User interface for conflict resolution management

• US 20060020359A1
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Published: 01/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wu, Yuh-Cherng
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,471 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/104
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

One implementation provides a method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to view proposed modifications to a knowledge entity. The method includes displaying to the user a first representation of a first proposed modification to the knowledge entity, and displaying to the user a second representation of a second proposed modification to the knowledge entity, wherein the second representation is positioned in relation to the first representation to indicate whether a conflict exists between the first and second proposed modifications to the knowledge entity. If there is a visual indication of the conflict, the method further includes displaying a modified representation of the knowledge entity by applying either the first or the second proposed modification according to a user-adjustable decision criterion.

Claims

1. A method for processing a proposed modification to a knowledge entity stored within a knowledge base on a host server, the proposed modification being provided by a client device external from the host server, and the method comprising:

displaying in a first screen area of a graphical user interface (GUI) a representation of the proposed modification, the first screen area being capable of containing additional representations of other proposed modifications to the knowledge entity;

displaying in a second screen area of the GUI a modified representation of the knowledge entity by graphically applying the proposed modification to the knowledge entity, the second screen area being distinct from the first screen area; and

providing a GUI option that, when selected by a user, stores the proposed modification to the knowledge entity in the knowledge base.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying in the first screen area of the GUI a second representation of a second proposed modification to the knowledge entity, wherein the second proposed modification is provided by a second client device external from the host server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the method comprises:

displaying in the second screen area of the GUI the modified representation of the knowledge entity by graphically applying both the proposed modification and the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity; and

providing the GUI option that, when selected by the user, stores both the proposed modification and the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity in the knowledge base.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the second representation is positioned in relation to the first representation to indicate whether a conflict exists between the first and second proposed modifications to the knowledge entity.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein if there is a visual indication of the conflict, the method comprises:

displaying in the second screen area of the GUI the modified representation of the knowledge entity by graphically applying either the proposed modification or the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity according to a user-adjustable decision criterion; and

providing the GUI option that, when selected by the user, stores either the proposed modification or the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity in the knowledge base according to the user-adjustable decision criterion.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing a third screen area of the GUI in which the user is capable of adjusting the user-adjustable decision criterion.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

obtaining user input within the third screen area to adjust the decision criterion;

computing a first weighted value associated with the proposed modification using the adjusted decision criterion;

computing a second weighted value associated with the second proposed modification using the adjusted decision criterion;

if the first weighted value is greater than the second weighted value, displaying the modified representation of the knowledge entity by graphically applying the proposed modification; and

if the second weighted value is greater than the first weighted value, displaying the modified representation of the knowledge entity by graphically applying the second proposed modification.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

obtaining input from the user specifying a first additional modification to the proposed modification and a second additional modification to the second proposed modification; and

upon user selection of the GUI option, storing the first and second additional modifications in the knowledge base.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining input from the user within the second screen area to graphically modify the modified representation of the knowledge entity; and

modifying the proposed modification to the knowledge entity by incorporating the input obtained from the user.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining input from the user specifying multiple modifications to the proposed modification; and

upon user selection of the GUI option, storing the multiple modifications to the proposed modification in the knowledge base.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining input from the user specifying multiple modifications to the proposed modification includes obtaining input from the user creating a focus area that graphically surrounds the representation of the proposed modification in the first screen area.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the knowledge entity comprises an electronic document.

13. A method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to view proposed modifications to a knowledge entity, the method comprising:

displaying to the user a first representation of a first proposed modification to the knowledge entity;

displaying to the user a second representation of a second proposed modification to the knowledge entity, wherein the second representation is positioned in relation to the first representation to indicate whether a conflict exists between the first and second proposed modifications to the knowledge entity; and

if there is a visual indication of the conflict, displaying a modified representation of the knowledge entity by applying either the first or the second proposed modification according to a user-adjustable decision criterion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein if there is no visual indication of the conflict, the method further comprises displaying a modified representation of the knowledge entity by applying both the first and second proposed modifications.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second representation is positioned to be grouped together with the first representation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first proposed modification comprises a first proposed addition of information to the knowledge entity, wherein the second proposed modification comprises a second proposed addition of information to the knowledge entity, and wherein the second representation is positioned to be grouped together with the first representation to indicate whether the conflict exists between the first and second proposed additions of information.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the first proposed modification comprises a first proposed deletion of information from the knowledge entity, wherein the second proposed modification comprises a second proposed deletion of information from the knowledge entity, and wherein the second representation is positioned to be grouped together with the first representation to indicate whether the conflict exists between the first and second proposed deletions of information.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first proposed modification comprises a first proposed edit of information in the knowledge entity, wherein the second proposed modification comprises a second proposed edit of information in the knowledge entity, and wherein the second representation is positioned to be grouped together with the first representation to indicate whether the conflict exists between the first and second proposed edits of information.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the first representation includes a first indication of a first weighted value of the first proposed modification to the knowledge entity, wherein the second representation includes a second indication of a second weighted value of the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity, and wherein the first and second weighted values are computed using the user-adjustable decision criterion.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

obtaining user input to adjust the decision criterion;

computing the first and second weighted values using the adjusted decision criterion;

if the first weighted value is greater than the second weighted value, determining that the first proposed modification to the knowledge entity takes precedence over the second proposed modification; and

if the second weighted value is greater than the first weighted value, determining that the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity takes precedence over the first proposed modification.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

if the first proposed modification takes precedence over the second proposed modification, displaying the modified representation of the knowledge entity by applying the first proposed modification; and

if the second proposed modification takes precedence over the first proposed modification, displaying the modified representation of the knowledge entity by applying the second proposed modification.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining input from the user to graphically modify the modified representation of the knowledge entity.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the knowledge entity comprises an electronic document.

24. The method of claim 13, wherein the user is a knowledge engineer.

25. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second proposed modifications to the knowledge entity comprise additions of information to, deletions of information from, or edits of information in the knowledge entity.

26. The method of claim 13, wherein the knowledge entity comprises a knowledge entity contained in a knowledge base.

27. The method of claim 13, wherein the first proposed modification to the knowledge entity is received from a first mobile device, and wherein the second proposed modification to the knowledge entity is received from a second mobile device.

28. A computer program product tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform a method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user to view proposed modifications to a knowledge entity, the method comprising:

displaying to the user a first representation of a first proposed modification to the knowledge entity;

displaying to the user a second representation of a second proposed modification to the knowledge entity, wherein the second representation is positioned in relation to the first representation to indicate whether a conflict exists between the first and second proposed modifications to the knowledge entity; and

if there is a visual indication of the conflict, displaying a modified representation of the knowledge entity by applying either the first or the second proposed modification according to a user-adjustable decision criterion.