Showing papers on "User interface published in 1979"

The Design of a User Interface for a Sparse Matrix Package

Abstract: Software for solving sparse systems of hnear equations typically involves fairly complicated data structures and storage management In many cases the user of such software simply wants to solve a system of equations, and should not have to be concerned with the way this storage management is actually done, or the way the matrix components are actually stored. In this paper we describe a sparse matrLx package which effectively insulates the user from these considerations, but which still allows the user to conveniently use the package m a variety of ways.

Communication broadcast channel interface

Abstract: The Local Network Architecture (LNA) is an organization of a data communication network where the control and access to the communication channel is handled local to each user device interface. The device interface (Local Netowrk Architecture Interface or LNAI) is an electronic module which interfaces a user with the LNA communication network. This device adapter contains both a network port and a user interface port. This interface accepts user data and fragments it into data packets for shipment over a shared communication medium which is connected to the network port. A communication microprocessor is used to implement the functions of data buffering, routing, sequencing, flow control, acknowledging and error checking of data. Such distributed control eliminates the need for messages in the network to be forwarded to a message flow control process or computer station. Users supported by the system can include microprocessor based systems, programmable controllers, terminal devices, minicomputers and larger host computers. Since users differ in their exact communication conventions certain "personalities" can be imparted to the LNA device interface. These personalities allow data to be transmitted between users in a full transparent information mode in such a fashion as to be compatible with protocols implemented by those users and at different user transmission rates.

Searching MEDLINE in English: a prototype user interface with natural language query, ranked output, and relevance feedback

Abstract: Developing an English sentence (natural language) query capability for today's operational on-line retrieval systems promises to have a profound impact on bibliographic retrieval. Although much research has been done over the past two decades, experimental systems have not been implemented in a large operational environment. In a prototype system called CITE (Current Information Transfer in English), the authors have demonstrated a technical solution for implementing an operational natural language interface to MEDLINE, the most heavily used of the National Library of Medicine's 19 data bases. Important in the design of the system were the functional considerations of identification of search terms, combinatorial searching, weighting and ranked output, relevance feedback, and automatic query modification. Technical considerations focused on maintenance of quick response time and internal efficiency. Of critical importance was the solution of the technical problems of merging postings lists to achieve the logical equivalent of combinatorial searching and computing document ranking weights. The principles employed in the system design are of a general nature and can be transferred to any inverted file system. 2 figures.

An internetwork message structure

Abstract: The focus of this paper is the provision of computer-aided message services between users of computers in a multinetwork environment. An assembly of interconnected networks is called an internetwork. The task at hand is to provide an internetwork computer message service.It can be expected that a large number of message services will arise with some general aspects of equivalent functionality and some will have a few unusual, possibly unique, features. Certainly there will be many distinct user interface models for the human interaction with message systems.For these reasons the internetwork message system suggested here is based on the assumption of a standard for the internal machine-oriented representation of a message and the assumption that a variety of user interface programs will be available.The proposed system provides for the transmission of messages composed of a rigidly defined and structured set of command information fields and an arbitrarily defined and structured message content. Within the content may be transmitted text, facsimile, graphics, or voice data.This paper is based on a more detailed proposal for an internetwork message system [1].

A general purpose graphic system for computer aided design

Abstract: The experimental Advanced Integrated Designer's Activity Support (A-IDAS) system is intended to be a base for a total engineering system rather than a pure graphic system. The system provides a database in which graphic data, geometric data and engineering data are stored in a relational data model. It also provides a graphic management facility which can manipulate not only pictures drawn with lines, but those drawn as areas. Areas are represented by crosshatched lines or colors. In more complicated ways, they can be represented as texture or scenery. The system controls two kinds of graphic display devices: a vector display and a raster display. These devices are supported through a device independent user interface when pictures are drawn with lines. With this experimental system, it has been found out that one can develop an engineering system having fairly general purpose capabilities.

A compact, portable CRT-based text editor

Abstract: CRT-based text editors offer a better user interface than most teletype-based text editors but are more complex and less portable. Building a screen editor as a front end to a line editor exploits existing code, yields a more compact, portable result, and permits one computer to edit another's files. This paper describes such an editor.

AESOP: an architectural relational database

Abstract: This paper describes the principles and implementation of AESOP, an architectural relational database which aims to integrate building design procedures and to provide good graphic manipulation facilities. It is also intended to be highly flexible in that it allows inexact as well as exact data, can support a variety of user views of data and modes of use, and can accommodate itself to new techniques as these become available. AESOP uses ‘fuzzy’ logic. It holds information in the form of components which are linked lists of records, or relations, which are linked lists of tuples containing pointers to records, or, more generally, as directed graphs with records at the boundaries. New relations can be defined interactively from old using set theoretic operations thus enabling the logical operations of the first order predicate calculus to be performed on relations. The database also holds internal procedures called maps. Maps may be used to transform data as required by the user or to test the properties of a design proposal. New maps can be defined interactively from existing maps by applying composition, recursion or the logical operations of the first order calculus. An example of the use of the principles of fuzzy logic for guiding the selection of building fabriċ is given. Some tests of AESOP in practice on live problems are noted. It is concluded that AESOP could provide a useful framework for a CAAD system and that further work is required in two areas, the user interface, and operations involving geometrical relations.

