Method for visually indicating the quality of on-screen help messages

• US 20060010381A1
• Filed: 07/07/2004
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Molander, Mark E., Kipp, Sandra D., Hennum, Erik F., Sawin, David A.
• Application Number:
  US10/886,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20060010381A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/707
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A method in a data processing system for providing a user of the system with a visual indication of a quality of one or more features of an on-screen help message (e.g., a usefulness, an importance, or a content level of the message). The method involves a generation of a graphical help interface (e.g., a graphical indicator of usefulness within a button)) to visually indicate the quality of the feature(s) of the on-screen help message, and a display of the graphical help interface in a display window associated with the on-screen help message. The method can further involve a customization to the user by the data processing system of one or more of the features of the on-screen help message that are visually indicated by the graphical user interface, and/or one or more additional features of the on-screen help message that are not visually indicated by the graphical user interface.

Claims

1. A method in a data processing system for providing a user of the data processing system with a visual indication of a quality of a first feature of an on-screen help message, the method comprising:

generating a graphical help interface as a visual indication of a quality of the first feature of the on-screen help message; and

displaying the graphical help interface in a display window associated with the on-screen help message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual indication of the graphical help interface is at least one of a shape coding, a color coding, a size coding, and a content coding.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical help interface is displayed in the display window adjacent at least one of a text and graphics associated with the on-screen help message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first feature of the on-screen help message is one of a usefulness, an importance, or a content level of the on-screen help message.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing the first feature of the of the on-screen help message to the user of the data processing system.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

customizing a second feature of the of the on-screen help message to the user of the data processing system.

7. The method of claim 6,

wherein the first feature of the of the on-screen help message is a usefulness of the on-screen help message;

and

wherein the second feature of the of the on-screen help message is a content of the on-screen help message.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving feedback related to a viewing of the on-screen help message by the user; and

controlling an update of the message based on the feedback.

9. A signal bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a processor to perform operations to visually indicate a quality of a first feature of an on-screen help message, the operations comprising:

generating a graphical help interface as a visual indication of a quality of the first feature of the on-screen help message; and

displaying the graphical help interface in a display window associated with the on-screen help message.

10. The signal bearing medium of claim 9, wherein the visual indication of the graphical help interface is at least one of a shape coding, a color coding, a size coding, and a content coding.

11. The signal bearing medium of claim 9, wherein the graphical help interface is displayed in the display window adjacent at least one of a text and graphics associated with the on-screen help message.

12. The signal bearing medium of claim 9, wherein the first feature of the on-screen help message is one of a usefulness, an importance, or a content level of the on-screen help message.

13. The signal bearing medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

customizing the first feature of the of the on-screen help message to a user of the program.

14. The signal bearing medium of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

customizing a second feature of the of the on-screen help message to a user of the program.

15. The signal bearing medium of claim 14,

wherein the first feature of the of the on-screen help message is a usefulness of the on-screen help message;

and

wherein the second feature of the of the on-screen help message is a content of the on-screen help message.

16. The signal bearing medium on claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving feedback related to a viewing of the on-screen help message by a user of the program; and

controlling an update of the message based on the feedback.

17. A data processing system, comprising:

a display;

a processor; and

memory storing instructions operable with the processor for visually indicating a quality of a first feature of an on-screen help message, the instructions being executed for;

generating a graphical help interface as a visual indication of a quality of the first feature of the on-screen help message; and

displaying the graphical help interface in a display window associated with the on-screen help message.

18. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the visual indication of the graphical help interface is at least one of a shape coding, a color coding, a size coding, and a content coding.

19. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the graphical help interface is displayed in the display window adjacent at least one of a text and graphics associated with the on-screen help message.

20. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the first feature of the on-screen help message is one of a usefulness, an importance, or a content level of the on-screen help message.

21. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executed for customizing the first feature of the of the on-screen help message to the user of the data processing system.

22. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executed for customizing a second feature of the of the on-screen help message to a user of the data processing system.

23. The data processing system of claim 22,

wherein the first feature of the of the on-screen help message is a usefulness of the on-screen help message;

and

wherein the second feature of the of the on-screen help message is a content of the on-screen help message.

24. The data processing system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executed for receiving feedback related to a viewing of the on-screen help message by a user of the data processing system and for controlling an update of the message based on the feedback.