Graphical table of contents for a help system
First Claim
1. In a data processing system having at least one computer hardware platform and at least one computer operating environment, the improvement comprising:
- a graphical help system having a number of selected help topics including two or more sets of help topics wherein each said set of help topics corresponds to a view type;
selection means for allowing the user to select the view type; and
display means coupled to said selection means for displaying help topics corresponding to the selected view type.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for providing a user customizable help system for a data processing environment which utilizes a graphical interface to identify solutions and/or topics of interest. This graphical help system displays partitioned groupings of help topics organized in a intuitively functional, positional manner such that a user will instinctively know where to find the desired help topic. These partitioned groupings of help topics preferably represent hardware platforms, operating environments, application groupings, or groupings of functions within an application. Further, and within each of the partitioned groupings, the invention contemplates providing multiple “views” of help topics, each “view” corresponding to a different type of user of the data processing system. By providing multiple views, the help system can be easily tailored to better address differences in experience, sophistication, and job requirements between widely disparate users of the same data processing system.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. In a data processing system having at least one computer hardware platform and at least one computer operating environment, the improvement comprising:
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a graphical help system having a number of selected help topics including two or more sets of help topics wherein each said set of help topics corresponds to a view type;
selection means for allowing the user to select the view type; and
display means coupled to said selection means for displaying help topics corresponding to the selected view type. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A data processing system having at least two computer hardware platforms, the improvement comprising:
a help system having graphical means for displaying information relevant to the operation of the data processing system, wherein said graphical means provides a display partitioned into two or more groupings of help topics, each said grouping associated with a display area, and each said grouping corresponding to one of said computer hardware platforms. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A data processing system having at least two computer operating environments, the improvement comprising:
a help system having graphical means of displaying information relevant to the operation of the data processing system, wherein said graphical means provides a display partitioned into two or more groupings of help topics, each said grouping associated with a display area, and each said grouping corresponding to one of said computer operating environments. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. In a data processing system having at least one computer application:
a graphical help system for the computer application comprising a functional diagram of the computer application, including a number of functional blocks, whereby selected functional blocks comprise access points to help information regarding the function. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
Specification