Patent ID: 6300950
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
A presentation manager framework for supporting presentation of help information for user interface (UI) entities via a computer system user interface in response to a user interaction with a UI entity, the presentation manager framework including:a UI entity definition component comprising an object class, instantiable for encapsulating interface area definitions and associated help information for each of a plurality of UI entities, instances of said object class being adapted to receive notifications in response to a user moving an input device pointer into areas of the computer system user interface respectively corresponding to interface area definitions of said plurality of UI entities and, in response to said receipt, to send notifications to a selected one of a plurality presentation components each implementing a presentation interface thereby to actuate said selected presentation component for performing presentation of help information for each of said plurality of UI entities independently of state transitions of said plurality of UI entities; andsaid presentation interface providing a set of one or more generic help information presentation methods for implementation by said plurality of presentation components each in accordance with a respective presentation style, wherein instances of said object class each having a group identifier and a priority value, and said framework including means for ensuring that at any one time help information is presented for only a highest priority instance of a plurality of notified instances having the same group identifier.