Abstract: A system and method for promoting environmental behavior by device users are provided. The method includes allocating “green” points to each of a plurality of users. A job request, such as a print job request, is received from one of the users. A cost in points is computed for executing the job request, based on a formula which is designed to promote environmental behavior by the user. The user's allocated points are reduced by the computed cost when the job is performed.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating environmentally informed print job selection are provided. The method includes assigning a status to each of a set of networked printers, the status of an operational printer denoting a printer as being one of at least awake, asleep, and waking up soon. The assigned status is provided to a graphical user interface, enabling a user to compare the status and/or environmental costs of printing with user selectable ones of the set of printers.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for refining a user's query. An entity index, generated from a corpus of text documents, is provided. The entity index includes a set of entity structures, each including a plurality of terms. Each of the terms of an entity structure is a feature of the same entity. Entity structures can be retrieved from the entity index which match at least a portion of the user's query. Clusters of the retrieved entity structures are identified which have at least one of their terms in common. A cluster hierarchy is generated from the identified clusters in which nodes of the hierarchy are defined by one or more of the terms of the retrieved entity structures. At least a portion of the cluster hierarchy is presented to the user for facilitating refinement of the user's query through user selection of a node which, when formulated as a search, retrieves one or more responsive documents from the corpus of documents.

Abstract: A time-to-collect measure is disclosed which may be used in generating a model for predicting an expected time-to-collect for print jobs. In the case of incomplete data, an algorithm recovers an optimal assignment of links between submission and collection events which allows a time to collect to be computed for one or more prior print jobs. A printing system may incorporate a time-to-collect system for making decisions based on the measure, such as the scheduling of pending print jobs or planning placement of printers.

Abstract: A system and method for promoting environmental behavior by device users are provided. The method includes allocating “green” points to each of a plurality of users. A job request, such as a print job request, is received from one of the users. A cost in points is computed for executing the job request, based on a formula which is designed to promote environmental behavior by the user. The user's allocated points are reduced by the computed cost when the job is performed.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating environmentally informed print job selection are provided. The method includes assigning a status to each of a set of networked printers, the status of an operational printer denoting a printer as being one of at least awake, asleep, and waking up soon. The assigned status is provided to a graphical user interface, enabling a user to compare the status and/or environmental costs of printing with user selectable ones of the set of printers.

Abstract: A system and method for guiding a user in building a query are disclosed. The method includes providing an interaction space in which a user formulates a query using a plurality of query building blocks selected from a predefined set of query building blocks. The user's formulation of the query is guided. Guiding selection of at least a next building block is provided by at least one of a content-based mechanism which limits the selection of the next building block to those which will yield at least one result from an indexed collection of documents, a structure-based selection mechanism which limits the selection of the next building block to those which meet a predefined grammar, and a usage-based selection mechanism which proposes a next building block based on patterns of building blocks used in building prior queries. Each of these guidance mechanisms may be provided with the result that the next block proposed is informed by each of the mechanisms.

Abstract: Systems and methods are employed to quantify resource usage for review by a user. Marking engine data contains information related to a print job sent to the marking engine and community data relates to resource usage by members of a plurality of communities within a system. A resource profiling component receives the marking engine data and the community data to evaluate resource usage by a user compared to one or more of a user within their community. A visualization component receives the evaluation from the resource profiling component, generates a graphic associated with the evaluation and presents and distributes the graphic to one or more recipients.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for determining when to escalate from one support level to a higher support level in assisting a user resolve a problem with a device. The method includes storing information on past users' interactions with a self help server during prior self help sessions, the self help server providing a first remote support level for troubleshooting a problem with a device. Information is stored on a current user's interactions with the self help server during a current self help session for troubleshooting the current user's problem with a device. A determination of when to provide for escalation to a higher remote support level for troubleshooting the current user's problem with the device is based on the stored information on the past users' interactions and the current user's interactions.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for refining a user's query. An entity index, generated from a corpus of text documents, is provided. The entity index includes a set of entity structures, each including a plurality of terms. Each of the terms of an entity structure is a feature of the same entity. Entity structures can be retrieved from the entity index which match at least a portion of the user's query. Clusters of the retrieved entity structures are identified which have at least one of their terms in common. A cluster hierarchy is generated from the identified clusters in which nodes of the hierarchy are defined by one or more of the terms of the retrieved entity structures. At least a portion of the cluster hierarchy is presented to the user for facilitating refinement of the user's query through user selection of a node which, when formulated as a search, retrieves one or more responsive documents from the corpus of documents.

Abstract: A method for troubleshooting a problem with a device includes acquiring device data for the device, receiving a user's query concerning a device in a natural language, presenting possible refinements to at least a portion of the user's query for defining a problem statement, presenting candidate solutions that are associated with the defined problem statement in a knowledge base, at least one of the presentation of possible refinements and the presentation of candidate solutions being informed by device data that is linked through a diagnostic model of the device to at least one of the problem statements and candidate solutions.

