Web Widgets

• US 20090044138A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Murrett, Mac, Revis, Kurt, Rudolph, Chris
• Granted Patent: US 8,667,415 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking

Abstract

A media authoring tool includes web widgets for creating page elements for various types of media (e.g., websites, blogs, broadcasts, slide shows, multimedia presentations). A widget inspector associated with the widget can be used to modify the behaviour of the widget.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a page for presentation in a user interface of a media authoring tool;

generating a widget and an associated widget inspector;

presenting the page and widget inspector in the user interface;

presenting the widget on the page;

obtaining a user input through the widget inspector; and

automatically modifying a behavior of the widget based on the user input.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically establishing a communication channel between the

widget and a service without user intervention;

obtaining content from the service; and

presenting the content through the widget.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the content is map data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input is associated with a geographic location and the map data includes a placemark corresponding to the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the user input includes information associated with the geographic location and the information is presented in proximity to the placemark.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the user input is associated with a geographic location and the widget presents one or more navigation controls for allowing the user to navigate the map data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein at least one navigation control is a zoom control.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the content is advertising information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

modifying a presentation of the advertising information through the widget based on the user input.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the modifying includes modifying the size or color of the advertising information.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the page is one of a web page, blog, broadcast, multimedia presentation and interactive learning material.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user can directly interact with the content presented through the widget.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is a markup language instruction and the widget renders the markup language instruction.

14. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting one or more account dialogs for allowing the user to access or create one or more accounts with the service.

15. A method comprising:

generating a page for presentation in a user interface of a media authoring tool;

obtaining a user input specifying a content source;

generating a widget for displaying content from the content source, the widget including a navigation control;

presenting the page and the widget in the user interface;

presenting first content through the widget;

obtaining navigation control input; and

presenting second content through the widget based on the navigation control input.

16. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating a page for presentation in a user interface of a media authoring tool;

generating a widget and an associated widget inspector;

presenting the page and widget inspector in the user interface;

presenting the widget on the page;

obtaining a user input through the widget inspector; and

automatically modifying a behavior of the widget based on the user input.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising:

automatically establishing a communication channel between the

widget and a service without user intervention;

obtaining content from the service; and

presenting the content through the widget.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the content is map data.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the content is advertising information.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the page is one of a web page, blog, broadcast, multimedia presentation and interactive learning material.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the user can directly interact with the content presented through the widget.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the input is a markup language instruction and the widget renders the markup language instruction.

23. The computer-readable medium claim 17, further comprising:

presenting one or more account dialogs for allowing the user to access or create one or more accounts with the service.

24. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

generating a page for presentation in a user interface of a media authoring tool;

obtaining a user input specifying a content source;

generating a widget for displaying content from the content source, the widget including a navigation control;

presenting the page and the widget in the user interface;

presenting first content through the widget;

obtaining navigation control input; and

presenting second content through the widget based on the navigation control input.

25. A system comprising:

means for generating a page for presentation in a user interface of a media authoring tool;

means for generating a widget and an associated widget inspector;

means for presenting the page and widget inspector in the user interface;

means for presenting the widget on the page;

means for obtaining a user input through the widget inspector; and

means for automatically modifying a behavior of the widget based on the user input.