Dynamically configurable human-machine interface

• US 6,938,214 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2002
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent Canada Incorporated (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel Canada Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Trudeau, Dominique, Nijemcevic, Sasa, Proulx, Lorraine
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, CAO H
• Application Number:
  US10/072,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,295 Days
• Field of Search: 715/763, 715/765, 715/853, 715/854, 345/762, 345/763, 345/765, 345/853, 345/854
• US Class Current: 715/763
• 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: H04L 41/22 comprising specially adapted graphical user interfaces [GUI]

Abstract

A framework is presented to provide support for dynamically configuring a human-machine interface in a network management and service provisioning environment. The framework implements a file parser, methods of accessing a managed object server to interact with instances of managed data network entity objects, a multitude of view panel components and a command interpreter. A multitude of run-time loadable descriptor files are provided to specify the functionality, of view panel instances used by an analyst manipulate information in interacting with the network management and service provisioning environment. The parser is used to load descriptor files and instantiate view panels on demand. Advantages are derived from a separation between network management and service provisioning software application coded functionality and the specification of the human-machine interface presented to the analyst, providing for improved development, maintenance and deployment of the network management and service provisioning solution.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface framework for a network management and service provisioning workstation of a managed communications network, the framework comprising:

a. a plurality of generic panel components for displaying to a user network management and service provisioning information regarding a managed network entities and for receiving user input;

b. a plurality of view panel descriptor files, each descriptor file including information specifying the configuration of a corresponding generic view panel component;

c. a plurality of rules for specifying valid interactions with attributes of network entities managed by the network management and service provisioning workstation; and

d. machine logic for selectively configuring at run-time at least one generic view panel component in accordance with the specification detailed in the corresponding descriptor file to display a view panel instance on a display interface in response to user input.

2. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, wherein each generic view panel component further comprises at least one widget facilitating human machine interaction, the run time configuration of the generic view panel component provides for a dynamic configurable human machine interface.

3. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 2, wherein information held in each descriptor file further comprises a specification of at least one widget attribute.

4. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 2, wherein information held in each descriptor file further comprises a specification of at least one widget attribute rule.

5. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 4, wherein each widget attribute rule further comprises an indication of at least one allowable action to be performed on the at least one widget.

6. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 2, wherein the generic view panel component includes an error handling routine for processing input.

7. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, further comprising a command interpreter for interpreting at least one received command wherein selectively configuring at least one generic view panel, the machine logic is further responsive to command.

8. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, wherein the machine logic further comprises an access routine implementation used by the framework to interact with a managed object server brokering access to a plurality of manageable entities object instances corresponding to managed data network entities in providing network management and service provisioning solutions.

9. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 8, wherein the framework further comprises messaging means for sending a message to the managed object server in interacting therewith.

10. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 9, wherein the message further encapsulates a command.

11. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 8, wherein the machine logic further comprises validation means for validating brokered access to the manageable object entity instance.

12. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 8, wherein the machine logic further comprises a commit routine implementation used by the framework for committing changes to attributes associated with at least one managed data network entity instance.

13. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, wherein the framework is operable to enable the registration of a application module adapted to interwork with the framework, the registration of the application module with the framework provides an independent development of the framework from the development of the application module.

14. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 13, wherein the framework further comprises a module registration routine enabling the registration of a JAVA plug in module.

15. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, wherein each descriptor file comprises a human readable file.

16. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 15, wherein the descriptor file comprises an eXtensible Markup Language (XML) file.

17. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, further comprising a parser for run-time loading the at least one descriptor file in configuring an instance of a corresponding view panel, the run-time loading of the descriptor file by the framework provides for a dynamic configuration of network management and service provisioning workstation display interface.

18. The graphical user interface framework claimed in claim 1, wherein a generic view panel component is one of:

an entity listing view panel component, an entity list filtering view panel component, an entity free creation view panel component, an entity parameter inspection view panel component, an entity inclusion view panel component, an entity creation view panel component, a validation view panel component, and a commit view panel component.