Ruth Ann Morris

US Patent:

49640771, Oct 16, 1990

Filed:

Oct 6, 1987

Appl. No.:

7/104922

Inventors:

Ivan R. Eisen - Flower Mound TX
Ruth A. Morris - Dallas TX

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G06F 314

US Classification:

364900

Abstract:

An improvement is disclosed to the conventional field related help/dialog facility in an interactive data entry data processing system. The improvement comprises a technique for tracking the number of times a user has invoked a help/dialog function, comparing that number to a threshold value and then displaying less help/dialog information to the user from that point on. Additionally, the application tracks the number of elapsed days since a functional area has been used. Once the number of elapsed days reaches a threshold, the user is reset to a status in which all the help/dialog information is once again displayed. This is accomplished by building a data base of help/dialogs which are uniquely addressed by the functional area and skill level of the individual user.