Dynamic presentation of contextual help and status information
US5546521A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 17, 1994 |
| Grant date | Aug 13, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 17, 2014 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F9/453
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus of displaying contextual help or status information to the user of a computer system in a graphical user interface. When a help facility is enabled, the system determines the position of a pointer, such as a mouse pointer, relative to the objects in the graphical user interface. If the pointer is over an object, the system refers to one or more tables which correlate objects with help and/or status information. The information is then displayed proximate to the pointer, preferably in a semitransparent window at a predictable offset from the pointer to allow the information presented by the graphical user interface to be viewed. As the pointer is moved across the graphical user interface, the information text associated with the pointer changes dynamically. In one preferred embodiment, at least one of the tables which correlate objects with the information is updated to reflect details about objects which change dynamically.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.