GUI Navigation System Backwards Path Traversal

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Solution Overview

Problem

In a test environment for graphical user interfaces (GUIs), navigating to destination objects is cumbersome due to large and unwieldy lookup trees, which require significant metadata transfer and storage, especially when program versions change, leading to inefficiencies in processing time and storage space.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a navigation system that registers destinations against programming objects, allowing a navigation object to work backwards from a destination using a recursive traversal method, eliminating the need for large lookup trees and reducing metadata transfer by using model objects based on real hardware or programming components, and allowing navigation through a backwards path.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a lookup tree structure is used to navigate to destinations in a test environment, then navigation functionality is achieved, but storage space requirements increase significantly and processing time increases due to large amounts of metadata transfer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation functionalityVSAvoidstorage space

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential navigation information from the large lookup tree structure and stores it in a compact register that maps destinations to programming objects. This extraction eliminates the need to store and transfer the entire lookup tree metadata, significantly reducing storage space while maintaining navigation functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates model objects that are simplified representations (copies) of real hardware or programming objects. These model objects contain only the necessary navigation information needed for testing, rather than requiring the full complexity of the actual system's metadata structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If a lookup tree structure is used to navigate to destinations in a test environment, then navigation functionality is achieved, but processing time increases due to significant metadata transfer

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation functionalityVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential navigation metadata needed for destination lookup and stores it in a compact register structure. This extraction reduces the amount of data that needs to be transferred and processed during navigation operations, significantly improving processing time while maintaining full navigation functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent pre-establishes the register mapping destinations to programming objects during system initialization. This preliminary action ensures that during actual navigation operations, the system can quickly lookup destinations without having to traverse large metadata structures or transfer significant amounts of data in real-time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the lookup tree is updated or supplemented when program versions change, then navigation remains functional, but the complexity of maintaining the tree increases and processing becomes more cumbersome

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveversion adaptabilityVSAvoidlookup tree maintenance complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal register structure that can accommodate destinations from multiple programming versions without requiring separate lookup trees for each version. The register serves as a multi-functional data structure that adapts to version changes by simply updating the destination-to-object mappings, eliminating the complexity of maintaining multiple version-specific trees.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

4Productivity

If model objects based on real hardware or programming components are used, then navigation efficiency is improved, but the complexity of establishing and managing these model objects increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation efficiencyVSAvoidmodel object management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates simplified model objects that capture only the essential characteristics needed for navigation testing. These models are straightforward copies that map directly to real hardware or programming objects, avoiding the complexity of creating fully functional replicas while still enabling efficient navigation testing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS10705685B2Navigation system for a graphical user interface

Publication Date: 2020.07.07 RED HAT INC

AI summary

A graphical user interface (GUI) can be tested using a navigation system to access objects. As an example, a processing device in a system can receive a selection of an object. The selection can be made through the GUI. In response to the selection, the processing device retrieves the object and a destination at which the object is located. The processing device recursively traverses a backwards navigation path from the destination to the graphical user interface using the name of the object and the destination. The processing device can then navigate to the destination using the backwards navigation path.