Dynamic presentation of contextual help and status information

Patent 5546521 Issued on August 13, 1996. Estimated Expiration Date:

October 17, 2014. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventor

Martinez, Anthony E.

Application

No. 324294 filed on 10/17/1994

Examiners

Primary: Bayerl, Raymond J.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Dillon; Andrew J.

Foreign Patent References

63-118920 JP. 05/13/1988
0119411 JP. 01/13/1989

International Classes

G06F 003/14
G06F 017/30

Abstract

A method and apparatus of displaying contextual help or status information to the user of a computer system in a graphical user interface. When a help facility is enabled, the system determines the position of a pointer, such as a mouse pointer, relative to the objects in the graphical user interface. If the pointer is over an object, the system refers to one or more tables which correlate objects with help and/or status information. The information is then displayed proximate to the pointer, preferably in a semitransparent window at a predictable offset from the pointer to allow the information presented by the graphical user interface to be viewed. As the pointer is moved across the graphical user interface, the information text associated with the pointer changes dynamically. In one preferred embodiment, at least one of the tables which correlate objects with the information is updated to reflect details about objects which change dynamically.