Event Visualization and Control via Percent Completion Timeline
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional task managers lack the ability to monitor and visualize user-initiated background events associated with running applications and processes, providing only a table format without a rich visual experience for users to easily monitor and modify these events.
Innovation Solution
An event handling visualization application (EHVA) that displays a graphical user interface showing events along a percent completion timeline, dynamically updates the interface, and allows users to perform actions such as starting, stopping, deleting, pausing, and reordering events, while also providing error handling and reporting functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional task managers display running processes in table format, then the structure is simple and easy to implement, but the visual experience is poor and users cannot easily monitor and modify running processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a traditional 2D table view to a 3D visualization interface where processes are represented as graphical objects in a spatial environment. This dimensional change enables users to interact with processes more intuitively through drag-and-drop operations, graphical selection, and spatial arrangement, significantly improving ease of operation while accepting increased interface complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a visualization layer as an intermediary between the underlying process data and the user interface. This graphical representation layer mediates user interactions by providing visual metaphors for process states, progress, and relationships, making it easier for users to monitor and control processes without directly interacting with raw data or complex commands
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional task managers monitor only running applications, then the monitoring scope is limited but the system remains simple, but user-initiated background events cannot be monitored
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a unified monitoring system that handles multiple types of processes (foreground applications, background services, user-initiated events) through a single interface. This universal approach allows the system to monitor diverse process types without requiring separate tools, enhancing adaptability while managing system complexity through consistent handling methods
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the monitoring scope into different process categories (applications, services, background events) that can be independently tracked and visualized. This segmentation allows the system to expand monitoring capabilities by adding specific process types without overwhelming the entire system, making the complexity manageable through modular organization
3Ease of operation
If conventional task managers provide basic process listing, then the implementation is simple, but no rich visual experience is provided for users to easily monitor running processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes color coding to represent different process states, priorities, and types visually. This color change mechanism provides immediate visual feedback to users about process status without requiring detailed analysis, significantly enhancing ease of operation while keeping the interface intuitive through consistent color semantics
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs 3D graphical representations and spatial positioning to visualize process information, transforming flat data into immersive visual experiences. This dimensional enhancement allows users to perceive process relationships, status, and progress more easily, improving visual monitoring capability despite increased interface complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method for event visualization and control performed by a software component executing on a processor, comprises: receiving as input one or more events currently executing on a computer, the one or more events comprising both applications and processes, and user-initiated background events performed by the applications and processes; displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) showing the one or more events along a percent completion timeline, and dynamically updating the GUI such that each of the one or more events move through the percent completion timeline as the one or more events process; and providing interface controls that enable a user to dynamically perform actions on the one or more events, wherein the actions include start, stop, delete, pause, and reorder.