Web Portal Customization via User Profiles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing web portal applications require significant re-writing of software code to provide different services or accommodate diverse user needs, leading to inefficiencies, high costs, and resource-intensive development processes.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize user profiles to customize web portal applications by selecting and retrieving profile-specific or default states and transitions, allowing for tailored workflows and user interfaces from a single software code base, enabling efficient and cost-effective development.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If web portal application code is significantly rewritten to provide new services or accommodate different users, then the application can be customized for different services and users, but the development time and resources increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization capabilityVSAvoiddevelopment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the web portal application into a core code base and customizable profiles. The core code base contains common functionality, while profiles store user-specific configurations, workflows, and interface preferences. This segmentation allows customization without rewriting core code, reducing development time while maintaining adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses parameter changes by storing user-specific parameters in profiles rather than modifying the core application code. User preferences, workflow configurations, and interface parameters are stored as data in profiles, allowing the same code to adapt to different users by loading appropriate parameters from their profiles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If web portal application code is significantly rewritten to provide different services, then the application can support diverse services, but the development cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice diversityVSAvoiddevelopment cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the application into a shared code base and user-specific profiles. The code base handles common service functionality, while profiles store service-specific configurations and workflows. This reduces development cost by eliminating the need to rewrite code for each service type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates copies of user-specific configurations in profiles rather than creating separate applications for different services. Each profile is a copy of the core application configured for specific user needs, allowing cost-effective customization without duplicating the entire code base.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If web portal application code is significantly rewritten to accommodate diverse user base, then the application can suit different user requirements, but the development effort increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser diversity supportVSAvoiddevelopment effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the application into a universal code base and user-specific profiles. The code base provides common functionality, while profiles store user-specific workflows, interface preferences, and behavior configurations. This segmentation reduces development effort by avoiding code rewriting for each user type.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements user diversity support through parameter changes stored in profiles rather than code modifications. User-specific parameters such as workflow sequences, display preferences, and interaction patterns are stored as data, allowing the application to adapt to diverse users without increasing development effort.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS8954950B2Web portal application customization method and system using profiles

Publication Date: 2015.02.10 ACCENTURE GLOBAL SERVICES LTD

AI summary

Web portal application customization methods and systems using profiles allow developers to expose different functionalities and a different look and feel to users belonging to different user profiles. Specifically, the method allows a developer to define default and profile-specific transitions as well as default and profile-specific states. Upon request of a transition by a workflow engine, the system transparently provides the workflow engine with a profile-specific transition if a profile-specific transition associated with the user is available. If a profile-specific transition is not available, the system provides the application with a default transition. Likewise, the system transparently provides the application with a profile-relevant state according to the profile of the user and the availability of a profile-specific state. Accordingly, the method may implement highly customizable functionalities and look and feel effectively and cost-efficiently.