An approach for supporting distributed user interface orchestration over the Web

Currently, a lot of the tasks engaged by users over the Web involve dealing with multiple Web sites. Moreover, whilst Web navigation was considered as a lonely activity in the past, a large proportion of users are nowadays engaged in collaborative activities over the Web. In this paper we argue that these two aspects of collaboration and tasks spanning over multiple Web sites call for a level of coordination that require Distributed User Interfaces (DUI). In this context, DUIs would play a major role by helping multiple users to coordinate their activities whilst working collaboratively to complete tasks at different Web sites. For that, we propose in this paper an approach to create distributed user interfaces featuring procedures that are aimed to orchestrate user tasks over multiple Web sites. Our approach supports flexible process modeling by allowing users to combine manual tasks and automated tasks from a repertoire of patterns of tasks performed over the Web. In our approach, whilst manual tasks can be regarded as simple instructions that tell users how to perform a task over a Web site, automated tasks correspond to tools built under the concept of Web augmentation (as it augments the repertoire of tasks users can perform over the Web) called Web augmenters. Both manual and automated tasks are usually supported by specific DOM elements available in different Web sites. Thus, by combining tasks and DOM elements distributed in diverse Web sites our approach supports the creation of procedures that allows seamless users interaction with diverse Web site. Moreover, such an approach is aimed at supporting the collaboration between users sharing procedures. The approach is duly illustrated by a case study describing a collaborative trip planning over the Web.     

A graphical user interface server for unix

The UNIX operating system has attained widespread popularity because of its power, flexibility and elegance. However, the common user interfaces (shells) have been criticized as being cryptic and difficult to use, especially for novices. In this paper, we present a user interface server that can be used to provide a graphical shell for UNIX. This shell helps to overcome a number of difficulties faced by both novices and experts. Although it is largely intended to assist novices, it is also designed not to become a hindrance for expert users and does not sacrifice the basic power and flexibility of UNIX. The server is designed to augment rather than replace text-based interfaces and can be used from a variety of different interactive programs in addition to shells.     

Designing peer-to-peer distributed user interfaces: Case studies on building distributed applications

Building a distributed user interface (DUI) application should ideally not require any additional effort beyond that necessary to build a non-distributed interface. In practice, however, DUI development is fraught with several technical challenges such as synchronization, resource management, and data transfer. In this paper, we present three case studies on building distributed user interface applications: a distributed media player for multiple displays and controls, a collaborative search system integrating a tabletop and mobile devices, and a multiplayer Tetris game for multi-surface use. While there exist several possible network architectures for such applications, our particular approach focuses on peer-to-peer (P2P) architectures. This focus leads to a number of challenges and opportunities. Drawing from these studies, we derive general challenges for P2P DUI development in terms of design, architecture, and implementation. We conclude with some general guidelines for practical DUI application development using peer-to-peer architectures.     

A multi-formalism approach for model-based dynamic distribution of user interfaces of critical interactive systems

Evolution in the context of use requires evolutions in the user interfaces even when they are currently used by operators. User Centered Development promotes reactive answers to this kind of evolutions either by software evolutions through iterative development approaches or at runtime by providing additional information to the operators such as contextual help for instance. This paper proposes a model-based approach to support proactive management of context of use evolutions. By proactive management we mean mechanisms in place to plan and implement evolutions and adaptations of the entire user interface (including behaviour) in a generic way. The approach proposed handles both concentration and distribution of user interfaces requiring both fusion of information into a single UI or fission of information into several ones. This generic model-based approach is exemplified on a safety critical system from space domain. It presents how the new user interfaces can be generated at runtime to provide a new user interface gathering in a single place all the information required to perform the task. These user interfaces have to be generated at runtime as new procedures (i.e. sequences of operations to be executed in a semi-autonomous way) can be defined by operators at any time in order to react to adverse events and to keep the space system in operation. Such contextual, activity-related user interfaces complement the original user interfaces designed for operating the command and control system. The resulting user interface thus corresponds to a distribution of user interfaces in a focus+context way improving usability by increasing both efficiency and effectiveness.     

