PROVIDING ENHANCED FUNCTIONALITY IN AN INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL MANUAL

1 . A method for providing previews 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 of 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 in the first view pane, providing a first selection mechanism and a second selection mechanism for display via the window;

receiving input of a selection of the first selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the first selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the first selection mechanism:

generating a first preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a second topic found in the technical documentation for the item; and

providing the first preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the first preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window;

receiving input of a selection of the second selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the second selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second selection mechanism:

generating a second preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a third topic found in the technical documentation for the item; and

providing the second preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the second preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of 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 causing display of the first and second selection mechanisms on the window only as a result of receiving input of selection of the acknowledgement mechanism for each of the steps of the plurality of steps being performed by the user.

3 . The of method claim 1 , wherein the content comprising at least a portion of one of the textual information and the media content for the second topic displayed on the first preview window comprises content that would be provided on a first screen of a window displayed for the second topic.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein after the first and second selection mechanisms has been displayed on the window, the method further comprise:

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 first and second selection mechanisms to be removed from the window.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second topic is a directly previous topic to the topic found in a table of contents for the technical information for the item.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the third topic is a directly next topic to the topic found in a table of contents for the technical information for the item.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first preview window comprises a bookmark mechanism and the method further comprises:

receiving input of a selection of the bookmark mechanism, wherein the selection of the bookmark mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the bookmark mechanism, storing a bookmark for the user in the IETM for the second topic.

8 . An apparatus for providing previews 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 of 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 in the first view pane, provide a first selection mechanism and a second selection mechanism for display via the window;

receive input of a selection of the first selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the first selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the first selection mechanism:

generate a first preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a second topic found in the technical documentation for the item; and

provide the first preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the first preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window;

receive input of a selection of the second selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the second selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second selection mechanism:

generate a second preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a third topic found in the technical documentation for the item; and

provide the second preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the second preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , 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 cause display of the first and second selection mechanisms on the window only as a result of receiving input of selection of the acknowledgement mechanism for each of the steps of the plurality of steps being performed by the user.

10 . The of apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the content comprising at least a portion of one of the textual information and the media content for the second topic displayed on the first preview window comprises content that would be provided on a first screen of a window displayed for the second topic.

11 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein after the first and second selection mechanisms has been displayed on the window and the at least one memory and the computer program code are configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:

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 first and second selection mechanisms to be removed from the window.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second topic is a directly previous topic to the topic found in a table of contents for the technical information for the item.

13 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the third topic is a directly next topic to the topic found in a table of contents for the technical information for the item.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first preview window comprises a bookmark 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:

receive input of a selection of the bookmark mechanism, wherein the selection of the bookmark mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the bookmark mechanism, store a bookmark for the user in the IETM for the second topic.

15 . A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising instructions for providing previews 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 of 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 in the first view pane, provide a first selection mechanism and a second selection mechanism for display via the window;

receive input of a selection of the first selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the first selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer;

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the first selection mechanism:

generate a first preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a second topic found in the technical documentation for the item; and

provide the first preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the first preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window;

receive input of a selection of the second selection mechanism, wherein the selection of the second selection mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the second selection mechanism:

generate a second preview window displaying at least a portion of content comprising at least one of textual information and media content for a third topic found in the technical documentation for the item; and

provide the second preview window for display via the IETM viewer, wherein the second preview window is superimposed over at least a portion of the window.

16 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , 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 cause display of the first and second selection mechanisms on the window only as a result of receiving input of selection of the acknowledgement mechanism for each of the steps of the plurality of steps being performed by the user.

17 . The of non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the content comprising at least a portion of one of the textual information and the media content for the second topic displayed on the first preview window comprises content that would be provided on a first screen of a window displayed for the second topic.

18 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein after the first and second selection mechanisms has been displayed on the window and the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to at least perform operations configured to:

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 first and second selection mechanisms to be removed from the window.

19 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the second topic is a directly previous topic to the topic found in a table of contents for the technical information for the item.

20 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the third topic is a directly next topic to the topic found in a table of contents for the technical information for the item.

21 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first preview window comprises a bookmark mechanism and the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to at least perform operations configured to:

receive input of a selection of the bookmark mechanism, wherein the selection of the bookmark mechanism is performed by the user via the IETM viewer; and

responsive to receiving the input of the selection of the bookmark mechanism, store a bookmark for the user in the IETM for the second topic.