Responsive PaaS UI Layout for Multi-Tenant Platforms

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) offerings do not customize the user interface to optimize the user experience across different devices and user roles, leading to suboptimal interaction and information access for administrators and developers.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a responsive layout in a multi-tenant PaaS system based on user profiles, application contexts, and device types, where elements are reordered, hidden, or modified to prioritize relevant information, using a UI module that provides indicators to HTML and CSS files to generate a tailored user interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a fixed user interface layout is used in PaaS systems, then the interface structure is simple and consistent, but the user experience is suboptimal across different devices and user roles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinterface adaptabilityVSAvoidinterface complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic user interface that automatically adjusts its layout and content based on detected device characteristics (screen size, orientation, capabilities) and user role (administrator or developer). The interface transitions from a static fixed layout to a dynamic responsive layout that reconfigures elements such as navigation menus, content areas, and toolbars to optimize for each specific context, thereby improving adaptability without requiring manual configuration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different interface configurations to different user roles and device types. Administrators receive interfaces optimized for system-wide management tasks, while developers receive interfaces optimized for application deployment and monitoring. Similarly, the interface adapts its local qualities (element sizes, spacing, information density) based on the specific device being used, such as providing larger touch targets for mobile devices versus desktop computers.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Area of stationary object

If the user interface displays all available information and elements, then completeness of information is maintained, but space on mobile devices is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreen space utilizationVSAvoidinformation accessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and prioritizes the most relevant information and controls for each user role and device context. On mobile devices, the interface extracts essential functions and displays them in a condensed format, while less critical information is made accessible through expanded views or secondary navigation. This allows the primary screen real estate to be dedicated to high-priority elements without completely removing lower-priority information from the system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The interface dynamically adjusts the amount and arrangement of information displayed based on available screen space. When space is limited (mobile devices), the interface consolidates information and provides hierarchical access. When space is abundant (desktop devices), the interface expands to show more details simultaneously. This dynamic adjustment ensures that no information is permanently lost, but its accessibility is optimized for the current context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If a generic user interface is used for all users, then development and maintenance are simplified, but user experience optimization for specific roles and devices is lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experience optimizationVSAvoidinterface development complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements responsive design techniques that automatically adjust interface parameters (element sizes, spacing, layout configurations, information density) based on detected device characteristics and user role. This allows a single codebase to generate optimized interfaces for different contexts by changing CSS media queries, font sizes, and layout parameters rather than requiring separate interface designs for each device type or user role.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9864801B2Responsive layout based on behavioral intent in a multi-tenant platform-as-a-service (PaaS) system
Publication Date: 2018.01.09 RED HAT INC
  • US9864801B2 patent drawing
  • US9864801B2 patent drawing
  • US9864801B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A responsive layout based on behavioral intent in a multi-tenant PaaS system is disclosed. A method of the disclosure includes determining a profile of a user of a PaaS system, an application context for each application associated with the user and hosted by the PaaS system, and a task context of an access to the PaaS system by the user, providing indicators of the determined profile, the determined application context, and the determined task context to a browser application of the user, and providing HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) files of the management console to the browser application, wherein the provided indicators are applied to the HTML and CSS files to generate a responsive layout, wherein the indicators are associated with one or more variants of the HTML and CSS files that provide the responsive layout.