Abstract:
A state-based guidance system provides to a user operation guidance and technology guidance for an application. The system walks the user step-by-step through an existing interface and guides the user to provide the appropriate input in the appropriate places in the existing interface. Individualized guidance is dynamically provided based on a user profile in addition to state and context of the application. The system describes the technologies used to perform actions presented in the user interface of the application and indicates where these technologies are used, providing an overview of which technologies are used in the application and in what capacity those technologies are implemented.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Under 35 USC §120, this application is a continuation application and claims the benefit of priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/230,873, filed Sep. 19, 2005, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A STATE-BASED GUIDANCE AND TECHNOLOGY VIEW FOR AN APPLICATION”, all of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to an interactive application demonstration. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Business solutions for managing business processes are increasingly more complex, requiring integration of many different applications and components. These business solutions typically have complex user interfaces that require instruction in use for a sales person demonstrating the business solution or a user of the business solution. 
         [0004]    One conventional approach to providing a business solution demonstration uses an intranet portal that can be used in one or more specific customer scenarios. This approach comprises a user interface that is nearly identical to the business solution. Although this technology has proven to be useful, it would be desirable to present additional improvements. This conventional approach provides little information to the user or the sales person on how to operate a demonstration scenario. Instructions can be integrated into the user interface screens to direct a user or sales person in operating the demonstration. However, these instructions distract from the goal of the demonstration, which is to provide the user or sales person with an interaction that is nearly identical to the business solution. Furthermore, assistance and information integrated into the user interface makes it difficult for users to “suspend their disbelief” when viewing the demonstration, causing users to dismiss the demonstration as “smoke and mirrors” rather than an operational infrastructure. 
         [0005]    Wizards, well-know mechanisms used in software application user interfaces, may be considered as a conventional technology capable of providing a desired assistance for a business solution. However, wizards provide a new interface for a specific task, walking a user through the task in a linear fashion and collecting input from the user to complete the task for the user. In comparison, a guided tour walks a user step-by-step through an existing user interface and guides the user to provide appropriate input in the appropriate places in an existing user interface. 
         [0006]    Moreover, conventional approaches to providing demonstrations of a business solution focus primarily on the user interface. No information is provided to the user regarding what applications or components are used in the functions represented by the user interface. Consequently, an information technology manager without a live demonstrator has difficulty in determining how a particular business solution may fit within available applications or components or which applications or components are required to implement the business solution being demonstrated. 
         [0007]    What is therefore needed is a system and a computer program product, for providing a state-based guidance and technology view for an application. The need for such a solution has heretofore remained unsatisfied. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention satisfies this need, and presents a system and a computer program product (collectively referred to herein as “the system” or “the present system”) for providing a state-based guidance and technology view for an application. The present system provides guidance to a user such as a customer or sales person, in using an application. The present system provides guidance that is state-based (knowing the location, context, and state of the application, etc.) in a way that does not disrupt the flow of the user interface of the present system or the ability of a sales person to demonstrate the present system as a realistic infrastructure. 
         [0009]    The present system walks the user step-by-step through an existing interface and guides the user to provide the appropriate input in the appropriate places in the existing interface. Furthermore, the present system describes the underlying technologies used to perform actions presented in the user interface of the application and indicates where these technologies are used. The present system educates a user regarding how to use the associated application and what technologies are used by the application. In contrast, conventional technologies such as wizards attempt to obscure the complexity of a technology to provide the simplest possible interface to the task. Wizards perform replacement tasks for a user rather than educate a user in how to use an application. 
         [0010]    The system of the invention comprises an operation guidance system and a technology guidance system. The operation guidance system provides a step-by-step demonstration of an application using the actual user interface. The operation guidance system provides guidance to a user based one or more states such as, for example, information provided by a user profile. The operation guidance system can configure the user interface for a specific user; additional users using the present system for an application can see different views of the user interface. 
         [0011]    The operation guidance system further provides guidance based on a context in which the application is currently operating and provides appropriate instructions to the user based on the context. Information provided to the user in the user interface may be dynamically rendered, based on the state of the operation guidance system and the context of the application. 
         [0012]    The technology guidance system provides a list of technologies used in the application for which the present system operates. A user selects a technology from the technology list. In response, the present system presents text describing the role of the selected technology in the application. The present system further indicates whether the selected technology is used in any active portlets. 
         [0013]    The technology guidance system allows a user an overview of which technologies (data bases, servers, content management, search engines, messaging, business intelligence, etc.) are used in the application and in what capacity those technologies are implemented. The technology guidance system enables a user to understand which technologies are driving a portion of the user interface and operations associated with that portion of the user interface. The technology guidance system further enables a potential customer to determine which technologies the customer has that can be used in the application demonstrated by the present system and which additional technologies may have to be purchased or upgraded. The present system assists a customer in making an informed decision regarding a product and the technologies required for that product. 
