Shared landmark user interfaces

• US 20050278696A1
• Filed: 06/14/2004
• Published: 12/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Blomqvist, Mikko, Rauhala, Petri, Laine, Tommi
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A method, system, and computer program product provide access to user information, such as landmarks, without applications having to implement the needed user interface functionality on their own. In one embodiment, common landmark user interface components are offered with application programming interfaces (APIs) for controlling the user interfaces. By utilizing this kind of common user interface, all applications can utilize landmarks.

Claims

1. A method for providing a shared user interface, the method comprising:

accessing a user interface application programming interface that selectively activates common user interface dialogs upon request by a client via the user interface application programming interface; and

accessing information requested by the application.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein untrusted clients access data only via the user interface application programming interface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein trusted clients access data via the user interface application programming interface or a storage application programming interface.

4. The method claim 1, wherein accessing information requested by the application comprises accessing landmark information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively activating common user interface dialogs comprises activating a browsing dialog, a selecting dialog, an inserting dialog, or a viewing dialog.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is a software application running on a computing device and utilizing landmark information.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising selectively activating a landmark selection user interface dialog to retrieve information relating to one or more landmarks to the software application.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising selectively activating a landmark searching user interface dialog to identify and search for a landmark.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing a user interface application programming interface comprises accessing a user interface application programming interface common to all applications running on a device.

10. A system having an application programming interface for controlling and activating common dialogs, the system comprising:

a software application that performs operations on a device;

a user interface application programming interface (API) stored on the device, the user interface API selectively activating common user interface dialogs upon request by a client

storage that maintains information, the information being accessible by the client via the user interface API.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the common user interface dialogs comprise a browsing user interface dialog, a selecting user interface dialog, an inserting user interface dialog, or a viewing user interface dialog.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the device is a phone.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the device is a computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), watch, television, global positioning system (GPS), or a digital satellite receiver.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the application requests landmark information.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the information accessible by the client via the user interface API comprises private user information and the user interface API uses the common user interface dialogs to access the private user information from the storage.

16. A computer program product having an application programming interface for controlling and activating common user interface dialogs presented on a device having the computer program product stored thereon, the computer program product comprising:

a user interface application programming interface that selectively activates common user interface dialogs upon request by a client; and

computer code to;

access the user interface application programming interface; and

access information requested by the application.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the information requested by the application comprises landmark information.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the application accesses requested information using a common application programming interface.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the device is a communication device.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the common user interface dialogs comprise a creating dialog.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the application is a global positioning system (GPS) mapping program configured to present positioning information of the user.