# US 2021/0240318 A1 · User interface migration using intermediate user interfaces

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- Number: US 2021/0240318 A1
- Document ID: US20210240318A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/778,936
- Filed: 2020-01-31
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-01-31
- Assignees: salesforce.com, inc.
- Applicants: salesforce.com, inc.
- Inventors: Owen Winne Schoppe; Brian J. Lonsdorf; Sönke Rohde; Alan Martin Ross; David James Woodward; Jessica Lundin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210240318A1

## CPC

- G06F 3/0481: based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
- G06F 8/10: Requirements analysis; Specification techniques
- G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
- G06F 8/38: for implementing user interfaces
- G06F 8/65: Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57)
- G06F 8/658: Incremental updates; Differential updates
- G06F 9/453: {Help systems}
- G09B 19/0053: {Computers, e.g. programming}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G09B: EDUCATIONAL OR DEMONSTRATION APPLIANCES; APPLIANCES FOR TEACHING, OR COMMUNICATING WITH, THE BLIND, DEAF OR MUTE; MODELS; PLANETARIA; GLOBES; MAPS; DIAGRAMS (devices for psychotechnics or for testing reaction times A61B5/16; games, sports, amusements A63; projectors, projector screens G03B)

## Abstract

Techniques are disclosed relating to generating a user interface (UI) migration plan, including intermediate UIs, for migrating from a current UI to a new UI. A computer system may receive information specifying a current UI and a new UI, and identify one or more differences between the current and the new UIs. Based on the differences, the computer system may generate information specifying one or more candidate intermediate UIs. The computer system may score the candidate intermediate UIs relative to a specified set of design criteria. The computer system may determine a UI migration plan that specifies a set of the one or more candidate intermediate UIs that are displayable in order to migrate from the current UI to the new UI, where the set of one or more intermediate UIs is selected based on the scoring. Use of the UI migration plan may advantageously reduce user interaction issues.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a computer system, information specifying a current user interface (UI) and a new UI;
identifying, by the computer system, one or more differences between the current and the new UIs;
generating, by the computer system based on the identified differences, information specifying one or more candidate intermediate UIs, wherein the one or more candidate intermediate UIs include a plurality of UI elements; and
scoring, by the computer system, the one or more candidate intermediate UIs relative to a specified set of design criteria associated with the new UI; and
determining, by the computer system, a UI migration plan that specifies a set of the one or more candidate intermediate UIs that are displayable in order to migrate from the current UI to the new UI, wherein the set of one or more intermediate UIs is selected based on the scoring.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the UI migration plan further specifies a display order and timing information for the set of one or more intermediate UIs, and wherein the timing information specifies a window of time in which to display UIs included in the set of one or more intermediates UIs.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the UI migration plan is specific to a particular user, and wherein the display order and the timing information are determined based on historical user activity metrics tracked for the particular user.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the UI migration plan is adaptable during operation of the UI migration plan, and wherein adaptation of the UI migration plan is based on tracking user activity metrics during display of at least one of the set of one or more intermediate UIs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
causing display, by the computer system according to the UI migration plan, of at least one of the set of intermediate UIs;
receiving, by the computer system from a user computing device, user activity metrics, wherein the user activity metrics are tracked during display of the at least one of the set of intermediate UIs; and
in response to receiving the user activity metrics, changing, by the computer system, one or more intermediate UIs included in the set that are yet to be displayed.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the user activity metrics include, for the set of intermediate UIs, at least one of: scrolling within the user interface, hovering within the user interface, and clicking within the user interface.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein a number of intermediate UIs specified in the generated information is based on a quantity of identified differences between the current and the new UIs, and wherein the identified differences include differences in attributes of UI content in the current and new UIs, including removal of UI content and changes in the attributes of UI content that remains.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the number of intermediate UIs specified in the generated information is further based on identifying a quantity of dependencies included in content of the current and new UIs, wherein the one or more intermediate UIs are generated according to the identified dependencies.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the dependencies specify that at least two UI elements included in the current UI must be displayed at the same time within the current UI.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the scoring relative to the specified set of design criteria includes:
determining an extent to which the one or more candidate intermediate UIs satisfy one or more accessibility rules.

### Claim 11

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions stored thereon that are executable by a user interface (UI) system to perform operations comprising:
receiving information specifying a current user interface (UI) and a new UI;
identifying one or more differences between the current and the new UIs;
generating, based on the identified differences, information specifying one or more candidate intermediate UIs, wherein the one or more candidate intermediate UIs include a plurality of UI elements; and
scoring the one or more candidate intermediate UIs relative to a specified set of design criteria associated with the new UI; and
determining a UI migration plan that specifies a set of the one or more candidate intermediate UIs that are displayable in order to migrate from the current UI to the new UI, wherein the set of one or more intermediate UIs is selected based on the scoring, and wherein the UI migration plan includes a display order and timing information for the set of intermediate UIs.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the timing information specifies a window of time in which to display UIs included in the UI migration plan, and wherein the timing information and the display order are determined based on historical user activity metrics.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the UI migration plan is specific to a particular user, and wherein the display order and the timing information are determined based on historical user activity metrics tracked for the particular user.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the UI migration plan is adaptable during operation of the UI migration plan, and wherein adaptation of the UI migration plan is based on tracking user activity metrics during display of at least one of the set of one or more intermediate UIs.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein a number of intermediate UIs specified in the generated information is based on a number of identified differences between one or more components of the current UI and one or more components of the new UI.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the set of design criteria includes one or more rules of a user interface design specification that specify at least one of: accessibility, layout, and a design palette.

### Claim 17

A method, comprising:
receiving, by a server computer system, a base user interface (UI) migration plan, wherein the base UI migration plan includes a set of intermediate UIs that are displayable in order to migrate from a current UI to a new UI, wherein UIs in the set of intermediate UIs are generated based on one or more identified differences between the current UI and the new UI, and wherein the one or more candidate intermediate UIs include a plurality of UI elements;
transmitting, by the server computer system to a user computer device, the set of intermediate UIs included in the base UI migration plan, wherein the set of intermediate UIs are displayable by the user computer device;
receiving, by the server computer system from the user computer device, user activity metrics tracked for a user of the user computer device relative to the display of at least one of the set of intermediate UIs included in the base UI migration plan; and
altering, by the server computer system based on the received user activity metrics, the base UI migration plan.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
updating, by the server computer system based on historical user activity metrics, the base UI migration plan.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the altering includes one or more of the following: changing a display order for UIs included in the UI migration plan, changing timing of display for UIs included in the UI migration plan, and changing one or more of the UIs included in the set of intermediate UIs.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more identified differences between the current UI and the new UI are identified based on an analysis of program code and one or more UI screenshots included in information specifying the current UI and the new UI.
