System, method and computer program product for updating help content via a network

• US 7,865,828 B1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Giesing, Paul Thomas, Bailey, Joseph Scott, Hanson, Don Robert II
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham; Linh K
• Application Number:
  US11/112,030
• Time in Patent Office: 2,083 Days
• Field of Search: 715/708, 715/714, 715/727, 715/738, 715/968, 709/229, 709/238, 709/226, 709/204, 345/705, 345/712, 345/760, 345/473, 345/788
• US Class Current: 715/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product are provided for updating help content. Initially, information relating to issues associated with software is gathered from a plurality of users. Such software includes a first set of help content. Next, an additional set of help content is gathered based on the information. Further, the additional set of help content is distributed to the users based on an update schedule, utilizing a network. Thus, the additional set of help content is capable of being integrated with the first set of help content and presented to the user via a single interface, utilizing the software.

Claims

1. A method for updating help content, comprising:

gathering information relating to issues associated with software from a plurality of users, the software including a first set of help content, and the issues being unresolved by the first set of help content;

after the gathering, manually generating an additional set of help content based on the information, the additional set of help content being non-existent before the information is gathered; and

distributing the additional set of help content to the users based on an update schedule, utilizing a network;

wherein the additional set of help content is capable of being integrated with the first set of help content and presented to each user via a single interface, utilizing the software;

wherein the additional set of help content is integrated with the first set of help content, and the integration includes updating a table of contents of the first set of help content, such that the table of contents reflects the additional set of help content;

wherein statistics are determined based on the information which is stored in a help database;

wherein the additional set of help content is generated based on the statistics;

wherein the update schedule is set on a periodic interval of a length dictated by a global updating randomization interval selection window associated with the software;

wherein the generation of the additional set of help content is prompted based on a determination that a number of the issues that are associated with a same degree of severity exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the software is web-based.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a user interface of the software is accessed via an Internet browser.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is gathered via the network.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is gathered via a telephone-based help center.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the information is gathered via e-mail.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein characteristics associated with computers of the users are gathered.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the characteristics include characteristics of at least one of software and hardware of the computers.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, wherein the additional set of help content is at least one of generated and distributed based on the characteristics.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the issues associated with the software include unanticipated problems.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising verifying a source of the additional set of help content.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional set of help content is distributed to the users prior to a subsequent version of the software releases.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional set of help content includes additional help topics.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional set of help content includes additional help formats.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional set of help content includes a screen cam.

16. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the additional set of help content is a fraction of a size of the first set of help content.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein software includes security software.

18. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the method counters terrorism.

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generation of the additional set of help content is prompted based on a determination that a number of the issues that are of a single type exceeds another predetermined threshold.

20. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the updated table of contents reflects additional chapters associated with new help content topics.

21. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein updating the table of contents includes distributing an entire updated table of contents with the additional set of help content.

22. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein updating the table of contents includes providing instructions for updating the table of contents with the additional set of help content, such that transmission of an entire updated table of contents is prevented.

23. The method as recited in claim 1, and further comprising updating an index of the first set of help content and updating searchable terms capable of being utilized to find at least a portion of the first set of help content.

24. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the statistics include a count of a particular field in the help database.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the field includes a degree of severity.

26. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the field includes a location field.

27. The method as recited in claim 24, wherein the field includes a type of customer.

28. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the software sets the schedule of updating on the periodic interval of the length dictated by the window.

29. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a global update selection icon is provided to globally enable/disable the updating.

30. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the global updating randomization interval selection window is included in a settings tab of an interface and is accessed via a tree structure associated with the software.

31. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the generation of the additional set of help content addresses the issues that are associated with the same degree of severity.

32. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium which when executed by a computer causes the computer to perform the following steps:

gathering information relating to issues associated with software from a plurality of users, the software including a first set of help content, and the issues being unresolved by the first set of help content;

manually generating an additional set of help content based on the information after the gathering, the additional set of help content being non-existent before the information is gathered; and

distributing the additional set of help content to the users based on an update schedule, utilizing a network;

wherein the additional set of help content is capable of being integrated with the first set of help content and presented to each user via a single interface, utilizing the software;

wherein the additional set of help content is integrated with the first set of help content, and the integration includes updating a table of contents of the first set of help content, such that the table of contents reflects the additional set of help content;

wherein statistics are determined based on the information which is stored in a help database;

wherein the additional set of help content is generated based on the statistics;

wherein the update schedule is set on a periodic interval of a length dictated by a global updating randomization interval selection window associated with the software;

wherein the generation of the additional set of help content is prompted based on a determination that a number of the issues that are associated with a same degree of severity exceeds a predetermined threshold.

33. A system, comprising:

a server for gathering information relating to issues associated with software from a plurality of users, the software including a first set of help content, and the issues being unresolved by the first set of help content;

after the gathering, manually generating an additional set of help content based on the information, the additional set of help content being non-existent before the information is gathered; and

distributing the additional set of help content to the users based on an update schedule, utilizing a network;

at least one client in communication with the server via the network, the client capable of integrating the first set of help content with the additional set of help content for the presentation thereof via a single interface;

wherein the additional set of help content is integrated with the first set of help content, and the integration includes updating a table of contents of the first set of help content, such that the table of contents reflects the additional set of help content;

wherein the system is operable such that statistics are determined based on the information which is stored in a help database;

wherein the system is operable such that the additional set of help content is generated based on the statistics;

wherein the system is operable such that the update schedule is set on a periodic interval of a length dictated by a global updating randomization interval selection window associated with the software;

wherein the system is operable such that the generation of the additional set of help content is prompted based on a determination that a number of the issues that are associated with a same degree of severity exceeds a predetermined threshold.

34. A method for updating help content, comprising:

accessing a first set of help content associated with software;

receiving a manually generated additional set of help content based on information relating to issues associated with the software, the issues being unresolved by the first set of help content and the additional set of help content being non-existent before the information relating to the issues is gathered;

identifying an update schedule associated with the software;

receiving the additional set of help content based on the update schedule, utilizing a network;

integrating the additional set of help content with the first set of help content; and

presenting the integrated first set of help content and additional set of help content to a user via a single interface;

wherein integrating the additional set of help content with the first set of help content includes updating a table of contents of the first set of help content, such that the table of contents reflects the additional set of help content;

wherein statistics are determined based on the information which is stored in a help database;

wherein the additional set of help content is generated based on the statistics;

wherein the update schedule is set on a periodic interval of a length dictated by a global updating randomization interval selection window associated with the software;

wherein the generation of the additional set of help content is prompted based on a determination that a number of the issues that are associated with a same degree of severity exceeds a predetermined threshold.

35. A method for updating a local help database, comprising:

distributing software including a first set of help content to a plurality of users;

gathering information relating to issues associated with the software, the issues being unresolved by the first set of help content;

after the gathering, manually generating an additional set of help content based on the information, the additional set of help content being non-existent before the information is gathered;

identifying an update schedule associated with the users, utilizing the software;

automatically distributing the additional set of help content to the users based on the update schedule, utilizing a network;

verifying a source of the additional set of help content;

integrating the additional set of help content with the first set of help content based on the verification, utilizing the software; and

presenting the integrated first set of help content and additional set of help content to each user via a single interface;

wherein integrating the additional set of help content with the first set of help content includes updating a table of contents of the first set of help content, such that the table of contents reflects the additional set of help content;

wherein statistics are determined based on the information which is stored in a help database;

wherein the additional set of help content is generated based on the statistics;

wherein the update schedule is set on a periodic interval of a length dictated by a global updating randomization interval selection window associated with the software;

wherein the generation of the additional set of help content is prompted based on a determination that a number of the issues that are associated with a same degree of severity exceeds a predetermined threshold.