System and method for providing help/training content for a web-based application

• US 6,687,485 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thinksmart Performance Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: Thinksmart Performance Systems LLC
• Inventors: Hopkins, Rosalie Marie, Chodrow, Sarah Elizabeth, Danner, Kevin Rory
• Primary Examiner(s): Hughes, S. Thomas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sotomayor, John
• Application Number:
  US10/151,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20030219707A1
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 434/350, 434/323, 434/318, 434/307.R, 703/22, 717/124, 717/143, 345/705, 345/708
• US Class Current: 434/350
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F

Abstract

A system and method of the present invention supplies a user of a web-based application with relevant interactive help/training content that corresponds to an object or page of the web-based application that the user'"'"'s cursor is pointing to. The help/training content may include instructions, policies, procedures, tips and other information that may be dynamically updated and delivered to the user. The relevant help/training content may be displayed in a separate browser window where general information related to a page or pages as well as specific information related to a particular object may be provided.

Claims

1. A method employed by a computer user for accessing help/training content associated with a web-based application for dynamically displaying help/training content associated with an object dynamically triggered in the web-based application, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing the web-based application presented in a tag-based language format in a first browser window through a proxy server wherein the web-based application outputs a tag-based page comprising at least one markup language tagged object;

wherein the proxy server receives the tag-based page from the web-based application;

identifies the at least one tagged object and annotates the tag-based page to associate help/training content to the at least one tagged object; and

wherein the proxy server further initiates a help/training tool associated with the web-based application wherein the help/training tool displays a separate second browser window for simultaneously displaying help/training content with the first browser window containing the web-based application;

dynamically triggering the at least one markup language tagged object in the tag-based page of the web-based application wherein the step of dynamically triggering the at least one markup language tagged object in the first browser window automatically invokes a simultaneous display of help/training content associated with the triggered markup language tagged object in the second browser window; and

dynamically triggering a second markup language tagged object in the web-based application, wherein content in the second browser window is replaced with content associated with the second markup language tagged object;

wherein the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged and wherein the web-based application and the help/training tool operate independently.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the help/training content is interactive with the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the help/training content comprises one or more of the following:

instructions, policies, procedures and resources.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one markup language tagged object comprises one or more of the following:

an input field, a drop-down menu, a button, a graphic and a hyperlink.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of triggering the at least one markup language tagged object involves moving a cursor controlled by a user device over the at least one markup language tagged object.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the web-based application is delivered using a tag-based markup language.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

accessing a second web-based application; and

simultaneously viewing in the second browser window an associated help/training content for an object triggered in the second web-based application.

8. A method for providing content associated with at least one markup language tagged object in a web-based application provided to a user for simultaneous display in a separate browser page, the method comprising the steps of:

accessing the web-based application delivered in a tag-based language wherein the web-based application outputs a tag-based page comprising at least one markup language tagged object;

parsing the tag-based page of the web-based application to identify the at least one markup language tagged object prior to delivery to a user;

annotating the tag-based page to associate a content to the at least one markup language tagged object;

delivering the annotated tag-based page to the user;

storing the content associated with the at least one markup language tagged object in a database wherein the content is accessed when the at least one markup language tagged object is triggered by the user;

determining that the at least one markup language tagged object is triggered by the user in a first browser window displaying the web-based application;

retrieving the content associated with the triggered object from the database in response to the object being triggered in the first browser window; and

dynamically displaying the associated content to the user in a second browser window through a help/training tool for simultaneous display with the web-based application in the first browser window;

wherein the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged and wherein the web-based application and the help/training tool operate independently.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the content is customized for the user.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the content corresponding to the at least one markup language tagged object is presented in a first language, wherein the first language is different from a second language used in the web-based application.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the functionality of the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged.

12. A method for providing content associated with a web-based application, the method comprising the steps of:

enabling a user to select a markup language tagged object in a tag-based page of the web-based application;

identifying a content record associated with the selected markup language tagged object, or, if none exists, creating a content record and associating the created content record with the selected markup language tagged object;

applying an action to the content record associated with the selected markup language tagged object;

storing the action applied to the content record in a database based on the action;

annotating the tag-based page for associating a content identified by the content record to the selected markup language tagged object; and

displaying the content associated with the selected markup language tagged object through a help/training tool wherein the content is simultaneously displayed in a content window in response to a trigger of an associated markup language tagged object in the web-based application displayed in a separate browser window;

wherein the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged and wherein the web-based application and the help/training tool operate independently.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the action comprises one or more of the following:

save, create, delete and update.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the help/training content is interactive with the user.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the help/training content comprises one or more of the following:

instructions, policies, procedures and resources.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one markup language tagged object comprises one or more of the following:

an input field, a drop-down menu, a button, a graphic and a hyperlink.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein triggering the at least one markup language tagged object involves moving a cursor controlled by the user device over the at least one markup language tagged object.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the web-based application is delivered using a tag-based markup language.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein a second web-based application is supported where an associated help/training content for an object triggered in the second web-based application is simultaneously viewed in the second browser window.

14. A system employed by a computer user for accessing help/training content associated with a web-based application for dynamically displaying content associated with an object dynamically triggered in the web-based application, the system comprising:

a graphical user interface module for displaying in a first browser window the web-based application presented in a tag-based language format through a proxy server wherein the web-based application outputs a tag-based page comprising at least one markup language tagged object;

wherein the proxy server receives the tag-based page from the web-based application;

identifies the at least one tagged object and annotates the tag-based page to associate help/training content to the at least one tagged object; and

wherein the proxy server further initiates a help/training tool associated with the web-based application wherein the help/training tool displays a separate second browser window for simultaneous displaying content with the first browser window containing the web-based application; and

a user device for dynamically triggering the at least one markup language tagged object in the tag-based page of the web-based application wherein the step of dynamically triggering the at least one markup language tagged object in the first browser window automatically invokes a simultaneous display of help/training content associated with the triggered markup language tagged object; and

for dynamically triggering a second markup language tagged object in the web-based application, wherein the second markup language tagged object is triggered and content in the second browser window is replaced with content associated with the second markup language tagged object;

wherein the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged and wherein the web-based application and the help/training tool operate independently.

21. A system for providing content associated with at least one markup language tagged object in a web-based application provided to a user for simultaneous display in a separate browser page, the system comprising:

a parser for parsing a tag-based page of the web-based application comprising at least one markup language tagged object to identify the at least one markup language tagged object in a tag-based language prior to delivery to a user;

a server for annotating the tag-based page to associate a content to the at least one markup language tagged object and delivering the annotated tag-based page to the user; and

a database for storing the content associated with the at least one markup language tagged object wherein the content is accessed when the at least one markup language tagged object is triggered by the user;

a content server for retrieving the content associated with the triggered object from the database in response to the at least one markup language tagged object being triggered by the user in a first browser window displaying the web-based application; and

a graphical user interface module for dynamically displaying in a separate browser window through a help/training tool the associated content to the user for simultaneous display with the web-based application in the first browser window;

wherein the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged and wherein the web-based application and the help/training tool operate independently.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the content is customized for the user.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the functionality of the web-based application as displayed to the user remains unchanged.

23. The system of claim 25, wherein the content corresponding to the at least one markup language tagged object is presented in a first language, wherein the first language is different from a second language used in the web-based application.