Personal assistant for task utilization

US8386929B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Igor Zaika · Seattle, US
• Ned B. Friend · Seattle, US
• Erez Kikin-Gil · Bellevue, US
• Matthew J. Kotler · Sammamish, US
• Charles W. Parker · Sammamish, US
• Jesse Clay Satterfield · Seattle, US
• Marta Rey-Babarro · Seattle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 22, 2010
• Grant date: Feb 26, 2013
• Expiry date: Jan 23, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/0241
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An electronic personal assistant that uses task information to obtain task performance assistance and help content is provided. Tasks from an electronic tasks application may be utilized by the personal assistant application to search a variety of information sources for task performance functionality and help content related to the tasks. The personal assistant may provide functionality to help a user actually perform a given task. Alternatively, once help content is obtained, a new task may be generated or the related task may be modified to provide the help content or to provide a link to the help content. The personal assistant application may provide the help content in a separate user interface or cause an application from which the help content is obtained to be launched.