Strategies for providing just-in-time user assistance
First Claim
1. A method for presenting help information to a user, comprising:
- providing an application interface generated by a primary application, wherein the application interface includes at least one user interface feature associated therewith;
providing a help selection mechanism comprising a see-through panel which substantially overlays the one user interface feature associated with the application interface and allowing the user to request help information regarding the underlying one user interface feature;
receiving a help request regarding the underlying one user interface feature from the user through the help selection mechanism while the one user interface feature is substantially overlaid by the see-through panel, the request being submitted by the user after the underlying one user interface feature is identified on the see-through panel; and
presenting, in response to the received help request, the visual help information to the user on the see-through panel provided by the help selection mechanism, wherein the user is allowed to interact with the underlying one user interface feature associated with the primary application while the one user interface feature remains substantially overlaid by the see-through panel during the interaction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Help functionality is described for integrating help information into a primary application in a just-in-time fashion. The help functionality can perform this task by providing a see-through panel which is presented on top of an application interface provided by the primary application. A user can move a mark on the see-through panel to identify features of the application interface concerning which he or she may have questions. The help functionality responds by presenting potentially context-sensitive help information to the user in audio mode and/or visual mode. If the visual mode is selected, the help functionality can present the help information on the see-through panel itself, and/or can dynamically move parts of the application interface to accommodate the display of the help information. The help functionality can supply the help information from a local source and/or a remote source, in an automated manner and/or a manual manner (e.g., using a remote human assistant).
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for presenting help information to a user, comprising:
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providing an application interface generated by a primary application, wherein the application interface includes at least one user interface feature associated therewith; providing a help selection mechanism comprising a see-through panel which substantially overlays the one user interface feature associated with the application interface and allowing the user to request help information regarding the underlying one user interface feature; receiving a help request regarding the underlying one user interface feature from the user through the help selection mechanism while the one user interface feature is substantially overlaid by the see-through panel, the request being submitted by the user after the underlying one user interface feature is identified on the see-through panel; and presenting, in response to the received help request, the visual help information to the user on the see-through panel provided by the help selection mechanism, wherein the user is allowed to interact with the underlying one user interface feature associated with the primary application while the one user interface feature remains substantially overlaid by the see-through panel during the interaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for presenting help information to a user, comprising:
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a display device; logic configured to provide an application interface, generated by a primary application, on the display device, wherein the application interface includes at least one user interface feature associated therewith; logic configured to provide a help selection mechanism that overlays the application interface, which allows the user to request help information regarding said one user interface feature, the help selection mechanism comprising a see-though panel which substantially overlays said one user interface feature associated with the application interface; logic configured to receive a help request regarding the underlying one user interface feature from the user through the help selection mechanism while the one user interface feature is substantially overlaid by the see-through panel, the request being submitted by the user after the underlying one user interface feature is identified on the see-though panel provided by the help selection mechanism; and logic configured to present, in response to the received help request, the visual help information to the user on the see-through panel provided by the help selection mechanism wherein the user is allowed to interact with the underlying one user interface feature associated with the primary application while the one user interface feature remains substantially overlaid by the see-though panel during the interaction. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system for presenting help information to a user, comprising:
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an assistance center configured to supply help information to the user; a coupling mechanism; at least one apparatus coupled to the assistance center via the coupling mechanism; wherein said at least one apparatus comprises; a display device; logic configured to provide an application interface, generated by a primary application, on the display device, wherein the application interface includes at least one user interface feature associated therewith; logic configured to provide a help selection mechanism that overlays the application interface, which allows the user to request help information regarding said one user interface feature, the help selection mechanism comprising a see-through panel which substantially overlays said one user interface feature associated with the application interface; logic configured to receive a help request regarding the underlying one user interface feature from the user through the help selection mechanism while the one user interface feature is substantially overlaid by the see-through panel, the request being submitted by the user after the underlying one user interface feature is identified on the see-through panel provided by the help selection mechanism; and logic configured to receive the help information from the assistance center in response to the received help request; logic configured to present, in response to the received help request, the received help information to the user on the see-through panel provided by the help selection mechanism, wherein the user is allowed interact with the underlying one user interface feature associated with the primary application while the one user interface feature remains substantially overlaid by the see-through panel during the interaction.
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Specification