Augmented reality agents for user interface adaptation

Most augmented reality (AR) applications are primarily concerned with letting a user browse a 3D virtual world registered with the real world. More advanced AR interfaces let the user interact with the mixed environment, but the virtual part is typically rather finite and deterministic. In contrast, autonomous behavior is often desirable in ubiquitous computing (Ubicomp), which requires the computers embedded into the environment to adapt to context and situation without explicit user intervention. We present an AR framework that is enhanced by typical Ubicomp features by dynamically and proactively exploiting previously unknown applications and hardware devices, and adapting the appearance of the user interface to persistently stored and accumulated user preferences. Our framework explores proactive computing, multi‐user interface adaptation, and user interface migration. We employ mobile and autonomous agents embodied by real and virtual objects as an interface and interaction metaphor, where agent bodies are able to opportunistically migrate between multiple AR applications and computing platforms to best match the needs of the current application context. We present two pilot applications to illustrate design concepts. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Information flow during crisis management: challenges to coordination in the emergency operations center

This paper discusses challenges to coordination in the emergency operations center (EOC). A county-level EOC is made up of representatives from a range of organizations including local government, fire, police, hospital, utility, and Red Cross representatives. These ad hoc teams are tasked with coming together during an emergency to obtain and deliver resources to first responders on the scene of the disaster, as well coordinating transportation of casualties, tracking of fatalities, and establishment of shelters. Two county-level exercises were observed. Themes were identified across the two exercises. Recommendations for better supporting coordination in crisis management are offered.     

A factor combination approach to developing style guides for mobile phone user interface

This paper proposes a systematic approach to developing comprehensive guidelines for mobile phone user interface, and presents a case study to validate the approach. The approach applies a systematic combination of three critical factors: general usability principles, UI components and guideline properties to developing guidelines. In the case study, this factor combination approach was very effective in collecting experts’ ideas, creating guidelines and editing them. The resulting style guide can provide comprehensive and useful guidelines for designing mobile phone UI.

Relevance to Industry

UI designers can use the results of the study as a practical method to develop style guides for mobile phone UIs. The approach taken in the study will also be helpful in managing complex guideline information systematically.     

Implementing a user interface management system for existing applications using an object-oriented database tool

Numerous engineering application systems have been developed over the past twenty years, and many of these applications will continue to be used for many years to come. Examples of such applications include CAD Systems, finite-element analysis packages and inspection systems. Because many of these applications were developed before graphical workstations became available, they often have simple command-line user interfaces. Thus, there is a need for a graphical user interface management system (UIMS) that can be used to build point-and-click style interfaces for these existing engineering applications. In this paper we describe such a UIMS, and discuss its implementation using an object-oriented database tool. This UIMS allows users to create and modify user interfaces by editing graphical representations of the interfaces, thus eliminating the need to write code to build or modify an interface. The UIMS is implemented using an object-oriented database tool to take advantage of the data manipulation and storage management capabilities it provides. This approach reduces both the quantity and complexity of the code needed to implement the UIMS. It also allowed the UIMS to be implemented in a minimal amount of time.     

A flexible graphical user interface for performance modeling

We identify three goals for the graphical user interface (GUI) of a network simulation environment: user friendliness, model re-usability, and application extensibility. We address the user-friendliness issue by proposing a simple yet efficient approach to setup parameters for the simulation models. We address the application extensibility issue with a two-layer GUI architecture. The two layers are loosely coupled, and the first layer can be easily replaced without affecting the other components of the simulation environment. The concept of subnetwork is used to address the model reusability issue. Unlike most existing simulation packages, where a subnetwork is simply a method to group the nodes, the subnetwork construct in our approach is a first-class citizen in the simulation environment (i.e., all operations for a basic node also apply to a subnetwork). The port concept is used to define the I/O relationship between a subnetwork and the outside world. Parameter dialog boxes are used to set up the parameters for a subnetwork conveniently. Finally, a simple stack mechanism is used to measure subnetwork-wide output statistics.     

Shaping user input: a strategy for natural language dialogue design

Traditional approaches to natural language dialogue interface design have adopted ordinary human-human conversation as the model for online human-computer interaction. The attempt to deal with all the subtleties of natural dialogues, such as topic focus, coherence, ellipsis, pronominal reference, etc. has resulted in prototype systems that are enormously complex and computationally expensive.

