Context-Dependent Digital Action-Assistance Tool

Abstract

A computer-implemented technique is described herein for facilitating a user's repeated execution of the same computer-implemented actions. The technique performs this task by determining patterns in the manner in which the user repeats requests associated with certain computer-implemented actions. For example, the technique determines context-dependent patterns in the manner in which the user submits search requests to a search system. The technique then leverages those patterns by proactively providing a request-assistance tool to the user in those context-specific circumstances in which the user is likely to perform the repetitive computer-implemented actions. The digital action-assistance tool provides various kinds of assistance to the user in performing the repetitive computer-implemented actions.

1 . A method, implemented by one or more computing devices, for proactively presenting a digital action-assistance tool to a user, comprising:
 receiving requests by a user over a span of time, the user making each request via a user device to perform a computer-implemented action;   using a computer-implemented process to identify one or more patterns associated with the requests, each pattern being associated with two or more occasions on which the user has performed a same computer-implemented action in a particular context;   using a computer-implemented process to identify one or more presentation triggers associated with said one or more patterns, each presentation trigger describing a condition in which a digital action-assistance tool is to be presented to the user;   storing said one or more presentation triggers in a data store;   receiving context information from one or more context-sensing mechanisms within an environment, the context information describing a current context of the user;   determining whether the context information matches a condition specified in one of the presentation triggers;   generating a particular digital action-assistance tool in response to said determining, when a condition is determined to have been matched; and   proactively sending the particular digital action-assistance tool to the user device operated by the user, for presentation by the user device,   the particular digital action-assistance tool being associated with a particular request, and the particular request, upon execution, being associated with a particular result item,   said proactively sending involving sending the particular digital action-assistance tool over a communication conduit without requiring the user to manually input the particular request via the user device, thereby facilitating execution by the user of a particular computer-implemented action associated with the particular request.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular computer-implemented action corresponds to:
 access to a particular information item upon entering a search request via the user device; and/or   interaction with a particular service upon entering a service-related request via the user device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving requests by a group of users over a span of time, the users making each request via a user device to perform a computer-implemented action; and   using a computer-implemented process to identify one or more group patterns associated with the requests received from the group of users, each group pattern being associated with two or more occasions on which the group of users has performed a same computer-implemented action in a particular context,   wherein the method also identifies said one or more presentation triggers based on said one or more group patterns.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more patterns comprises:
 identifying a meaning of each request that is received over the span of time, or receiving an already-determined meaning, to provide a plurality of interpreted requests; and   forming one or more clusters based on the interpreted requests, each cluster having two or more interpreted requests that: (a) have a same meaning; and (b) pertain to a same context defined with respect to one or more context-related dimensions.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein said one or more context-related dimensions include:
 a time dimension; and/or   a location dimension; and/or   a person-proximity dimension.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein one of the context-related dimensions defines a window of time, and wherein said forming one or more clusters also includes identifying a set of clusters pertaining to the window of time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more patterns and the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more presentation triggers correspond to two separate respective processes. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more patterns and the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more presentation triggers correspond to a single integrated process. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more patterns and/or the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more presentation triggers are implemented using a rule-based application engine. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more patterns and/or the computer-implemented process to identify said one or more presentation triggers are implemented using a statistical machine-learned model. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular digital action-assistance tool provides a representation of the particular request, but not the corresponding particular result item that results from execution of the particular request, the method further comprising:
 receiving an activation by the user of the particular request; and   in response to the activation, producing and presenting the particular result item that is associated with the particular request.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the particular digital action-assistance tool proactively presents a representation of the particular result item that results from execution of the particular request, without requiring the user to manually activate the particular request. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the computer-implemented process for identifying said one or more patterns results in identifying two or more patterns associated with the particular context,   wherein said two or more patterns are associated with two or more particular requests, each of said two or more requests being associated with a particular result item, and   wherein the particular digital action-assistance tool that is presented provides a bundle that provides a representation of each of said two or more particular requests and/or the particular result item associated with each of said two or more particular requests.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said two or more patterns correspond to two or more clusters of requests that occur in temporal series within the particular context. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising organizing said two or more patterns into at least two groups that pertain to two respective subtopics associated with a same main topic, and demarcating the two groups in the particular digital action-assistance tool. 
     
     
         16 . A system for proactively presenting a digital action-assistance tool to a user, comprising:
 an inference system, implemented by one or more computing devices, including:
 logic configured to receive requests by a user over a span of time, the user making each request via a user device to perform a computer-implemented action; 
 logic configured to identify one or more patterns associated with the requests, each pattern being associated with two or more occasions on which the user has performed a same computer-implemented action in a particular context; 
 logic configured to identify one or more presentation triggers associated with said one or more patterns, each presentation trigger describing a condition in which a digital action-assistance tool is to be presented to the user; and 
 logic configured to store said one or more presentation triggers in a data store; and 
   a proactive presentation system, implemented by one or more computing devices, including:
 logic configured to receive context information from one or more context-sensing mechanisms in an environment; 
 logic configured to determine whether the context information matches a condition specified in one of the presentation triggers; 
 logic configured to generate a particular digital action-assistance tool in response to determining performed by said logic configured determine, when a condition has been determined to have been matched; and 
 logic configured to send the particular digital action-assistance tool to the user device operated by the user, for presentation by the user device, 
   the particular digital action-assistance tool being associated with a particular request, and the particular request, upon execution, being associated with a particular result item,   the proactive presentation system being configured to proactively send the particular digital action-assistance tool over a communication conduit without requiring the user to manually input the particular request via the user device, thereby facilitating execution by the user of a particular computer-implemented action associated with the particular request.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 ,
 wherein the particular digital action-assistance tool provides a representation of the particular request, but not the corresponding particular result item that results from execution of the particular request, and   wherein the system is configured to present the particular result item that is associated with the particular request, upon activation by the user of the particular request.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the particular digital action-assistance tool proactively presents a representation of the particular result item that results from execution of the particular request, without requiring the user to manually activate the particular request. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 ,
 wherein said logic configured to identify said one or more patterns results in identifying two or more patterns associated with the particular context,   wherein said two or more patterns are associated with two or more particular requests, each of said two or more requests being associated with a particular result item, and   wherein the particular digital action-assistance tool that is presented provides a bundle that provides a representation of each said two or more particular requests and/or the particular result item associated with each of said two or more particular requests.   
     
     
         20 . A computer-readable storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processor devices, performing a method that comprises:
 receiving information-related search requests by a user over a span of time, the user making each information-related search request via a user device to access an information item from a repository of searchable information;   identifying one or more patterns associated with the information-related search requests, each pattern being associated with two or more occasions on which the user has requested a same information item in a particular context;   identifying one or more presentation triggers associated with said one or more patterns, each presentation trigger describing a condition in which a digital action-assistance tool is to be presented to the user;   receiving context information from one or more context-sensing mechanisms within an environment;   determining whether the context information matches a condition specified in one of the presentation triggers;   generating a particular digital action-assistance tool in response to said determining, when a condition has been determined to have been met; and   proactively sending the particular digital action-assistance tool to the user device operated by the user, for presentation by the user device,   the particular digital action-assistance tool being associated with a particular information-related search request, and the particular information-related search request, upon execution, being associated with a particular information item,   the particular digital action-assistance tool providing a representation of the particular information-related search request and/or the particular information item, and   said proactively sending involving sending the particular digital action-assistance tool without requiring the user to manually input the particular information-related search request via the user device.