System for providing a user with parameter-specific information

• US 6,026,431 A
• Filed: 10/20/1997
• Issued: 02/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mei California, Inc. (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Micro Electronics Incorporated
• Inventors: Hinrichs, Earl L., McGill, James W. Jr., Cowan, Jeff L., Raburn, Greg A., Doan, Hung Quoc, Johnson, Greg P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US08/954,407
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1-10, 707/100, 707/103, 707/104, 709/203, 709/217-219, 709/227-232
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/46 Multiprogramming arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication

Abstract

The present invention provides to a user parameter-specific information. In one embodiment, a server receives from a client a parameter-specific information request, which identifies at least one parameter corresponding to the requested parameter-specific information. A file processing program is then invoked to process a first information file. The file processing program reads from the first information file code segments, including both client-displayable segments and segments executable by the file processing program ("FPP-executable code segments"). If the code segment is client-displayable, the file processing program sends to the client the client-displayable code from the client-displayable code segment. On the other hand, if the code segment is FPP-executable, the file processing program executes the FPP-executable code. In doing so, it sends to the client additional client-displayable code in response to the at least one parameter identified in the information request. The client-displayable code sent to the client is then displayed by the client as its parameter specific information.

Claims

1. A system for retrieving parameter-specific procedures, the system comprising:

(a) a plurality of clients with each client including a client computer and a client program;

(b) a server in network communication with the plurality of clients, comprising;

(i) a server computer,

(ii) a server program to be executed by the server computer,

(iii) a procedure file set comprising a plurality of procedure files, each file being of a distinct procedure type;

(iv) a parameter database;

(v) a file processing program; and

(c) a parameter-specific procedure request sent from a client to the server;

wherein the parameter-specific procedure request comprises the identification of a procedure type and the identification of a procedure parameter;

wherein the file processing program receives the parameter-specific procedure request and

(i) processes the file corresponding to the identified procedure type; and

(ii) retrieves the identified parameter from the parameter database;

wherein the identified procedure parameter modifies the information in the file corresponding to the identified procedure type; and

wherein this modified information is sent from the server to the client in response to the parameter-specific procedure request.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the procedure file set includes at least one procedure file having client-displayable and FPP-executable code segments.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the client-displayable code segments are client-displayable code.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the client-displayable code segments are executable HTML tags.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the client-displayable code segments are code segments that do not include FPP-executable marks.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the FPP-executable code segments include FPP-executable marks and FPP-executable code.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the FPP-executable code segments are HTML comments that include FPP-executable code.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the FPP-executable code segments include conditional parameter commands that enable the file processing program to retrieve and send to a client client-displayable code from out of the first procedure file.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified procedure parameter is a work order.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the identified procedure parameter is a part number.

11. A system for retrieving parameter-specific procedures, the system comprising:

(a) a plurality of clients with each client including a client computer, a file processing program, and a client program;

(b) a server in network communication with the plurality of clients, comprising;

(i) a server computer,

(ii) a server program to be executed by the server computer,

(iii) a procedure file set comprising a plurality of procedure files, each file being of a distinct procedure type;

(iv) a parameter database;

(c) a parameter-specific procedure request sent from a client to the server;

wherein the parameter-specific procedure request comprises identification of a procedure type and identification of a procedure parameter;

wherein the file processing program receives the parameter-specific procedure request and

(i) processes the file corresponding to the identified procedure type; and

(ii) retrieves the identified parameter from the parameter database;

wherein the identified procedure parameter modifies the information in the file corresponding to the identified procedure type; and

wherein this modified information is sent from the server to the client in response to the parameter-specific procedure request.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the procedure file set includes at least one procedure file having client-displayable and FPP-executable code segments.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the client-displayable code segments are client-displayable code.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the client-displayable code segments are executable HTML tags.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the client-displayable code segments are code segments that do not include FPP-executable marks.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the FPP-executable code segments include FPP-executable marks and FPP-executable code.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the FPP-executable code segments are HTML comments that include FPP-executable code.