In a series of experiments^†, we explored ways of minimizing the processing burden of a dialogue system by channeling user input towards a more tractable, though still natural, form of Englishlanguage questions. Through linking a pair of terminals, we presented subjects with two different dialogue styles as a framework for online help in the domain of word-processing. The first dialogue style involved ordinary conversational format. The second style involved a simulation of an automated dialogue system, including apparent processing restrictions and ‘system process messages’ to inform the subject of the steps taken by the system during query analysis. In both cases human tutors played the role of the help system. After each dialogue session, subjects were interviewed to determine their assessments of the naturalness and usability of the dialogue interface.

We found that user input became more tractable to parsing and query analysis as the dialogue style became more formalized, yet the subjective assessment of naturalness and usability remained fairly constant. This suggests that techniques for channeling user input in a dialogue system may be effectively employed to reduce processing demands without compromising the benefits of a natural language interface. Theoretically, this data lends support to the hypothesis that unrestricted human-human conversation is not the most appropriate model for the design of human-computer dialogue interfaces.     

: a toolset for creating customized interfaces for grid user communities

is a comprehensive set of tools for creating customized graphical user interfaces (GUIs). It draws from the concept of computing portals, which are here seen as interfaces to application-specific computing services for user communities. While was originally designed for the use in computational grids, it can be used in client/server environments as well.Compared to other GUI generators, is more versatile and more portable. It can be employed in many different application domains and on different target platforms. With , application experts (rather than computer scientists) are able to create their own individually tailored GUIs.     

GUIDS: A Graphical User Interface Development System in UniECAD

UniECAD is an integrated electronic CAD system,the user interface development system is the key of the integration of UniECAD.This paper presents the architecture of GUIDS,a graphical user interface development system in UniECAD,and then discusses a series of new techniques and methods in the design and the implementation of this system around the following aspects:the editing environment of interface elements,the implementation of dialogue control and the automatic generation of interface code.As an example,the generation of the main interfaces of UniECAD shows the procedure of the development of user interfaces with this development system.     

To model objects in information systems and user interfaces: implications for object-oriented methods

Abstract. A general way of contrasting the object-oriented to the function-oriented approach, called 'object-order' and 'function-order', is proposed in this paper. In addition, when modelling information systems, there is a third principle of ordering, 'subject-order'. Object and function-order are used to define the two approaches to modelling information systems and in human-computer interaction, in ways that are compatible to the corresponding distinction in programming. The conditions for selecting either of the two approaches are, however, not discussed here.
By means of an object-ordered method, e.g. Jackson System Development (JSD), an object-ordered model is produced, and the user interface that can be derived from the model is object-ordered too. However, other guidelines in JSD support subject-order. A function-ordered interface can be derived from the subject-ordered model. A computer system designed by means of an object-organized method may therefore obtain an interface that is partially object-ordered and partially function-ordered. Other object-oriented methods give guidelines for designing function-oriented interfaces without relating these guidelines to the model.
The system designer may benefit from having three principles of ordering when modelling a system. However, a user may be confused by an interface that sometimes gives preference to objects, sometimes to functions.     

e-CAPP: A distributed collaborative system for internet-based process planning

Advances in distributed technologies have enabled engineers to communicate more effectively, collaborate, obtain, and exchange a wide range of design resources during product development. Shared internet-based virtual environments allow experts in remote locations to analyze a virtual prototype, together and simultaneously in centers in which the product is being developed.This paper presents a system for distributed and collaborative environment which could assist manufacturing enterprises and experts in discussing, suggesting, evaluating and selecting best process plans for family of manufacturing parts. The represented e-CAPP system enables the implementation of expert knowledge in an appropriate knowledge repository. The knowledge from this repository is integrated into intra-company CAPP systems and used while generating process plans for new products. The proposed internet-based collaborative environment, dedicated to distributed process planning, is yet another step in the direction advancing of distributed manufacturing.     

