Web-based method and system for providing assistance to computer users
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsSukhminder S. Grewal, Kevin Hofmann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The system provides an integrated approach to providing users of the computer system with education, information and computer assisted help on a specific subject, problem or a project. The system further offers flexibility in providing direct human interaction by linking a group of experts through a web site. For a specific subject, the system provides two distinct paths to the user, an Education Path and an Expert Assistance Path. The system further provides the user an opportunity to contact an expert through direct e-mail link, or to chat on-line with an expert and to obtain phone call assistance at the user's request.
Claims27
A method for providing help to a user using a web-based system including a server system coupled to a centralized database and at least one client system, said method comprising:
- displaying information on the client system identifying alternative paths for assistance to the user, the alternative paths include at least one of an educational path and an expert assistance path, the educational path includes information from a plurality of sources relating to a plurality of subject matters, the expert assistance path includes a pool of available experts on a plurality of subject matters stored within the database wherein an available expert is an expert currently in communication with the client system;
- receiving a request from the client system relating to a user selected alternative;
- accessing the centralized database;
- retrieving information from the database related to the user selected alternative;
- displaying on the client system after the user has selected the expert assistance path at least one available expert with corresponding expert information that satisfies the user request;
- displaying on the client system a waiting time for each available expert displayed;
- enabling a user to select at least one available expert from the display;
- and
- prompting a user to submit an inquiry to the selected available expert for a response, the inquiry submitted through the client system via at least one of instant messaging, on-line meeting, and on-line chat.
A web-based system for providing help to a user, said system comprising:
- a client system comprising a browser;
- a data storage device for storing information pertaining to at least one of an educational path component and an expert assistance path component, the educational path component includes information from a plurality of sources relating to a plurality of subject matters and the expert assistance path component includes a pool of available experts on a plurality of subject matters wherein an available expert is an expert currently in communication with the client system;
- and
- a server system configured to be coupled to said client system, said server system further configured to:
- receive a request from the client system relating to at least one of an educational path component and an expert assistance path component;
- access the centralized database;
- retrieve information from the database relating to the at least one of an educational path component and an expert assistance path component;
- display on the client system after the user has selected the expert assistance path at least one available expert with corresponding expert information that satisfies the user request;
- display on the client system a waiting time for each available expert displayed;
- enable a user to select at least one available expert from the display;
- and
- prompt a user to submit an inquiry to the selected available expert for a response, the inquiry submitted through the client system via at least one of instant messaging, on-line meeting, and on-line chat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.