Pilot: An operating system for a personal computer (Summary)

Abstract: The Pilot operating system is designed for the personal computing environment. It provides a basic set of services within which higher-level programs can more easily serve the user and/or communicate with other programs on other machines. Pilot omits certain functions sometimes associated with “complete” operating systems, such as character-string naming or user-command interpretation; higher-level software provides such facilities as needed. On the other hand, Pilot provides a higher level of service than that normally associated with the “kernel” or “nucleus” of an operating system. Pilot is closely coupled to the Mesa programming language and runs on a rather powerful personal computer, which would have been thought sufficient to support a substantial timesharing system of a few years ago. The primary user interface is a high resolution bit-map display, with a keyboard and a pointing device. Secondary storage generally takes the form of a sizable local disk. A local packet network provides a high bandwidth connection to other personal computers, and to server systems offering such remote services as printing and shared file storage.Much of the design of Pilot stems from an initial set of assumptions and goals rather different from those underlying most timesharing systems. Pilot is a single-language, single-user system, with only limited features for protection and resource allocation. Pilot's protection mechanisms are defensive, rather than absolute, since in a single user system, errors are a more serious problem than maliciousness. Similarly, Pilot's resource allocation features are not oriented toward enforcing fair distribution of scarce resources among contending parties.

A Hybrid Scheduling Technique for Hierarchical Logic Simulators or "Close Encounters of the Simulated Kind"

Abstract: Advancing circuit complexity in LSI technology has brought about an ever growing need for more powerful Computer Aided Design tools. Verification of an IC design through simulation is mandatory to avoid costly mask iterations and delays in product introduction due to design errors. A gate level simulation is one method for reducing errors in a chip design. However, gate level simulations of large designs are extremely expensive. A high level "black box" or functional simulation gains in efficiency, yet loses accuracy. It is possible to minimize the individual disadvantages of these two approaches with a hierarchical simulator that permits a mixture of the two levels. Further improvement can be realized by incorporating a dual mode (fixed event list/event-driven) scheduler within this hierarchical simulation environment to control more efficiently the model evaluation sequence. This paper describes such a scheduler, and the user interfaces for it.

An Integrated Information System for Power Planning Studies -SIIPEP-

Abstract: The Integrated Information System for Power Planning Studies -SIIPEP- is an interactive Data Base that automatically Prepares information for Power System Planning models, reducing manual data handling when updating certain Parameters that are representative of a studs case. Information retrieval from SIIPEP to user application is realized in a simple was by a user interface that avoids modifications to existing models. This interface is supported by SIIPEP functions. This Paper describes the results and experiences of the first stage of its design and Presents the theoretical basis for the second stage.

User documentation and control language I: Evaluation and comparison of statistical computer packages

Abstract: Procedures for comparing and evaluating aspects of the user interface of statistical computer packages are described. These procedures are implemented in a study of three packages. SPSS. BMDP and Minitab, by a class of 21 students with some statistical background. It was found that most participants exhibited consistent personal preferences among the packages. In selecting packages to solve specific problems, however, their choice was determined more by issues of good statistical practice than by personal preference for overall package features.

A Survey of DB Requirements for Graphical Applications in Engineering

Abstract: The problem of integrating the graphical and non-graphical information in one data base has not yet been adequately solved. The feasibility of solution has been shown in the literature (Williams, Giddings 76). This paper attempts to identify the specific features exhibited by graphical information structures as used in engineering application. It further focuses on the ways the users interact with the stored information, Bearing these features in mind, some requirements on data base management systems will be inferred.

Message extraction through estimated relevance

Abstract: METER is a text analysis and retrieval system for non-expert computer users to exploit statistical associations between index terms of documents. It will run on a DEC PDP-11/45 minicomputer with continually changing collections of up to 20,000 documents at a time. A scaled version of METER with all major features of the full system has been implemented on a DEC PDP-11/70 as an experimental test bed for evaluation and comparison of associative retrieval algorithms. Although the basic structure of METER is similar to earlier statistical systems for retrospective document searches, the severe requirements of frequent updates of a document collection, of running on a small processor, and of meeting needs of users with little technical training have led to some novel developments. Among these are an update procedure that draws as much as possible on intermediate results from previous updates and a user interface that provides for control over the process of retrieval without calling for knowledge of how that process works.

Use of abstracted characteristics of data in relational databases

Abstract: In the database field, the requirement of high level facilities for retrieval/update operations is now increasing rapidly. Our approach from the relational database point of view for contribution to this problem is to provide 1) efficient processing of relational retrieval/ update operations, and 2) a high level user interface. In order to achieve this goal, a new concept concerning "abstracted characteristics" is presented. Abstracted characteristics are defined to be characteristics abstracted from sets of tuples in relations stored in the database. A classification of abstracted characteristics is presented. Functional dependencies, which play an important role in relational database design, and time-dependent functional dependencies are pointed out to be useful in processing retrieval/update operations. Some important applications of abstracted characteristics are discussed. Among them: 1) efficient processing of retrieval/update operations, 2) powerful view update checking facilities, 3) providing some rough meanings of null responses and 4) a high level user interface.