A practical approach for hybrid distributed MPC

This paper presents a framework to deal with distributed optimization problems composed by binary and continuous variables. Instead of using a mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP), the approach proposed here transforms the MIQP into a set of quadratic programming's (QP) that are easier to solve. In this way an instance of the controller related to each feasible combination of binary variables is created. The distributed controller performs an iterative process where the set of agents must agree on the value of continuous interconnection variables, while each agent must decide the values of local binary variables. During the iteration procedure the instances are rated according to a performance index and the instances with best performance are selected until the best one is obtained. The proposed methodology is applied to economic optimization of networked microgrids.     

The Neem Platform: An Evolvable Framework for Perceptual Collaborative Applications

This paper introduces the Neem Platform, a generic research test bed for the development of a novel class of adaptive intelligent collaborative applications. These applications provide support for groups of people working together by facilitating their communication and by reacting adaptively to the perceived contexts of an ongoing interaction. Applications in Neem explore the multimodal context of mostly human-to-human communication, by “overhearing” conversations, monitoring user actions and reacting to perceived opportunities for augmentation via intelligent system interventions.The Neem Platform is designed to facilitate the integration of functionality for capture and reification of user communicative actions over a variety of modalities (e.g. speech, text, gestures), as well as facilitate analysis and reasoning based on this reified context. The platform promotes an exploratory and evolutionary style of development by affording rapid development of components, enactment of human-controlled real-time (Wizard of Oz) experiments, and remote collection of data for off-line analysis of interactions.This paper contributes the presentation of a novel coordination mechanism and shows how this underlying mechanism can be used to implement systems that support intelligent reaction to multimodal group interactions.This work was developed at the University of Colorado at Boulder.     

Event‐based modelling,analysis and testing of user interactions: approach and case study

With the growing complexity of computer‐based systems, their graphical user interfaces have also become more complex. Accordingly, the test and analysis process becomes more tedious and costly. This paper introduces a holistic view of fault modelling that is carried out as a complementary step to system modelling, enabling a scalability of the test process, and providing considerable potential for automation. Event‐based notions and tools are used to generate and select test cases systematically. The elements of the approach are illustrated and validated by a case study. This paper does not claim to introduce a novel theoretic approach; rather, it makes use of graph‐theoretic results for a practical and simple, but nevertheless powerful, view of modelling, analysis and testing of graphical user interfaces. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A neural network-based approach for user experience assessment

The objective of this study is to approximate the links between user satisfaction and its determinants without having the restrictions of common statistical procedures such as linearity, symmetry and normality. For this reason, artificial neural networks are utilised and trained with the observations of an extensive survey on user satisfaction with respect to website attributes. Each observation includes evaluations about the performance of 18 specific and 9 general website attributes as well as an evaluation about overall user satisfaction. The analysis results indicate that website attributes present different impacts on satisfaction whereas the relationships found feature both asymmetry and nonlinearity. Finally, function approximation using neural networks is found to be appropriate for estimating such kind of relationships providing valuable information about satisfaction's formation.     

A Web-based process planning optimization system for distributed design

In this paper, a process planning module, which can optimize the selection of machining resources, determination of set-up plans and sequencing of machining operations to achieve optimized process plans, has been wrapped as services and deployed in the Internet to support distributed design and manufacturing analysis. The module includes four intelligent approaches, and a Tabu search-based approach is explained in this paper to illustrate the optimization process. A Web-based prototype system has been setup for users to carry out visualization-based manipulations and process planning of design models by invoking the services remotely. The Web-based system has been integrated with a distributed feature-based design system, and the latter can generate design models and re-represent them in an XML representation based on VRML and attributes of features to provide the input of the former. Through effective utilization of the Web and Java technologies, this system is independent of the operating system, scalable and service-oriented, and can be used by a geographically distributed design team to organize concurrent engineering design activities effectively.     

3M: a user modelling interface of an expert system for X-ray topographic image interpretation

This paper discusses user modelling techniques and presents the design and implementation of the 3M user modelling interface of INTEREX. INTEREX is an expert system for X-ray topographic image interpretation which assists its users in identifying and analysing a number of defects that can occur in high-quality crystals. 3M consists of a monitor, a model and a modifier. It is used to adapt the consultation route and the explanations provided by INTEREX to three categories of users. It demonstrates the use-of an implicit, individual, dynamic and long-term user model to enable an expert system to accommodate users with different levels of expertise.