User interface simulation and management for program-controlled apparatus
First Claim
1. A method of simulating a user interface for an apparatus, the apparatus including input and output means and a control program, the interface having a plurality of states, each state including at least one of a user-perceptible output provided by the output means and a user-selectable input receivable by the input means, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating and storing an application network model representing the control program, the model comprising a plurality of application elements, at least one such element depicting an apparatus function controlled by the program, each such function being depicted by one such element, and at least one such element depicting a user interaction session, each such session being depicted by one such element;
generating and storing at least one dialogue network model, one such model representing each user interaction session, each dialogue model comprising at least one dialogue element, each such element having an associated interface parameter specifying a state of the user interface; and
after generating and storing the models;
advancing through the elements of the application model,upon encountering any element which depicts a user interaction session, branching to the dialogue model which represents said user interaction session and advancing through the elements of said dialogue model,using any interface parameter encountered while advancing through the elements of said dialogue model to simulate the state of the user interface specified by said parameter, andafter advancing through the elements of said dialogue model, branching back to the application model and continuing to advance through the elements of the application model.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An interactive graphical tool is provided for designing the user interface of a program-controlled instrument. The tool runs on a computer workstation and is used to model the application code of the instrument as a first network in which sessions of user interaction with the application code are represented by respective elements of the network. The actual user interaction sessions themselves are modelled by respective second networks; each second network includes information for defining the interface states of the modelled user interaction session. The full user interface can thereafter be simulated by progressing through the first model until a user interaction element is met and then entering the corresponding second network; the interface state information contained in the second network is used to drive a simulation of the instrument interfaace on the display of the computer workstation. The separation of the modelling of the application code from that of the user interaction sessions facilitates modification of the interface simulation.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of simulating a user interface for an apparatus, the apparatus including input and output means and a control program, the interface having a plurality of states, each state including at least one of a user-perceptible output provided by the output means and a user-selectable input receivable by the input means, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating and storing an application network model representing the control program, the model comprising a plurality of application elements, at least one such element depicting an apparatus function controlled by the program, each such function being depicted by one such element, and at least one such element depicting a user interaction session, each such session being depicted by one such element; generating and storing at least one dialogue network model, one such model representing each user interaction session, each dialogue model comprising at least one dialogue element, each such element having an associated interface parameter specifying a state of the user interface; and after generating and storing the models; advancing through the elements of the application model, upon encountering any element which depicts a user interaction session, branching to the dialogue model which represents said user interaction session and advancing through the elements of said dialogue model, using any interface parameter encountered while advancing through the elements of said dialogue model to simulate the state of the user interface specified by said parameter, and after advancing through the elements of said dialogue model, branching back to the application model and continuing to advance through the elements of the application model. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for configuring a user interface in an apparatus, the apparatus including input and output means and a control program, the interface having a plurality of states, each state including at least one of a user-perceptible output provided by the output means and a user-selectable input receivable by the input means, the system comprising:
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an application network means representing the control program and comprising a plurality of application elements, at least one such element depicting an apparatus function controlled by the program, each such function being depicted by one such element, and at least one such element depicting a user interaction session, each such session being depicted by one such element; at least one dialogue network means, one such means representing each user interaction session, each dialogue means comprising at least one dialogue element, each dialogue element having an associated interface parameter specifying a state of the user interface; and control means operative to advance through the elements of the application network means, upon encountering an element which depicts a user interaction session, to branch to the dialogue network means which represents said user interaction session and to advance through the elements of said dialogue network means, to use any interface parameter encountered while advancing through the elements of said dialogue network means to configure the user interface in accordance with said interface parameter, and after advancing through the elements of said dialogue network means, to branch back to the application network means and continue to advance through the elements of the application network means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification