Dynamic controls for use in computing applications

• US 20050086636A1
• Filed: 10/19/2004
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Post, Lisa G., Sobeski, David A., Cohen, Jules S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,370,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system and process for providing adaptable controls to computing applications to facilitate interaction by an operator with computing application content. In a computer system running a computing application, it is advantageous to provide adaptable controls that have the ability to reflect content or feature preferences of operators of computing applications. These dynamic computing application controls cooperate with computing applications to provide additional features to the operator. However, unlike conventional computing application controls that have their parameters hard-coded within the computing application itself, the present invention provides a system to update the control parameters remote to the computing application to reflect changes in operator'"'"'s preferences. In an illustrative implementation, these dynamic controls may take the form of an add-on toolbar having drop down menus that have the form of panes. Specifically, these controls may be implemented in a Web browser computing application such that the toolbar maintains panes (Web-in-Web panes) that are capable of supporting Web session content. In operation, the computing application launches and retrieves the parameters of these controls through messaging from a remote server computer. When launched, the computing application will display the add-on toolbar, maintaining Web-in-Web panes, having the latest updated parameters (i.e. content, look, and feel of the toolbar and panes) as found on the remote server computer. These parameters may be changed by the operator to reflect changes in their content or feature preference. In an alternative scheme, content providers that track an operator'"'"'s content usage behavior may create an affinity for features or content based on the usage and automatically offer features and/or content to the operator by changing the parameters of the dynamic controls.

Claims

1. An apparatus for adapting controls to control content within a computing application comprising:

a module to connect to a server computer to send data indicative of a client;

a component for accepting from said server information indicative of a plurality of controls;

a component for displaying said adaptable controls to an operator and accepting from said operator interaction on said controls, wherein the controls are added to the computing application; and

a component for carrying out control functions of said controls on web server content provided to said computing application, wherein the controls permit the generation of adaptable panes which display web server content in addition to web server content of the computing application, the panes being coupled to the computing application such that the web server content of the computing application and the additional web server content are hosted by the computing application.

2. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said computing application is a Web browser computing application.

3. The apparatus recited in claim 2, wherein said information indicative of said adaptive controls comprises schema information relevant to the function, look, and feel of said controls.

4. The apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said adaptive controls have the form of a toolbar that is integrated into said computing application.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein said information indicative of said adaptable controls stored on said server may be updated at any time.

6. The system as recited in claim 5, wherein said update may be performed by accessing said information via a Web browser computing application.

7. An apparatus for adapting controls to control web server content within a computing application comprising:

a server component receiving requests to provide information indicative of controls to be added to the computing application, wherein the controls are customizable for each instance of the computing application;

a server component processing said requests and providing said information indicative of the controls; and

a server component communicating said information indicative of controls to said requestors;

wherein the controls permit the generation of adaptable panes which display web server content in addition to web server content of the computing application, the panes being coupled to the computing application such that the web server content of the computing application and the additional web server content are hosted by the computing application.

8. The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein said computing application is a Web browser computing application.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein said information indicative of said adaptable controls comprises schema information relevant to the function, look, and feel of said controls.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein said adaptable controls have the form of a toolbar that is integrated into said computing application.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 7, wherein said information indicative of said adaptable controls found on said server may be updated at any time.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 11, wherein said update may be performed by accessing said information via a Web browser computing application.

13. In a computer system having at least one client computer hosting at least one computing application, electronically coupled to at least one server computer hosting parameter and content information specific to the creation and function of adaptable panes, a method for providing adaptable controls comprising:

(a) launching said computing application, the computing application displaying a first web server content;

(b) processing information relevant to the creation of adaptable controls during said launch of said computing application;

(c) retrieving said parameter and content information specific to said adaptable controls from said server computer by said computing application during said launch of said computing application; and

(d) creating said adaptable controls by said computing application using said parameter and content information retrieved from said server computer, wherein the controls permit the generation of panes displaying a second web server content, the panes being coupled to the computing application such that the first web server content and the second web server content are hosted by the computing application.

