Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Display driving control circuitry – Controlling the condition of display elements
Reexamination Certificate
1998-01-08
2001-02-06
Bayerl, Raymond J. (Department: 2773)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Display driving control circuitry
Controlling the condition of display elements
C345S215000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06184880
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for automatically operating a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for the purpose of usability evaluation or operational test of a system having a GUI or generation of an operation macro thereof and to an operation macro execution device for executing the operation macro of the system.
2. Description of Related Art
An evaluation method using a check list is disclosed as a method for evaluating an usability of a system operated by a user in the following articles:
Article (1): CHI '90 Conference Proceedings, ISBN-0-201-50932-6, pp. 249-256 (Apr. 1-5, 1990);
Article (2): “Practical Evaluation Method of User Interfaces”, ISBN-4-303-72860-8, pp21-27 (1993); and
Article (3): The Technical Reports, the Information Processing Society, Vol. 93, No. 80, pp. 17-24 (Sep. 17, 1993)).
In the user interface evaluation method disclosed in either one of these articles, an operator checks on a display screen whether or not check items listed on a check list are satisfied, for example, whether or not an information displayed on the screen can be understood easily, while changing the content of display by operating the system. Thus, the operator can find certain ones of the check items which do not satisfy definitions thereof, so that it is possible to improve the usability of the system by improving design of the user interface for the certain items.
Further, an automatic operation device of a system operated by a user is disclosed in the following articles:
Article (4): Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. H7-253865; and
Article (5): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-95780.
In the device for automatically executing a system operation disclosed in the Article (4) or (5), an operator preliminarily registers and stores operation procedures and the registered operation procedures can be automatically executed sequentially without operation of the operator by reading out the procedures sequentially and sending instructions for executing the individual procedures to the system sequentially.
Further, a device for evaluating an usability of a system having the GUI is disclosed in the following article:
Article (6): “Visual & Textual Consistency Checking Tools for Graphical User Interface”, Technical report, CAR-TR-828, Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory, Center for Automation Research, University of Maryland (available from http://www.cs.umd. edu:80/projects/hcil/research/tech-report-list.html1#1996 through World Wide Web, May 1996).
In the GUI evaluation device disclosed in the Article (6), data of font and size of label letters on buttons which are one of GUI operation objects are extracted from a source program of a GUI portion of a system and output in a table format. From the table, an evaluator can compare font and size of label letters on the buttons throughout the system and, if letters, the font and size of which are different from others, are used on some buttons, he can know that the consistency of letter is not maintained throughout the system.
Further, a device for testing an operation normality of a system operated by a user is disclosed in the following articles:
Article (7): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-84829;
Article (8): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H7-84765;
Article (9): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-28209; and
Article (10): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H2-41529.
Further, as means for testing the normality of operation of a system having a GUI, there are software products WinRunner available from Mercury Interactive, USA, SQA Robot available from SQA, USA, SatellitePackage available from Performance Awareness, USA and VisualTest available from Microsoft, USA. GUI test device using these softwares is introduced in the following article:
Article (11): NIKKEI Open System, No. 40, pp. 247-257 (July, 1996).
In a GUI test device which uses the commercially available software product introduced in the article (11), in order to test an operation of a system responsive to an input operation of a user, a script for automating the input operation of the user is described. Alternatively, it is possible to produce the script by recording the input operation. It is possible to detect an abnormal operation of a system by automatically executing the user input operation by using such script and recording a result of system operation. The user interface test device disclosed in the Article (8) or (10) makes possible to test the system operation by producing a script by recording a user input operation, reproducing the input operation by using the thus produced script and automating the input operation, similarly to the GUI test device using the commercially available software product introduced in the Article (11). Further, in order to test a system operation in response to a user input operation, the user interface test device disclosed in the Article (7) describes a script for automating a user input operation, similarly to the GUI test device using the commercially available software product introduced in the Article (11). By reproducing the user input operation using the script to automate the user input operation, it is possible to test the system operation. On the other hand, in the user interface test device disclosed in the Article (9), it is possible to test a system operation by operating the system by not a user but a robot and recording a result of the system operation. In this case, however, it is necessary to produce a program for controlling the robot.
The following articles disclose a device for producing an operation macro of a system to be operated by a user:
Article (12): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-348481;
Article (13): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H6-274329;
Article (14): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H5-173741;
Article (15): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H5-35382; and
Article (16): Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. H1-237833.
In the operation macro producing device disclosed in each of the Articles (12) to (14), a user inputs a series of procedures for a system sequentially and the operation macro is produced by recording the procedures. On the other hand, in the operation macro producing device disclosed in the Article (15) or (16), procedures performed by a user are monitored during a time for which the user uses a system and a series of procedures, the frequency of use of which exceeds predetermined times, are automatically registered as an operation macro. As mentioned, in the operation macro producing device disclosed in each of the Articles (12) to (16), the series of procedures which are utilized by the user frequently can be executed by the operation macro by producing the operation macro from the procedures performed by the user, so that the operation efficiency is improved.
However, in the user interface evaluation method disclosed in any of the Articles (1) to (3), in which it is judged by the evaluator whether or not the content of the display screen of the system follows the check list items, it is necessary for the user to shift the content on the screen of the system by operating the system sequentially. Therefore, when the size of the system becomes large, the number of procedures to be executed in order to comprehensively shift the content of the system screen is increased, which is very troublesome. Further, when the system size and hence the complication of structure of operation procedures become large, the risk that a user forgets execution of some procedures and a comprehensive confirmation of all contents of the display screen of the system becomes impossible is increased correspondingly.
Tn the system operation automatic execution device disclosed in the Article (4) or (5), it is possible to execute the operation of the system not manually but automatically. Therefore, by executing the user interface evaluation method disclosed in any of the Articles (1) to (3) by utilizing such device, a system operation of an evaluato
Bayerl Raymond J.
Foley & Lardner
NEC Corporation
Nguyen Cao H.
LandOfFree
Automatic GUI system operation device and operation macro... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Automatic GUI system operation device and operation macro..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Automatic GUI system operation device and operation macro... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2605857