Dynamic wizard interface system and method

• US 20030222908A1
• Filed: 06/03/2002
• Published: 12/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Evans, Christopher A., Bybee, Andrew G., Obla, Pritvinath, Yeh, Leslie S., Neff, Chad C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,290,215 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/749
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for providing dynamic wizard interfaces to end users. In one embodiment, a client device retrieves a container encapsulating a number of packages utilizing a self-describing data format from a remote server. A wizard engine on the client device interprets the container and packages to produce a wizard interface. Preferably, the present invention utilizes a compatible data structure for receiving, saving, and transmitting captured information regarding the wizard interface.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for providing a wizard interface comprising:

determining a package for creating a portion of the wizard interface;

encapsulating said package in a container; and

delivering said container to a wizard engine for transformation into the wizard interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said container and said package are presented in a self-describing data format.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said self-describing data format is XML.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said package comprises pages and objects describing the wizard interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said objects are presented in a self-describing data format.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said pages contain forward and backward pointers for preserving a forward and backward flow between said pages.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said objects comprise an action object.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a user at the wizard interface and retrieving relevant user data for pre-filling the wizard interface.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein pre-filling the wizard interface comprises matching self-described data field in a data structure with self-described objects in said package.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a package comprises collecting many packages to be encapsulated in said container up to and including a first branching package.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein after a branch package has been delivered to the wizard engine, reusing said delivered branch package when said delivered package is selected.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said branch packages may be cached by further encapsulating the branch packages in said container.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said first branching package comprises pointers to a plurality of branch packages.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in response to a selection in the wizard interface, one of said branched packages is encapsulated in a branch container for delivery to said wizard engine.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said encapsulated branch package comprises a pointer to a page in said branching package containing a selection object where said selection was made.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said package encapsulates an additional package.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said additional package comprises live data objects.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said additional package is a branching package and said live data object is a selection object, the selection of which determines which branch package will be delivered to said wizard engine.

19. A computer implemented method for dynamically providing a wizard container describing a desired wizard interface, comprising:

receiving a request for the wizard container;

identifying from said request, which of a Plurality of containers embodies the desired wizard interface; and

delivering the identified container from said containers to a wizard engine for transformation into the desired wizard interface.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said container includes a package capable of requesting a supplementary container for further transforming the desired wizard interface.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said container includes a plurality of self-describing packages, wherein said self-describing packages include pages and objects that describe components of the desired wizard interface.

22. A computer server apparatus having a processor and memory containing executable instructions for providing a wizard interface and operative to:

determine a package for creating a portion of the wizard interface;

retrieve said package from a database containing a plurality of packages;

encapsulate said package in a container; and

deliver said container to a client device including a wizard engine for transformation into the wizard interface.

23. The computer server apparatus of claim 22, wherein said container and said package are provided in a self-describing data format.

24. The computer server apparatus of claim 23, wherein said self-describing data format is XML.

25. The computer server apparatus of claim 22, wherein said package comprises pages and objects further describing the wizard interface.

26. The computer server apparatus of claim 25, wherein said objects are presented in a self-describing data format.

27. The computer server apparatus of claim 25, wherein said pages contain forward and backward pointers for preserving a forward and backward flow between said pages.

28. The computer server apparatus of claim 25, wherein said objects comprise an action object.

29. The computer server apparatus of claim 22 further operative to:

identify a user at the wizard interface and retrieve relevant user data for pre-filling the wizard interface.

30. The computer server apparatus of claim 29, wherein pre-filling the wizard interface comprises matching self-described data field in a data structure with self-described objects in said package.

31. The computer server apparatus of claim 22, wherein said determining a package comprises collecting as many packages to be encapsulated in said container up to and including a first branching package.

32. The computer server apparatus of claim 31, wherein a branch package has already been delivered to the wizard engine, reusing said delivered branch package when said delivered package is selected.

