Methods and apparatus for adding user-customizable features to application software

• US 9,170,703 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascent Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ascent Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Brou, Philippe, Wechsler, Allan C.
• Primary Examiner(s): To, Jennifer
• Assistant Examiner(s): SUN, LI P
• Application Number:
  US13/888,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20140033065A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 715/747, 715/826, 715/234
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/134 Hyperlinking
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06314 Calendaring for a resource
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06316 Sequencing of tasks or work
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

An application'"'"'s users are divided into two groups: administrative users and end-users. Each type of region, produced on an application'"'"'s screen, is assigned a class. Each actual occurrence, of a region type, is called an instance. An end-user invokes a user-added feature by indicating a screen location and inputting a unique signal. The classes, of the screen-region instances present at the indicated location, determine whether one or more rules are activated. The rules are written by an administrative user. If activated, a rule produces a URL in accordance with an administrative-user-defined template. A value stored in the instances present, at the location indicated when the unique signal occurred, are accessed in a template by including the name of the value as a parameter. Each parameter is substituted by the text-equivalent of its current value. The URL produced can be used to provide the information desired by the end-user.

Claims

1. A method for enabling user-added features, comprising:

displaying, to an end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a first chart on a first screen of an application program, wherein the first chart includes a first axis representing time and, along a second axis, instances of a row class of screen region;

receiving pointing instruction, from an end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, to a first location on the first screen;

receiving an indication, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, to at least a first instance of the row class of screen region, by detecting end-user input, constituting a gesture at the first location, while the first location is within a first screen region corresponding to the first instance of the row class of screen region; and

displaying, to the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, in response to, at least, the indication of the first instance, of the row class of screen region, by the gesture, a first result of a first user-added feature, wherein the first result was produced using a first template to produce a first universal resource identifier, and using the first template to produce the first universal resource identifier comprises substitution, of a first parameter of the indicated row class of screen region, with a first value of the indicated instance of the row class of screen region.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following steps:

inputting, by a first administrative user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a first trigger and the first template, wherein the end user is not an administrative user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the administrative user adds at least one feature to the application program by adding at least a first rule to a first rule database, the first rule including at least the first trigger and the first template.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following step:

indicating, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a second instance of a second class of screen region by inputting, while the first location is also within a second screen region, the gesture, wherein the second screen region is different from the first screen region.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the following step:

viewing, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, the first result, wherein the first result was produced in response to the indication of, at least, the first instance and the second instance.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the following step:

viewing, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a selection of actions to be taken, wherein a first member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a value from the first instance and a second member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a different value from the second instance.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the following step:

selecting, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, such that the first instance, and not the second instance, is indicated for a subsequent production of the first universal resource identifier.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pointing is accomplished by utilization of a mouse and the gesturing is accomplished by utilizing at least one key of a keyboard.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each instance of the row class is represented by a region of the first screen that is utilized for representation of a gate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first universal resource identifier is a universal resource locator.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the following step:

viewing, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, the first result as produced in response to a utilization of a first resolver function for the row class and a retrieval of the first value by applying the first resolver function to the first parameter and the first instance.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first universal resource identifier includes a database query.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the database query is in SQL.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one instance, of the row class of screen region, is represented by an instance of a class in an object oriented programming language.

15. A system for using user-added features, comprising:

one or more processors and programmable memory, wherein the system is configured;

to accomplish displaying, to an end-user, a first chart on a first screen of an application program, wherein the first chart includes a first axis representing time and, along a second axis, instances of a row class of screen region;

to accomplish receiving pointing instruction, from an end-user, to a first location on the first screen;

to accomplish receiving an indication, by the end-user, to at least a first instance of the row class of screen region, by detecting end-user input, constituting a gesture at the first location, while the first location is within a first screen region corresponding to the first instance of the row class of screen region; and

to accomplish displaying, to the end-user, in response to, at least, the indication of the first instance, of the row class of screen region, by the gesture, a first result of a first user-added feature, wherein the first result was produced using a first template to produce a first universal resource identifier, and using the first template to produce the first universal resource identifier comprises substitution, of a first parameter of the indicated row class of screen region, with a first value of the indicated instance of the row class of screen region.

16. The system of claim 15, is further configured:

to accomplish inputting, by a first administrative user, a first trigger and the first template, wherein the end user is not an administrative user.

17. The system of claim 15, is further configured:

to accomplish indicating, by the end-user, a second instance of a second class of screen region by inputting, while the first location is also within a second screen region, the gesture, wherein the second screen region is different from the first screen region.

18. The system of claim 17, is further configured:

to accomplish viewing, by the end-user, the first result, wherein the first result was produced in response to the indication of, at least, the first instance and the second instance.

