Visual Interaction Builder for Dashboard UI Elements

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current graphical user interface (GUI) dashboards offer limited interactivity, requiring users to code for complex interactions, which is time-consuming, costly, and prone to errors, and restricts interactions to only specific types and properties of UI elements.

Innovation Solution

A GUI that allows users to create interactions between UI elements by selecting a target UI element, choosing an interaction type, and selecting a control UI element, enabling the updating of multiple properties and supporting various types of interactions beyond filtering and cross-highlighting, without the need for coding.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users code to create complex interactions in dashboards, then interaction functionality and customization are improved, but time consumption, cost, and error probability increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction functionalityVSAvoidtime consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a visual interaction builder as an intermediary tool between the user and the dashboard system. This builder provides a code-free interface with drag-and-drop functionality, pre-configured interaction templates, and automatic code generation, allowing users to create complex interactions without manually writing code, thus reducing time consumption while maintaining interaction functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables users to self-configure interactions through an intuitive visual interface that automatically handles the complexity of interaction creation. The interaction builder provides real-time validation, auto-completion, and template-based configuration, allowing users to independently create customized interactions without requiring programming expertise or external assistance

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If users code to create interactions, then customization capability is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring coding knowledge

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoidease of operation

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical coding process with a visual configuration system. Instead of requiring users to write and debug code, the interaction builder provides a graphical interface where interactions are defined through visual elements, drag-and-drop operations, and property editors, making customization accessible to users without programming knowledge while maintaining full customization capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transforms interaction definitions from code-based parameters to visual parameter configurations. Users can modify interaction behavior by adjusting visual parameters, selecting from predefined templates, and configuring properties through form-based interfaces, thereby maintaining customization capability while dramatically improving ease of operation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If dashboards offer limited interactivity, then system complexity is reduced, but functionality and user experience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidfunctionality

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the interaction creation process into modular components within the interaction builder. Interactions are broken down into configurable elements such as triggers, actions, and parameters that can be independently selected and combined. This modular approach allows the system to provide rich functionality through composition of simple building blocks without increasing overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The interaction builder implements a universal configuration framework that handles multiple interaction types through a single unified interface. The same visual builder can create filtering interactions, cross-filtering interactions, highlighting interactions, and custom interactions, eliminating the need for separate complex systems for each interaction type while maintaining low overall system complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS11010031B2Creating and/or editing interactions between user interface elements with selections rather than coding

Publication Date: 2021.05.18 SALESFORCE INC

AI summary

Methods and systems are described that enable a user designing a dashboard to make selections of user interface (UI) elements rather than coding to create and/or edit an interaction between UI elements. UI elements are displayed that allow a user to select a control UI element and a type of interaction. Selections from the user of a type of interaction and of UI elements as target and control UI elements are accepted. The control and target UI elements are displayed in the dashboard and a definition for the interaction is stored. Responsive to a trigger, the interaction is performed.