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Method and apparatus for assisting user of information retrieval systems

  • US 4,754,326 A
  • Filed: 10/25/1983
  • Issued: 06/28/1988
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1983
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An information retrieval system, comprising:

  • database means for storing basic information;

    a plurality of basic information pages stored in said database means;

    a plurality of subsidiary information pages stored in said database means, each one of the subsidiary information pages corresponding to a respective one of the basic information pages and including information designed to help an operator of the system relative to the respective one of the basic information pages;

    record means for maintaining a record of the location of each one of the subsidiary information pages corresponding to each one of the basic information pages;

    terminal means for displaying data received from said database means;

    communication means for transmitting data from said database means to said terminal means;

    request means on said terminal means for requesting a selected one of said basic information pages;

    transmission means responsive to such request means for causing said communication means to transmit said selected basic information page to said terminal means for display thereby;

    help key means on said terminal means for initiating display of a subsidiary information page corresponding to the selected one of the basic information pages by a single operation of the help key means;

    said communication means including current page identification means for determining the identity of the selected one of the basic information pages being transmitted at the time said help key means is operated, subsidiary page identification means for determining the location of the corresponding one of the subsidiary information pages, and help transmission means for transmitting the corresponding one of the subsidiary information pages to the terminal means for display;

    said communication means being responsive to a single operation of said help key means to cause the current page indentification means to determine the identity of the selected one of the basic information pages being transmitted at the time said help key means is operated, cause the subsidiary page identification means to determine the location of the corresponding one of said subsidiary information pages, and cause the help transmission means to transmit said associated subsidiary information page to said terminal means for display thereby.

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