DYNAMICAL AND SMART POSITIONING OF HELP OVERLAY GRAPHICS IN A FORMATION OF USER INTERFACE ELEMENTS

• US 20140173474A1
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Published: 06/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Eberlein, Peter, Klemenz, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 9,367,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/453 Help systems

Abstract

In some example implementations, there is provided a method. The method may include selecting an action element located on a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of action elements, whereby each action element corresponds to an action performable by a user and causing a change in a state of the user interface; identifying a help overlay graphics element for each selected action element in the plurality of action elements, the help overlay graphics element describing the action corresponding to the selected action element; and dynamically positioning a plurality of help overlay graphics elements identified for at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements on the user interface, wherein the plurality of help overlay graphics elements are positioned proximate to associated action elements. Related systems, methods, and articles of manufacture are also provided.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

selecting an action element located on a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of action elements, whereby each action element corresponds to an action performable by a user and causing a change in a state of the user interface;

identifying a help overlay graphics element for each selected action element in the plurality of action elements, the help overlay graphics element describing the action corresponding to the selected action element; and

dynamically positioning a plurality of help overlay graphics elements identified for at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements on the user interface, wherein the plurality of help overlay graphics elements are positioned proximate to associated action elements, wherein a position of one identified help overlay graphics element is dependent on a position of another help overlay graphics element;

wherein at least one of the selecting, the identifying, and the dynamically positioning is performed using at least one processor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

determining coordinates of each action element in the at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements on the user interface;

and

determining positioning coordinates of the plurality of help overlay graphics elements using at least one of the following;

the coordinates of the each action element in the at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements and coordinates of bounding boxes surrounding each help overlay graphics element in the plurality of help overlay graphics elements;

wherein the plurality of help overlay graphics elements positioned on the user interface are positioned without having their corresponding bounding boxes overlap each other on the user interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

determining that the user interface includes at least two action elements each corresponding to the same action;

and

displaying a help overlay graphics element corresponding to one of the at least two action elements.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

displaying a first help overlay graphics element corresponding to a first action element in the plurality of action elements and not displaying a second help overlay graphics element corresponding to a second action element in the plurality of action elements.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

preventing displaying of a help overlay graphics element corresponding to an action element corresponding to an action previously performed by a user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one action element determines at least one of the following:

existence of a corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface, appearance of the corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface, positioning and direction of the corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface, and behavior of the corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one action element includes a plurality of corresponding help overlay graphics elements, wherein each help overlay graphics element in the plurality of corresponding help overlay graphics element is displayed on the user interface based on a predetermined order.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the help overlay graphics element is displayed based on at least one of the following:

a visibility of at least one action element on the user interface, an importance of the help overlay graphics element, and a historical usage of the help overlay graphics element.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identifying further comprises

obtaining a metadata associated with the selected action element;

and

identifying, based on the obtained metadata, the help overlay graphics element.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the help overlay graphics element includes a text graphic describing the action corresponding to the selected action element and an arrow graphic pointing to a location of the selected action element on the user interface.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including code that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

selecting an action element located on a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of action elements, whereby each action element corresponds to an action performable by a user and causing a change in a state of the user interface;

identifying a help overlay graphics element for each selected action element in the plurality of action elements, the help overlay graphics element describing the action corresponding to the selected action element; and

dynamically positioning a plurality of help overlay graphics elements identified for at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements on the user interface, wherein the plurality of help overlay graphics elements are positioned proximate to associated action elements, wherein a position of one identified help overlay graphics element is dependent on a position of another help overlay graphics element;

wherein at least one of the selecting, the identifying, and the dynamically positioning is performed using at least one processor.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

determining coordinates of each action element in the at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements on the user interface;

and

determining positioning coordinates of the plurality of help overlay graphics elements using at least one of the following;

the coordinates of the each action element in the at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements and coordinates of bounding boxes surrounding each help overlay graphics element in the plurality of help overlay graphics elements;

wherein the plurality of help overlay graphics elements positioned on the user interface are positioned without having their corresponding bounding boxes overlap each other on the user interface.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

determining that the user interface includes at least two action elements each corresponding to the same action;

and

displaying a help overlay graphics element corresponding to one of the at least two action elements.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

displaying a first help overlay graphics element corresponding to a first action element in the plurality of action elements and not displaying a second help overlay graphics element corresponding to a second action element in the plurality of action elements.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the dynamically positioning further comprises

preventing displaying of a help overlay graphics element corresponding to an action element corresponding to an action previously performed by a user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the at least one action element determines at least one of the following:

existence of a corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface, appearance of the corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface, positioning and direction of the corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface, and behavior of the corresponding help overlay graphics element on the user interface.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the at least one action element includes a plurality of corresponding help overlay graphics elements, wherein each help overlay graphics element in the plurality of corresponding help overlay graphics element is displayed on the user interface based on a predetermined order.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the help overlay graphics element is displayed based on at least one of the following:

a visibility of at least one action element on the user interface, an importance of the help overlay graphics element, and a historical usage of the help overlay graphics element.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the identifying further comprises

obtaining a metadata associated with the selected action element;

and

identifying, based on the obtained metadata, the help overlay graphics element.

20. A system comprising:

at least one programmable processor; and

at least one memory including code that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising;

selecting an action element located on a user interface, wherein the user interface includes a plurality of action elements, whereby each action element corresponds to an action performable by a user and causing a change in a state of the user interface;

identifying a help overlay graphics element for each selected action element in the plurality of action elements, the help overlay graphics element describing the action corresponding to the selected action element; and

dynamically positioning a plurality of help overlay graphics elements identified for at least a portion of the plurality of selected action elements on the user interface, wherein the plurality of help overlay graphics elements are positioned proximate to associated action elements, wherein a position of one identified help overlay graphics element is dependent on a position of another help overlay graphics element;

wherein at least one of the selecting, the identifying, and the dynamically positioning is performed using at least one processor.