US6539374B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Methods, apparatus and data structures for providing a uniform representation of various types of information
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 1999-06-03
•
Granted: 2003-03-25
•
Expires: 2019-06-03
Abstract
Abstract Methods and apparatus for analyzing tasks performed by computer users by (i) gathering usage data, (ii) converting logged usage data into a uniform format, (iii) determining or defining task boundaries, and (iv) determining a task analysis model by "clustering" similar tasks together. The task analysis model may be used to (i) help users complete a task (such help, for example, may be in the form of a gratuitous help function), and/or (ii) to target marketing information to users based on user inputs and the task analysis model. The present invention also provides a uniform semantic network for representing different types of objects in a uniform way.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward K. Jung
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 09:03
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q10/00; G06Q10/10; G06F; G06F16/00; G06F16/80; G06F16/84; G06F16/86; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99931; Y10S707/99933; Y10S707/99934; Y10S707/99941; Y10S707/99943; Y10S707/99944; Y10S707/99945
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
145 words
A method for representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, the method comprising steps of: a) representing the machine based application as annotated related entities, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) representing the steps as an annotated sub set of related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application, wherein at least two of the entities of the sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects; c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
145 words
A method for representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, the method comprising steps of: a) representing the machine based application as annotated related entities, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) representing the steps as an annotated sub set of related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application, wherein at least two of the entities of the sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects; c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1 wherein any attributes of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application are represented by entities which participate in a relationship with the entities to which they belong.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the entities representing the machine-based application include machine-executable instructions defining methods.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the machine-based application comprises a database interface and wherein the entities comprise related resources of the database.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 4 wherein the related resources include at least one of structured objects, active objects, and linear objects.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the machine-based application comprises a database interface, wherein the user inputs comprise queries to the database, and wherein the entities comprise related resources of the database.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 6 wherein the related resources include at least one of structured objects, active objects, and linear objects.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the user inputs comprise events, and wherein the entities comprise machine-executable instructions defining methods invoked by the events.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
149 words
An apparatus for representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, the apparatus comprising: a) means for representing the machine based application as annotated related entities, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) means for representing the steps as an annotated sub set of annotated related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application, wherein at least two of the entities of the annotated sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects; c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
149 words
An apparatus for representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, the apparatus comprising: a) means for representing the machine based application as annotated related entities, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) means for representing the steps as an annotated sub set of annotated related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application, wherein at least two of the entities of the annotated sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects; c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
160 words
A machine readable medium having machine executable instructions which, when executed by the machine perform steps for representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, the steps comprising: a) representing the machine based application as annotated related entities, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) for representing the steps as an annotated sub set of annotated related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application, wherein at least two of the entities of the annotated sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects; c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
160 words
A machine readable medium having machine executable instructions which, when executed by the machine perform steps for representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, the steps comprising: a) representing the machine based application as annotated related entities, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) for representing the steps as an annotated sub set of annotated related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application, wherein at least two of the entities of the annotated sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects; c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
141 words
A machine readable medium having a data structure comprising: a) annotated related entities representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) an annotated sub set of annotated related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application representing the steps, wherein at least two of the entities of the annotated sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
141 words
A machine readable medium having a data structure comprising: a) annotated related entities representing steps corresponding to user inputs to a machine based application in a uniform way, wherein at least two of the entities are associated with different types of objects; b) an annotated sub set of annotated related entities of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application representing the steps, wherein at least two of the entities of the annotated sub set of annotated related entities are associated with different types of objects c) wherein the sub set of annotated related entities comprises individual groups of steps defined as tasks, and task boundaries defined between different groups of steps; and d) wherein groups of tasks form clusters that are determined to share similarities with each task within the cluster not shared by tasks not in the cluster.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
36 words
The machine readable medium of claim 11 wherein any attributes of the annotated related entities representing the machine based application are represented by entities which participate in a relationship with the entities to which they belong.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
19 words
The machine readable medium of claim 11 wherein the entities representing the machine-based application include machine-executable instructions defining methods.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The machine readable medium of claim 11 wherein the machine-based application comprises a database interface and wherein the entities comprise related resources of the database.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
The machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein the related resources include at least one of structured objects, active objects, and linear objects.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
34 words
The machine readable medium of claim 11 wherein the machine-based application comprises a database interface, wherein the user inputs comprise queries to the database, and wherein the entities comprise related resources of the database.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
23 words
The machine readable medium of claim 16 wherein the related resources include at least one of structured objects, active objects, and linear objects.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The machine readable medium of claim 11 wherein the user inputs comprise events, and wherein the entities comprise machine-executable instructions defining methods invoked by the events.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US5581760A
Cited
US5682536A
Cited
US5689703A
Cited
US5740439A
Cited
US5511197A
Cited
US5724588A
Cited
US5710925A
Cited
US5745764A
Cited
US6052691A
Cited
US6067548A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-03-24 | 2006-09-23 | 2007-03-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-03-24 | 2010-09-23 | 2011-03-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-03-24 | 2014-09-23 | 2015-03-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |