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US 7,849,405 B1Granted
Contextual user-contributed help information for a software application
AssigneeIntuit Inc.
InventorsPaul E. Coletta, Floyd J. Morgan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for displaying contextual, user-contributed help information in a software application are disclosed. The software application may display a series of user interface screens that guide a user through a process. For each of at least a subset of the screens, the software application may be operable to display contextual help information for the screen, where the contextual help information includes information that has been contributed by other users of the software application. The software application may also enable the user to contribute new help information related to various ones of the screens, e.g., so that the new help information is subsequently viewable by other users of the software application.
Claims17
A computer-implemented method for displaying information for a software application, the method comprising:
- displaying a first screen of a series of screens configured to guide a first user through a process associated with the software application;
- receiving, from a second user, help information to resolve an issue associated with the first screen while the second user is guided through the process associated with the software application and wherein the help information is an added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- receiving, from the first user, a help request to resolve the issue associated with the first screen, wherein the help request comprises criteria entered by the user in a search tab on the first screen;
- in response to the help request, retrieving a plurality of help questions matching the criteria entered by the user in the search tab, wherein at least one of the plurality of help questions are contributed by other users including the second user;
- filtering, using the processor and based on a context of the first screen, the plurality of help questions to generate a help question subset from the plurality of help questions;
- presenting the help question subset to the first user;
- receiving a selection of a help question from the help question subset;
- determining contextual help information associated with the help question, wherein the contextual help information comprises the added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- filtering, using a processor of a computer and based on an amount of income associated with the first user, the contextual help information associated with the help question to generate a first contextual help information subset, wherein the first contextual help subset comprises the added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- and
- displaying, for the first user, the first contextual help information subset on the first screen.
8 more elements
A computer-readable storage medium, comprising program instructions computer-executable to:
- display a first screen of a series of screens configured to guide a first user through a process associated with a software application;
- receive, from a second user, help information to resolve an issue associated with the first screen while the second user is guided through the process associated with the software application and wherein the help information is an added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- receive, from the first user, a help request to resolve the issue associated with the first screen, wherein the help request comprises criteria entered by the user in a search tab on the first screen;
- in response to the help request, retrieve a plurality of help questions matching the criteria entered by the user in the search tab, wherein at least one of the plurality of help questions are contributed by other users including the second user;
- filter, based on a context of the first screen, the plurality of help questions to generate a help question subset from the plurality of help questions;
- present the help question subset to the first user;
- receive a selection of a help question from the help question subset;
- determine contextual help information associated with the help question, wherein the contextual help information comprises the added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- filter, based on an amount of income associated with the first user, the contextual help information associated with the help question to generate a first contextual help information subset, wherein the first contextual help information subset comprises the added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- and
- display, for the first user, the first contextual help information subset on the first screen.
8 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions executable by the processor to:
- display a first screen of a series of screens configured to guide a first user through a process associated with a software application;
- receive, from a second user, help information to resolve an issue associated with the first screen while the second user is guided through the process associated with the software application and wherein the help information is an added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- receive, from the first user, a help request to resolve the issue associated with the first screen, wherein the help request comprises criteria entered by the user in a search tab on the first screen;
- in response to the help request, retrieve a plurality of help questions matching the criteria entered by the user in the search tab, wherein the plurality of help questions are contributed by other users including the second user;
- filter, based on a context of the first screen, the plurality of help questions to generate a help question subset from the plurality of help questions;
- present the help question subset to the first user;
- receive a selection of a help question from the help question subset;
- determine contextual help information associated with the help question, wherein the contextual help information comprises the added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- filter, based on an amount of income associated with the first user, the contextual help information associated with the help question to generate a contextual help information subset, wherein the contextual help information subset comprises the added user-contributed help item contributed by the second user;
- and
- display, for the first user, the contextual help information subset on the first screen.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.