System and method for building, testing and integrating a graphical touch user interface
First Claim
1. A method for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising the steps of:
- (a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to a run-time application, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units which can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the runtime application, wherein the building step further comprises the step of assigning a constant or variable text string to a label for an object using a mathematical composite function f(g(x)), where x represents a text string number and g(x) represents a corresponding text string in a stored file corresponding to that text string number, and where f(g(x)) represents a further text string which is assigned from a plurality of other possible text strings;
(b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched beginning with a first touch screen display;
(c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in memory for invocation by the run-time application; and
(d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A builder, tester, and runtime integration system and method for a graphical touch user interface, such as a point-of-sale (POS) touch screen interface system, is provided. The system and method may include a builder tool to create and modify the graphical interface, a tester tool for testing the interface, and a run-time system for actually executing the interface logic. Because the interface may be designed, modified and tested external to the run-time system, the design and maintenance may be performed by a non-programmer without ever changing run-time code. Additionally, the builder and tester may be designed to be general-purpose, and the run-time code may be reusable.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising the steps of:
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(a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to a run-time application, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units which can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the runtime application, wherein the building step further comprises the step of assigning a constant or variable text string to a label for an object using a mathematical composite function f(g(x)), where x represents a text string number and g(x) represents a corresponding text string in a stored file corresponding to that text string number, and where f(g(x)) represents a further text string which is assigned from a plurality of other possible text strings; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched beginning with a first touch screen display; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in memory for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising the steps of:
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(a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to a run-time application, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units which can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application, wherein the building step further comprises the steps of; (i) storing in an ELL external file an ELL function number corresponding to the ELL function name for each ELL function, where an ELL function number corresponds to a relative location of the ELL function name within the ELL external file; and (ii) arranging the ELL functions in the ELL external file in alphabetical order by ELL function name, whereby at run-time, an ELL function is invoked with a single executable instruction that calls a function with an ELL function number; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in memory for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application. - View Dependent Claims (7)
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8. A method for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising the steps of:
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(a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information branching, information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to a run-time application, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units which can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application, wherein the building step further comprises the steps of; (i) assigning for each object a begin-end child pair of code lines between which are slot lines that contain control information for the object; (ii) arranging controls for a touch screen unit between a begin-end screen pair; (iii) sequentially numbering screen-pairs for each touch screen display; and (iv) storing a list of screen numbers for screen units for an initial touch screen display; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in memory for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application.
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9. A method for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising the steps of:
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(a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to a run-time application, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units which can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display, wherein the testing step further comprises steps of; (i) displaying a tester window superimposed in each touch screen display without covering an object under test; (ii) displaying in the tester window a list of screen numbers that define the plurality of screens units that make up each touch screen display, and for each functional object, displaying a text label for the object, a corresponding ELL function name, a branching type, and screen numbers for the screen units to be destroyed and the screen units to be created following invocation of the ELL function corresponding to the object under test; (iii) executing the displaying step for each functional object in each of a plurality of touch screen displays that make up the graphical touch screen user interface; and (iv) displaying an error message in the tester window in the event that a screen unit is not available for creation or deletion in response to execution of an object; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in memory for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11)
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12. A system for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising:
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storage means for storing a run-time application and a collection of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to the run-time application; video display means for displaying information; input means for generating input signals corresponding to selected objects; and processor means coupled to the storage means and to the video display means for; (a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects stored in the storage means, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units that can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application, and assigning a constant or variable text string to a label for an object using a mathematical composite function f(g(x)), where x represents a text string number and g(x) represents a corresponding text string in a stored file corresponding to that text string number, and where f(g(x)) represents a further text string which is assigned from a plurality of other possible text strings; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in the storage means for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising:
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storage means for storing a run-time application and a collection of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to the run-time application; video display means for displaying information; input means for generating input signals corresponding to selected objects; and processor means coupled to the storage means and to the video display means for; (a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects stored in the storage means, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units that can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application, and further; (i) storing in an ELL external file an ELL function number corresponding to the ELL function name for each ELL function, where an ELL function number corresponds to a relative location of the ELL function name within the ELL external file; and (ii) arranging the ELL functions in the ELL external file in alphabetical order by ELL function name, whereby at run-time, an ELL function is invoked with a single executable instruction that calls a function with an ELL function number; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in the storage means for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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19. A system for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising:
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storage means for storing a run-time application and a collection of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to the run-time application; video display means for displaying information; input means for generating input signals corresponding to selected objects; and processor means coupled to the storage means and to the video display means for; (a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects stored in the storage means, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units that can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application, and further; (i) assigning for each object a begin-end child pair of code lines between which are slot lines that contain control information for the object; (ii) arranging controls for a touch screen unit between a begin-end screen pair; (iii) sequentially numbering screen-pairs for each touch screen display; and (iv) storing a list of screen numbers for screen units for an initial touch screen display; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in the storage means for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application.
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20. A system for constructing a graphical touch screen user interface for use with a run-time application, comprising:
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storage means for storing a run-time application and a collection of objects representing controls whose data, code, identification information, branching information, and Entry Level Logic (ELL) function name corresponding to an ELL function are external to the run-time application; video display means for displaying information; input means for generating input signals corresponding to selected objects; and processor means coupled to the storage means and to the video display means for; (a) building a graphical touch screen user interface comprising a plurality of touch screen displays, each touch screen display comprising a plurality of objects stored in the storage means, by receiving commands from a user to group the objects into screen units that can be created, destroyed and re-created when invoked by the run-time application; (b) testing the graphical touch screen user interface on a video display prior to integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application by automatically testing each of the objects in each touch screen display that has functional attributes as if the controls were physically touched, beginning with a first touch screen display, and further; (i) displaying a tester window superimposed in each touch screen display without covering an object under test; (ii) displaying in the tester window a list of screen numbers that define the plurality of screens units that make up each touch screen display, and for each functional object, displaying a text label for the object, a corresponding ELL function name, a branching type, and screen numbers for the screen units to be destroyed and the screen units to be created following invocation of the ELL function corresponding to the object under test; (iii) executing the displaying step for each functional object in each of a plurality of touch screen displays that make up the graphical touch screen user interface; and (iv) displaying an error message in the tester window in the event that a screen unit is not available for creation or deletion in response to execution of an object; (c) storing information representing the graphical touch screen user interface in the storage means for invocation by the run-time application; and (d) integrating the graphical touch screen user interface into the run-time application. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification