Componentized remote user interface

• US 20060123015A1
• Filed: 12/02/2004
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gray, James Christopher, Solyanik, Sergey
• Granted Patent: US 7,533,099 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9577 Optimising the visualization of content, e.g. distillation of HTML documents
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a componentized remote user interface are disclosed. Such user interfaces are particularly suitable for use in remote configuration of a device, such as a headless device, that is in network communication with a computer. The user interface may be a web page rendered from an HTML file that defines the web page and a separate file that includes script for associating a value with a variable parameter. The HTML file may include a reference to the variable parameter and incorporate the other file therein by reference. When the web page is rendered, the device parses the HTML file to identify the file incorporated therein by reference and substitutes the parameter value provided in the file for the variable included in the HTML file. Thus, the rendered web page may include the actual value of the parameter, and the HTML file need not have the actual value hard-coded therein.

Claims

1. A system for providing a componentized user interface, the system comprising:

a first file that includes a value associated with a variable parameter; and

a second file that includes a reference to the variable parameter and incorporates the first file therein by reference.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second file is in a mark-up language.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second file is an HTML file.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second file enables a browser to render a web page.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the second file includes HTML code associated with the layout of the web page.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second file incorporates the first file by reference via an include directive.

7. A system for providing a componentized remote user interface, the system comprising:

a host computer; and

a remote device coupled to the host computer via a network, the remote device having stored thereon a first file that includes a value associated with a variable parameter and a second file that includes a reference to the variable parameter and incorporates the first file therein by reference.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the host computer comprises a browser.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the host computer comprises a display and the second file enables the browser to render a web page on the display.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the remote device includes control routines for parsing the second file to identify and load the first file.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first file includes script adapted to be rendered to include in the second file the value associated with the parameter.

12. A method for configuring a remote device, the method comprising:

storing on a remote device, a first file that includes script for associating a value with a variable parameter and second file that includes a reference to the variable parameter and incorporates the first file therein by reference;

coupling the remote device to a host computer via a network;

rendering a web page on the host computer based on the second file;

receiving a user-provided value associated with the parameter via the web page; and

storing the user-provided value on the remote device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

modifying the first file to associate the user-provided value with the variable parameter.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the modified first file on the remote device.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the modified first file on the host computer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a second user-provided value associated with the parameter via the web page; and

modifying the modified first file to associate the second user-provided value with the variable parameter.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

downloading the modified first file onto the host computer to replace the twice-modified first file;

rendering the web page on the host computer using the modified first file; and

restoring the first user-provided value on the host computer in place of the second user-provided value.