Patent ID: 7480863

Claim:
A method of displaying hover assistance on a display screen, comprising: moving a pointer element to a position over a user interface element shown on the display screen in response to user manipulation of a pointing device; while the pointer element is positioned over the user interface element, invoking a first hover element for display on the display screen; wherein the first hover element comprises a first plurality of indications of respective actions to be performed by a user to cause execution of an associated operation, each of the first plurality of indications being user-selectable from the first hover element by a mouse pointer; wherein 1) upon selection of any of the indications of the first plurality of indications from the first hover element prior to the expiration of a first predetermined period of time processing branches to execute the associated operation; 2) upon no selection of any of the indications of the plurality of indications from the first hover element, invoking a second hover element for display on the display screen after invoking the first hover element, wherein invoking the second hover element is responsive to the pointer element continuing to be positioned over the user interface element for the first predetermined period of time; and wherein the second hover element comprises a second plurality of indications of respective actions to be preformed by a user to cause execution of associated operation, each of the second plurality of indications being user-selectable from the second hover element by a mouse pointer; wherein at least the second hover element includes a user-selectable copy element which, when selected, causes the second hover element to be copied to a clipboard; wherein the first and second hover element provide assistance regarding the user interface element.