Alarm System UI Broker for Workstation Parameter Conflict Resolution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Alarm systems with multiple workstations often have conflicting interface parameters, making it challenging to provide a unified and coherent user interface for operators, as each workstation may be configured differently in terms of colors, images, controls, and notification sounds.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that designates one workstation as a main workstation, with its configuration parameters applied to a comprehensive user interface, and allows selection of configuration categories and ordered sequences to determine which parameters are applied, using a UI broker to aggregate and present data in a unified manner.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple independent alarm system workstations are used, then system functionality and coverage are improved, but interface parameter consistency and user experience uniformity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
A UI broker is introduced as an intermediary component between multiple independent alarm system workstations and the user interface. The broker receives interface parameters from various workstations, reconciles conflicts between different configurations, and presents a unified consistent interface to users, thereby maintaining system functionality while ensuring interface parameter consistency across all workstations
Solution Approach 2:
The UI broker serves multiple functions simultaneously: it aggregates data from different workstations, reconciles conflicting interface parameters, applies selected workstation configurations as defaults, and presents a unified interface. This multi-functional approach allows the system to maintain versatility while achieving parameter consistency without requiring separate mechanisms for each function
2Adaptability or versatility
If different interface parameters are configured for different workstations, then customization and adaptability are improved, but unified user interface and operator efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring interface parameters at individual workstations before data aggregation. The UI broker then uses these pre-configured parameters as starting points for reconciliation, applying selected workstation configurations as default values. This allows customization to be maintained while reducing the need for operators to manually adjust parameters across multiple workstations, thereby improving efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The UI broker dynamically changes interface parameters by reconciling different configurations from multiple workstations. It selects appropriate parameters based on predefined rules or user input, transforms conflicting parameters into consistent values, and applies these changes to the unified interface. This maintains the benefits of customization while ensuring operator efficiency through automated parameter harmonization
3Quantity of substance
If interface parameters from multiple workstations are aggregated, then comprehensive coverage is improved, but parameter conflict resolution and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The parameter conflict resolution process is segmented into manageable stages: the UI broker first identifies which workstation configurations should be applied as defaults, then systematically reconciles parameters category by category. This segmentation allows comprehensive coverage from multiple workstations while reducing the complexity of conflict resolution through structured, incremental processing rather than attempting to resolve all conflicts simultaneously
4Ease of operation
If a unified user interface is implemented, then operator efficiency and ease of use are improved, but system flexibility and adaptability to different configurations deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The unified interface is made dynamic by allowing the UI broker to adapt its parameter selection based on the specific workstation configurations being aggregated. Rather than using a fixed interface template, the system dynamically reconciles and applies appropriate parameters from the input workstations, maintaining flexibility while presenting a unified interface. This enables the system to adapt to different configurations without sacrificing operator efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
System and method for establishing configuration parameters for a comprehensive user interface of an alarm system. An exemplary embodiment of a configuration system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a plurality of alarm system workstations, each alarm system workstation having a set of configuration parameters associated therewith, a client workstation, and a user interface broker operatively connected to each of the alarm system workstations and the client workstation, wherein the user interface broker is configured to aggregate data from the alarm system workstations and to present such aggregated data at the client workstation using the comprehensive user interface. The user interface broker is further configured to facilitate designation of one of the alarm system workstations as a main workstation, whereupon the configuration parameters of the designated main workstation are applied to the comprehensive user interface.