US 5,317,688 A · Software agent used to provide instruction to a user for a plurality of computer applications

Abstract

A computing system includes an application object, a computer based training instruction object ("INSTRUCTION object") and an agent engine. The INSTRUCTION object runs concurrently with the application object. The application objects includes a first action processor and a first command processor. The first action processor receives messages which indicate syntactic actions taken by the user and generates semantic commands based on the syntactic actions. The first command processor receives the semantic commands from the first action processor and executes the semantic commands. The INSTRUCTION object receives input from a user through syntactic actions and displays information on a monitor. The information instructs a user as to operation of the first application. The INSTRUCTION object may include an INSTRUCTION action processor and an INSTRUCTION command processor. The INSTRUCTION action processor receives messages which indicate syntactic actions taken by the user and generates semantic commands based on the syntactic actions. The INSTRUCTION command processor receives the semantic commands from the INSTRUCTION action processor and executes the semantic commands. The agent, running a task language program, sends semantic commands to the INSTRUCTION object which direct the INSTRUCTION object as to what information to display. The agent also monitors the application object and the INSTRUCTION object, intercepting semantic commands before they are executed.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A computing system comprising:

a monitor,
a first application process for interacting with a user to facilitate the user accomplishing a task, the first application process displaying on the monitor information pertaining to the task, the first application process being responsive to first syntactic actions taken by the user and the first application process including
first action processor means for receiving messages which indicate the syntactic actions taken by the user and for generating first semantic commands based on the first syntactic actions, and
first command processor means for receiving the first semantic commands from the first action processor and for executing the first semantic commands;
an INSTRUCTION process, the INSTRUCTION process being responsive to second syntactic actions taken by the user, and the INSTRUCTION process displaying information on the monitor, the information being directed to training the user in operating the first application process;
and,
an agent process, coupled to the first application process and to the INSTRUCTION process, for sending second semantic commands to the INSTRUCTION process to indicate to the INSTRUCTION process which information to display on the monitor and for intercepting the first semantic commands sent from the first action processor means to the first command processor means.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Software agent used to provide instruction to a user for a plurality of computer applications

Life of this patent

Software agent used to provide instruction to a user for a plurality of computer applications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10