Method and system for generating user interfaces

• US 20020035595A1
• Filed: 04/03/2001
• Published: 03/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SYNQ Technology Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SYNQ Technology Incorporated
• Inventors: Taylor, Luke, Weng, Chien Sen, Yen, Hsiang Tsun
• Application Number:
  US09/823,759
• Publication Number:
  US 20020035595A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/445 Program loading or initiating bootstrapping G06F9/4401; security arrangements for program loading or initiating G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems

Abstract

A method and system for generating dynamic user interfaces is disclosed herein. A client makes a request to a server for generating a user interface. Thereupon receiving the request, the server transfers a frame and a configuration file to the client in return. The configuration file comprises a plurality of filenames, file addresses and file coordinates. Each filename corresponds to a file address and a file coordinate. Each file address corresponds to a storage apparatus. The file coordinates are used to designate the positions of the files on the frame. Upon the client receiving the frame and the configuration file, the client links to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and downloads the files corresponding to the filenames. The client generates a user interface within the frame by displaying the downloaded files based on the file coordinates corresponding to the filenames in the configuration file.

Claims

1. A method for generating user interfaces, comprising:

(a) making a request from a client computer;

(b) receiving the request at a server end and according to the request transferring a frame and a configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the configuration file comprising a plurality of filenames, a plurality of file addresses and a plurality of file coordinates, wherein each of the filenames corresponds to one file address and one file coordinate, each of the file addresses corresponds to a storage apparatus where the file corresponding to the filename is located and the file coordinate is used to designate the location of the file on the frame; and

(c) receiving the frame and the configuration file from the client computer; and

(d) linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and downloading the files corresponding to the filenames according to the file addresses corresponding to the filenames in the configuration file from the client computer; and

(e) generating a user interface on the frame by displaying the files downloaded from the client computer based on the file coordinates corresponding to the filenames in the configuration file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises a content part and a layout part, and the filenames comprises a plurality of content filenames and a plurality of layout filenames, content files corresponding to the content filenames are used for generating the content part of the user interface, and layout files corresponding to the layout filenames are used for generating the layout part of the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

(f) deleting the gap between the frame and the user interface and displaying the overlapping display region of the user interface and the frame from the client computer when the display region of the frame is larger than the display region of the user interface.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of margin coordinates for locating the display region of the frame, the method further comprising:

(f) forming a margin on the frame from the client computer based on the margin coordinates and deleting the display region of the frame beyond the margin.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a timer for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising steps (d) to (e).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a timer for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising the following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses based on the file addresses corresponding to the filenames in the configuration file from the client computer;

determining whether the files corresponding to the filenames in the storage apparatus being updated, if yes, the client computer downloading the updated files corresponding to the filenames, if not, the client computer not downloading the files corresponding to the filenames; and

displaying the downloaded files on the frame to update the user interface based on the file coordinates corresponding to the filenames in the configuration file from the client computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a timer for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising steps (a) to (e).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage apparatus is an external server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the server comprises the storage apparatus.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration file further comprises a first timer corresponding to the content filenames for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and downloading the content files corresponding to the content filenames according to the file addresses corresponding to the content filenames in the configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded content files to update the user interface on the frame based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenames in the configuration file from the client computer.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration file further comprises a first timer corresponding to the content filenames for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses according to the file addresses corresponding to the content filenames in the configuration file from the client computer;

determining whether the content files corresponding to the content filenames in the storage apparatus being updated, if yes, the client computer downloading the updated content files corresponding to the content filenames, if not, the client computer not downloading the content files corresponding to the content filenames; and

displaying the downloaded content files on the frame to update the user interface based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenames in the configuration file from the client computer.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration file further comprises a first timer for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising following steps:

making a request from the client computer;

receiving the request at the server end and according to the request transferring a frame and a content configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the content configuration file comprising a plurality of content filenames, a plurality of content file addresses and a plurality of content file coordinates, wherein each of the content filenames corresponds to one of the content file addresses and one of the content file coordinates, each of the content file addresses corresponds to one storage apparatus where the content file corresponding to the content filename is located, and the content file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the content files on the frame;

receiving the frame and the content configuration file from the client computer;

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the content file addresses and downloading the content files corresponding to the content filenames according to the content file addresses corresponding to the content filenames in the content configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded content files on the frame to update the content of the user interface from the client computer based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenames in the content configuration file.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration file further comprises a second timer corresponding to the layout filenames for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising the following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and downloading the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames according to the file addresses corresponding to the layout filenames in the configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded layout file on the frame to update the user interface based on the layout file coordinates corresponding to the layout filenames in the configuration file from the client computer.

14. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration file further comprises a second timer corresponding to the layout filenames for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses based on the file addresses corresponding to the layout filenames in the configuration file from the client computer;

determining whether the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames in the storage apparatus being updated, if yes, the client computer downloading the updated layout files corresponding to the layout filenames, if not, the client computer not downloading the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames; and

displaying the downloaded layout files on the frame to update the user interface based on the file coordinates corresponding to the layout filenames in the configuration file from the client computer.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the configuration file further comprises a second timer for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising following steps:

making a request from the client computer;

receiving the request at the server end and according to the request transferring a frame and a layout configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the layout configuration file comprising a plurality of layout filenames, a plurality of layout file addresses and a plurality of layout file coordinates, wherein each of the layout filenames corresponds to one of the layout file addresses and one of the layout file coordinates, each of the layout file addresses corresponds to the storage apparatus where the layout file corresponding to the layout filename is located, and the layout file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the layout files on the frame;

receiving the frame and the layout configuration file from the client computer;

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the layout file addresses and downloading the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames according to the layout file addresses in the layout configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded layout files on the frame to update the layout of the user interface based on the layout file coordinates corresponding to the layout filenames in the layout configuration file from the client computer.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of timers, each of the timers corresponding to one of the filenames for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising the following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and downloading the file corresponding to the filename according to the file address corresponding to the timer in the configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded file on the frame to update the user interface based on the file coordinate corresponding to the filename in the configuration file from the client computer.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of timers, each of the timers corresponding to one of the filenames for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising the following steps:

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and downloading the files corresponding to the filename according to the file address corresponding to the timer in the configuration file from the client computer;

determining whether the file corresponding to the filename in the storage apparatus being updated, if yes, the client computer downloading the file corresponding to the filename, if not, the client computer not downloading the file corresponding to the filename; and

displaying the downloaded file on the frame to update the user interface based on the file coordinate corresponding to the filename in the configuration file from the client computer.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of timers, each of the timers corresponding to one of the filename for initializing the client computer at preset times to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising the following steps:

making a request from the client computer;

receiving the request at the server end and according to the request transferring a component configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the component configuration file comprising the filename, a file address corresponding to the filename and a file coordinate corresponding to the filename, the file address corresponding to a storage apparatus where the file corresponding to the filename being located, and the file coordinate being used to designate the location of the configuration file on the frame;

receiving the frame and the component configuration file from the client computer;

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and downloading the file corresponding to the filename according to the file address corresponding to the filename in the component configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded file on the frame to update the user interface based on file coordinate in the component configuration file from the client computer.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computer further comprises a driver module used to enable the client computer to execute the method to update the user interface from the client computer, the method comprising steps (a) to (e).

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the client computer further comprises a first driver module used to enable the client computer to execute the method for updating the user interface from the client computer, the method comprising the following steps:

making a request from the client computer;

receiving the request at the server end and according to the request transferring a frame and a content configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the content configuration file comprising a plurality of content filenames, a plurality of content file addresses and a plurality of content file coordinates, wherein each of the content filenames corresponds to one of the content file addresses and one of the content file coordinates, each of the content file addresses corresponds to the storage apparatus where the content files corresponding to the content filenames are located, and the content file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the content files on the frame; and

receiving the frame and the content configuration file from the client computer; and

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the content file addresses and downloading the content files corresponding to the content filenames according to the content file addresses in the content configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded content files on the frame to update the content of the user interface from the client computer based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenames in the content configuration file.

21. The method of claim 2, wherein the client computer further comprises a second driver module used to enable the client computer to execute the method for updating the user interface from the client computer, the method comprising following steps:

making a request from the client computer;

receiving the request at the server end and according to the request transferring a frame and a layout configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the layout configuration file comprising a plurality of layout filenames, a plurality of layout file addresses and a plurality of layout file coordinates, wherein each of the layout filenames corresponds to one of the layout file addresses and one of the layout file coordinates, each of the layout file addresses corresponds to the storage apparatus where the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames are located, and the layout file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the layout files on the frame; and

receiving the frame and the layout configuration file from the client computer; and

