US 6,983,271 B2
Answer wizard drop-down control
Catherine Rose Morrow, Seattle, Wash. (US); Glenn L. Frankel, Seattle, Wash. (US); Christopher C. White, Seattle, Wash. (US); Zeke Koch, Seattle, Wash. (US); Richard M. Banks, Kirkland, Wash. (US); Tjeerd Hoek, Kirkland, Wash. (US); and Aaron H. Weiss, Tucson, Ariz. (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Wash. (US)
Filed on Jun. 13, 2001, as Appl. No. 9/880,424.
Prior Publication US 2002/0194164 A1, Dec. 19, 2002
Int. Cl. G06F 17/30 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 707—3 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for providing computer software help utility, comprising the steps of:
providing a text entry area on a tool bar of a software application data entry and editing window;
receiving a search string at the text entry area;
searching a database for answers responsive to the search string;
displaying a list of potential answers responsive to the search string;
selecting, in response to a user input, one of the potential answers responsive to the search string;
displaying a help text responsive to selecting one of the potential answers;
after receiving the search strings at the text entry area, storing the search string in a list of most recently used search strings; and
determining if the received search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings; and
if the received search string is related to a search string stored in the list of most recently used search strings, then:
retrieving the list of most recently used search strings; and
displaying the list of most recently used search strings.