Abstract: A computer retrieval system includes memory which stores instructions for (1) receiving a user query in a natural language, (2) identifying text strings from an associated knowledge base, each containing at least one expression (word or multi-word expression) which is matched with at least one expression of the user query, (3) refining the user query by representing at least a group of the text strings as a navigation tree in which each of a plurality of selectable nodes comprises an expression representative of at least one syntactic unit in at least one of the identified text strings and wherein relationships between syntactic units are used in structuring the nodes of the navigation tree, and (4) retrieving text from the knowledge base related to the refined query. A processor executes the instructions.

Abstract: A communication system and apparatus for a xerographic imaging system for enhanced collaborative communication between the machine user and the remote troubleshooting advisor. The machine includes an imager for showing a selected virtual representation of the machine including an image of the machine illustrating an area of the machine having the troubleshooting need. A communication link exists between the user and the advisor and comprises a bi-directional visualization of a selected virtual representation synchronously displayed to the user and the advisor via respective imagers. An image adjuster is operated by the expert for selective adjustment of the virtual representation to suggest a section of the area of the machine wherein action by the machine user may resolve the troubleshooting need. The selective adjustment is communicated to the machine user through the communication link whereby upon viewing this suggested adjustment, corrective action is suggested to the user.

Abstract: A method for assisting a user to connect a problem with a device, such as a printer includes extracting, from records comprising user actions on the device, string of user actions on the device. The string of user action is compared with at least one predetermined sequence of user actions for correction of predefined problem with the device. Based on the comparison, an evaluation is made as to whether at least one prior user has attempted the predetermined sequence and, if so, a procedure is implemented to avoid a user repeating the prior attempt.

Abstract: A time-to-collect measure is disclosed which may be used in generating a model for predicting an expected time-to-collect for print jobs. In the case of incomplete data, an algorithm recovers an optimal assignment of links between submission and collection events which allows a time to collect to be computed for one or more prior print jobs. A printing system may incorporate a time-to-collect system for making decisions based on the measure, such as the scheduling of pending print jobs or planning placement of printers.

Abstract: A method for assisting a user to develop a query in a natural language includes receiving a user's query in a natural language and, while the user's query is being entered, presenting a subset of ranked query suggestions from a collection of ranked query suggestions to the user as candidates for user queries. The subset is based on that portion of the user's query already entered. The query suggestions in the subset of query suggestions are presented according to their respective rankings in the collection. Each of the query suggestions in the collection is formulated to retrieve at least one responsive instance in the knowledge base. The rankings of the query suggestions in the collection are based at least in part on stored logs of prior user sessions in which user queries were input to a search engine for retrieving responsive instances from the knowledge base.

Abstract: A method for troubleshooting a problem with a device includes acquiring device data for the device, receiving a user's query concerning a device in a natural language, presenting possible refinements to at least a portion of the user's query for defining a problem statement, presenting candidate solutions that are associated with the defined problem statement in a knowledge base, at least one of the presentation of possible refinements and the presentation of candidate solutions being informed by device data that is linked through a diagnostic model of the device to at least one of the problem statements and candidate solutions.

Abstract: A system for providing item recommendations includes a memory, a device, responsive to a user request, for recording an item on a hardcopy medium, and a processor, for storing ratings of items and for generating recommendations for new items based on recommendation criteria. In response to the user request, the processor stores an implicit rating for the requested item in the memory, determines whether, based on the implicit rating and the recommendation criteria, to generate an item recommendation, and if the criteria for generating a recommendation is met, generates a recommendation of a new item. The recommender system may further store a representation of the recorded item in the memory. Recommendations may be based on item to item similarities, item to user similarities or user to user similarities.

Abstract: A system for providing item recommendations includes a memory, a device, responsive to a user request, for recording an item on a hardcopy medium, and a processor, for storing ratings of items and for generating recommendations for new items based on recommendation criteria. In response to the user request, the processor stores an implicit rating for the requested item in the memory, determines whether, based on the implicit rating and the recommendation criteria, to generate an item recommendation, and if the criteria for generating a recommendation is met, generates a recommendation of a new item. The recommender system may further store a representation of the recorded item in the memory. Recommendations may be based on item to item similarities, item to user similarities or user to user similarities.

Abstract: A computer retrieval system includes memory which stores instructions for (1) receiving a user query in a natural language, (2) identifying text strings from an associated knowledge base, each containing at least one expression (word or multi-word expression) which is matched with at least one expression of the user query, (3) refining the user query by representing at least a group of the text strings as a navigation tree in which each of a plurality of selectable nodes comprises an expression representative of at least one syntactic unit in at least one of the identified text strings and wherein relationships between syntactic units are used in structuring the nodes of the navigation tree, and (4) retrieving text from the knowledge base related to the refined query. A processor executes the instructions.