Help file generating method and apparatus

Abstract

A method of generating a help file used commonly in different models of image forming apparatuses includes reading a setting value indicating a function provided by one of the image forming apparatuses, setting a field value of a parameter corresponding to the read setting value, and configuring a help message based on the set field value of the parameter. A system to generate a help message includes a configuration module to determine identification information regarding each of a plurality of functions of an object included in one of software versions and characteristic data regarding the software version, and a universal help file including function descriptions for all of the software versions provided in a computer, receiving the identification information and the characteristic data, and generating the help message regarding the object using the function descriptions according to the identification information and the characteristic data. The function descriptions include a section filled with the characteristic data.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A computer readable medium storing one or more programs, including instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:
 providing a universal help file in the computer, the universal help file including descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by a first model type printer and a second model type printer, the universal help file including common contents containing descriptions of common functions that are provided by both the first model type printer and the second model type printer, and non-common contents containing descriptions of non-common functions that are provided by only one of the first model type printer and the second model type printer;   providing a first printer driver in the computer to drive the first model type printer;   displaying a user interface of the first printer driver for driving the first model type printer;   receiving a first user request, via the displayed user interface of the first printer driver, to provide a first help message regarding one of the common functions provided by both the first model type printer and the second model type printer;   in response to the first user request, generating, via the first printer driver, the first help message based on a description corresponding to the respective common function contained in the common contents of the universal help file;   receiving a second user request, via the displayed user interface of the first printer driver, to provide a second help message regarding one of the non-common functions provided by only the first model type printer and not provided by the second model type printer; and   in response to the second user request, generating, via the first printer driver, the second help message based on a description corresponding to the respective non-common function contained in the non-common contents of the universal help file.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
 providing a second printer driver in the computer to drive the second model type printer;   displaying a user interface of the second printer driver for driving the second model type printer;   receiving a third user request, via the displayed user interface of the second printer driver, to provide a third help message regarding one of the common functions provided by both the first model type printer and the second model type printer;   in response to the third user request, generating, via the second printer driver, the third help message based on a description corresponding to the respective common function contained in the common contents of the universal help file;   receiving a fourth user request, via the displayed user interface of the second printer driver, to provide a fourth help message regarding one of the non-common functions provided by only the second model type printer and not provided by the first model type printer; and   in response to the fourth user request, generating, via the second printer driver, the fourth help message based on a description corresponding to the respective non-common function contained in the non-common contents of the universal help file.   
     
     
         20 . A computer apparatus coupled to a first model type printer, comprising:
 a universal help file having a plurality of hypertext markup language (HTML) files including function descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by the first model type printer; and   a first printer driver to drive the first model type printer, the first printer driver including a first printer driver user interface to receive a user request to provide a help message regarding a particular function of the first model type printer and to generate a help message based on a function description corresponding to the particular function contained in the universal help file in response to the user request,   wherein the universal help file is capable of being stored on a second computer apparatus to be accessed via a second printer driver for driving a second model type printer so that a help message regarding a particular function of the second model type printer can be generated based on a corresponding function description contained in the universal help file,   wherein the universal help file further includes function descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by the second model type printer but are not provided by the first model type printer.   
     
     
         21 . The computer apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the universal help file comprises:
 a first section including descriptions of common functions that are provided by both the first model type printer and the second model type printer, and   a second section including descriptions of non-common functions that are provided by one of the first model type printer or the second model type printer.   
     
     
         22 . The computer apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the first printer driver user interface is configured to determine identification information associated with the particular function specified in the user request, and to generate the help message regarding the particular function using the function descriptions corresponding to the identification information and characteristic data regarding the first model type printer. 
     
     
         23 . The computer apparatus of  claim 20 , wherein the second printer driver is installed in a second computer apparatus coupled to the second model type printer. 
     
     
         24 . The computer apparatus of  claim 20 , further coupled to the second model type printer, wherein the second printer driver is installed in the same computer apparatus as the first printer driver. 
     
     
         25 . A computer readable medium storing one or more programs, including instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method comprising:
 displaying a user interface of a first printer driver for driving a first model type printer;   receiving a user request, via the user interface of the first printer driver, to provide a help message regarding a particular function of the first model type printer via the displayed user interface;   accessing, via the first printer driver, a universal help file including function descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by the first model type printer; and   generating, via the first printer driver, a help message based on a function description corresponding to the particular function contained in the universal help file in response to the received user request,   wherein the universal help file further includes function descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by a second model type printer but are not provided by the first model type printer.   
     
     
         26 . The computer readable medium of  claim 25 , the method further comprises providing the universal help file that includes a first section including descriptions of common functions that are provided by both the first model type printer and the second model type printer, and a second section including descriptions of non-common functions that are provided by one of the first model type printer or the second model type printer. 
     
     
         27 . The computer readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining identification information associated with the particular function specified in the user request; and   generating the help message regarding the particular function using the function descriptions corresponding to the identification information and characteristic data regarding the first model type printer.   
     
     
         28 . The computer readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the universal help file comprises a plurality of hypertext markup language (HTML) files. 
     
     
         29 . The computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the universal help file is capable of being accessed via a second printer driver for driving the second model type printer. 
     
     
         30 . The computer readable medium of  claim 29 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 displaying a second user interface of the second printer driver for driving the second model type printer;   receiving a second user request, via the second user interface of the second printer driver, to provide a second help message regarding a particular function of the second model type printer via the displayed second user interface;   accessing, via the second printer driver, the universal help file; and   generating, via the second printer driver, a help message based on a function description corresponding to the particular function contained in the universal help file in response to the received second user request.   
     
     
         31 . A computer-implemented method for driving one or more printer model types, comprising:
 displaying a user interface of a first printer driver for driving a first model type printer;   receiving a user request, via the user interface of the first printer driver, to provide a help message regarding a particular function of the first model type printer via the displayed user interface;   accessing, via the first printer driver, a universal help file including function descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by the first model type printer; and   generating, via the first printer driver, a help message based on a function description corresponding to the particular function contained in the universal help file in response to the received user request,   wherein the universal help file further includes function descriptions corresponding to a plurality of functions that are provided by a second model type printer but are not provided by the first model type printer.   
     
     
         32 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , the operations further comprise providing the universal help file that includes a first section including descriptions of common functions that are provided by both the first model type printer and the second model type printer, and a second section including descriptions of non-common functions that are provided by one of the first model type printer or the second model type printer. 
     
     
         33 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 determining identification information associated with the particular function specified in the user request; and   generating the help message regarding the particular function using the function descriptions corresponding to the identification information and characteristic data regarding the first model type printer.   
     
     
         34 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 31 , wherein the universal help file comprises a plurality of hypertext markup language (HTML) files. 
     
     
         35 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 34 , wherein the universal help file is capable of being accessed via a second printer driver for driving the second model type printer. 
     
     
         36 . The computer-implemented method  35 , further comprising:
 displaying a second user interface of the second printer driver for driving the second model type printer;   receiving a second user request, via the second user interface of the second printer driver, to provide a second help message regarding a particular function of the second model type printer via the displayed second user interface;   accessing, via the second printer driver, the universal help file having the plurality of HTML files; and   generating, via the second printer driver, a help message based on a function description corresponding to the particular function contained in the universal help file in response to the received second user request.