Usage Description Language for Platform-Independent UI Generation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing business applications lack flexibility in user interface (UI) design, as they are often developed without considering user tasks or usage models, leading to UIs that are not user-friendly and are difficult to modify to accommodate changing user needs or new UI technologies, and are not interchangeable across different platforms.
Innovation Solution
A computer system that incorporates a usage model specified in a machine-readable language, such as Usage Description Language (UDL), which describes user interactions and is agnostic to UI technology, paired with an adapter that translates these interactions into UI components specific to the hosting platform, enabling the generation of user-centric UIs that are platform-independent.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard UI notations are used for developing business applications, then UI elements can be consistently implemented across platforms, but the UI cannot be flexibly adapted to different user tasks or usage models
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the usage model (user task description) from the UI implementation. The usage model is represented as a transformational vector that describes user tasks independently of specific UI elements. This segmentation allows the same usage model to be implemented differently across various UI technologies and platforms without changing the core business logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a transformational vector as an intermediary representation between usage models and UI implementations. This transformational vector acts as a mediator that translates high-level usage descriptions into platform-specific UI components, enabling flexible adaptation while maintaining consistency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If UI elements are technology-specific, then each platform can leverage its native UI capabilities, but UI components cannot be interchanged between different technology platforms
Solution Approach 1:
The transformational vector serves as a universal representation that can be interpreted by multiple UI technologies. Instead of creating separate UI definitions for each platform, the system uses a single platform-independent usage model that can be transformed into various UI implementations, making UI components interchangeable across platforms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameters of UI representation from platform-specific concrete implementations to abstract transformational vectors. By representing UI elements as parameterized descriptions rather than fixed implementations, the system enables flexible transformation into different platform-specific UI components as needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing UI notations are used, then development can proceed with established standards, but modifications to accommodate changing user needs or new UI technologies are difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The usage model is designed to be dynamic and flexible rather than static. The transformational vector representation allows the system to adapt to changing user needs and new UI technologies by modifying the transformation rules rather than changing the core usage model structure, enabling easy adaptation without extensive recoding.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by establishing a platform-independent usage model before implementation. By defining usage models in advance using transformational vectors, the system prepares reusable specifications that can be efficiently transformed into different UI implementations, reducing the need for costly modifications when requirements change.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method includes incorporating a usage model in a business application hosted on a computing device. The usage model describes anticipated usages of the business application by a user and is specified using a formal machine readable language. The method includes providing an adapter configured to automatically translate the usage model in the business application to a UI profile consistent with a UI technology available on the computing device on which the business application is hosted.