Method and system for embedding user assistance in documents utilizing markup languages

• US 9,213,557 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2005
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Document Services, Inc (Reynolds & Reynolds Company)
• Original Assignee: Encomia, L.P. (Reynolds & Reynolds Company)
• Inventors: Dubinsky, Andrew M.
• Primary Examiner(s): HUYNH, THU V
• Application Number:
  US11/297,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,659 Days
• Field of Search: 715200-202, 715/205, 715/209, 715/234, 715/760
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9558 Details of hyperlinks; Management of linked annotations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/143 Markup, e.g. Standard Generalized Markup Language [SGML] or Document Type Definition [DTD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A document creation application, compound document format, and method for providing user assistance in a compound document are described. The compound documents are formed using a markup language and include both non-volatile text and user selected and/or input data. The compound documents also include embedded user assistance triggers, or links, at specific terms, concepts or user input areas which dynamically link a user to appropriate user assistance information in the document creation application. The method describes embedding user assistance links in compound documents to allow users to dynamically link to topic specific user assistance information.

Claims

1. A document using a markup language on a computer system comprising:

a primary, non-volatile layer containing text required for the document;

a first secondary layer containing variable document data provided by a user;

a second secondary layer containing embedded user assistance instructions, including logical data dictionary comments, wherein the primary layer and first secondary layer are automatically examined for items that have associated user assistance information and the logical data dictionary is used to determine which user assistance information to link the items in the primary layer and first secondary layer to the associated user assistance information, the user assistance instructions making an icon visible to the user in the document at the items in the document that have available user assistance information, and providing a link to the user assistance information; and

wherein the primary layer, first secondary layer and second secondary layer are merged into a single compound document.

2. The document of claim 1 wherein the items in the document that have available user assistance information include terms, concepts and user inputs.

3. The document of claim 1 wherein the document is a legal contract.

4. The document of claim 1 wherein the markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

5. The document of claim 1 wherein the user assistance information is an online help file.

6. The document of claim 1 wherein the user assistance information is a media file.

7. The document of claim 1 wherein the media file is a video file.

8. The document of claim 1 wherein the media file is an audio file.

9. A method of providing user assistance in a compound document comprising:

creating a primary layer of non-volatile text;

creating variable input fields to accept user specified data;

scanning the non-volatile text and user specified data for items that have associated user assistance;

embedding user assistance links, including logical data dictionary comments, in the compound document, the user assistance links located at the items with available user assistance information identified by the examining of the non-volatile text and user specified data, wherein the logical data dictionary comments are used to determine which user assistance information to display; and

merging the non-volatile text, user specified data and user assistance links into a single compound document.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the document is a legal contract.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the compound document is created using a markup language.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the markup language is extensible markup language (XML).

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the user assistance information is an online help file.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the user assistance information is a media file.

15. A document creation application on a computer system comprising:

at least one form document displayable in a window, the form document including non-volatile text, user selected text and user inputted data, the form document further including embedded links to user assistance information, the embedded links including logical data dictionary comments, wherein the embedded links are created by examining the non-volatile text, user selected text and user inputted data for items that have associated user assistance information and the logical data dictionary is used to determine which user assistance information to link the items in the non-volatile text, user selected text and user inputted data to the associated user assistance information; and

a help file, wherein the help file is selected based on the logical data dictionary comments, and is callable by the embedded links and contains user assistance information specific to logical data dictionary comments in the embedded links;

wherein the document creation application merges the non-volatile text, the user selected text, the user inputted data and the user assistance information into a single document.

16. The application of claim 15 wherein the help file opens in a sub-pane in the window when called.

17. The application of claim 15 wherein the user assistance information appears overlaid over the form document when the help filed is called.

18. The application of claim 15 wherein the help file when called opens a default media player.

19. The application of claim 15 wherein the form document uses extensible markup language (XML).

20. The application of claim 15 wherein the at least one form document is a legal contract.