Cross-Tab UI Event Communication for Browser Application Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing application development platforms in enterprise computing environments lack efficient mechanisms for cross-page or cross-tab communication in browser-based applications, leading to stale data issues when user interactions occur in one tab without updating other open tabs.

Innovation Solution

Implement cross-tab communication mechanisms using UI events and browser local storage to enable information sharing between different browser pages or tabs, allowing events to be published and subscribed to across multiple open application pages, with configuration defined by the developer during design time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If communication is limited to within a single tab of a browser-based application, then the system architecture remains simple and easy to implement, but data becomes stale across multiple open tabs when user interactions occur in one tab

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accuracyVSAvoidcommunication mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary communication mechanism using UI events and browser local storage that mediates between different browser tabs. When a user interaction occurs in one tab, the UI event is published to the local storage, which then allows other tabs to subscribe and receive updates, ensuring data accuracy without requiring complex direct tab-to-tab communication protocols

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a copying mechanism where the state or data from one tab is copied to the browser local storage, and other tabs can then retrieve this copied data. This allows multiple tabs to maintain synchronized data without requiring complex real-time synchronization protocols between each tab pair

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Productivity

If multiple browser tabs are opened with various data items populated in each, then user productivity and access to information improve, but other tabs are not updated in response to user interactions in a particular tab resulting in stale data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser productivityVSAvoiddata staleness

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where UI events generated in one tab are published to the browser local storage, and other subscribed tabs receive this feedback information. This allows all open tabs to be automatically updated with the latest data changes, preventing information loss while maintaining high user productivity across multiple tabs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures continuous data synchronization across multiple tabs by maintaining an active subscription mechanism to UI events in browser local storage. This continuous action ensures that as long as tabs remain open, they continuously receive updates and maintain current data states, preventing staleness while supporting multi-tab productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Ease of operation

If a user is logged out of the browser-based application in one tab, then session management is updated for that tab, but other open tabs are unaware and continue to show pages of the application resulting in inconsistent user experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession management consistencyVSAvoidcross-tab event propagation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the session management functionality into independent subscribable UI events that can be published and consumed across tabs. When a user is logged out in one tab, the logout event is published to browser local storage, and other tabs independently receive and process this event, maintaining operation consistency without requiring complex centralized session management across all tabs

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12455939B2Systems and methods for communication across multiple browser pages for an application

Publication Date: 2025.10.28 OPEN TEXT CORP

AI summary

A system for composing browser-based applications is enhanced with cross-tab communication capability. At design time, responsive to a configuration instruction from a user, the system configures a user interface (UI) event for a browser-based application such that the UI event is publishable across all open browser tabs at application runtime. Responsive to a publication instruction from the user, the system configures a first application page to generate the UI event at application runtime in response to a trigger and to publish the UI event to browser local storage. Responsive to a subscription instruction from the user, the system configures a second application page to periodically poll the browser local storage for the user interface event at application runtime and, in response to the UI event published by the first application page to the browser local storage, process the UI event and automatically immediately update the second application page.