The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 1998
Filed:
Jan. 27, 1993
James Edward Palmer, Redwood City, CA (US);
Patricia J Coleman, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Jeffrey Alan Herman, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Eli Cochran, Menlo Park, CA (US);
John Richard Powers, III, Monte Sereno, CA (US);
Apple Computer, Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
The system includes at least one central processing unit (CPU) which is coupled through appropriate input/output (I/O) circuitry to input devices, such as a keyboard, digital pad, mouse and/or track ball. The CPU is coupled to a hard disk drive for the storage of programs and data, and may also be coupled to a network through which the CPU may communicate with a variety of other system resources and devices. The CPU is further coupled to a display device such as a CRT or liquid crystal display, on which the present invention is displayed. The user interface of the present invention includes an object oriented graphic user interface having overlapping windows. The present invention includes an access window having topics, index and look for button functions for selection by a user. Through the use of the topics, index or look for functions, a help inquiry is defined. The selection of one of the button functions results in the CPU generating and displaying entries in a predefined area of the access window. Upon the selection of one of the entries by a user, the CPU displays phrases related to the selected entry in a working area of the access window. The selection of one of the phrases results in the CPU displaying a presentation window on the display, which includes help instruction data to guide the user in the particular help task specified by the entry and phrase selection.