PROVIDING ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY IN AN INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL MANUAL

1 . A method for providing functionality at an end of textual information for a topic found in technical documentation for an item via an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access to the technical documentation for the item via an IETM viewer, the method comprising:

providing a window for display via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity being used by a user signed into the IETM, the window comprising (1) a first view pane displaying the textual information for the topic and (2) a second view pane displaying media content for the topic in which the window is configured to display the first view pane and the second view pane on non-overlapping portions of the window;

receiving input of a user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer;

responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic, providing a selection mechanism for display via the window, wherein the selection mechanism is configured to perform functionality as a result of the user selecting the selection mechanism; and

after the selection mechanism has been displayed on the window:

receiving input of the user scrolling to a position not at the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the position not at the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the position not at the end of the textual information for the topic, causing display of the selection mechanism to be removed from the window.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the textual information comprises a checklist comprising a plurality of steps in which each step in the plurality of steps is associated with an acknowledgement mechanism and the method further comprises providing the selection mechanism for display via the window only as a result of receiving input of a selection of the acknowledgement mechanism for each of the steps of the plurality of steps being performed by the user.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the functionality comprises:

providing a window comprising a table of contents for display via the IETM viewer for a plurality of topics for the technical documentation for the item at a position in the table of contents where the topic is located; and

causing the topic to be displayed as highlighted in the table of contents.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is signed into the IETM for a first object to which the item is applicable and the functionality comprises:

providing a window for display via the IETM viewer listing one or more objects besides the first object to which the item is applicable;

receiving input of a selection of a second object from the one or more objects, wherein the selection of the second object is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second object from the one or more objects, signing in the user into the IETM for the second object.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the functionality comprises causing display at a top of the textual information of the topic on the window.

6 . An apparatus for providing functionality at an end of textual information for a topic found in technical documentation for an item via an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access to the technical documentation for the item via an IETM viewer, the apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including a computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

provide a window for display via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity being used by a user signed into the IETM, the window comprising (1) a first view pane displaying the textual information for the topic and (2) a second view pane displaying media content for the topic in which the window is configured to display the first view pane and the second view pane on non-overlapping portions of the window;

receive input of a user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer;

responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic, provide a selection mechanism for display via the window, wherein the selection mechanism is configured to perform functionality as a result of the user selecting the selection mechanism; and

after the selection mechanism has been displayed on the window:

receive input of the user scrolling to a position not at the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the position not at the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the position not at the end of the textual information for the topic, cause display of the selection mechanism to be removed from the window.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the textual information comprises a checklist comprising a plurality of steps in which each step in the plurality of steps is associated with an acknowledgement mechanism and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to provide the selection mechanism for display via the window only as a result of receiving input of a selection of the acknowledgement mechanism for each of the steps of the plurality of steps being performed by the user.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the functionality comprises:

providing a window comprising a table of contents for display via the IETM viewer for a plurality of topics for the technical documentation for the item at a position in the table of contents where the topic is located; and

causing the topic to be displayed as highlighted in the table of contents.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the user is signed into the IETM for a first object to which the item is applicable and the functionality comprises:

providing a window for display via the IETM viewer listing one or more objects besides the first object to which the item is applicable;

receiving input of a selection of a second object from the one or more objects, wherein the selection of the second object is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second object from the one or more objects, signing in the user into the IETM for the second object.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the functionality comprises causing display at a top of the textual information of the topic on the window.

11 . A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions for providing functionality at an end of textual information for a topic found in technical documentation for an item via an interactive electronic technical manual system (IETM) configured to provide electronic and credentialed access to the technical documentation for the item via an IETM viewer, the instructions being configured to cause one or more processors to at least perform operations configured to:

provide a window for display via the IETM viewer executing on a user computing entity being used by a user signed into the IETM, the window comprising ( 1 ) a first view pane displaying the textual information for the topic and ( 2 ) a second view pane displaying media content for the topic in which the window is configured to display the first view pane and the second view pane on non-overlapping portions of the window;

receive input of a user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer;

responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the end of the textual information for the topic, provide a selection mechanism for display via the window, wherein the selection mechanism is configured to perform functionality as a result of the user selecting the selection mechanism; and

after the selection mechanism has been displayed on the window:

receive input of the user scrolling to a position not at the end of the textual information for the topic in the first view pane, wherein the user scrolls to the position not at the end of the textual information via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the user scrolling to the position not at the end of the textual information for the topic, cause display of the selection mechanism to be removed from the window.

12 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the textual information comprises a checklist comprising a plurality of steps in which each step in the plurality of steps is associated with an acknowledgement mechanism and the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to at least perform operations configured to provide the selection mechanism for display via the window only as a result of receiving input of a selection of the acknowledgement mechanism for each of the steps of the plurality of steps being performed by the user.

13 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the functionality comprises:

providing a window comprising a table of contents for display via the IETM viewer for a plurality of topics for the technical documentation for the item at a position in the table of contents where the topic is located; and

causing the topic to be displayed as highlighted in the table of contents.

14 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the user is signed into the IETM for a first object to which the item is applicable and the functionality comprises:

providing a window for display via the IETM viewer listing one or more objects besides the first object to which the item is applicable;

receiving input of a selection of a second object from the one or more objects, wherein the selection of the second object is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second object from the one or more objects, signing in the user into the IETM for the second object.

15 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the functionality comprises causing display at a top of the textual information of the topic on the window.