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the layout file addresses and downloading the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames according to the layout file addresses in the layout configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded layout files on the frame to update the layout of the user interface from the client computer based on the layout file coordinates corresponding to the layout filenames in the layout configuration file.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the client computer further comprises a plurality of driver modules, each of the driver modules corresponds to one of the filenames used to enable the client computer to execute the method for updating the user interface, the method comprising the following steps:

making a request from a client computer;

receiving the request at a server end and according to the request transferring a component configuration file from the server end to the client computer, the component configuration file comprising the filename, a file address corresponding to the filename and a file coordinate corresponding to the filename, the file address corresponds to a storage apparatus where the file corresponding to the filename is located, and the file coordinate is used to designate the location of the file on the frame;

linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and downloading the file according to the file address corresponding to the filename in the component configuration file from the client computer; and

displaying the downloaded file on the frame based on the file coordinate in the component configuration file to update the user interface from the client computer.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the user interface comprises a content part and a layout part, and the filenames comprises a plurality of content filenames and a plurality of layout filenames, content files corresponding to the content filenames are used for generating the content part of the user interface, and layout files corresponding to the layout filenames are used for generating the layout part of the user interface.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the client computer further comprises:

a re-shaping module for deleting the display region of the frame which is beyond the overlapping display region of the user interface and the frame.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of margin coordinates for designating the display region of the frame, the client computer further comprises:

a re-shaping module for forming a margin on the frame based on the margin coordinates and deleting the display region of the frame beyond the margin.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the configuration file further comprises a timer used to initialize the download module and the combination module of the client computer at preset times.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the server further comprises a determining module, when the download module of the client computer is initialized to link to the storage apparatus according to the file address corresponding to the filename in the configuration file, the determining module determines whether the file corresponding to the filename in the storage apparatus is updated, if yes, the client computer downloads the file corresponding to the filename, if not, the client computer does not download the file corresponding to the filename.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein the configuration file further comprises a timer used to initialize the communication module, the download module and the combination module of the client computer at preset times.

30. The system of claim 23, the storage apparatus is an external server.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the server further comprises the storage apparatus.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the configuration file further comprises a first timer corresponding to the content filenames used for:

initializing the download module of the the client computer to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and download the content files corresponding to the content filenames according to the file addresses in the configuration file; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded content files on the frame to update the content part of the user interface based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenamse in the content configuration file.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the server further comprises a determining module, when the download module of the client computer is initialized to link to the storage apparatus according to the content file address corresponding to the content filename in the configuration file, the determining module determines whether the content file corresponding to the content filename in the storage apparatus is updated, if yes, the client computer downloads the content file corresponding to the content filename, if not, the client computer does not download the content file corresponding to the content filename.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein the configuration file further comprises a first timer for:

initializing the communication module of the client computer at preset times to receive a content configuration file from the server, the content configuration file comprising a plurality of content filenames, a plurality of content file addresses and a plurality of content file coordinates, wherein each content filename corresponds to one of the content file addresses and one of the content file coordinates, each content file address corresponds to the storage apparatus where the content file corresponding to the content filename is located, and the content file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the content files on the frame;

initializing the download module of the client computer to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and download the content files corresponding to the content filenames according to the file addresses in the configuration file; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded content files on the frame to update the content part of the user interface based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenames in the content configuration file.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein the configuration file further comprises a second timer corresponding to the layout filenames used for:

initializing the download module of the client computer to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and download the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames according to the file addresses in the configuration file; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded layout files on the frame to update the layout part of the user interface based on the file coordinates corresponding to the layout filenames in the layout configuration file.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the server further comprises a determining module to determine whether the file which corresponds to the layout filename in the storage apparatus is updated, thereupon the client computer is initialized by the download module and links to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address according to the file address corresponding to the layout filename in the component configuration file;

if yes, the client computer downloads the layout file which corresponds to the layout filename, if not, the client computer does not download the layout file which corresponds to the layout filename.

37. The system of claim 24, wherein the configuration file further comprises a second timer for:

initializing the communication module at preset times to receive a layout configuration file from the server from the client computer;

the layout configuration file comprising a plurality of layout filenames, a plurality of layout file addresses and a plurality of layout file coordinates, wherein each layout filename corresponds to the layout file address and the layout file coordinates, each layout file address corresponds to the storage apparatus where the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames are located and layout file coordinates are used to locate the layout configuration file on the frame;

initializing the download module to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and download the layout file corresponding to the layout filename according to the layout file address corresponding to each layout filename in the layout configuration file from the client computer; and

initializing the combination module to display the downloaded layout file by updating the layout part of the user interface based on layout file coordinates corresponding to the layout filename in the layout configuration file from the client computer.

