Answer wizard drop-down control

• US 6,983,271 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 01/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Koch, Zeke, Frankel, Glenn L., Banks, Richard M., White, Christopher C., Hoek, Tjeerd, Morrow, Catherine Rose, Weiss, Aaron H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coby, Frantz
• Assistant Examiner(s): FILIPCZYK, MARCIN R
• Application Number:
  US09/880,424
• Publication Number:
  US 20020194164A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,665 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 10, 707/101, 707/100
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99934 Query formulation, input preparation, or translation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99935 Query augmenting and refining, e.g. inexact access

Abstract

An answer wizard drop-down menu for providing users quick and efficient access to help utilities, including help files and wizards provided by a software application, is provided. An answer wizard drop-down edit control and interface is located in a conspicuous, but non-obstructive location on a software application graphical interface. An edit control allows a user to enter a question regarding some desired functionality of the application. In response to the user'"'"'s question, the user is presented with a list of potential answers to the question in a drop-down menu. If the user finds an acceptable answer to her question in the list of potential answers, the user selects the acceptable answer, and an appropriate help file application is launched to provide the user assistance with the functionality about which the user has questions. Each question so asked by the user is saved in a list of most recently used items. The next time the user needs assistance, the user may open the list of most recently used items to obtain a list of the most recent questions previously asked by the user. The user may then, if desired, select one of the previously asked questions and initiate another search on the selected question to obtain the list of potential answers. The user may then select a new or previously viewed answer to return to the help file application.

Claims

1. A method for providing computer software help utility, comprising the steps of:

providing a text entry area on a tool bar of a software application data entry and editing window;

receiving a search string at the text entry area;

searching a database for answers responsive to the search string;

displaying a list of potential answers responsive to the search string;

selecting, in response to a user input, one of the potential answers responsive to the search string;

displaying a help text responsive to selecting one of the potential answers;

after receiving the search strings at the text entry area, storing the search string in a list of most recently used search strings; and

determining if the received search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings; and

if the received search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings, then;

retrieving the list of most recently used search strings; and

displaying the list of most recently used search strings.

2. The method of claim 1, after the step of displaying a list of potential answers responsive to the search string, further including the steps of:

allowing the user to determine whether an acceptable answer is provided in the list of potential answers;

if an acceptable answer is not provided in the list of potential answers, allowing the user to refine the search string; and

searching the database for more answers responsive to the refined search string;

displaying a second list of potential answers responsive to the refined search string; and

wherein the step of selecting one of the potential answers responsive to the search string includes selecting one of the potential answers from the second list of potential answers.

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

selecting, in response to user input, the search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting the search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

displaying a third list of potential answers responsive to the step of searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting the search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

selecting, in response to user input, one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers; and

displaying a help text responsive to selecting one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers.

4. A method for providing computer software help utility, comprising the steps of:

providing a text entry area on a tool bar of a software application data entry and editing window;

receiving a search string at the text entry area;

searching a database for answers responsive to the search string;

displaying a list of potential answers responsive to the search string;

allowing a user to determine whether an acceptable answer is provided in the list of potential answers;

if an acceptable answer is not provided in the list of potential answers, receiving a refined search string at the edit control, and searching the database for more answers responsive to the refined search string;

displaying a second list of potential answers responsive to the refined search string;

selecting, in response to user input, one of the potential answers from the second list of potential answers; and

displaying a help text responsive to selecting one of the potential answers;

after receiving the search string and the refined search string at the text entry area, storing the search string and the refined search string in a list of most recently used search strings;

determining if the received search string or the refined search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings, and;

if the received search string or the refined search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings, then;

retrieving the list of most recently used search strings; and

displaying the list of most recently used search strings.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

selecting, in response to user input, one of the search strings or the refined search strings from the list of most recently used search strings;

searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting one of the search string or the refined search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

displaying a third list of potential answers responsive to the step of searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting one of the search strings or the refined search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

selecting, in response to user input, one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers; and

displaying a help text responsive to step of selecting one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers.

6. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer, perform the steps of:

providing a text entry area on a tool bar of software application data entry and editing window;

receiving a search string at the text entry area;

searching a database for answers responsive to the search string;

displaying a list of potential answers responsive to the search string;

selecting, in response to user input, one of the potential answers responsive to the search string;

displaying a help text responsive to selecting one of the potential answers;

after receiving the search string at the text entry area, storing the search string in a list of most recently used search strings;

determining if the received search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings; and

if the received search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings, then;

retrieving the list of most recently used search strings; and

displaying the list of most recently used search strings.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer, after the step of displaying a list of potential answers responsive to the search string, further perform the steps of:

allowing the user to determine whether an acceptable answer is provided in the list of potential answers;

if an acceptable answer is not provided in the list of potential answers, refining in response to user input, the search string, and searching the database for more answers responsive to the refined search string;

displaying a second list of potential answers responsive to the refined search string; and

wherein the step of selecting one of the potential answers responsive to the search string includes selecting one of the potential answers from the second list of potential answers.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 6 having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer, further perform the steps of:

selecting, in response to user input, the search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting the search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

displaying a third list of potential answers responsive to the step of searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting the search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

selecting, in response to user input, one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers; and

displaying a help text responsive to step of selecting one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers.

9. A system for providing computer software help utility, comprising:

a software module operative

to provide an edit control on the tool bar of a software application data entry and editing window;

to receive a search string at the edit control;

to search a database for answers responsive to the search string;

to display a list of potential answers responsive to the search string;

to allow a user to determine whether an acceptable answer is provided in the list of potential answers;

if an acceptable answer is not provided in the list of potential answers, to receive a refined search string at the edit control, and to search the database for more answers responsive to the refined search string;

to display a second list of potential answers responsive to the refined search string;

to allow a user to select one of the potential answers from the second list of potential answers; and

to display a help text responsive to selecting one of the potential answers;

to store the search string and the refined search string in a list of most recently used search strings after receiving the search string and the refined search string at the text entry area;

to determine if the search string or the refined search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings; and

if the search string or the refined search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings, then;

to retrieve the list of most recently used search strings; and

to display the list of most recently used search strings.

10. The system of claim 9, the software module further operative:

to allow the user to select one of the search strings or the refined search strings from the list of most recently used search strings;

to search the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting one of the search string or the refined search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

to display a third list of potential answers responsive to the step of searching the database for answers responsive to the step of selecting one of the search strings or the refined search string from the list of most recently used search strings;

to allow the user to select one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers; and

to display a help text responsive to step of selecting one of the potential answers responsive to the step of displaying a third list of potential answers.