Message Ribbon User Interface for Presenting Real-time Information and Allowing User-selected Redirection within a Computer Program

• US 20170090737A1
• Filed: 09/29/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hexagon Technology Center GmbH (Hexagon AB)
• Original Assignee: Intergraph Corporation (Hexagon AB)
• Inventors: Harvey, Keith D.
• Granted Patent: US 10,324,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/302 where the computing system component is a software system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/321 Display for diagnostics, e.g. diagnostic result display, self-test user interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0483 Interaction with page-structured environments, e.g. book metaphor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/024 Multi-user, collaborative environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display

Abstract

A computer program product produces a non-modal graphical user control element as part of a ribbon for use within an application program providing real-time status information about the application program. The computer code comprises computer code for producing the non-modal graphical user control element on a ribbon graphically displayed within the application program. Additionally, the computer code includes computer code for receiving from the application program a status message of a predefined category and visually placing the status message on the non-modal graphical user control element. Application specific position information associated with the status message is received and responsive to user selection of the graphical user control element the application program switches to computer code associated with the application specific position information.

Claims

1. A computer program product having a non-transitory computer readable medium with computer code thereon for use with a computer processor for producing a non-modal graphical user control element as part of a ribbon for use within an application program providing real-time status information about the application program, the computer code comprising:

computer code for producing the non-modal graphical user control element on a ribbon graphically displayed within the application program;

computer code for receiving from the application program a status message of a predefined category and visually placing the status message in real-time on the non-modal graphical user control element at a location associated with the predefined category;

computer code for receiving application specific position information associated with the status message; and

computer code responsive to user selection of the non-modal graphical user control element at the location for the predefined category causing the application program to switch to code associated with the application specific position information.

2. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the application specific position information may be identification of an object within the application program that generated the status message.

3. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein causing the application program to switch to code associated with the application specific position information causes the presentation of a graphical user interface associated with application specific position information.

4. A computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the application specific position information may be identification of a parameter associated with one of a plurality of graphical user interfaces within the application program.

5. The computer program product according to claim 1, further comprising:

computer code for producing a second non-modal graphical user control element within the application program for a second predefined category wherein the first and the second non-modal graphical user control elements form a ribbon.

6. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the real-time status information is indicative of an error or a warning within the application program, but does not stop execution of the application program.

7. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein upon receiving a second real-time status message within a predefined category, a new graphical user control element is visually presented stacked on the first real-time status message within the predefined category.

8. The computer program product according to claim 6, further comprising:

computer code responsive to user interaction for moving between stacked status messages within the predefined category.

9. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the status message is removed from the non-modal graphical user control element after a predefined time period.

10. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the status message is removed from the non-modal graphical user control element after occurrence of an event in the application.

11. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the application is a complex computer program having a plurality of projects each project associated with project data and the computer program product further includes computer code for identifying the status message according to a project and only displaying status messages if a user is working on the project.

12. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the category of the status message is either an error message, a warning message, a success message, or an instruction message.

13. The computer program product according to claim 1, wherein the status message is an error message indicating that an error in the application program has already occurred.

14. The computer program product according to claim 10 wherein the error message is indicative of a data validation error.

15. A computer-implemented method for producing a non-modal graphical user control element as part of a ribbon for use within an application program providing real-time status information about the application program in a client server architecture, the method comprising:

receiving computer code on a client device for operating an application program having project data stored at a server;

producing on a client device the non-modal graphical user control element on a ribbon graphically displayed within the application program on the client device;

receiving at the client device from the application program operating on the server a status message of a predefined category and visually placing the status message in real-time on the non-modal graphical user control element at a location associated with the predefined category;

receiving application specific position information associated with the status message;

in response to user selection of the non-modal graphical user control element at the location for the predefined category causing the application program to switch to code associated with the application specific position information.

16. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the application specific position information may be identification of an object within the application program that generated the status message.

17. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein causing the application program to switch to code associated with the application specific position information causes the presentation of a graphical user interface associated with application specific position information on the client device.

18. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15 wherein the application specific position information may be identification of a parameter associated with one of a plurality of graphical user interfaces within the application program and wherein the position information determines the one of the graphical user interfaces to transmit to the client device.

19. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15 further comprising:

producing on the client device a second non-modal graphical user control element within the application program for a second predefined category wherein the first and the second non-modal graphical user control elements form a ribbon.

20. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15 wherein the real-time status information is indicative of an error or a warning within the application program, but does not stop execution of the application program on the client device.

21. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein upon receiving a second real-time status message within a predefined category, a new graphical user control element is visually presented stacked on the first real-time status message within the predefined category on the client device.

22. A computer-implemented method according to claim 21 further comprising:

responsive to user interaction selecting between stacked status messages within the predefined category so that the selected stacked status message is presented on the graphical user interface on the client device.

23. A computer-implemented method according to claim 15 further comprising removing a message from the non-modal graphical user control element after occurrence of an event in the application.