         [0014]    The present system can be used, for example, by merging companies or company divisions to determine any overlap or discontinuities between the technologies supporting similar applications. The present system can further be used to provide an overall view of the technologies used by a company, a division, etc. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    The various features of the present invention and the manner of attaining them will be described in greater detail with reference to the following description, claims, and drawings, wherein reference numerals are reused, where appropriate, to indicate a correspondence between the referenced items, and wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic illustration of an exemplary operating environment in which a state-based guidance system of the present invention can be used; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of an exemplary user interface of an application using the state-based guidance system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an exemplary operation guidance user interface of the state-based guidance system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of an exemplary technology guidance user interface of the state-based guidance system of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a block diagram of an exemplary operation guidance user interface of the state-based guidance system of  FIG. 1  for an introduction to an insurance claims processing application; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram of an exemplary operation guidance user interface of the state-based guidance system of  FIG. 1  for an insurance claims processing application in a subsequent step; 
           [0022]      FIG. 7  is a block diagram of an exemplary technology guidance user interface of the state-based guidance system of  FIG. 1  for an insurance claims processing application; 
           [0023]      FIG. 8  is a process flow chart illustrating a method of operation of the operation guidance system of the context guidance system of  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0024]      FIG. 9  is a process flow chart illustrating a method of operation of the technology guidance system of the context guidance system of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0025]    The following definitions and explanations provide background information pertaining to the technical field of the present invention, and are intended to facilitate the understanding of the present invention without limiting its scope: 
         [0026]    Internet: A collection of interconnected public and private computer networks that are linked together with routers by a set of standards protocols to form a global, distributed network. 
         [0027]    Portlet: A small window on a web-based portal page that allows requests and generates dynamic content. 
         [0028]    World Wide Web (WWW, also Web): An Internet client-server hypertext distributed information retrieval system. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1  portrays an exemplary overall environment in which a system, a computer product, and associated method (the state-based guidance system  10  or the “system  10 ”) for providing a state-based guidance and technology view for an application (the web-based application  15 ) according to the present invention may be used. System  10  comprises a software programming code or a computer program product that is typically embedded within, or installed on a host server  20 . Alternatively, system  10  can be saved on a suitable storage medium such as a diskette, a CD, a hard drive, or like devices. System  10  further comprises an operation guidance system  25  and a technology guidance system  30 . 
         [0030]    Users, such as remote Internet users, are represented by a variety of computers such as computers  35 ,  40 ,  45 , and can access the host server  20  through a network  50 . Computers  35 ,  40 ,  45 , each comprise software that allows the user to interface securely with the host server  20 . The host server  20  is connected to network  50  via a communications link  55  such as a telephone, cable, or satellite link. Computers  35 ,  40 ,  45 , can be connected to network  50  via communications links  60 ,  65 ,  70 , respectively. While system  10  is described in terms of network  50 , computers  35 ,  40 ,  45 , may also access system  10  locally rather than remotely. Computers  35 ,  40 ,  45 , may access system  10  either manually, or automatically through the use of an application. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary user interface  200  for the web-based application  15 . The user interface  200  comprises a menu bar  205 , an expansion button  210 , a portlet  1 ,  215 , a portlet  2 ,  220 , a portlet  3 ,  225 , and a portlet  4 ,  230 , collectively referenced as portlets  235 . For illustration purposes only, the user interface  200  is shown comprising four of the portlets  235 . In practice, any number of portlets  235  may be used. Each of the portlets  235  provides a user interface for some function of the web-based application  15 . Exemplary functions comprise data entry, messaging, search, reporting, etc. While the portlets  235  are described as comprising text for exemplary purposes only, it should be clear that the portlets  235  may comprise any combination of text, graphics, video, audio, or any other form of communication. 
         [0032]    A user selects the expansion button  210  to access the functionality of system  10 .  FIG. 3  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary user interface  300  displayed after the expansion button  210  has been selected. The user interface  300  comprises the menu bar  205  and portlets  235 . The menu bar  205  comprises a guided tour button  305  and a technology view button  310 . Selecting the guided tour button  305  activates the operation guidance system  25 . Selecting the technology view button  310  activates the technology guidance system  30 . The operation guidance system  25  can be in an active state or an inactive state. To ensure that any uninitiated users are provided with guidance immediately, a default state of the operation guidance system  25  is active. 
         [0033]    Portlet  1 ,  215 , comprises a guided tour text  315  and a guided tour status  320 . Each of the portlets  235  comprises a description. For example, portlet  2 ,  220 , comprises a portlet  2  description  325 . Portlet  3 ,  225 , comprises a portlet  3  description  330 . Portlet  4 ,  230 , comprises a portlet  4  description  335 . 
