System and methods for previewing alternative compositions and arrangements when composing a strictly-structured flow diagram

• US 20070136351A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dames, Dwayne, Kobal, Jeffrey
• Granted Patent: US 8,607,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

A system (102) for previewing changes to a structured flow diagram is provided. The system includes a user interface (110) that displays a structured flow diagram according to a predetermined visual format. The system (100) further includes a preview module (112) for generating a modified display of a portion of the structured flow diagram displayable with the user interface (110). The modified display shows a user-directed modification to the structured flow diagram by displaying the user-directed modification in a different visual format juxtaposed with portions of the structured flow diagram that remain unchanged by the user-directed modification. The modification to the structured flow diagram can thus be previewed prior determining whether to incorporate the modification into the structured flow diagram if the system user elects to do so.

Claims

1. A system for previewing changes to a structured flow diagram, the system comprising:

a user interface configured to display a structured flow diagram to a user according to a predetermined visual format; and

a preview module for generating a modified display of a portion of the structured flow diagram displayable with the user interface, the modified display showing a user-directed modification to the structured flow diagram by displaying the user-directed modification in a different visual format juxtaposed with portions of the structured flow diagram unchanged by the user-directed modification so that modification to the structured flow diagram can be previewed by the user prior to being incorporated into the structured flow diagram if the user elects to incorporate the modification.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a drag-and-drop interface that allows a user to sequentially construct and modify the structured flow diagram by selecting an object from a predetermined set of objects and moving the selected object in relation to other objects displayed with the user interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the preview module comprises an event handler that tracks drag-and-drop operations performed by a user using the drag-and-drop interface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the structured flow diagram comprises a plurality of objects and a plurality of connectors that connect different ones of the plurality of objects to one another, and wherein the preview module is configured to generate the modified display by showing a rearrangement of objects and connections when a user selects a modification to the structured flow diagram.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein objects and connections of the structured flow diagram are displayed as a plurality of solid lines, and wherein rearranged objects and connections are displayed as a plurality of broken lines.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein objects and connections of the structured flow diagram are displayed according to a pre-selected color scheme, and wherein rearranged objects and connections are displayed according to a different color scheme.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the structured flow diagram is generated by a pre-selected grammar builder that generates a graphical representation of speech responses in a voice application.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the voice application is defined by at least one grammar rule, the at least one grammar rule being graphically represented by a token icon and at least one connector linking the token icon and another token icon.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the preview module is configured to preview an insert of a user-selected token in response to the user positioning a token icon over a selected connector.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the token icon corresponds to a list of selectable words, and wherein the preview module is configured to preview an addition to the list of selectable words in response to the user positioning an additional word over the token icon.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the structured flow diagram is generated by a circuit simulator that generates visual display of a circuit in response to the user selecting a plurality of circuit elements and specifying a plurality of connections between the circuit elements, and wherein the preview module is configured to preview a modification to the circuit diagram by displaying at least one textbox indicating a circuit parameter change resulting from the modification.

12. A computer-implemented method of previewing proposed modifications to a structured flow diagram, the method comprising:

presenting a display of the structured flow diagram with a user interface, the structured flow diagram being displayed according to a predetermined visual format; and

generating a modified display of a portion of the structured flow diagram by displaying a modification in a different visual format juxtaposed with unmodified portions of the structured flow diagram so that the modification to the structured flow diagram can be previewed prior to determining whether to incorporate the modification into the structured flow diagram.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of generating a modified display comprises performing at least one drag-and-drop operation whereby an object from a predetermined set of objects is selected and moved in relation to other objects in the displayed structured flow diagram.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the structured flow diagram is a grammar builder that visually represents speech responses for a voice application defined by at least one grammar rule represented by a token icon and at least one connector linking the token icon and another token icon.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of generating a modified display comprises generating a preview of an insertion of a token by positioning a token icon over a selected connector.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the token icon corresponds to a list of selectable words, and wherein the step of generating a modified display comprises generating a preview of an addition to the list of selectable words by positioning an additional word over the token icon.

17. A computer-readable storage medium, the storage medium comprising computer instructions for:

presenting a display of a structured flow diagram with a user interface, the structured flow diagram being displayed according to a predetermined visual format; and

a generating a modified display of a portion of the structured flow diagram by displaying a modification in a different visual format juxtaposed with unmodified portions of the structured flow diagram so that the modification to the structured flow diagram can be previewed prior to a determination being made as to whether to incorporate the modification into the structured flow diagram.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the instruction for generating a modified display comprises an instruction for performing at least one drag-and-drop operation whereby an object from a predetermined set of objects is selected and moved in relation to other objects in the displayed structured flow diagram.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the structured flow diagram is a grammar builder that graphically represents speech responses in a voice application defined by at least one grammar rule represented by a token icon and at least one connector connected to the token icon and another token icon, and wherein the instruction for generating a modified display comprises an instruction for generating a preview of an insertion of a token by positioning a token icon over a selected connector.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the structured flow diagram is a grammar builder that graphically represents speech responses in a voice application defined by at least one grammar rule represented by a token icon and at least one connector connected between the token icon and at least one other token icon, wherein the token icon corresponds a list of words, and wherein the instruction for generating a modified display comprises an instruction for generating a preview of an addition to the list of words by positioning a selected word over the token icon