggestion certainty measure of an analysis of the currently executing task flow path, historical task flow information, and the data context meets a suggestion certainty threshold to provide a level of certainty that there is sufficient information to provide a suggestion;
selecting a candidate task flow node responsive to a comparison of the currently executing task flow path to the historical task flow information;
generating the selection based on the candidate task flow node that was selected; and
displaying the suggestion to the user,
wherein displaying the suggestion to the user comprises:
displaying a probability of success in achieving an identified objective of the currently executing task flow path associated with the suggestion; and
displaying to the user a scenario view of the candidate task flow node, wherein the scenario view is a simulated visual display of a screen, window, or other visual portion of a respective software application associated with the candidate task flow node as a result of executing the candidate task flow node in the currently executing task flow path.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the scenario view of the candidate task flow node comprises a view of the candidate task flow node customized based on the data context.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the scenario view of the candidate task flow node comprises a view of the candidate task flow node comprising simulated data customized based on the data context.

18. The system of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
identifying an objective of the user based on the task flow nodes of the currently executing task flow; and
displaying a probability of success in achiev

Assignees

• Ca Inc

Inventors

• Abrams Howard
• Danielson Debra
• Addleman Mark

Classifications

• G06F3/01 Primary

  Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer (G06F3/16 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F9/453 Primary

  Help systems · CPC title