Platform independent enhanced help system for an internet enabled embedded system

• US 6,289,370 B1
• Filed: 11/30/1998
• Issued: 09/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: 3Com Corporation (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Koifman, Alexander, Scano, John Carl, Panarello, Gregory, Bermann, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HO, CHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US09/201,039
• Time in Patent Office: 1,016 Days
• Field of Search: 709/228, 709/311, 709/200, 709/203, 709/227, 709/229, 345/338, 345/329, 345/346, 345/336, 707/501
• US Class Current: 709/200
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/00 Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications user-to-user messaging H04L51/00; network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for providing help contents to a client system on behalf of a web enabled embedded system. A help file is loaded onto a server system, and the location of the server system is communicated to the embedded system. A client system requests a page of data stored in the embedded system. In response to the client system request, the embedded system forms a data page including one or more instructions for displaying a help button. The data page includes one or more instructions associating the help file on the server system with the help button. The embedded system transmits the data page to the client system. The client system then processes the data page to form a view on a display device. In response to assertion of the help button, the client system retrieves the help file from the server system and processes the help file. In an example embodiment, a configuration dialog box is displayed on the client system. The configuration dialog box is used to receive the location of the server system from a user interface on the client system. The location of the server system is transmitted from the client system to the embedded system.

Claims

1. A method for providing help information to a client system, comprising:

requesting, by said client system, a page of data stored in a remote system coupled to said client system and a server system via a network;

determining, by said remote system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data;

in the event that said remote system determines that help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtaining a location of at least one help contents file from said client system;

configuring, by said remote system, said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data;

forming, by said remote system, responsive to said request for said page of data stored in said remote system, a data page, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction for displaying a help button, and wherein said data page includes at least one instruction associating said location of said at least one help contents file with said help button, and wherein said data page further includes said requested page of data;

transmitting said data page to said client system;

processing said data page on said client system, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data;

requesting, by said client system, responsive to selection of said help button by a user, said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file; and

receiving and outputting said at least one help contents file by said client system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said remote system is an embedded system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said obtaining includes displaying a configuration dialog box on said client system, said configuration dialog box operable to receive said location of said at least one help contents file from a user interface of said client system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said obtaining further comprises transmitting said location of said server system received from said client system to said embedded system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one message from said remote help contents server system to said embedded system, wherein said message indicates a location of said at least one help contents file.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein said transmitting said at least one message includes broadcasting one or more announcement messages from said server system, said announcement messages indicating that said at least one help contents file has been installed on said remote help contents server system.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein said requesting includes sending an HTTP request from a browser program on said client system to said embedded system, responsive to an indication of said location of said embedded system to said browser program from a user interface on said client system.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein a user indicates said location of said embedded system to said browser program by entering a URL of a device containing said embedded system to said browser program.

9. The method of claim 2 wherein said data page is in HTML format.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said outputting includes rendering said data page on said display device responsive to processing said data page by a browser program on said client system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one help contents file is in HTML format.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one help contents file includes sound data.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one help contents file includes graphics data.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one help contents file includes video data.

15. The method of claim 2 wherein said embedded system is within a network switch.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein said embedded system is within a household appliance.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said one or more instructions associating said at least one help contents file with said help button include a uniform resource location (URL) having a server location field, release identifier field, and a topic field that is a unique identifier associated with said data page.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a contents of said release identifier field is a release number associated with said at least one help contents file.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein a directory in said server system stores said at least one help contents file and a previous release of said content file.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said at least one help contents file contains information relating to the topic of said data page.

21. The method of claim 2 wherein said data page is an embedded form.

22. A system for providing help information to a plurality of client systems, comprising:

a help system operable to;

execute within at least one remote system,

determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,

in the event that said remote system determines that help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,

configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,

generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said remote system is an embedded system.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said help system is further operable to obtain said location of said remote help contents server system by receiving a network location of said remote help contents server system from at least one of said client systems.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said help system is further operable to receive a network location of said help contents server system from said help contents server system.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein said data page is in HTML format.

27. The system of claim 23 wherein said at least one instruction operable to obtain at least a portion of said at least one help contents file from said server system include at least a portion of a URL of said at least one help contents file.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least one help contents file is in HTML format.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least one help contents file includes sound data.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least one help contents file includes graphics data.

31. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least one help contents file includes video data.

32. The system of claim 23 wherein said embedded system is within a network switch.

33. The system of claim 23 wherein said embedded system is within a household appliance.

34. The system of claim 22 wherein said at least one instruction operable to obtain at least a portion of said at least one help contents file from said server system include a uniform resource location (URL) having a server location field, release identifier field, and a topic field that is a unique identifier associated with said data page.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein a contents of said release identifier field is a release number associated with said at least one help contents file on said server system.

36. The system of claim 34 wherein a directory in said remote help contents server system stores said at least one help contents file and a previous release of said content file.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein said at least one help contents file contains information relating to the topic of said data page.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein said data page is an embedded form.

39. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for providing help information to a plurality of client systems stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code operable to;

execute within at least one remote system,

determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,

in the event that said help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,

configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,

generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.

40. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave said computer data signal including a computer program for providing help information to a plurality of client systems stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

program code operable to;

execute within at least one remote system,

determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,

in the event that said help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,

configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,

generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.

41. A system for providing help information to a plurality of client systems, comprising:

a help system means for executing within at least one remote system, said help system means operable to;

determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,

in the event that said help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,

configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,

generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.