Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-06
2002-05-07
Nguyen, Cao H. (Department: 2173)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06384843
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for analyzing software systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional sources of information for development and maintenance of computer system regarding its usability, include its end users, e.g. in beta sites, testing groups, and professional observers operating in usability labs. Collection of this usability information is typically performed manually and non-systematically and consequently suffers from defects such as disregarding a multiple of seemingly minor usability problems.
Prior art regarding the usability of computerized systems include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,500,964 to Nickle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,393 to Kerr et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,658 to Kerr et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,330 to Coskun and Tate, U.S. Pat. No. 5,600,789 to Parker et al., Published European Application 0 687 988 A2 (95303298.4) to AT&T, and Published PCT Application WO 95/16949 to Software Publishing Corporation.
Other prior art systems and technologies are described in the following U.S. Patents: U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,249 to Miller, U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,316 to Kershaw et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,291 to Boulton et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,611 to Clark and Bramlett, U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,994 to Kershaw and Romano, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,615 to Clark, U.S. Pat. No. 5,437,544 to Clark et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,057 to Fletcher and Ruuska, U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,684 to Dudzik et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,958 to Potts and Vershel, U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,422 to Chiang et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,667 to Bieniek et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,358 to Blades and Kiel.
The disclosures of all publications mentioned in the specification and of the publications cited therein are hereby incorporated by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to provide improved apparatus and methods for analyzing usability problems in computerized systems.
There is thus provided, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, computerized apparatus for identifying human difficulties in operating a computerized system, the apparatus including a human difficulty identifier operative to identify putative instances of an end user's experience of difficulty in operating the computerized system, an operation recorder operative to store a record of the end user's operations during each putative instance, an intention recorder operative to prompt an end user to indicate his intention during each the putative instance and to store the intention in association with the record of operations for the putative instance, and an output generator operative to generate an output indication of the record of operations and of the end user's intention for each of the putative instances of experiences of difficulty.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intention is time-stamped and the record of operations is time-stamped, thereby to provide the association between the intention and the record of operations.
Also provided, in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, is computerized apparatus for identifying usability problems occurring in the course of operating a computerized system, the apparatus including a candidate usability problem identifier operative to generate records of occurrences of putative usability problems by monitoring an end user who is using the computerized system, a candidate usability problem database operative to store the records of occurrences of putative usability problems, and a database accessing unit operative to access the database and to derive therefrom information useful for resolving the usability problems.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the database accessing unit includes a helpdesk access unit operative to access the database and to derive therefrom, on-line, information useful for operating a helpdesk.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the database accessing unit includes a developer's access unit operative to access the database and to derive therefrom information useful for redesigning the computerized system.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the intention recorder is operative to prompt the end user to explain his intention in his own words.
Also provided, in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, is a method for computerized identification of human difficulties in operating a computerized system, the method including identifying putative instances of an end user's experience of difficulty in operating the computerized system, storing a record of the end user's operations during each the putative instance, prompting the end user to indicate his intention during each the putative instance and to store the intention in association with the record of operations for the putative instance, and generating an output indication of the record of operations and of the end user's intention for each of the putative instances of experiences of difficulty.
Also provided, in accordance with still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, is computerized apparatus for identifying human difficulties in operating a computerized system, the apparatus including a human difficulty identifier operative to identify putative instances of an end user's experience of difficulty in operating the computerized system, an operation recorder operative to store a record of the end user's operations during each the putative instance, and an output generator operative to generate an output indication of the record of operations for each of the putative instances of experiences of difficulty.
Also provided, in accordance with yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, is a mode error troubleshooting system including a software system structure generator operative to prompt a developer to define a first plurality of tasks performed by the software system, to define a second plurality of modes in which the software system operates and to define, for at least one task, at least one inappropriate mode from among the second plurality of modes in which the task cannot be performed, and a troubleshooter operative to prompt an end user to select an individual one of the first plurality of tasks as his target task, to search among modes in which the software system is currently operating for inappropriate modes in which the target task cannot be performed and to alert the end user of any inappropriate modes found.
Additionally provided, in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, is a method for monitoring an end user's terminology, the method including accepting a definition of a computer system's terminology including a multiplicity of terms, repeating the following steps:
prompting an end user to select one of the multiplicity of terms, and, if the end user indicates that a desired intention is not associated with any of the multiplicity of terms, prompting the end user to give a name to the desired intention,
and displaying to a developer the incidence of each of the names given by the end user.
Additionally provided, in accordance with still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, is apparatus for identifying usability problems encountered when using developer-defined computerized systems each having a user interface, the apparatus including a user interface description elicitor operative to elicit from a developer of a developer-defined computerized system, and to record, a description of the user interface of the computerized system, a usability problem recorder operative to record usability problem data, and a usability problem occurrence analyzer using the description to analyze occurrences of usability problems recorded by the usability problem recorder.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the usability problem recorder is oper
Abelman ,Frayne & Schwab
Ergolight Ltd.
Nguyen Cao H.
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