Dynamic presentation of a results set by a form-based software application

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9934291-B2
Application number	US-201213524106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 15, 2012
Priority date	Jun 15, 2012
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A method for dynamically generating an optimal form definition for a results set can begin with the receipt of a results set by a form-based presentation optimizer. The results set can comprise data records having at least one data field. Form definitions applicable to the received results set can be identified. A form definition can define user interface elements and their configuration within a user interface of the form-based software application. An optimal form definition can be dynamically synthesized from the identified form definitions and predefined presentation optimization rules. The optimal form definition can define the configuration of user interface elements that optimally present the results set. The contents of the optimal form definition can vary based upon internal and external parameters that affect operation of the form-based software application and/or form-based presentation optimizer. The optimal form definition can then be conveyed to the form-based software application for rendering.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for dynamically generating an optimal form definition for a results set comprising:
receiving the results set by a form-based presentation optimizer running on an application server, wherein the results set (1) comprises at least one data record having at least one data field that satisfies a database query generated by a form-based software application running on the application server responsive to receiving a data request from a client device and (2) is received from a database server in response to the database query;
identifying, from a form definition library maintained by the application server, at least one form definition that is applicable to the received results set, wherein the at least one form definition is associated with the form-based software application, wherein the results set is to be presented within a user interface of the form-based software application, wherein a form definition defines at least one user interface element for presenting data and a configuration of the at least one user interface element within the user interface;
dynamically synthesizing an optimal form definition from the at least one identified form definition and at least one predefined presentation optimization rule, wherein the optimal form definition is dynamically synthesized by modifying the at least one identified form definition, wherein the optimal form definition defines the configuration of user interface elements that optimally present the results set, wherein contents of the optimal form definition vary based upon at least one existing presentation of contents of the results set, the at least one predefined presentation optimization rule, and the form-based presentation optimizer;
conveying at least the optimal form definition to the form-based software application for rendering; and
creating and conveying to the user interface, by the form-based software application, a data response that contains information necessary for the user interface to render the user interface elements defined in the optimal form definition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein dynamically synthesizing the optimal form definition further comprises:
analyzing the at least one identified form definition with respect to usage of user interface elements that present data contained in the results set, wherein user interface elements contained in the at least one identified form definition that are unrelated to the results set are disregarded in said analysis;
identifying the at least one predefined presentation optimization rule that is applicable to at least one of the identified form definitions and the user interface elements, wherein the identified at least one predefined presentation optimization rule defines how the form-based presentation optimizer determines which user interface elements are optimal for presenting the results set received from the database in response to the database query;
based upon said analysis and the identified at least one predefined presentation optimization rule, determining the user interface elements that optimally present the results set; and
packaging the determined user interface elements as the optimal form definition.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the user interface elements further comprises:
for each user interface element used to present a specific portion of the results set, dynamically calculating an optimality score for a user interface element, wherein the optimality score is a quantification representing a degree to which the user interface element optimally presents the identical portion of the results set; and
selecting the user interface element having a best optimality score as the user interface element that optimally presents the specific portion of the results set, wherein the best optimality score is identified with respect to a predetermined optimality scale.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein, when the form-based presentation optimizer utilizes user presentation preferences, calculating the optimality score further comprises:
identifying a user presentation preference associated with a user of the form-based software application that affects the user interface element, wherein said user performed actions within the form-based software application that resulted in the generation of the results set, and, wherein the at least one user presentation preference represents a preferentiality for the user interface element; and
adjusting the calculated optimality score of the user interface element in accordance with the user presentation preference.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the form-based presentation optimizer is an add-on component of the form-based software application.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the form-based presentation optimizer receives the results set from one of the form-based software application and a database server.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user interface elements comprise at least one of a table element, a graph, a chart, a slider bar, a text box, a plurality of selectable elements, a rating scale, an image viewer, a video player, an audio player, a hyperlink, and an animation.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the results set is conveyed to the form-based software application with the optimal form definition.

9. A method for dynamically presenting a results set comprising:
receiving, at an application server, a data request from a form-based software application on a client device;
transmitting, from the application server to a database server, a database query corresponding to the data request;
receiving, at the application server from the database server, a results set that fulfills the data request;
identifying at least one form definition that is applicable to the received results set;
invoking a form-based presentation optimizer to dynamically generate an optimal form definition for the obtained results set, wherein the optimal form definition is dynamically generated by modifying the at least one identified form definition, wherein the optimal form definition defines a configuration of user interface elements that optimally present the results set and transmitting, from the application server to the client device, the optimal form definition and the results set;
presenting the results set within a user interface of the client device using the user interface elements and configuration defined in the optimal form definition.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein obtaining the results set further comprises:
constructing the database query in a standardized query definition language supported by the database server that corresponds to the data request;
conveying the constructed query to the database server for execution; and
receiving the results set from the database server.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the form-based presentation optimizer generates the optimal form definition using existing form definitions of the form-based software application and a plurality of presentation optimization rules.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user interface elements comprise at least one of a table element, a graph, a chart, a slider bar, a text box, a plurality of selectable elements, a rating scale, an image viewer, a video player, an audio player, a hyperlink, and an animation.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein invoking the form-based presentation optimizer further comprises:
encapsulating the results set and instance information in an electronic message; and
sending the electronic message to the form-based presentation optimizer.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the form-based pr

Assignees

• Marum Matthew G
• Padgett Samuel
• Speicher Steven K
• Tabb Michael J
• IBM

Inventors

• Marum Matthew G
• Padgett Samuel
• Speicher Steven K
• Tabb Michael J

Classifications

• G06F40/106

  Display of layout of documents; Previewing · CPC title

• G06F40/174

  Form filling; Merging · CPC title

• G06F16/248 Primary

  Presentation of query results · CPC title

• G06F40/103

  Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents (automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191) · CPC title

• G06F17/211

  Physics · mapped topic