User assistance system

• US 7,240,297 B1
• Filed: 06/12/2000
• Issued: 07/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anderson, Carl T., Leskovec, Janet L., Percival, Lynn, Lee, Alberta, Liles, Susan E., Kahler, Susan E., Bush, Gregory F., Faoro, Michael, Wells, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chuong; Truc T.
• Application Number:
  US09/592,387
• Time in Patent Office: 2,577 Days
• Field of Search: 345/751, 345/854, 345/700, 345/713, 345/823, 345/711, 345/745, 345/789, 345/830, 345/811, 715/513, 715/802, 715/854, 715/859, 707/10, 707/200, 707/203
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance

Abstract

A method and system for providing user assistance in utilizing a computer program is disclosed that provides the capability for combining an active display of the past, current, and future steps in an ongoing process with a series of associated decision panels and forms to be completed in order to carry out the steps. A navigator bar, which is situated adjacent to and can be scrolled independently of information appearing in a client area of a computer screen display, provides a user of the computer program with a map of the steps already executed, the current step being executed, and the most likely steps to be performed based on the current step being executed. If the user selects a different step to be the current step, the display of most likely future steps to be performed changes, if appropriate.

Claims

1. A user assistance system for providing user assistance in connection with selectable steps associated with the operation of a computer program running on a computer system, each of said selectable steps capable of being active or inactive, and each implementing one or more substeps when selected, with one of the selectable steps being a currently-selected step, said user assistance system comprising:

a client work area displaying information pertaining to the currently-selected step; and

a navigator bar adjacent to said client work area, said navigator bar continuously displaying a visual representation of said selectable steps, said visual representation including a display of steps that are active and steps that are inactive, said displayed steps comprising the most likely steps to be traversed in connection with the currently selected step;

wherein said visual representation of said selectable steps displayed by said navigator bar further includes;

past steps already performed by said computer program; and

the currently-selected step;

wherein said navigator bar is scrollable to allow viewing of selectable steps preceding the currently selected step, wherein the action of scrolling said navigation bar does not change the information being displayed in said client work area.

2. The user assistance system of claim 1, wherein said navigator bar is dividable into segments, with each segment corresponding to one of said steps of said selectable steps.

3. The user assistance system of claim 2, wherein said segments include active segments and inactive segments, and wherein selection of an active segment changes the currently-selected step to the step corresponding to said selected active segment.

4. The user assistance system of claim 3, wherein said navigator bar displays said segments in a serial manner, and wherein said navigator bar can be scrolled to allow viewing of segments preceding or following said segment corresponding to said currently-selected step.

5. The user assistance system of claim 1, wherein said information displayed in said client area comprises a selectable list of alternative choices for subsequent steps to be taken by said computer program.

6. The user assistance system of claim 5, wherein selection of one of said alternative choices causes said display of future steps not yet performed by said computer program to change to a display of future steps associated with said selected alternative choice.

7. A method for providing user assistance in connection with selectable steps associated with the operation of a computer program running on a computer system, each of said selectable steps capable of being active or inactive, and each implementing one or more substeps when selected, with one of the selectable steps being a currently-selected step, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a client work area in which information pertaining to the currently-selected step is displayed; and

generating a navigator bar adjacent to said client work area, said navigator bar continuously displaying a visual representation of said selectable steps, said visual representation including a display of steps that are active and steps that are inactive, said displayed steps comprising the most likely steps to be traversed in connection with the currently selected step;

wherein said visual representation of said selectable steps displayed by said navigator bar further includes;

past steps already performed by said computer program; and

the currently-selected step;

wherein said navigator bar is scrollable to allow viewing of selectable steps preceding the currently selected step, wherein the action of scrolling said navigation bar does not change the information being displayed in said client work area.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of dividing said navigator bar into segments, with each segment corresponding to one of said steps of said selectable steps.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said segments include active segments and inactive segments, and wherein selection of an active segment changes the currently-selected step to the step corresponding to said selected active segment.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

displaying said segments on said navigator bar in a serial manner; and

providing means for scrolling said navigator bar, wherein said navigator bar can be scrolled to allow viewing of segments preceding or following said segment corresponding to said currently-selected step.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of displaying in said client area a selectable list of alternative choices for subsequent steps to be taken by said computer program.