         [0034]    The operation guidance system  25  provides step-by-step instructions in the guided tour status  320 . A description of a current step is provided in the guided tour text  315 . The operation guidance system  25  emphasizes the current step by emphasizing the step, such as by highlighting, using bold characters, changing a text color, changing a graphical element color, boxing, flashing, animating, italicizing, circling, and capitalizing. The operation guidance system  25  further displays previous steps (if any) and a next step (if any), allowing the user to have a general idea of the current location in a list of steps. In one embodiment, some or all the remaining steps are displayed. In another embodiment, none of the remaining steps are displayed. As each step is displayed, the operation guidance system  25  highlights an appropriate area of the screen where an action associated with the current step is required. For example, the operation guidance system  25  may highlight an active area in the portlets  235  where the user is required to click, enter information, etc. Information in the guided tour text  315  and the guided tour status  320  can be dynamically rendered, based on the state and context of the application. Moreover, emphasized text in the user portlets  235  may also be dynamically rendered based on the state of the operation guidance system  25  and context of the web-based application  15 . 
         [0035]    To use the operation guidance system  25 , a user follows the step-by-step instructions in the guided tour status  320 . The operation guidance system detects a state or current context of system  10  and provides an appropriate instruction in the guided tour status  320  based on the state or the current context. The operation guidance system  25  determines an initial state and subsequent states in the guided tour status  320  using one or more user attributes stored in system  10 . The initial state of guided tour status  320  is set to a default value of “ON”. Guidance provided by the operation guidance system  25  can be individualized to a specific user. Furthermore, additional users utilizing system  10  can see different views of user interface  300 , based on the state of the guided tour status  320  as individualized to each of the additional users. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary user interface  400  displayed after the technology view button  310  has been selected. The user interface  400  comprises the menu bar  205 , the guided tour button  305 , the technology view button  310 , and portlets  235 . Portlet  3 ,  225 , comprises a technology list  405  and a technology description  410 . Portlet  1 ,  215 , comprises a portlet  1  description  415  and a portlet  1  technology  420 . Portlet  2 ,  220 , comprises the portlet  2  description  325  and a portlet  2  technology  425 . Portlet  4 ,  230  comprises the portlet  4  description  335  and a portlet  4  technology  430 . The portlet  1  description  415 , the portlet  2  description  325 , and the portlet  4  description  335  are collectively referenced as portlet descriptions  435 . The portlet  1  technology  420 , the portlet  2  technology  425 , and the portlet  4  technology  430  are collectively referenced as portlet technologies  440 . 
         [0037]    The technology list  405  comprises a list of the technologies used in the web-based application  15 . A user can select any of the technologies in the list to view a description of the selected technology in the technology description  410 . The technology guidance system  30  emphasizes the selection in the technology list  405 . Emphasis may be provided by, for example, highlighting the selected technology, displaying the selected technology in bold, etc. 
         [0038]    At least some of the portlets  235  comprise a portlet description, as indicated by the portlet descriptions  435 . The portlet descriptions  435  comprise the content of the applications embodied in the portlets  235 . The portlet technologies  440  display the selected technology in the technology list  405  if the selected technology is used by the corresponding portlet. As previously described for the operation guidance system  25 , the technology guidance system  30  maintains a technology view state. The technology guidance system  30  further communicates the technology view state to all related parts of the user interface  400  that are rendered according to the technology view state. These related parts comprise highlighting of the selected technology in the technology list  405 , display of a description of the technology in the technology description  410 , and display of the selected technology in those portlets  235  in which the selected technology is used. 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  illustrates an exemplary user interface  500  for system  10  implemented for an insurance claims processing application, illustrating performance of the operation guidance system  25 . A user has selected the expansion button  210  to display the user interface  500 . Portlet  1 ,  215  displays instructions in the guided tour status  320  for navigating the step-by-step instructions of the operation guidance system  25 . The guided tour text  315  comprises text describing the current step, indicated in the guided tour status  320  as bold, in this example. The portlet  2  description  325  comprises text. The menu bar  205  comprises a claims processing tab  505 . Any application of the current step to any of the portlets  235  is displayed in the associated portlet descriptions  435 . 
         [0040]    An initial step in the guided tour status  320  instructs the user as follows: “In the menu bar, click the claims processing tab and the claim content subtab.” An introductory description of the operations guidance system  25  is displayed in the guided tour text  315 . Portlet description  2 ,  325 , displays text describing how selecting the claims processing tab applies to the portlet  2 ,  220 . 
