Updating an installed computer program

• US 8,938,717 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2009
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Subramanian, Krishnan, Mandhania, Arun K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dao, Thuy
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAYIM, SAMUEL E
• Application Number:
  US12/405,196
• Time in Patent Office: 2,136 Days
• US Class Current: 717/123
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/658 Incremental updates; Differential updates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

A computer-implemented method of updating an installed computer program can include receiving a user input specifying a query against help documents of a documentation system of the installed computer program and executing the query against the help documents. Responsive to determining a query result, usage information for the documentation system can be stored within computer memory of a computer system. The usage information can include at least one entry, wherein the entry includes at least a portion of the query and the query result, thereby specifying an association between the query and the query result. The usage information can be automatically sent to a remote computer system affiliated with a provider of the installed computer program.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining an operational state of an installed computer program while the computer program executes responsive to a first user input requesting access to a documentation system of the computer program;

subsequent to the first user input, receiving a second user input specifying a query against help documents of the documentation system of the installed computer program during execution of the computer program;

executing, within a computer system in which the computer program is installed, the query against the help documents of the documentation system;

responsive to determining a query result, storing usage information for the documentation system within computer memory of the computer system, wherein the usage information comprises at least one entry, wherein the at least one entry comprises at least a portion of the query and the query result, thereby specifying an association between the query and the query result;

wherein storing the usage information comprises storing an indication of each help document of the query result that is selected by the user for viewing, and the determined operational state of the installed computer program as part of the entry;

automatically sending the usage information to a remote computer system affiliated with a provider of the installed computer program; and

receiving an update to the documentation system;

wherein the update is created at least in part according to the usage information and wherein the update combines at least two help documents viewed by the user within a predetermined amount of time of one another into a single help document.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the usage information within the remote computer system; and

distributing an update, created at least in part according to the usage information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational state indicates a user interface of the computer program displayed as the first user input is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational state of the computer program indicates at least one function of the computer program that is active.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operational state of the computer program indicates a file that is open within the computer program.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein storing usage information comprises:

storing an indication of each of a plurality of help documents of the query result selected by the user for viewing.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing an indication of at least one help document selected by the user for viewing not returned as part of the query result.

8. A computer-program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-usable medium comprising computer-usable program code that updates an installed computer program, the computer-usable medium comprising;

computer-usable program code that determines an operational state of an installed computer program while the computer program executes responsive to a first user input requesting access to a documentation system of the computer program;

computer-usable program code that, subsequent to the first user input, receives a second user input specifying a query against help documents of the documentation system of the installed computer program during execution of the computer program;

computer-usable program code that executes the query against the help documents;

computer-usable program code that, responsive to determining a query result, stores usage information for the documentation system within computer memory of a computer system, wherein the usage information comprises at least one entry, wherein the at least one entry comprises at least a portion of the query and the query result, thereby specifying an association between the query and the query result;

wherein the computer-usable program code that stores the usage information comprises computer-usable program code that stores an indication of each help document of the query result that is selected by the user for viewing and the determined operational state of the installed computer program as part of the entry;

computer-usable program code that sends the usage information to a remote computer system affiliated with a provider of the installed computer program; and

computer-usable program code that receives an update to the documentation system;

wherein the update is created at least in part according to the usage information and wherein the update combines at least two help documents viewed by the user within a predetermined amount of time of one another into a single help document.

9. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the computer-usable medium further comprises:

computer-usable program code that receives the entries within the remote computer system; and

computer-usable program code that distributes an update, created at least in part according to the usage information.

10. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the operational state indicates a user interface of the computer program displayed as the first user input is received.

11. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein the operational state of the computer program indicates at least one of a function of the computer program that is active or a file that is open within the computer program.

12. The computer-program product of claim 8, wherein storing the usage information comprises:

storing an indication of each of a plurality of help documents of the query result selected by the user for viewing.

13. The computer-program product of claim 8, further comprising:

storing an indication of at least one help document selected by the user for viewing not returned as part of the query result.

14. A system, comprising:

a processor programmed to initiate executable operations comprising;

determining an operational state of an installed computer program while the computer program executes responsive to a first user input requesting access to a documentation system of the computer program;

subsequent to the first user input, receiving a second user input specifying a query against help documents of the documentation system of the installed computer program during execution of the computer program;

executing, using the processor, the query against the help documents of the documentation system;

responsive to determining a query result, storing usage information for the documentation system within a memory of the system wherein the usage information comprises at least one entry, wherein the at least one entry comprises at least a portion of the query and the query result, thereby specifying an association between the query and the query result;

wherein the usage information comprises an indication of each help document of the query result that is selected by the user for viewing and the determined operational state of the installed computer program as part of the entry;

automatically sending the usage information to a different system affiliated with a provider of the installed computer program; and

receiving receive an update to the documentation system;

wherein the update is created at least in part according to the usage information and wherein the update combines at least two help documents viewed by the user within a predetermined amount of time of one another into a single help document.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

storing an indication of at least one help document selected by the user for viewing not returned as part of the query result.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein storing the usage information comprises:

storing an indication of each of a plurality of help documents of the query result selected by the user for viewing.