Method and system for presenting user interface (UI) information

• US 20050102636A1
• Filed: 06/15/2004
• Published: 05/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: McKeon, Brendan, Winser, Michael Edward Dulac, Wagoner, Patricia Mary
• Granted Patent: US 8,127,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and medium are provided for providing a custom view of a set of user-interface elements (UI elements) to a requesting component. The method includes representing the UI elements as a raw tree structure composed of a set of nodes, which correspond to the UI elements; identifying a subset of the nodes that satisfy the condition(s); and communicating to the requesting component a representation of all or some of the identified nodes. The apparatus includes a request-transmission component for submitting to an interface component instructions and a transmission-reception component for receiving from the interface component the information associated with one or more UI elements that satisfy the one or more conditions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a custom view of a set of user-interface elements (UI elements), the method comprising:

representing the UI elements as a raw tree structure having a plurality of nodes, the nodes corresponding to the UI elements;

identifying a subset of the nodes that satisfy one or more conditions; and

communicating to a requesting component a representation of all or some of the identified nodes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said UI elements include viewable components of a user interface (UI).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said viewable components include:

a button;

a button component, including a button image or button text;

a menu;

a menu item;

a textbox;

a drop-down menu;

a list box;

a radio button;

a scroll bar;

a link, including a hyperlink;

an icon, or a highlightable component;

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said one or more conditions relate to a desired attribute of said UI element(s).

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said desired attribute is a link;

a property;

a pattern;

or an event.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said representation of all or some of the identified nodes is an assimilation of data related to said identified nodes.

7. The method of claim 6, said requesting component comprises:

a client application;

a process;

a segment of computer-useable code;

or

an end user.

8. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing the method of claim 1.

9. An application interface (API) for processing calls from a requesting component to navigate a tree structure composed of nodes that represent a plurality of user-interface elements (UI elements), the API comprising computer readable program components for:

receiving from the requesting component a request to navigate to a target UI element, the request including at least one condition to be met;

providing for the application of the at least one condition to all or a portion of the nodes, whereby the target UI element is identified based on the condition; and

returning to the requesting component attribute information associated with the identified UI element.

10. The API of claim 9, wherein said at least one condition includes criteria to be possessed by said target UI element.

11. The API of claim 10, wherein said target UI element comprises:

a button;

a button component, including a button image or button text;

a menu;

a menu item;

a textbox;

a drop-down menu;

a list box;

a radio button;

a scroll bar;

a link, including a hyperlink;

an icon, or a highlightable component;

12. The API of claim 11, wherein said requesting component comprises:

a client application;

a process;

a segment of computer-useable code;

or

an end user.

13. The API of claim 11, wherein the application of at said at least one condition, includes:

iteratively visiting said all or a portion of the nodes and determining whether said nodes satisfy the at least one condition.

14. The API of claim 13, wherein said attribute information includes information related to physical characteristics of said UI elements.

15. The API of claim 14, wherein said physical UI characteristics include one or more of the following:

an identification of a single node;

a hierarchal representation of a set of nodes;

an indication as to wither the UI element is focusable;

an indication as to wither the UI element has the focus;

an indication as to wither the UI element is selectable;

an indication as to wither the UI element is resizeable;

an indication as to wither the UI element is manipulatable;

an indication as to wither the UI element is viewable;

an indication as to the screen location of said UI element; and

/or

an indication of the relationship said UI element is to another UI element.

16. Employing the API of claim 9 to provide a custom view of a set of UI elements.

17. Employing the API of claim 9 to provide navigation information.

18. Employing the API of claim 9 to navigate a raw tree structure.

19. A method for representing to a requesting component a portion of user-interface elements (UI elements) of a target component, the UI elements having one or more attributes, the method comprising:

receiving from the requesting component at least one condition that indicates UI-element attributes of interest;

providing a logical tree composed of a plurality of nodes that represent a corresponding plurality of UI elements;

using the provided logical tree, identifying one or more UI elements that satisfy the at least one condition; and

conveying element information associated with the identified one or more UI elements to the requesting component.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein representing said portion of said UI elements includes providing element information to about said UI elements to said requesting component

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said element information includes:

an identification of a single node;

a hierarchal representation of a set of nodes;

an indication as to wither the UI element is focusable;

an indication as to wither the UI element has the focus;

an indication as to wither the UI element is selectable;

an indication as to wither the UI element is resizeable;

an indication as to wither the UI element is manipulatable;

an indication as to wither the UI element is viewable;

an indication as to the screen location of said UI element; and

/or

an indication of the relationship said UI element is to another UI element.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said target component includes aspects of an operating system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said target component includes one or more UI subcomponents.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing a preconfigured custom view of a raw tree to a requesting component.

25. Employing the method of claim 19 to navigate to UI elements of said target component.

26. One or more computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon to perform the method of claim 19.

27. A computer program product for use with a computer to retrieve information related to elements of a user interface (UI elements), the computer program product comprising:

a request-transmission component for submitting to an interface component instructions, the instructions including,

(1) a request for information related to UI elements that satisfy the one or more conditions, and

(2) one or more conditions that indicate attributes of interest that may be possessed by UI elements of the user interface;

a transmission-reception component for receiving from the interface component the information associated with one or more UI elements that satisfy the one or more conditions.

28. A computer-implemented for representing elements of a user interface elements, the method comprising:

a) providing a representation of the elements as a raw tree structure having a plurality of virtual nodes and virtual branches, the nodes corresponding to the UI elements, the branches corresponding to relationships between UI elements;

b) providing for the reception of a condition to be satisfied by UI elements of interest;

c) providing for the reception of an indication of a target set of nodes to evaluate;

d) providing for the evaluation of said condition against said nodes, and if said node represents a UI element that satisfies said condition, then providing a marker to represent said node, but if said node represents a UI element that does not satisfy said condition, then not providing said marker;

said marker including a character or string of alphanumeric symbols;

e) repeating step d until said target set of nodes has been evaluated;

f) communicating said string to a requesting component that, incident to receiving said string, can use said string to construct a filtered view of said raw tree consisting of an identified starting node and only nodes that satisfy said condition.