MUSS—the user interface

Abstract: A common failing with many ‘general purpose’ operating systems is that they try to provide a single user interface to suit all applications. The approach adopted in the MUSS system is to provide a set of basic building blocks which can be used for the construction of tailor-made systems. The system is novel in that the provision of facilities and the means of invoking them are regarded as two quite distinct problems.

Progress Toward a Goal-Directed Decision Support System.

Abstract: : This report describes a preliminary operational version of a computerized, domain-independent, decision-support system which is based on a novel, goal-directed structure for representing decision problems. The structure allows the user to state relations among aspects, effects, conditions, and goals, in addition to actions and states which are the basic components of the traditional decision-tree approach. The program interacts with the user in a stylized English-like dialogue, starting with the stated objectives and proceeding to unravel the more detailed means by which these objectives can be realized. At any point in time, the program focuses the user's attention on the issues which are most crucial to the problem at hand. The structure used is more compatible with the way people encode knowledge about problems and actions and, therefore, promises to offer the following advantages: (1) Judgments and beliefs issued by the user would constitute a more valid representation of the user's experience, and (2) The user may be guided toward the discovery of action alternatives he otherwise would not have identified. (Author)

Paper simulation techniques in user requirements analysis for interactive computer systems

Abstract: This paper describes the use of a technique called 'paper simulation' in the analysis of user requirements for interactive computer systems. In a paper simulation, the user solves problems with the aid of a 'computer', as in normal man-in-the-loop simulation. In this procedure, though, the computer does not exist, but is simulated by the experimenters. This allows simulated problem solving early in the design effort, and allows the properties and degree of structure of the system and its dialogue to be varied. The technique, and a method of analyzing the results, are illustrated with examples from a recent paper simulation exercise involving a Space Shuttle flight design task

Functional Specification Of A Decision Support System

Abstract: In this paper we describe some features of the decision support system which is currently being built on top of the distributed DBMS POREL. Based on a short description of the different interfaces of POREL we investigate the relationships between the decision support system and POREL. We discuss the execution of operators of the decision support system and the specification of input data for operators. In addition, we describe the possible structures of so-called complex operators.

Computer AIDS for Clinical Research Management and Control: General Analysis and Design.

Abstract: Clinical research projects involve concurrent management of subjects, protocol, analysis and study. This complicated management problem could be aided by the use of computerized data systems. For most effective aid, such a system should consider all aspects of clinical research. We have analyzed clinical research tasks involving data collection, communication, and management and have used this task analysis to develop a system model for clinical research data management and control. The model deals with data control, study monitoring, user interfaces, report and analysis libraries, and study subject and support data bases. It may be used as a basis for computerized data system study and development. The model also indicates that the role of computerized systems in clinical research could be expanded into such areas as automatic report generation and control, process control aids, quality assurance monitoring, and study documentation.

Design of a prototype ANSI/SPARC three-schema data base system *

Abstract: This paper has three objectives. First, it describes briefly how an ANSI/SPARC three-schema data base system prototype could be constructed, using wherever possible available data models, system software, and research results. Second, it lists data models selected for each of the three levels; it also explains these selections. We find no existing proposal for an external schema facility to be adequate; therefore, our third objective is to develop specifications for the external level. A user interface based upon simple hierarchical user records is proposed, the necessary theory is described and a mapping language for the definition of external schemata is proposed.

Field performance aids for IBM GSD systems

Abstract: A series of field performance aids have been developed to assist IBM Systems Engineers evaluate the performance of System/3, System/34, and System/38 configurations. Use of those aids is appropriate at proposal time, for preinstallation design, for tuning, and for upgrade studies. This paper overviews some of the key features of these aids as they pertain to the user interface, workload characterization, and performance models.

Data management for microcomputers

Abstract: A common data base archi?ecture and its application to the implementation of data management facilities for resource-limited systems are described. The common data base architecture exploits functional commonality within and across systems to facilitate the compact implementation of a single system which supports file and data base functionality for various programming languages, data models, and data architectures. The exploitation of functional commonality within systems is reflected in a recursive data architecture which covers both definitional and manipulation user interfaces. This recursive architecture permits implementations consisting of compact software modules which may be applied at various interfaces or may be applied recursively across several interfaces.

Interactive Technology: The Role of Passivity: Projection, Interactive Technology, Passivity, Parallel User-Interfaces

Abstract: Technology comes in many forms, in particular 'interactive' and 'not-so interactive'. Not all so-called interactive systems are interactive technology: they are not 'good' enough. In contrast to typical modern technology, interactive technology is responsibly passive and thereby reduces the opportunity for its users to form incorrect or misguided models of its operation. Passivity is not solely a property of the system design but is relative to the needs and actions of the users of the technology; it depends on the skills, expectations and understanding of the users. As a guide to implementors, passivity also reduces their opportunities to create systems that are obscure to users. It is suggested that a 'parallel user-interface', which is outlined, meets the requirements of interactive technology. Language: en