Unified Help Interface for Heterogeneous Software Contexts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional software help systems are inadequate for heterogeneous environments where multiple interdependent software products are installed, as they are often non-dynamic, specific to single software manufacturers, and require users to navigate multiple servers, leading to inefficiencies and errors in accessing relevant documentation and help resources.
Innovation Solution
A method where a customer computer sends heterogeneous software context data to a central registry, receiving network address information for multiple software providers, and dynamically links help pages from these providers, creating a unified help interface that aggregates information from multiple sources, reducing the need for users to log into separate servers and providing up-to-date documentation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional help systems are used for heterogeneous software environments, then each software provider can maintain their own help pages independently, but users must navigate multiple servers and logins, increasing complexity and reducing ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent help page systems from different software providers into a single unified help page that displays information from all relevant software products. The customer computer receives context data about multiple software products and dynamically generates one consolidated help page, eliminating the need for users to navigate multiple separate servers and logins.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified help page system serves multiple software providers simultaneously through a single interface. The help page is designed to be universal, accommodating information from heterogeneous software environments while providing a consistent user experience across different software products and providers.
2Device complexity
If static help pages are used for single-locale environments, then the help system is simple to implement, but it cannot dynamically adapt to heterogeneous software configurations, reducing adaptability
Solution Approach 1:
The help page transitions from a static, pre-defined format to a dynamic system that automatically adapts to the customer's specific software configuration. The customer computer receives context data about installed software products and dynamically generates help pages tailored to that environment, allowing the system to adapt without manual reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The help system performs self-service by automatically detecting the software configuration and generating appropriate help content without requiring manual intervention. The customer computer autonomously receives context data, identifies relevant software products, and constructs the unified help page independently.
3Reliability
If multiple separate help servers are used for different software products, then each provider maintains independent control, but users experience increased time to access relevant help information and higher error rates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing the unified help page structure and pre-loading context data about multiple software products. When a user needs help, the information is already organized and ready to be displayed in a single consolidated view, eliminating the time required to navigate between multiple servers.
Solution Approach 2:
The customer computer acts as an intermediary that receives context data from multiple software providers and consolidates it into a unified help page. This intermediary function aggregates information from heterogeneous sources, ensuring accuracy while providing single-point access that reduces user time and error rates.
Data Source
AI summary
Help page techniques including: (i) sending, by a customer computer, heterogeneous software context data to a central registry over a communication network; (ii) receiving, by the customer computer, from a registry server over the communication network, a set of network address information including at least a first network address information for contacting a first provider server relating to the first software product and a second network address information for contacting a second provider server relating to the second software product; and (iii) linking, by the customer computer, the first and second network address information on a single set of help page(s).