Method and system for providing user help information in network applications

Patent 5877757 Issued on March 2, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date:

May 23, 2017. 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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Inventors

Application

No. 862826 filed on 05/23/1997

US Classes:

715/705, Help presentation715/501.1Hypermedia

Examiners

Primary: Katbab, A.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Emile; Volel, Dillon; Andrew J.

Foreign Patent References

0 747 840 A1 EP 11/13/1996
0 747 843 A1 EP 11/13/1996

International Class

G06F 003/00

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for providing help-data in association with applications launched from a network, such that the applications are displayed within a window of a graphical user interface. Initially, an application is selected from among a number of applications, which are constructed from data generated at a server located within the network. Next, help-data associated with that application is identified. Thereafter, the identified help-data is automatically converted to hypertext data if the identified help-data is derived from a native format other than hypertext format. Hypertext links associated with the identified help-data are then automatically displayed within a window of the graphical user interface. Thereafter, the help-data is automatically displayed within a window of the graphical user interface as a hypertext document, in response to an invocation of the hypertext link by a user of the application. Thus, the hypertext links associated with the identified help-data can be presented to the user in the form of a table and in a graphical user interface window other than the graphical user interface window in which the application is displayed.

Other References

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