Systems and methods for intelligent layered interactive programmatic elements for fixed content

• US 10,346,004 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2018
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Michael E. Murphy
• Original Assignee: Michael E. Murphy
• Inventors: Murphy, Michael E
• Primary Examiner(s): Pervan, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/873,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20180203578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 537 Days
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user

Abstract

The disclosed systems and methods relate to the creation and use of fixed-layout display component(s) embedded as part of the overall programmatic device(s) screen display(s). In preferred embodiments, these fixed-layout components may behave in a specific manner and can be utilized and managed independently of the remaining programmatically generated screen display functionality. A fixed-layout component may contain many elements and associated user interactivities. Each element may be related positionally, dimensionally and display sequence to the overall component and to other elements contained such that the mathematical calculation of relative position, size and dimension aspect ratio of all the component items and the item display sequence is maintained programmatically and visually relative to each other irrespective of the device screen size or orientation when the fixed-layout component is part of an overall display. Advantages include rapid embedding of fixed-layout component(s) into device(s) display application(s).

Claims

1. A system for intelligent layering of interactive programmatic elements for fixed content, comprising:

an intelligent layering computer comprising at least a processor, a memory, and a plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory and operating on the processor, the programming instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive fixed context data from a data store;

receive a shape designation, from a first user device;

send the fixed content data to a display device associated to the first user device;

receive a selection from the first user device, the selection identifying an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate, the coordinates associated to a position within the fixed content;

establish a search start position based on the coordinates;

determine a search pattern, the search pattern comprising a plurality of search directions based on the shape designation;

find boundaries of one or more element area, using the search pattern, the boundaries determined by a change in pixel color;

receive a plurality of properties from the first user device, the plurality of properties defining a plurality of behaviors for the one or more element areas;

create a fixed-layout package comprising the plurality of boundaries, the one or more element areas, and the plurality of properties as one or more layers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein to find the boundaries, the plurality of programming instructions when executed by the processor further cause the processor to:

set a current search direction based on a first search direction of the plurality of search directions;

initialize a pixel position as the search start position;

iteratively analyze a pixel color at the pixel position;

move to an adjacent pixel along the current search direction

set the pixel position to the position of the adjacent pixel

record a boundary of a plurality of boundaries, the boundary based on a location associated to the current pixel;

set the current search direction to a next search direction of the plurality of search directions; and

,

repeat analyzation of pixels until all search directions, of the plurality of search directions, have been completed.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more layers comprise a plurality of display-layer identifier data, the display-layer identifier data used to determine a sequence of the areas for display within the component.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the display-layer identifier data determines one or more areas that are visible on an interface display of a second user device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the one or more element areas are interactive and operable to receive interactivity from the second user device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein a plurality of metadata is associated to the one or more element areas, at least a portion of the plurality of metadata defining a corresponding behavior.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein a first behavior is interactivity to an external service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein, a first element area is a percentage of a size of an associated boundary.

9. A method for intelligent layering of interactive programmatic elements for fixed content, comprising:

an intelligent layering computer comprising at least a processor, a memory, anda plurality of programming instructions stored in the memory and operating on the processor, the programming instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to configure and associate one or more element areas to fixed content comprising the steps of;

receiving, at an export manager, fixed context data from a data store;

receiving, by an element finder, a shape designation, from a user device;

sending, by the element finder, the fixed content data to a display device associated to the user device;

receiving, at the element finder, a selection from the user device, the selection identifying an x-axis coordinate and a y-axis coordinate, the coordinates associated to a position within the fixed content;

establishing a search start position, the search start position based on the coordinates;

determining, by the element finder, a search pattern, the search pattern comprising a plurality of search directions based on the shape designation;

finding, by the element finder, boundaries of an element area, using the search pattern, the boundaries determined by a change in pixel color;

receiving, at an element metadata manager, a plurality of properties from the user device, the plurality of properties defining a plurality of behaviors for the element area;

creating, at the export manager, a fixed-layout package comprising the plurality of boundaries, the one or more element areas, and the plurality of properties as one or more layers.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein finding the boundaries comprises the steps of:

(a) setting a current search direction based on a first search direction of the plurality of search directions;

(b) initializing a pixel position as the search start position;

(c) analyzing a pixel color at the pixel position;

(d) moving to an adjacent pixel along the current search direction

(e) setting the pixel position to the position of the adjacent pixel

(f) if the color of the current pixel is the same as the pixel color, repeat at step (c);

(g) recording a boundary of a plurality of boundaries, the boundary based on a location associated to the current pixel;

(h) setting the current search direction to a next search direction of the plurality of search directions;

(i) repeating at step (b) until all search directions, of the plurality of search directions, have been completed.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more layers comprise a plurality of display-layer identifier data, the display-layer identifier data used to determine a sequence of the areas for display within the component.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the display-layer identifier data determines one or more areas that are visible on an interface display of the user device.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the one or more element areas are interactive and operable to receive interactivity from the second user device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of metadata is associated to the one or more element areas, at least a portion of the plurality of metadata defining a corresponding behavior.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a first behavior is interactivity to an external service.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein, a first element area is a percentage of a size of an associated boundary.