Portal Focus Indication via Dynamic Style Sheets
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
In portal user interfaces, there is no mechanism to determine which portlet has the current input focus when multiple interactive Web applications share a single Web page, making it difficult to identify which form will be submitted.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that assigns a focused style sheet to the portlet with input focus and an unfocused style sheet to all other portlets, with a global focus identifier to track and reassign styles dynamically as focus changes, using a script embedded in the portal defined in a markup language document.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple interactive Web applications share a single Web page in a portal environment, then content aggregation and unified interface are achieved, but it becomes difficult to determine which application has user focus
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual style changes to indicate focus state. A focused portlet is rendered with a distinct style (e.g., different background color, border, or highlighting) compared to unfocused portlets, making the active input location visually apparent to users. This resolves the detection difficulty by transforming an invisible focus state into a visible visual cue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a focus indicator mechanism as an intermediary element between the portal server and the user interface. This intermediary system tracks which portlet has input focus and communicates that information to the user through visual indicators, mediating the invisible focus state and making it detectable and understandable.
2Device complexity
If no focus tracking mechanism is implemented, then portal simplicity is maintained, but user interaction clarity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The solution adds minimal visual styling changes to indicate focus state without fundamentally altering the portal architecture. By using CSS-like style sheets to apply visual cues (such as highlighting or border changes) to the focused portlet, the system enhances operational clarity while maintaining overall interface simplicity and avoiding complex redesign.
3Ease of manufacture
If focus indication is not provided, then rendering simplicity is maintained, but user ability to identify active portlet is impaired
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies visual style differentiation to convey focus state information. By rendering the focused portlet with a distinct visual style (such as different background color, border styling, or highlighting effects) compared to unfocused portlets, the system recovers and communicates the focus state information that would otherwise be lost, while maintaining simple rendering through the use of style sheets.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system and apparatus for indicating input focus in a portal environment. A method for indicating user input focus in a portal environment can include assigning an unfocused style sheet to all unfocused portlets in a portal except for a focused portlet having input focus. A focused style sheet further can be assigned to the focused portlet having input focus. Subsequently, each of the focused and unfocused portlets can be rendered in the portal. Responsive to a new portlet in the portal acquiring the input focus from the focused portlet, the focused style sheet can be re-assigned to the new portlet while the unfocused style sheet can be re-assigned to the focused portlet which no longer has input focus. Subsequently, the new portlet and the focused portlet which no longer has input focus can be re-rendered in the portal according to the style sheets.