Abstract: A system and method for contextualizing operating procedures are provided. A set of procedures is provided, each including text describing user actions which are to be performed on a physical device to implement the procedure. A device model refers to components of the device on which user actions are performable and provides state charts which link an action performable on the respective component with states assumed by it. The text of each procedure is segmented to form a sequence of steps. Each step includes an action to be performed on one of the components of the device that is referred to in the device model. When a request for one of the procedures is received, the corresponding sequence of instruction steps is retrieved. A current one of the instruction steps is contextualized, based on device data received from the device and the state chart of the respective component.

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: This disclosure provides collaborative communication systems and methods to facilitate troubleshooting of a device. Specifically, the disclosed systems and methods include a dynamic virtual representation of a device from the perspective of a user of the device which is shared with a remote troubleshooter. The dynamic virtual representation is based on the position of the user.

Abstract: A system and method for contextualizing operating procedures are provided. A set of procedures is provided, each including text describing user actions which are to be performed on a physical device to implement the procedure. A device model refers to components of the device on which user actions are performable and provides state charts which link an action performable on the respective component with states assumed by it. The text of each procedure is segmented to form a sequence of steps. Each step includes an action to be performed on one of the components of the device that is referred to in the device model. When a request for one of the procedures is received, the corresponding sequence of instruction steps is retrieved. A current one of the instruction steps is contextualized, based on device data received from the device and the state chart of the respective component.

Abstract: A detachable display unit, an electromechanical device utilizing the display unit, and a method of use are disclosed. The display unit includes a communication link whereby data can be communicated between the display unit and the associated electromechanical device. The display unit includes a position sensor which provides position information for determining a current position of the display unit when detached from the associated electromechanical device. A graphical user interface displays a dynamic virtual representation of the associated electromechanical device based on the determined current position.

Abstract: A system and method for visualizing performance metrics are disclosed. The system includes a data acquisition component which collects information related to a set of agents operating in a work environment, a performance metric computation component which computes, for one of the agents, values for a performance metric at each of a plurality of times within a selected time period, and a representation generator which generates a representation for display to the agent, the representation providing the agent with information on the agent's current value for the performance metric. A processor implements the data acquisition component, the performance metric computation component, and the representation generator.

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 computer implemented electronic out-of-office message analysis system and method are disclosed. The method includes, for each of a plurality of users, receiving a user-generated electronic out-of-office message in a natural language in which a time window of absence and at least one alternate named contact are expressed and, based on the out-of-office message, generating a structured representation of the out-of-office message which links the alternate contact to a normalized representation of the time window. The structured representation of the out-of-office message is stored in a database. From the database it can be determined whether a current user's out-of-office message conflicts with another user's out-of-office message. If a conflict is detected, the current user can be notified.

Abstract: A system and method which may be implemented at least partly by a computer, are provided for developing a support system. A virtual representation of a device is generated for display on a user interface. Links between components of the virtual representation, which represent components of the device, and corresponding cases in a searchable knowledge base (SKB) are stored. Users can navigate the SKB in search of a solution to a problem with the device with the assistance of the virtual representation which enables actuation of the existing links. The users are able to create new links, each new link linking a component of the virtual representation with a case in the SKB which the user identifies as providing a solution to the problem with the device which is related to the component. The new link is stored for future use by the user or by other users.

Abstract: This disclosure provides collaborative communication systems and methods to facilitate troubleshooting of a device. Specifically, the disclosed systems and methods include a dynamic virtual representation of a device from the perspective of a user of the device which is shared with a remote troubleshooter. The dynamic virtual representation is based on the position of the user.

Abstract: A system and a method for linking textual and physical concepts are disclosed. The method includes extracting candidate phrases from a knowledge base for a device, the candidate phrases including noun phrases. A set of candidate concepts is generated, based on the extracted noun phrases. Provision is made, e.g., on a graphical user interface, for a user to generate mapped concepts for physical components of the device by selecting, for each concept to be mapped, a physical component shown in a graphical representation of the device and at least one of the candidate concepts which is to be linked to that physical component. The knowledge base is indexed, based on the mapped concepts. In this way, textual expressions in the knowledge base are linked to a respective physical component through one of the mapped concepts.

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 enable semi-automated generation of query expansion rules for searching a knowledge base. Candidate synonymy pairs are automatically extracted from queries made by users when searching a knowledge base. Synonymy rules are defined, based on the extracted candidate synonymy pairs, and may be context dependent. Query expansion rules based on the defined synonymy rules can then be exported to a storage medium for use in expansion of new user queries when searching the knowledge base.

Abstract: A computer implemented electronic out-of-office message analysis system and method are disclosed. The method includes, for each of a plurality of users, receiving a user-generated electronic out-of-office message in a natural language in which a time window of absence and at least one alternate named contact are expressed and, based on the out-of-office message, generating a structured representation of the out-of-office message which links the alternate contact to a normalized representation of the time window. The structured representation of the out-of-office message is stored in a database. From the database it can be determined whether a current user's out-of-office message conflicts with another user's out-of-office message. If a conflict is detected, the current user can be notified.

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: 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 detachable display unit, an electromechanical device utilizing the display unit, and a method of use are disclosed. The display unit includes a communication link whereby data can be communicated between the display unit and the associated electromechanical device. The display unit includes a position sensor which provides position information for determining a current position of the display unit when detached from the associated electromechanical device. A graphical user interface displays a dynamic virtual representation of the associated electromechanical device based on the determined current position.

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 printing system includes printers capable of redirecting print jobs to one another. A negotiator associated with each printer negotiates print job redirections. If a printer is unable to execute a print job, the negotiator seeks to outsource the print job by communicating an outsource request to other negotiators. In formulating an outsource request, the negotiator utilizes one or more constraint services. A negotiator which receives the outsource request includes an insource mechanism which determines whether to make an offer in which the associated printer is to execute at least a portion of the print job to be outsourced. If negotiator determines to make the offer, the insource offer is communicated to the first negotiator. The negotiators may each contemporaneously conduct a plurality of negotiations for a particular print job to be outsourced and/or contemporaneously conduct a plurality of negotiations for different print jobs to be insourced.