Customizable User Guides in Virtual Client Applications

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing applications lack the ability to provide customizable user guides, limiting users to pre-defined guides and requiring source code modifications for localization or adding custom guides, which is impractical for complex applications like ERP and CAD programs.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for displaying user guides in a virtual client application, where a server device virtualizes a host target application, determines user interaction positions, retrieves and transfers user guide content, and renders it on the client device, allowing for customizable and localized guides without modifying the application's source code.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If pre-defined user guides are provided by the application provider, then users can receive basic guidance, but users cannot customize or update the guides to suit their specific needs or language preferences

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomizability of user guidesVSAvoidease of adding custom guides

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system between the user and the application that captures user interactions and dynamically generates or selects appropriate user guide content. This intermediary layer enables customization without requiring direct modification of the application source code, as it intercepts and processes user actions to provide tailored guidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-captures user interaction data and pre-generates or pre-selects user guide content based on anticipated user needs. By performing preliminary actions to collect interaction information and prepare guide content in advance, the system enables rapid delivery of customized guidance without requiring real-time processing or source code modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If source code modifications are made to add custom user guides, then users can have customized guidance, but the complexity and difficulty of implementation increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomizability of user guidesVSAvoidcomplexity of implementation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary system between the user and the application that captures user interactions and dynamically generates or selects appropriate user guide content. This intermediary layer enables customization without requiring direct modification of the application source code, as it intercepts and processes user actions to provide tailored guidance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates copies or representations of user interaction data and uses these copies to generate user guide content. By working with copies of interaction information rather than modifying the original application code, the system enables customization while maintaining the integrity and complexity of the original application unchanged.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If application-specific user guides are provided, then users can receive relevant guidance, but the guides cannot be localized to different languages without modifying the application

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelocalization capabilityVSAvoidease of localization

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-captures user interaction data and pre-generates or pre-selects user guide content based on anticipated user needs. By performing preliminary actions to collect interaction information and prepare guide content in advance, the system enables rapid delivery of customized guidance without requiring real-time processing or source code modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The user guide system is made dynamic by adapting the content and language based on real-time user interaction data and user profile information. The system dynamically selects and translates guide content without requiring static pre-localization of the application, allowing flexible localization to multiple languages through runtime adjustments rather than compile-time modifications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11669346B2System and method for displaying customized user guides in a virtual client application

Publication Date: 2023.06.06 CITRIX SYSTEMS INC

AI summary

Systems and methods for displaying a user guide in a Client Virtual Application (“CVA”). The methods include determining, by a client device, a position associated with a user interaction in CVA. The position of the user interaction may be a mouse position relative to the CVA's window or a position of a widget of CVA's window with which the user is interacting via an input device. The client device transfers the position data and application name to a server device on the network. The server device subsequently retrieves, from a content datastore, user guide content associated with the application and position, and transfer the user guide content for rendering on the client device. The server device may also determine a display position and send it to the client device. The client device may render the user guide according to a rendering policy.