Composer of Integrated Systems for Legacy GUI Application Interoperability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern systems face challenges in integrating Graphical User Interface (GUI) Applications (GAPs) with web services due to their closed and monolithic nature, making interoperability difficult and costly, especially when legacy GAPs lack exposed programming interfaces or data in known formats, hindering efficient information exchange and system integration.
Innovation Solution
The Composer of Integrated Systems (Coins) employs accessibility technologies to control and manipulate GUI elements of GAPs as programming objects, enabling non-programmers to compose GAPs and web services into integrated systems by using a visualization mechanism and proxies to manage interactions between GAPs and web services, allowing for the creation of composite web services that interoperate seamlessly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If GAPs are implemented in a closed and monolithic manner, then they maintain system stability and security, but they become difficult and expensive to integrate with other systems and web services
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary layer (integration framework/proxy) that sits between the closed GAP and external systems/web services. This intermediary handles communication protocols, data transformation, and interface adaptation, allowing the GAP to maintain its closed architecture while achieving interoperability through the mediating component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the integration architecture into distinct layers: the core GAP functionality remains intact and closed, while separate integration components (adapters, proxies, service interfaces) are added around it. This segmentation allows the GAP to maintain stability while the surrounding integration layer provides adaptability and interoperability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If system integrators modify source code of GAPs to enable interoperability, then integration capability is improved, but the cost and complexity of integration increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of modifying the GAP source code, the patent introduces intermediary components (integration framework, proxy servers, adaptation layers) that interface with the GAP through its existing interfaces. These intermediaries handle all integration logic, protocol translation, and data format conversion, eliminating the need to modify the original GAP codebase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual representations or proxies of the GAP functionality that can be integrated with web services. These proxies replicate the GAP's interface behavior and data access patterns, allowing external systems to interact with the GAP through standardized web service protocols without requiring access to or modification of the original GAP source code.
3Loss of energy
If organizations use legacy GAPs as long as possible, then they realize return on investment, but these GAPs lack exposed programming interfaces and data in known formats, hindering integration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary integration layer that sits between legacy GAPs and modern web service infrastructure. This intermediary performs automated interface discovery, data format translation, and protocol adaptation, allowing legacy GAPs to communicate with external systems through standardized web service interfaces without modifying the original GAP code.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal integration framework that can work with multiple different legacy GAP systems through a common interface layer. This framework provides multi-functional capabilities including data transformation, protocol conversion, and interface standardization, enabling diverse legacy systems to be integrated into modern web service architectures without system-specific modifications.
4Reliability
If GAPs are designed without exposed programming interfaces, then they maintain security and simplicity, but they cannot easily exchange information with web services or other GAPs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a secure intermediary layer that handles all external communications with the GAP. This intermediary enforces security policies, authenticates requests, and manages data exchange protocols, allowing the GAP to maintain its closed and secure architecture while enabling efficient information exchange through the mediating security layer.
Data Source
AI summary
A composer of integrated systems solves the technical problem of enabling graphical user interface applications (GAPs) to interoperate (e.g., exchange information) with each other and web services over the Internet, effectively and non-invasively. The system provides a user friendly visualization mechanism that interacts with an accessibility layer to enable organizations to economically and easily define web service driven information exchange between GAPs, by performing point-and-click, drag-and-drop operations on GAPs. The system allows users to rapidly create integrated systems composing GAPs enabled to interoperate with other GAPs and web services, so that organizations extend the life-cycle use of their legacy GAPs in business operations.