User interaction management using an ongoing estimate of user interaction skills

1. An automated method of managing a user interface between a user and a system, wherein the user interface and the system are implemented via a computer, the method comprising the computer performing the steps of:

observing one or more behaviors associated with a user as the user interacts with the system;

automatically determining a skill level of the user accessing the system in real time based on the observed one or more behaviors;

modifying a user interaction profile based on the determined skill level of the user;

switching the user interface as the user interacts with the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the user interaction profile; and

presenting the switched user interface to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the skill level determination step further comprises classifying input obtained from the user based on pre-trained skill level models.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the skill level models are previously trained from input obtained from multiple users having various skill levels.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the classifying step further comprises extracting one or more features from the obtained user input.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the interaction profile modifying step further comprises selecting a human-computer interface to be presented to the user from among a plurality of human-computer interfaces.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a human-computer interface is one of a single mode interface or a multimodal interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein user interaction with the system is conversational.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein user interaction with the system is performed using at least one of a keyboard, a mouse and a monitor.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein user interaction with the system is performed using gesturing and pointing.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein user interaction with the system is performed using electroencephalogram input.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein user interaction with the system is performed using one or more biometric sensors.

12. An automated method of generating a skill level classifier for use in classifying users interacting with a system via a computer, the method comprising the computer performing the steps of:

obtaining input from multiple users having various skill levels;

training a classifier using the obtained input from the multiple users such that the classifier automatically detects in which category of interaction skills a subsequent user belongs;

switching a type of interaction between the subsequent user and the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the classifier; and

presenting the switched type of interaction to the subsequent user.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the classifier comprises individual models for interaction skill categories, each model being trained from labeled user data.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the classifier comprises one or more artificial neural networks.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the classifier comprises a support vector machine.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the classifier comprises a pattern recognition method.

17. Apparatus for managing a user interface between a user and a system, wherein the user interface and the system are implemented via a computer, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to: observe one or more behaviors associated with a user as the user interacts with the system; automatically determine a skill level of the user accessing the system in real time based on the observed one or more behaviors; modify a user interaction profile based on the determined skill level of the user; switch the user interface as the user interacts with the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the user interaction profile; and present the switched user interface to the user.

18. Apparatus for generating a skill level classifier for use in classifying users interacting with a system via a computer, comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to the memory and operative to: obtain input from multiple users having various skill levels; train a classifier using the obtained input from the multiple users such that the classifier automatically detects in which category of interaction skills a subsequent user belongs; switch a type of interaction between the subsequent user and the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the classifier; and present the switched type of interaction to the subsequent user.

19. An article of manufacture for managing a user interface between a user and a system, wherein the user interface and the system are implemented via a computer, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

observing one or more behaviors associated with a user as the user interacts with the system;

automatically determining a skill level of the user accessing the system in real time based on the observed one or more behaviors;

modifying a user interaction profile based on the determined skill level of the user;

switching the user interface as the user interacts with the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the user interaction profile; and

presenting the switched user interface to the user.

20. An article of manufacture for generating a skill level classifier for use in classifying users interacting with a system via a computer, comprising a machine readable medium containing one or more programs which when executed implement the steps of:

obtaining input from multiple users having various skill levels;

training a classifier using the obtained input from the multiple users such that the classifier automatically detects in which category of interaction skills a subsequent user belongs;

switching a type of interaction between the subsequent user and the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the classifier; and

presenting the switched type of interaction to the sub subsequent user.

21. A method of providing a service for managing a user interface between a user and a system, wherein the user interface and the system are implemented via a computer, the method comprising the computer performing the step of:

a service provider enabling the steps of: observing one or more behaviors associated with a user as the user interacts with the system; automatically determining a skill level of the user accessing the system in real time based on the observed one or more behaviors; causing modification of a user interaction profile based on the determined skill level of the user; switching the user interface as the user interacts with the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the user interaction profile; and presenting the switched user interface to the user.

22. A method of providing a service for generating a skill level classifier for use in classifying users interacting with a system via a computer, comprising the step of:

a service provider enabling the steps of: obtaining input from multiple users having various skill levels; training a classifier using the obtained input from the multiple users such that the classifier automatically detects in which category of interaction skills a subsequent user belongs; switching a type of interaction between the subsequent user and the system to one of a plurality of pre-trained interaction models for a pre-defined skill level in accordance with the classifier; and presenting the switched type of interaction to the subsequent user.