         [0041]    The user clicks the claim processing tab  505  and claim content subtab  510 , displaying an exemplary user interface  600  shown in  FIG. 6 . The operation guidance system  25  removed emphasis from step  1 , and emphasized step  2  in the guided tour status  320 . The operation guidance system  25  further displays text in the guided tour text  315  that corresponds to the current step in the guided tour status  320 . The current step in the guided tour status  320  instructs the user as follows: “Click search in claim content portlet”. In this example, portlet  4 ,  230 , is the “claim content portlet”. The portlet  4  description  335  comprises text that explains the search function and instructs the user in use of the search function. The word “search” is emphasized in bold in the portlet  4  description  335  to indicate how the current step applies to the portlet  4 ,  230 . 
         [0042]    Each action taken by the user in following the steps of the guided tour status  320  triggers a state update in the operation guidance system  25 . The steps of the guided tour status  320  advance. As a new state is detected, guidance in the form of guided tour text  315  and guided tour status  320  are rendered according to the new state. The next action area in the application is highlighted. 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary user interface  700  for system  10  implemented for an insurance claims processing application, illustrating performance of the technology guidance system  30 . A user has selected the technology view button  310 . The technology guidance system  30  displays a list of technologies used by the web-based application  15  in the technology list  405 . In one embodiment, an initial item in the technology list  405  is selected automatically, such that the technology “application server” is emphasized in bold. As the technology “application server” is selected, the technology guidance system  30  displays a description of the technology “application server” in the technology description  410 . 
         [0044]    Portlet  2 ,  220 , utilizes the technology “application server”. Consequently, “application server” is displayed and emphasized in the portlet  2   220 . In one embodiment, unselected technologies in the technology list  405  are displayed but not emphasized, as indicated by the portlet  4  technology  430 . 
         [0045]    If the state or context of the web-based application  15  changes, the technology guidance system  30  changes emphasis of displayed technologies accordingly. For example, a newly displayed portlet displays the selected technology in an emphasized manner. 
         [0046]    Likewise, if a new technology is selected from the technology list  405 , the portlet highlighting changes to reflect the selected technology. The technology description  410  further offers related links to additional information about the selected technology. This additional information is dynamically retrieved from a pool of information about the selected technology found, for example, on a Web site. 
         [0047]      FIG. 8  illustrates a method  800  of the operation guidance system  25  of system  10 . A user selects a guided tour and the operation guidance system  25  displays an initial user interface (step  805 ). The user performs an action as directed in a step of the guided tour status  320  (step  810 ). The operation guidance system  25  determines the state and the context of system  10  and the web-based application  15  (step  815 ). Based on the determined state and context, the operation guidance system displays the next step in the guided tour status  320 , text associated with the next step, one or more previous steps (if any), and one or more steps following the next step (if any) (step  820 ). The next action area in the application is highlighted. 
         [0048]    The user may exit the guided tour provided by the operation guidance system  25  at any time. The operation guidance system  25  determines whether the user has selected an exit button or performed an exit function to exit the guided tour (decision step  825 ). If yes, the operation guidance system  25  exits the guided tour (step  830 ). If no, the operation guidance system  25  determines whether the user performs a next action (decision step  835 ). If yes, the operation guidance system returns to step  815  and repeats steps  815  through  825 . Otherwise, the operation guidance system  25  waits for additional input from the user (step  840 ) and returns to decision step  825 . 
         [0049]      FIG. 9  illustrates a method  900  of the technology guidance system  30  of system  10 . The user selects the technology view button  310  (step  910 ). The technology guidance system  30  displays a technology list in the technology list  405  and a technology description in the technology description  410  for an initially selected technology (step  910 ). The user selects a technology from the technology list  405 . The technology guidance system  30  determines a current state and context for system  10  and the web-based application  15  (step  920 ). The technology guidance system  30  displays technology text associated with the selected technology in the portlets  235  currently using the selected technology (step  925 ). 
         [0050]    The user may exit the user interface provided by the technology guidance system  30  at any time. The technology guidance system  30  determines whether the user has selected an exit button or performed an exit function to exit the technology view of the technology guidance system  30  (decision step  930 ). If yes, the technology guidance system  30  exits the technology view (step  935 ). If no, the technology guidance system  30  determines whether the user selects a next technology (decision step  940 ). If yes, the operation guidance system returns to step  920  and repeats steps  920  through  930 . Otherwise, the technology guidance system  30  waits for additional input from the user (step  945 ) and returns to decision step  930 . 
         [0051]    It is to be understood that the specific embodiments of the invention that have been described are merely illustrative of certain applications of the principle of the present invention. Numerous modifications may be made to the system for providing state-based guidance and technology view for an application described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, while the present invention is described for illustration purpose only in relation to the WWW, it should be clear that the invention is applicable as well to, for example, a local area network, an intranet, a locally installed application with no network access or dependency, etc.