19. The system of claim 17, is further configured:

to accomplish viewing, by the end-user, a selection of actions to be taken, wherein a first member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a value from the first instance and a second member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a different value from the second instance.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first universal resource identifier includes a database query.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one instance, of the row class of screen region, is represented by an instance of a class in an object oriented programming language.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein each instance of the row class is represented by a region of the first screen that is utilized for representation of a gate.

23. A method for enabling user-added features, comprising:

displaying, to an end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a first chart on a first screen of an application program, wherein the first chart includes a first axis representing time and, along a second axis, instances of a row class of screen region;

displaying, to an end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a first screen region representative of a first instance of the row class of screen region, and a second screen region representative of a second instance of an assignment class of screen region;

displaying, to an end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, on the first screen region, the second screen region;

receiving pointing instruction, from an end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, to a first location on the first screen;

receiving an indication, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, to at least the second instance of the assignment class of screen region, by detecting end-user input, constituting a gesture at the first location, while the first location is within the second screen region corresponding to the second instance of the assignment class of screen region; and

displaying, to the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, in response to, at least, the indication of the second instance, of the assignment class of screen region, by the gesture, a first result of a first user-added feature, wherein the first result was produced using a first template to produce a first universal resource identifier, and using the first template to produce the first universal resource identifier comprises substitution, of a first parameter of the indicated assignment class of screen region, with a first value of the indicated instance of the assignment class of screen region.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising the following steps:

inputting, by a first administrative user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a first trigger and the first template, wherein the end user is not an administrative user.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the following step:

indicating, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, the first instance of the first class of screen region by inputting, while the first location is also within the first screen region, the gesture, wherein the first screen region is different from the second screen region.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising the following step:

viewing, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, the first result, wherein the first result was produced in response to the indication of, at least, the first instance and the second instance.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising the following step:

viewing, by the end-user, performed at least in part with a configuration of computing hardware and programmable memory, a selection of actions to be taken, wherein a first member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a value from the first instance and a second member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a different value from the second instance.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the first universal resource identifier includes a database query.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one instance, of the row class of screen region, is represented by an instance of a class in an object oriented programming language.

30. The method of claim 23, wherein at least one instance, of the assignment class of screen region, is represented by an instance of a class in an object oriented programming language.

31. The method of claim 23, wherein each instance of the row class is represented by a region of the first screen that is utilized for representation of a gate.

32. The method of claim 23, wherein each instance of the assignment class is represented by a region of the first screen that is utilized for representation of an airplane.

33. A system for using user-added features, comprising:

one or more processors and programmable memory, wherein the system is configured;

to accomplish displaying, to an end-user, a first chart on a first screen of an application program, wherein the first chart includes a first axis representing time and, along a second axis, instances of a row class of screen region;

to accomplish displaying, to an end-user, a first screen region representative of a first instance of the row class of screen region, and a second screen region representative of a second instance of an assignment class of screen region;

to accomplish displaying, to an end-user, on the first screen region, the second screen region;

to accomplish receiving pointing instruction, from an end-user, to a first location on the first screen;

to accomplish receiving an indication, by the end-user, to at least the second instance of the assignment class of screen region, by detecting end-user input, constituting a gesture at the first location, while the first location is within the second screen region corresponding to the second instance of the assignment class of screen region; and

to accomplish displaying, to the end-user, in response to, at least, the indication of the second instance, of the assignment class of screen region, by the gesture, a first result of a first user-added feature, wherein the first result was produced using a first template to produce a first universal resource identifier, and using the first template to produce the first universal resource identifier comprises substitution, of a first parameter of the indicated assignment class of screen region, with a first value of the indicated instance of the assignment class of screen region.

34. The system of claim 33, is further configured:

to accomplish inputting, by a first administrative user, a first trigger and the first template, wherein the end user is not an administrative user.

35. The system of claim 33, is further configured:

to accomplish indicating, by the end-user, the first instance of the first class of screen region by inputting, while the first location is also within the first screen region, the gesture, wherein the first screen region is different from the second screen region.

36. The system of claim 35, is further configured:

to accomplish viewing, by the end-user, the first result, wherein the first result was produced in response to the indication of, at least, the first instance and the second instance.

37. The system of claim 35, is further configured:

to accomplish viewing, by the end-user, a selection of actions to be taken, wherein a first member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a value from the first instance and a second member of the selection is produced according to, at least, a different value from the second instance.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the first universal resource identifier includes a database query.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein at least one instance, of the row class of screen region, is represented by an instance of a class in an object oriented programming language.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein at least one instance, of the assignment class of screen region, is represented by an instance of a class in an object oriented programming language.

41. The system of claim 33, wherein each instance of the row class is represented by a region of the first screen that is utilized for representation of a gate.

42. The system of claim 33, wherein each instance of the assignment class is represented by a region of the first screen that is utilized for representation of an airplane.