METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM FOR FACILITATING THE IMPROVEMENT OF A USER INTERFACE

• US 20090138833A1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Published: 05/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Bakowski, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 8,561,026 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 716/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9566 URL specific, e.g. using aliases, detecting broken or misspelled links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

There is disclosed a method, apparatus and computer program for facilitating improvement of a user interface. A plurality of critical paths though the user interface are determined. A complexity of each of the critical paths is calculated. The complexity of the critical paths relative to a level of criticality of those paths is then indicated.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating improvement of a user interface, the method comprising:

determining a plurality of critical paths through the user interface;

calculating a complexity of each of the critical paths; and

indicating the complexity of the critical paths relative to a level of criticality of those paths.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a plurality of critical paths further comprises:

monitoring paths exercised by users of the user interface;

identifying the most frequently exercised paths as critical paths.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a plurality of critical paths further comprises:

having users identify nodes within the user interface as fulfilling their goals; and

calculating a least complex route through the user interface to each of the identified nodes, wherein the routes calculated comprise critical paths.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

a user assigning a weighting to each node identified as fulfilling a user'"'"'s goal.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising:

identifying the weighting assigned to a final node, identified as fulfilling a user'"'"'s goal, in a critical path; and

applying the identified weighting to the complexity associated with the critical path to create a weighted complexity.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein indicating the complexity of the critical paths relative to a level of criticality of those paths comprises:

indicating the weighted complexity of each critical path relative to a level of criticality of those paths.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the complexity of the critical paths comprises:

determining the complexity of nodes forming part of critical paths.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the complexity of nodes forming part of critical paths further comprises:

for each node, determining at least one of a depth of the node, a breadth of the node, a number of transitions from the node to another node, and a number of data fields that have to be filled in to reach the node.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the system for calculating the complexity of the critical paths further comprises:

a system for determining the complexity of nodes forming part of critical paths.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the system for determining the complexity of nodes forming part of critical paths further comprises:

a system, for each node, for determining at least one of a depth of the node, a breadth of the node, a number of transitions from the node to another node, and a number of data fields that have to be filled in to reach the node.

9. Apparatus for facilitating improvement of a user interface, the apparatus comprising:

a system for determining a plurality of critical paths through the user interface;

a system for calculating a complexity of each of the critical paths; and

a system

for indicating the complexity of the critical paths relative to a level of criticality of those paths.

10. Apparatus of claim 9, wherein the system for determining a plurality of critical paths further comprises:

a system for monitoring paths exercised by users of the user interface; and

a system for identifying the most frequently exercised paths as critical paths.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the system for determining a plurality of critical paths further comprises:

a system for having users identify nodes within the user interface as fulfilling their goals; and

a system for calculating a least complex route through the user interface to each of the identified nodes, wherein the routes calculated comprise critical paths.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

a system for a user to assign a weighting to each node identified as fulfilling a user'"'"'s goal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a system for identifying the weighting assigned to a final node, identified as fulfilling a user'"'"'s goal, in a critical path; and

a system for applying the identified weighting to the complexity associated with the critical path to create a weighted complexity.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the system for indicating the complexity of the critical paths relative to a level of criticality of those paths further comprises:

a system for indicating the weighted complexity of each critical path relative to a level of criticality of those paths.