Platform independent enhanced help system for an internet enabled embedded system

A system for providing help information to a plurality of client systems, comprising:

• a help system operable to:
• execute within at least one remote system,
• determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,
• in the event that said remote system determines that help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,
• configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,
• generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.

A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having a computer program for providing help information to a plurality of client systems stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

• program code operable to:
• execute within at least one remote system,
• determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,
• in the event that said help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,
• configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,
• generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.

A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave said computer data signal including a computer program for providing help information to a plurality of client systems stored thereon, said computer program comprising:

• program code operable to:
• execute within at least one remote system,
• determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,
• in the event that said help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,
• configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,
• generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.

A system for providing help information to a plurality of client systems, comprising:

• a help system means for executing within at least one remote system, said help system means operable to:
• determine, in response to receipt of a request for a page of data from a client system, whether help contents are configured in association with said page of data,
• in the event that said help contents are not configured in association with said page of data, obtain a location of at least one help contents file from said client system,
• configure said location of said at least one help contents file in association with said requested page of data,
• generate and transmit a data page to said plurality of client systems, wherein said data page includes at least one instruction which forms a help button when said data page is processed by one or more of said plurality of client systems, wherein said processing includes display of said help button within a display window containing said requested page of data, and wherein said data page further includes at least one instruction operable to obtain said at least one help contents file from a remote help contents server system indicated by said location of said at least one help contents file, responsive to assertion of said help button through a user interface on at least one of said client systems.