Obtaining user assistance
An apparatus, device, method, computer program product, and system that detects a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device; and obtains an end user assistance corresponding to an at least substantially common aspect of the first electronic device and the second electronic device.
1. A method comprising:
a) detecting a function of a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device;
b) detecting a function of the second electronic device; and
c) determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the detected function of the first electronic device and the detected function of the second electronic device, the determining including determining a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and
d) providing an assistance corresponding to the operation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting an operative local coupling between the first electronic device and the second electronic device.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes optically detecting the first electronic device in proximity to the second electronic device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes querying the first electronic device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes querying both the first electronic device and the second electronic device.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting a signal indicative of the first electronic device.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting a first electronic device and a second electronic device within a geographic locale.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes inventorying a group of functions of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device includes detecting a group of at least one of an operability, a capability, a capacity, and/or an interactability of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a function of the second electronic device includes detecting a group of at least one of an operability, a capability, a capacity, and/or an interactability of the second electronic device.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes determining a human-useable output generatable by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes determining a machine-useable output generatable by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes empirically determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device includes querying a database for an indication of a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing an assistance corresponding to the operation includes providing a human-user assistance corresponding to the operation.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing an assistance corresponding to the operation includes providing human-user information corresponding to the operation.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the providing an assistance corresponding to the operation includes providing a machine-useable assistance corresponding to the operation.
18. A system comprising:
a) a computing device; and
b) instructions that when executed on the computing device cause the computing device to:
(i) detect a function of first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device;
(ii) detect a function of the second electronic device;
(iii) determine a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device, and a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and
(iv) obtain an assistance corresponding to the operation.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the instructions further comprise: (v) provide the assistance corresponding to the operation.
20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the computing device includes the first electronic device.
21. A device comprising:
a) a monitoring module operable to detect a first electronic device in a proximity to a second electronic device;
b) an inventory module operable to acquire information corresponding to a function of the first electronic device and a function of the second electronic device;
c) an identification module operable to determine a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device, and determine a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and
d) a broadcast module operable to provide a human-user assistance corresponding to the useful operation.
22. The device of claim 21 , further comprising:
e) an acquisition module operable to obtain the human-user assistance corresponding to the useful operation.
23. A computer program product encoding a computer program operable to execute a computer process on a computing device, the computer process comprising:
a) identifying a function of a first electronic device in proximity to a second electronic device;
b) identifying a function of the second electronic device; and
c) determining a useful operation producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device, the determining including determining a useable outcome producible by a combination of the function of the first electronic device and the function of the second electronic device; and
d) providing an assistance corresponding to the operation.
24. The computer program product of claim 23 , the computer process further comprises: e) obtaining the assistance corresponding to the operation.
25. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the computer program product includes a computer-readable medium.
26. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the computer-readable medium includes a computer-readable medium carried by a computer-readable carrier.
27. The computer program product of claim 23 , wherein the computer program product includes a communications medium.