33. The computer server apparatus of claim 32, wherein said branch packages may be cashed by further encapsulating the branch packages in said container.

34. The computer server apparatus of claim 31, wherein said first branching package comprises pointers to a plurality of branch packages.

35. The computer server apparatus of claim 34, wherein in response to a selection in the wizard interface, one of said branched packages is encapsulated in a branch container for delivery to said wizard engine.

36. The computer server apparatus of claim 35, wherein said encapsulated branch package comprises a pointer to a page in said branching package containing a selection object where said selection was made.

37. The computer server apparatus of claim 22, wherein said package may encapsulate an additional package.

38. The computer server apparatus of claim 37, wherein said additional package may comprise live data objects.

39. The computer server apparatus or claim 38, wherein said additional package is a branching package and said live data object is a selection object, the selection of which determines which branch package will be delivered to said wizard engine.

40. A computer server apparatus having a processor and memory containing instructions operative to dynamically provide a wizard container describing a desired wizard interface by:

receiving a request for the wizard container;

identifying from said request, which of a plurality of self-describing containers embodies the desired wizard interface; and

delivering the identified container to a wizard engine for transformation into the desired wizard interface.

41. The computer server apparatus of claim 40, wherein said container includes a package capable of requesting a supplementary container for further transforming the desired wizard interface.

42. The computer server apparatus of claim 40, wherein said container includes a plurality of self-describing packages, said self-describing packages including pages and objects that describe components of the desired wizard interface.

43. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable code for providing a wizard interface component by:

determining a package for creating a portion of the wizard interface;

encapsulating said package in a container; and

delivering said container to a wizard engine for transformation into the wizard interface.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein said container and said package are presented in a self-describing data format.

45. The computer readable medium of claim 44, wherein said self-describing data format is XML.

46. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein said package comprises pages and objects further describing the wizard interface.

47. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein said pages contain forward and backward pointers for preserving a forward and backward flow between said pages.

48. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein said objects comprise an action object.

49. The computer readable medium of claim 46, wherein said objects are presented in a self-describing data format.

50. The computer readable medium of claim 49, further comprising computer executable code for:

identifying a user of the wizard interface and retrieving relevant user data for pre-filling the wizard interface.

51. The computer readable medium of claim 47, wherein pre-filling the wizard interface comprises matching self-described data field in a data structure with self-described objects in said package.

52. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein said determining a package comprises collecting packages to be encapsulated in said container up to and including a first branching package.

53. The computer readable medium of claim 52, wherein a branch package has already been delivered to the wizard engine, reusing said delivered branch package when said delivered package is selected.

54. The computer readable medium of claim 53, wherein said first branching package comprises pointers to a plurality of branch packages.

55. The computer readable medium of claim 54, wherein said branch packages may be cached by further encapsulating the branch packages in said container.

56. The computer readable medium of claim 54, wherein in response to a selection in the wizard interface, one of said branched packages is encapsulated in a branch container for delivery to said wizard engine.

57. The computer readable medium of claim 55, wherein said encapsulated branch package comprises a pointer to a page in said branching package containing a selection object where said selection was made.

58. The computer readable medium of claim 43, wherein said package may encapsulate an additional package.

59. The computer readable medium of claim 58, wherein said additional package may comprise a live data object.

60. The computer readable medium of claim 59, wherein said additional package is a branching package and said live data object is a selection object, the selection of which determines which branch package will be delivered to said wizard engine.

61. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable code for dynamically providing a wizard container describing a desired wizard interface, by:

receiving a request for the wizard container;

identifying from said request, which of a plurality of self-describing containers embodies the desired wizard interface; and

delivering the identified container to a wizard engine for transformation into the desired wizard interface.

62. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein said container includes a additional package capable of requesting a supplementary container for further transforming the desired wizard interface.

63. The computer readable medium of claim 61, wherein said container includes a plurality of self-describing packages, said self-describing packages including pages and objects that describe components of the desired wizard interface.