14. The method recited in claim 13, wherein said launching of said computing application occurs in response to an instructor from an operator.

15. The method recited in claim 13, wherein said creation of said adaptable controls occurs in response to instruction from an operator.

16. The method recited in claim 13, wherein said processing of information relevant to the creation of said adaptable controls comprises:

(a) locating a helper object within a registry of said computing application; and

(b) using the helper object to allocate processing resources to support the creation f additional controls within said computing application.

17. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein said creating of said adaptable controls comprises processing said retrieved parameter and content information specific to said adaptable controls by said computing application to parse information relevant to the function, look, and feel of said adaptable controls.

19. The method recited in claim 13, wherein said computing application comprises a Web browser computing application.

20. The method recited in claim 13, wherein said server computer is a Web server hosting Web based content.

21. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method as recited in claim 13.

18. (canceled)

22. In a computer system having at least one client computer, hosting at least one computing application, electronically coupled to at least one server computer hosting parameter and content information specific to the creation and function of adaptable panes, a method for providing said adaptable controls having some pre-determined content comprising:

(a) tracking the usage behavior of an operator of said computing application;

(b) creating an affinity between said usage behavior and said parameter content information specific to the creation and function of adaptable panes;

(c) processing said affinity to determine additional functions and contents to offer to said operator; and

(d) communicating said additional functions and contents for use in said adaptable panes, wherein the adaptable panes display web server content in addition to web server content of the computing application, the panes being coupled to the computing application such that the web server content of the computing application and the additional web server content are hosted by the computing application.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing the method as recited in claim 22.

24. In a computer system having at least one client computer hosting at least one computing application, electronically coupled to at least one server computer hosting parameter and content information specific to the creation and function of adaptable panes, a system for providing adaptable controls comprising:

(a) means for launching said computing application;

(b) means for processing information relevant to the creation of customizable, updateable, and dynamic panes during said launch of said computing application;

(c) means for retrieving said parameter and content information specific to said adaptable panes from said server computer by said computing application during said launch of said computing application; and

(d) means for creating said adaptable controls by said computing application using said parameter and content information retrieved from said server computers;

wherein the adaptable controls permit the generation of adaptable panes which display web server content in addition to web server content of the computing application, the panes being coupled to the computing application such that the web server content of the computing application and the additional web server content are hosted by the computing application.

25. A method for providing multiple instances of web browsing sessions using a single instance of a computing application, the method comprising:

generating an instance of the computing application comprising a web browser, the web browser accessing at least one networked server;

receiving adaptable control parameters from the at least one networked server;

generating an adaptable control on a display, the adaptable control being added to the instance of the computing application, the computing application displaying a first web server content in a first display area; and

navigating the adaptable control to generate a viewing pane, the viewing pane comprising an area displaying a second web server content layered on top of the first display area, wherein the viewing pane is hosted by the instance of the computing application, whereby multiple web browsing sessions are provided using a single instance of the computing application.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

selecting the second web server content of the viewing pane; and

replacing the first web server content with the second web server content and destroying the viewing pane.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving adaptable control parameters from the at least one networked server comprises receiving parameters that define at least one of content, look, feel, and function of the adaptable control and the viewing pane.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the received parameters are received in an XML format from the at least one networked server.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the at least one of content, look, feel, and function are customizable by an operator of the computing application.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein generating an adaptable control on a display comprises generating a toolbar added to the instance of the computing application.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein navigating the adaptable control to generate a viewing pane comprises activating a web page selection from a drop down menu, the drop down menu being a function of the adaptable control image implemented as an added toolbar.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving adaptable control parameters occurs in response to an action taken by the operator of the computing application.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving adaptable control parameters occurs in response to an action taken by a web server content provider.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein receiving adaptable control parameters occurs in response to an event external to the computing application.