How Interactive Pop-up Help Windows Work in Computer Interfaces
A 1995 patent describing how computer interfaces can automatically show helpful, rich-text pop-up windows when a user hovers their mouse over an icon or button.
Original patent title: “Pop-up help system for a computer graphical user interface”
A 1995 patent describing how computer interfaces can automatically show helpful, rich-text pop-up windows when a user hovers their mouse over an icon or button. Granted to AST Research Inc in 1998 with 36 claims and 119 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a method for displaying context-sensitive help windows that appear when a user hovers a mouse pointer over a graphical display element, such as an icon or button. Unlike static text labels, these windows support rich text formatting, multimedia content, and interactive buttons that trigger specific actions. The system includes logic to keep the window visible as long as the mouse is over either the original icon or the help window itself, and it includes a user-definable delay to prevent the window from flickering or appearing too quickly. It also features a safety mechanism to reposition the help window if it would otherwise be cut off by the edge of the screen.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover help systems that require a physical click to activate the help window.
- Does not cover help displays that are limited to plain, unformatted text strings.
- Does not cover systems that lack the ability to reposition the window based on screen boundaries.
- Does not cover help systems that do not allow for interactive buttons or multimedia execution within the help window itself.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The patent treats the 'help window' as an active extension of the 'graphical display element,' allowing the user to move the mouse between the two without the help window disappearing immediately.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Hover-over tooltips in Microsoft Office ribbons
Interactive help bubbles in web-based software
Contextual help pop-ups in desktop operating systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This patent represents a transition from simple 'tooltips' to interactive, multimedia-rich help systems. It provided a standardized way for software developers to guide users through complex graphical interfaces without forcing them to open separate help manuals or documentation files.
Filed
October 2, 1995
Granted
May 19, 1998
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The technology described is now a standard feature in major operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux, as well as in web browser frameworks. Companies like Microsoft and Google have built extensive UI design systems that treat these hover-states as fundamental components of user experience design.
Market impact
This patent helped formalize the 'hover-to-reveal' interaction pattern, which became a cornerstone of accessible software design in the late 90s and early 2000s. It enabled developers to create more complex applications by providing 'just-in-time' information, reducing the learning curve for professional software suites.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a method for displaying context-sensitive help windows that appear when a user hovers a mouse pointer over a graphical display element, such as an icon or button. Unlike static text labels, these windows support rich text formatting, multimedia content, and interactive buttons that trigger specific actions. The system includes logic to keep the window visible as long as the mouse is over either the original icon or the help window itself, and it includes a user-definable delay to prevent the window from flickering or appearing too quickly. It also features a safety mechanism to reposition the help window if it would otherwise be cut off by the edge of the screen.
The clever bit
The patent treats the 'help window' as an active extension of the 'graphical display element,' allowing the user to move the mouse between the two without the help window disappearing immediately.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover help systems that require a physical click to activate the help window.
- Does not cover help displays that are limited to plain, unformatted text strings.
- Does not cover systems that lack the ability to reposition the window based on screen boundaries.
- Does not cover help systems that do not allow for interactive buttons or multimedia execution within the help window itself.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
20/20
Very broad protection
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$115K – $369K
Midpoint $230K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.6
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
36 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Crawford, C. (1998). How Interactive Pop-up Help Windows Work in Computer Interfaces (U.S. Patent No. 5,754,176). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/5754176/windows-taskbar
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Interactive Pop-up Help Windows Work in Computer Interfaces cover?
A 1995 patent describing how computer interfaces can automatically show helpful, rich-text pop-up windows when a user hovers their mouse over an icon or button.
Who owns patent US 5754176?
AST Research Inc owns this patent, granted in 1998.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 5754176 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 119 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This patent represents a transition from simple 'tooltips' to interactive, multimedia-rich help systems. It provided a standardized way for software developers to guide users through complex graphical interfaces without forcing them to open separate help manuals or documentation files.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover help systems that require a physical click to activate the help window.
Patent monitoring