38. The system of claim 23, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of timers, each timer corresponding to a filename for:

initializing the download module to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and download the file corresponding to the filename according to the file address corresponding to the filename in the configuration file from the client computer; and

initializing the combination module to display the downloaded file on the frame based on file coordinates corresponding to the filename in the configuration file from the client computer.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the server further comprises a determining module, when the download module of the client computer is initialized to link to the storage apparatus according to the file address corresponding to the filename in the configuration file, the determining module determines whether the file corresponding to the filename in the storage apparatus is updated, if yes, the client computer downloads the file corresponding to the filename, if not, the client computer does not download the file corresponding to the filename.

40. The system of claim 23, wherein the configuration file further comprises a plurality of timers, each of the timers is corresponding to one of the filenames and is used for:

initializing the communication module of the client computer at preset times to receive a configuration file from the server, the configuration file comprising the filename, a file address corresponding to the filename and a file coordinate corresponding to the filename, the file address corresponds to a storage apparatus where the file corresponding to the filename is located, and the file coordinate is used to designate the location of the file on the frame;

initializing the download module of the client computer to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and download the file corresponding to the filename according to the file address in the configuration file; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded file on the frame based on the file coordinate in the configuration file.

41. The system of claim 23, wherein the client computer comprises a driver module used to initialize the communication modules, the download module and the combination module at preset times from the client computer.

42. The system of claim 24, wherein the client computer further comprises a first driver module for:

initializing the communication module of the client computer to receive a content configuration file from the server, the content configuration file comprising a plurality of content filenames, a plurality of content file addresses and a plurality of content file coordinates, wherein each content filename corresponds to one of the content file addresses and one of the content file coordinates, each content file address corresponds to the storage apparatus where the content file corresponding to the content filename is located, and the content file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the content files on the frame;

initializing the download module of the client computer to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and download the content files corresponding to the content filenames according to the file addresses in the configuration file; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded content files on the frame to update the content part of the user interface based on the content file coordinates corresponding to the content filenames in the content configuration file.

43. The system of claim 24, wherein the client computer further comprises a second driver module for:

initializing the communication module of the client computer to receive a layout configuration file from the server, the layout configuration file comprising a plurality of layout filenames, a plurality of layout file addresses and a plurality of layout file coordinates, wherein each layout filename corresponds to one of the layout file addresses and one of the layout file coordinates, each layout file address corresponds to the storage apparatus where the layout file corresponding to the layout filename is located, and the layout file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the layout files on the frame;

initializing the download module of the client computer to link to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and download the layout files corresponding to the layout filenames according to the file addresses in the configuration file; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded layout files to update the layout part of the user interface based on the layout file coordinates corresponding to the layout filenames in the layout configuration file.

44. The system of claim 23, wherein the client computer further comprises:

a plurality of driver modules, each of the driver modules is corresponding to one of the filenames and is used for initializing the communication module of the client computer so as to receive a component configuration file from the server end, the component configuration file comprises the filename corresponding to the driver module, a file address corresponding to the filename and a file coordinate corresponding to the filenam, the file address corresponds to a storage apparatus where the file corresponding to the filename is located, and the file coordinate is used to designate the location of the file on the frame;

initializing the download module of the client computer and according to the file address corresponding to the filename in the component configuration file, the download module linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file address and downloading the file corresponding to the filename; and

initializing the combination module of the client computer to display the downloaded file on the frame according to the file coordinate in the component configuration file.

23. A system for generating user interfaces, comprising:

a server, comprising;

a frame module used to generate a frame; and

a plurality of configuration files, each of the configuration files having a plurality of filenames, a plurality of file addresses and a plurality of file coordinates, wherein each of the filenames corresponds to one of the file addresses and one of the file coordinates, each of the file addresses corresponds to a storage apparatus where the file corresponding to the filename is located, and the file coordinates are used to designate the locations of the files on the frame;

a client computer, comprising;

a communication module for receiving the frame and the configuration files from the server;

a download module for linking to the storage apparatus corresponding to the file addresses and downloading the files corresponding to the filenames according to the file addresses in the configuration file; and

a combination module for displaying the downloaded files on the frame to update the user interface based on the file coordinates corresponding to the filenames in the configuration file.