Scalable User Interface System

• US 20090288013A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 11/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Zhang, Rui, Beaulieu, Conrad Bruce, Raymond, Michelle, Hajdukiewicz, John, Sun, Changbo, Zhang, Daoping
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,343 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for a scalable user interface system. A user interface is divided into general reusable user interface components and application specific user interface components. Next profiles are created for user interfaces based upon server capabilities and client side device capabilities and reusable user interface components are built for use in multiple profiles. Defined user interface scalability strategies are executed at runtime to build a user interface description using the user interface components. In this way, a user interface can be built from a user interface description by apportioning the building of the user interface description between a server and a client side device using the profiles. At the server, user interface components stored in memory are used to build a first portion of the user interface description while a second portion of the user interface description is built at the client side device and is combined with the first portion received from the server.

Claims

1. A method for providing a scalable user interface comprising the steps of:

receiving a task to be completed, including the building of a user interface to be presented on a client side device;

determining server capabilities to accomplish the task;

determining the client side device capabilities to accomplish the task;

assigning responsibility for accomplishing portions of the task responsive to determining the server capabilities and the client side device capabilities; and

presenting the user interface on client side device to complete the task.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the task to be completed includes building a user interface from a user interface description.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of assigning responsibility comprises assigning components of the user interface to be built at the server or at the client side device responsive to profiles based upon the server capabilities and the client side device capabilities.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the profiles comprise one or more user interface scalability strategies.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user interface scalability strategies are executed at runtime of building the user interface.

6. A computer system having a scalable user interface system, comprising:

a plurality of client side devices at least some of which have different capabilities; and

a plurality of servers at least some of which have different capabilities and including a user interface generator responsive to a user interface description to apportion building the user interface description at the server or at the client side device based upon one more profiles comprising user interface scalability strategies.

7. The computer system of claim 6, which includes user interface components stored in memory and available for use to build the user interface description.

8. A method for providing a scalable user interface system, comprising the steps of:

providing general reusable user interface components and application specific user interface components;

providing profiles for user interfaces based upon server capabilities and client side device capabilities;

providing reusable user interface components available for use in multiple profiles; and

executing user interface scalability strategies at runtime to build a user interface description using the general user interface components and the reusable user interface components at a server and application specific user interface components available at a client side device.

9. A method for providing a scalable user interface system, comprising the steps of:

receiving a user interface description defining a user interface to be built;

apportioning building the user interface description between a server and a client side device responsive to one or more profiles based upon the server capabilities and the client side device capabilities;

using user interface components stored on the server to build a first portion of the user interface description at the server for transmission to the client side device;

building a second portion of the user interface description at the client side device and combining the second portion with the first portion received from the server; and

displaying the user interface.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes the step of discarding user interface components not capable of being displayed on the client side device.

11. A computer system having a scalable user interface system, comprising:

one or more client side devices with user interface presentation and/or interaction capabilities; and

one or more servers with user interface support and/or interaction handling capabilities and including a user interface generator responsive to a user interface description to apportion building the user interface description at the server or at the client side device based upon one or more profiles comprising user interface scalability strategies.