Customizing a software application based on a user's familiarity with the software application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9959112-B2
Application number	US-201615070513-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2016
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A software program is executed, the software program requiring one or more physical interactions with a user through an input/output (I/O) device, wherein each of the one or more physical interactions includes respective predefined dimensions indicating a proficiency in performing one of the one or more physical interactions. The one or more physical interactions are tracked. A familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions is generated based on the respective predefined dimensions for each of the one or more physical interactions. The software program is customized based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
executing, by one or more computer processors, a software program, the software program requiring one or more physical interactions with a user through an input/output (I/O) device, wherein each of the one or more physical interactions includes respective predefined dimensions indicating a proficiency in performing one of the one or more physical interactions;
tracking, by the one or more computer processors, the one or more physical interactions;
generating, by the one or more computer processors, a familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions based on the respective predefined dimensions for each of the one or more physical interactions, wherein the familiarity profiles include user input, help usage, error recovery, task completion, and tutorial completion;
applying, by the one or more computer processors, a weighting parameter to the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions to generate an overall familiarity metric indicating an overall proficiency with the software program, a related software program, and an extent of customization for the software program;
customizing, by the one or more computer processors, the software program based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions;
executing, by the one or more computer processors, a second software program, the second software program requiring one or more physical interactions with the user through the I/O device;
determining, by the one or more computer processors, whether the second software program is related to the first software program; and
responsive to determining that the second software program is related to the software program, customizing, by the one or more computer processors, the second software program based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions for the software program.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, by the one or more computer processors, the overall familiarity metric based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions, indicating an overall proficiency with the software program, a related software program, and an extent of customization for the software program.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the customization for the software program includes at least one of: providing instructional content, removing instructional content, and modifying a graphical element of a user interface (UI) of the software program.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical interactions include: user input interactions, help usage interactions, error recovery interactions, task completion interactions, and tutorial completion interactions.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the predefined dimensions for the user input interactions include: a typing speed, a typing accuracy, and a number of typing shortcuts performed.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
processing, by the one or more computer processors, information describing the predefined dimensions for the user input interactions with the software program;
generating, by the one or more computer processors, the familiarity profile for the user input interactions with the software program, based on the processed information describing the predefined dimensions for the user input interactions with the software program; and
responsive to determining that the familiarity profile for the user input interactions with the software program indicates a low proficiency for user input interactions with the software program, providing, by the one or more computer processors, additional instructional content for performing user input interactions with the software program.

7. A computer program product comprising:
one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising:
program instructions to execute a software program, the software program requiring one or more physical interactions with a user through an input/output (I/O) device, wherein each of the one or more physical interactions includes respective predefined dimensions indicating a proficiency in performing one of the one or more physical interactions;
program instructions to track the one or more physical interactions;
program instructions to generate a familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions based on the respective predefined dimensions for each of the one or more physical interactions, wherein the familiarity profiles include user input, help usage, error recovery, task completion, and tutorial completion;
program instructions to apply a weighting parameter to the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions to generate an overall familiarity metric indicating an overall proficiency with the software program, a related software program, and an extent of customization for the software program;
program instructions to customize the software program based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions;
program instructions to execute a second software program, the second software program requiring one or more physical interactions with the user through the I/O device;
program instructions to determine whether the second software program is related to the first software program; and
program instructions to, responsive to determining that the second software program is related to the software program, customize the second software program based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions for the software program.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media further comprise:
program instructions to generate the overall familiarity metric based on the familiarity profile for each of the one or more physical interactions, indicating an overall proficiency with the software program, a related software program, and an extent of customization for the software program.

9. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the customization for the software program includes at least one of: providing instructional content, removing instructional content, and modifying a graphical element of a user interface (UI) of the software program.

10. The computer program product of claim 7 , wherein the one or more physical interactions include: user input interactions, help usage interactions, error recovery interactions, task completion interactions, and tutorial completion interactions.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the predefined dimensions for the user input interactions include: a typing speed, a typing accuracy, and a number of typing shortcuts performed.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media further comprise:
program instructions to process information describing the predefined dimensions for the user input interactions with the software program;
program instructions to generate the familiarity profile for the user input interactions with the software program, based on the processed information describing the predefined dimensions for the user input interactions with the software program; and
program instructions to, responsive to determining that the familiarity profile for the user input interactions with the software program indicates a low proficiency for user input interactions with the software program, providing additional

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Edmonds Paul M R
• Pavitt Joe
• Ravenscroft James E
• Sutton James

Classifications

• G06F9/44505

  Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files · CPC title

• G06F8/656 Primary

  while running · CPC title

• G06F11/32

  with visual {or acoustical} indication of the functioning of the machine · CPC title

• G06F9/451 Primary

  Execution arrangements for user interfaces · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  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 title