Common User Interface Structure

• US 20090140977A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Morris, Ronald A.
• Application Number:
  US11/948,696
• Publication Number:
  US 20090140977A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A common user interface structure is described. In embodiment(s), a common user interface structure includes proportional geometry variables that can be adjusted such that the common user interface structure is scaled for display on media devices that each have different sized display screens. The common user interface structure includes a dimension control variable from which the proportional geometry variables are derived to scale the common user interface structure for display. The common user interface structure can also include menu item regions that include selectable content links to initiate rendering media content, and the menu item regions are scaled for display in the common user interface structure when the proportional geometry variables are adjusted.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

rendering a common user interface structure having proportional geometry variables that are scaled to display the common user interface structure on media devices that each have different sized display screens;

determining a dimension control variable of the common user interface structure from which the proportional geometry variables are derived;

determining the proportional geometry variables to scale the common user interface structure for display; and

displaying menu item regions that include selectable content links to initiate rendering media content, the menu item regions being sized for display in the common user interface structure when the proportional geometry variables are scaled.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying a navigation control in the common user interface structure, and receiving a navigation selection to position the navigation control proximate a menu item region to indicate that a selectable content link in the menu item region can be selected to initiate rendering the media content.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dimension control variable is determined as a display height of a media device display screen, and wherein the proportional geometry variables are derived based on the display height to scale the common user interface structure for display on the media device display screen.

4. A method as recited in claim 3, wherein determining the proportional geometry variables includes:

determining a display width variable of the common user interface structure defined as three-fourths of the display height;

determining a region height variable of the menu item regions defined as one-eighth of the display height;

determining a boundary region height variable for boundary regions of the common user interface structure, the boundary region height variable defined as one-half of the region height variable; and

determining a navigation region width variable for a navigation control region of the common user interface structure, the navigation region width variable defined as the region height variable.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dimension control variable is determined as a display width of a media device display screen, and wherein the proportional geometry variables are derived based on the display width to scale the common user interface structure for display on the media device display screen.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, wherein determining the proportional geometry variables includes:

determining a display height variable of the common user interface structure defined as four-thirds of the display width;

determining a region height variable of the menu item regions defined as one-eighth of the display height variable;

determining a boundary region height variable for boundary regions of the common user interface structure, the boundary region height variable defined as one-half of the region height variable; and

determining a navigation region width variable for a navigation control region of the common user interface structure, the navigation region width variable defined as the region height variable.

7. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising communicating the dimension control variable to a content distributor that generates the common user interface structure to scale for a media device, and receiving the common user interface structure from the content distributor.

8. A common user interface structure, comprising:

proportional geometry variables configured to be adjusted such that the common user interface structure can be scaled for display on media devices that each have different sized display screens;

a dimension control variable of the common user interface structure from which the proportional geometry variables are derived to scale the common user interface structure for display; and

menu item regions that include selectable content links to initiate rendering media content, the menu item regions configured to be scaled for display in the common user interface structure when the proportional geometry variables are adjusted.

9. A common user interface structure as recited in claim 8, further comprising a navigation control configured for user selection to position the navigation control proximate a menu item region to indicate that a selectable content link in the menu item region can be selected to initiate rendering the media content.

10. A common user interface structure as recited in claim 8, wherein the dimension control variable is a display height of a media device display screen, and wherein the proportional geometry variables are configured to be adjusted based on the display height such that the common user interface structure is scaled for display on the media device display screen.

11. A common user interface structure as recited in claim 10, wherein the proportional geometry variables include:

a display width variable of the common user interface structure defined as three-fourths of the display height;

a region height variable of the menu item regions defined as one-eighth of the display height;

a boundary region height variable for boundary regions of the common user interface structure, the boundary region height variable defined as one-half of the region height variable; and

a navigation region width variable for a navigation control region of the common user interface structure, the navigation region width variable defined as the region height variable.

12. A common user interface structure as recited in claim 8, wherein the dimension control variable is a display width of a media device display screen, and wherein the proportional geometry variables are configured to be adjusted based on the display width such that the common user interface structure is scaled for display on the media device display screen.

13. A common user interface structure as recited in claim 12, wherein the proportional geometry variables include:

a display height variable of the common user interface structure defined as four-thirds of the display width;

a region height variable of the menu item regions defined as one-eighth of the display height variable;

a boundary region height variable for boundary regions of the common user interface structure, the boundary region height variable defined as one-half of the region height variable; and

a navigation region width variable for a navigation control region of the common user interface structure, the navigation region width variable defined as the region height variable.

14. One or more computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct a media device to:

render a common user interface structure having proportional geometry variables that are scaled to display the common user interface structure on a display screen of the media device;

determine a dimension control variable of the common user interface structure from which the proportional geometry variables are derived; and

determine the proportional geometry variables to scale the common user interface structure for display on the display screen.

15. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the media device to render menu item regions for display in the common user interface structure, the menu item regions including selectable content links to initiate rendering media content, and the menu item regions being sized for display when the proportional geometry variables are scaled.

16. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the media device to determine the dimension control variable as a display height of the display screen, and wherein the proportional geometry variables are derived from the display height to scale the common user interface structure for display on the display screen.

17. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 16, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the media device to determine the proportional geometry variables that include:

a display width variable of the common user interface structure defined as three-fourths of the display height;

a region height variable of the menu item regions defined as one-eighth of the display height;

a boundary region height variable for boundary regions of the common user interface structure, the boundary region height variable defined as one-half of the region height variable; and

a navigation region width variable for a navigation control region of the common user interface structure, the navigation region width variable defined as the region height variable.

18. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the media device to determine the dimension control variable as a display width of the display screen, and wherein the proportional geometry variables are derived from the display width to scale the common user interface structure for display on the display screen.

19. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 18, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the media device to determine the proportional geometry variables that include:

a display height variable of the common user interface structure defined as four-thirds of the display width;

a region height variable of the menu item regions defined as one-eighth of the display height variable;

a boundary region height variable for boundary regions of the common user interface structure, the boundary region height variable defined as one-half of the region height variable; and

a navigation region width variable for a navigation control region of the common user interface structure, the navigation region width variable defined as the region height variable.

20. One or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 14, further comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed, direct the media device to communicate the dimension control variable to a content distributor that generates the common user interface structure to scale for the display screen of the media device, and receive the common user interface structure from the content distributor.