User experience customization framework

• US 20080189680A1
• Filed: 02/01/2007
• Published: 08/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Demar, Richard Wayne, Brown, Allan Thompson, Perkins, Gilma Annuska Zolyomi, Rettig, Bjorn, Catasus, Ignacio Faus
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A user experience (“UX”) customization framework is provided that enables the customization of the UX provided by an operating system (“OS”) and application programs executing on the OS. The UX customization framework includes a UX platform engine that processes UX markup language files to create a customized UX. UX markup language files include data that is formatted according to a UX markup language. The UX markup language is a superset of the hypertext markup language that defines additional markup language tags for use in creating a customized UX, such as tags through which the functionality provided by an OS component or an application program that is exposed through an application programming interface may be utilized within the UX.

Claims

1. A method for providing a customized user experience for a computing system, the method comprising:

storing a user experience markup language file, the user experience markup language file comprising one or more markup tags for accessing functionality through an application programming interface (API) exposed by a computer program; and

executing a user experience platform engine on the computing system for processing the user experience markup language file to generate the customized user experience, the user experience platform engine operative to determine that the user experience markup language file has a markup tag contained therein for accessing functionality through an API exposed by a computer program, and in response thereto, to call the API to utilize functionality exposed through the API in the customized user experience.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer program comprises an operating system component or an application program.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the API comprises an accessibility API.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the API comprises an automation API.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the API comprises an application-specific API.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the application-specific API comprises the messaging application programming interface API.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the program is stored at the computing system.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the program is stored at a second computing system.

9. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform the method of claim 1.

10. A method for providing a customized user experience for a computing system, the method comprising:

receiving a markup language file;

rendering the markup language file to provide a user interface;

determining whether the markup language file has markup language tags stored therein for accessing a function exposed by a computer program through an application programming interface (API); and

in response to determining that the markup language file has markup language tags stored therein for accessing a function exposed through an API, calling the API to execute the function provided by the computer program.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer program comprises an operating system component.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the computer program comprises an application program.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the API comprises an accessibility API.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the API comprises an automation API.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the API comprises an application-specific API.

16. A computer-readable medium having a data structure stored thereon, the data structure comprising a first data field storing a user experience markup language file, the user experience markup language file comprising one or more markup tags for accessing functionality exposed through an application programming interface (API) of a computer program.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the API comprises an accessibility API.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the API comprises an automation API.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the API comprises an application-specific API.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the application-specific API comprises the messaging application programming interface (MAPI) API.