Portal Business Object for Dynamic UI Customization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing ERP software architectures face challenges in providing customized user interfaces efficiently, especially in multi-tenant systems, where frequent changes and dependencies between UI elements and underlying business objects require cumbersome manual adjustments and high retrieval costs.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using a portal business object created in Service Adaptation Description Language (SADL) that dynamically defines the portal business object during runtime, allowing access to underlying business objects and enabling UI modifications without hard coding, thus simplifying the design and access to customized user interfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If manual adjustments are made to customize user interfaces in multi-tenant ERP systems, then customization flexibility is improved, but system complexity and retrieval costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization flexibilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary layer (customization manager and portal business object) between the underlying business objects and the user interface. This intermediary automatically maps UI elements to business object nodes, eliminating the need for manual customization adjustments while reducing system complexity and retrieval costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service customization by allowing users to modify user interface elements through a simplified interface. The portal business object automatically handles the complexity of mapping changes to underlying business objects, making customization accessible without requiring deep system knowledge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If frequent changes are made to user interface elements, then adaptability is improved, but retrieval costs and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidretrieval time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-structures the portal business object with defined mappings to underlying business object nodes before runtime. This preliminary setup allows frequent UI changes to be made without incurring high retrieval costs, as the mapping framework is already in place to handle changes efficiently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The portal business object serves multiple functions: it acts as a container for UI elements, maintains mappings to business object nodes, and handles runtime dynamics. This multi-functionality allows the system to handle frequent changes efficiently without requiring separate mechanisms for each function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If placeholder nodes and redundant data retrieval are used to manage UI dependencies, then system reliability is improved, but total cost of ownership increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem reliabilityVSAvoidtotal cost of ownership

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the dependency management functionality from the traditional placeholder node approach and consolidates it into the portal business object. This eliminates redundant data retrieval operations while maintaining system reliability, as the portal business object directly manages dependencies on underlying business objects without unnecessary intermediaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Manufacturing precision

If hard coding is used to define UI element dependencies, then manufacturing precision is improved, but adaptability decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedependency definition precisionVSAvoidcustomization capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic dependency definitions through the portal business object, which can be configured at runtime rather than being hard-coded. This allows precise control over UI element dependencies while maintaining full adaptability, as dependencies can be adjusted without recompiling or reconfiguring the core system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS8893078B2Simplified business object model for a user interface

Publication Date: 2014.11.18 SAP SE

AI summary

A streamlined, dynamic definition of a customized user interface that presents content from a variety of service providers or sources can be provided. A server can retrieve a list of underlying business object nodes required for presentation of an organization-specific user interface corresponding to an organization from which a call for an instance of the organization-specific user interface is received at the server. A portal business object that matches a structure of the organization-specific user interface can be created that includes one portal business object node corresponding to each user interface element of a structure of the organization-specific user interface. Access to the portal business object can be provided for a user interface model that creates the organization-specific user interface by calling the underlying business object nodes according to the portal business object. Related articles, systems, and the like are disclosed as well.