System And Method Of Skinning Themes

• US 20070271523A1
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Garrood, Stuart, Fomitchev, Mikhail, Lacey, Jon-David, Rojas, Jose
• Granted Patent: US 7,840,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/762
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A media engine for creating a graphical interface for an application on a device is disclosed. The media engine comprises an interaction interface for notifying the media engine of changes to the application, a renderer for rendering the graphical interface, a parser for parsing, from a template file, template information for controlling how the renderer renders the graphical interface, and a layout manager for optionally controlling the display of template information.

Claims

1. A media engine for creating a graphical interface for an application on a device, the media engine comprising:

an interaction interface for notifying the media engine of changes to the application;

a renderer for rendering the graphical interface;

a parser for parsing, from a template file, template information for controlling how the renderer renders the graphical interface; and

a layout manager for optionally controlling the display of template information.

2. The media engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the template information comprises:

a set of data element objects; and

a set of custom event objects.

3. The media engine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the template information further comprises at least one of:

layout manager control information for controlling how the layout manager controls the display of template information; and

renderer control information for controlling;

how the renderer renders the set of data element objects; and

how the renderer renders the graphical interface based on at least one custom event of the set of custom events.

4. The media engine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the layout manger control information comprises at least one of:

information for dynamically modifying the length of at least one data element of the set of data elements prior to being rendered; and

information for controlling the display of template information to the graphical interface that the renderer cannot render.

5. The media engine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an event engine for providing event notification to the application.

6. The media engine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interaction interface comprises a content interaction application programming interface, API including calls for:

updating data elements;

notification of custom events;

querying of new events;

getting a new event; and

registering an event listener.

7. The media engine as claimed in claim 3, wherein the template file comprises a markup language description of:

the set of data element objects;

the set of custom event objects;

the layout manager control information; and

the renderer control information.

8. A mobile communication device comprising:

a display;

an operating system;

an input device;

at least one application;

at least one template file; and

a media engine comprising;

an interaction interface for notifying the media engine of changes to the at least one application;

a renderer for rendering the graphical interface on the display;

a parser for parsing, from the at least one template file template information for controlling how the renderer renders the graphical interface on the display; and

a layout manager for optionally controlling the display of template information.

9. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the template information comprises:

a set of data element objects; and

a set of custom event objects.

10. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the template information further comprises at least one of:

layout manager control information for controlling how the layout manager controls the display of template information; and

renderer control information for controlling;

how the renderer renders the set of data element objects; and

how the renderer renders the graphical interface based on at least one custom event of the set of custom events.

11. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 10, wherein the layout manger control information comprises at least one of:

information for dynamically modifying the length of at least one data element of the set of data elements prior to being rendered; and

information for controlling the display of template information to the graphical interface that the renderer cannot render.

12. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 9, wherein each application of the at least one applications comprises:

at least one application data element; and

application code.

13. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the application code comprises:

code for modifying the at least one application data element;

code for creating at least one application custom event; and

code for communicating at least one of the application data element and at least one of the application custom event to the media engine using the interaction interface.

14. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 13, wherein the code for communicating the at least one application data element and the at least one custom event to the media engine binds the at least one application data element to at least one data element object of the set of data element objects of the template information and binds the at least one application custom event to at least one custom event object of the set of custom event objects of the template information.

15. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an event engine for providing event notification to the application.

16. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the interaction interface comprises a content interaction application programming interface, API including calls for:

updating data elements;

notification of custom events;

querying of new events;

getting a new event; and

registering an event listener.

17. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the template file comprises a markup language description of:

the set of data element objects;

the set of custom event objects;

the layout manager control information; and

the renderer control information.

18. A method of skinning an application on a device comprising:

parsing a template file;

storing the parsed information in a template;

receiving updated data element information from an application through an interaction interface

updating the template with the received updated data element information;

controlling the display of the data element information using a layout manager;

passing the template to a renderer; and

rendering the template as a graphical interface.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the template comprises:

at least one template data element representing the data element received from the application; and

at least one template event representing a custom event.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

providing event notification to the application.

21. A computer-readable medium storing instructions or statements for use in executing in a computer a method of skinning an application on a device comprising:

parsing a template file;

storing the parsed information in a template;

receiving updated data element information from an application through an interaction interface

updating the template with the received updated data element information;

controlling the length of the data element information using a layout manager;

passing the template to a renderer; and

rendering the template as a graphical interface.