Appliance UI Control Apparatus for Serverless Network Updates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional UI control techniques require a data management server connected to a network to update user interfaces, limiting their ability to provide the most suitable UI without this server.

Innovation Solution

A UI control apparatus integrated into appliances that can store and manage UI programs, obtain and register UI lists from remote appliances, select and execute UI programs without a data management server, allowing for seamless UI updates and delegation of UI execution between appliances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a data management server is used to update UI, then UI update capability is provided, but system complexity and dependency increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUI update capabilityVSAvoidsystem dependency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Each appliance maintains its own UI program storage unit and can independently obtain, store, and execute UI programs. The appliance self-manages its UI updates by obtaining UI programs from other appliances directly, eliminating the need for a centralized data management server and reducing system dependency while maintaining UI update capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the UI management functionality from the centralized data management server and distributes it to individual appliances. Each appliance has its own UI storage unit and can independently manage its UI programs, removing the central server dependency while preserving UI update capabilities through direct inter-appliance communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If UI programs are stored locally in each appliance, then UI execution autonomy is improved, but storage space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUI execution autonomyVSAvoidstorage space

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the UI program storage capabilities of multiple appliances into a shared resource pool. Each appliance can store UI programs locally in its UI storage unit and also access UI programs from other appliances through the network, effectively combining storage resources to reduce individual storage requirements while maintaining execution autonomy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If appliances obtain UI programs from remote appliances directly, then server dependency is reduced, but communication overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveserver dependencyVSAvoidcommunication overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Appliances perform preliminary actions by obtaining and storing UI programs in advance before they are needed. When a UI program is obtained from a remote appliance and stored in the local UI storage unit, it is prepared for future execution, reducing the need for repeated communication requests and minimizing communication overhead over time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8677246B2User interface control apparatus, user interface control method, program, storage medium storing program, and integrated circuit

Publication Date: 2014.03.18 TIANMA MICRO ELECTRONICS CO LTD

AI summary

A user interface (UI) control apparatus connected to a remote appliance via a communication path. The UI control apparatus is capable of providing a suitable UI for a user which may be stored on the UI control apparatus or the remote appliance without the need of a data management server. The UI control apparatus including: a UI list obtaining unit configured to add information on a UI program stored in a remote appliance to a UI list which is information listing at least one UI program stored in the UI control apparatus, the remote appliance being connected to the UI control apparatus via a communication path; and a UI obtaining unit configured to (i) search the remote appliance and (ii) obtain, from the remote appliance, a UI program selected by a user from the UI list with the information on the UI program added to the UI list.