CREATING AND EDITING DYNAMIC GRAPHICS VIA A WEB INTERFACE

• US 20090172559A1
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Waldman, Lawrence, Kolba, Robert Emmett JR., Underhill, Thomas Charles, Douglas, Scott Harrison
• Granted Patent: US 9,037,974 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• 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 40/103 Formatting, i.e. changing of presentation of documents automatic justification G06F40/189; automatic line break hyphenation G06F40/191
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/166 Editing, e.g. inserting or deleting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/186 Templates
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/00 Editing; Indexing; Addressing; Timing or synchronising; Monitoring; Measuring tape travel

Abstract

Technologies are described herein for creating and editing dynamic graphics via a World Wide Web (“Web”) interface. A Web service is provided for generating dynamic graphics in response to requests received from client computers. In response to requests from client computers, the Web service generates requested dynamic graphics and returns the generated dynamic graphics to the client computers in response to the requests. Parameters may be provided to the Web service indicating a list of text items, a layout type, a visual style, a color, and other aspects of a dynamic graphic. A user interface is also provided for creating and editing a dynamic graphic within a Web browser application.

Claims

1. A method for creating a dynamic graphic via a world wide web (Web) interface, the method comprising:

exposing a Web service at a server computer;

receiving a request at the Web service for a dynamic graphic;

in response to receiving the request, generating the dynamic graphic based upon the request; and

returning the dynamic graphic in response to the request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request comprises a list of text items for the dynamic graphic and data identifying a layout type for the dynamic graphic.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein generating the dynamic graphic comprises generating a dynamic graphic having a type corresponding to the layout type and including shapes corresponding to the text items identified in the request.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the request further comprises data identifying a visual style for the dynamic graphic.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein generating the dynamic graphic comprises generating the dynamic graphic having a style corresponding to the visual style identified in the request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the request further comprises data identifying a set of colors for the dynamic graphic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the dynamic graphic comprises generating the dynamic graphic in the set of colors identified in the request.

8. A method for creating a dynamic graphic via a world wide web (Web) interface, the method comprising:

providing by way of a Web browser a user interface for specifying a list of text items for the dynamic graphic and a layout type for the dynamic graphic;

receiving a request at the Web browser to generate the dynamic graphic;

in response to receiving the request to generate the dynamic graphic, transmitting a request for the dynamic graphic to a Web service, the request for the dynamic graphic comprising the list of text items and data identifying the layout type for the dynamic graphic;

receiving from the Web service the dynamic graphic; and

displaying the received dynamic graphic by way of the Web browser.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether a property of the dynamic graphic has been modified;

in response to determining that a property of the dynamic graphic has been modified, transmitting a second request for the dynamic graphic to the Web service, the second request for the dynamic graphic comprising the modified property;

receiving from the Web service a modified dynamic graphic; and

displaying the modified dynamic graphic by way of the Web browser.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the text items have been modified;

in response to determining that the text items have been modified, transmitting a second request for the dynamic graphic to the Web service, the second request for the dynamic graphic comprising a modified list of text items;

receiving from the Web service a modified dynamic graphic; and

displaying the modified dynamic graphic by way of the Web browser.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining whether the layout type has been modified;

in response to determining that the layout type has been modified, transmitting a second request for the dynamic graphic to the Web service, the second request for the dynamic graphic comprising data identifying a modified layout type for the dynamic graphic;

receiving from the Web service a modified dynamic graphic; and

displaying the modified dynamic graphic by way of the Web browser.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing within the Web browser a user interface for specifying a style for the dynamic graphic, and wherein the request for the dynamic graphic transmitted to the Web service further comprises data identifying the style.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the style for the dynamic graphic has been modified;

in response to determining that the style has been modified, transmitting a second request for the dynamic graphic to the Web service, the second request for the dynamic graphic comprising data identifying a modified style for the dynamic graphic;

receiving from the Web service a modified dynamic graphic; and

displaying the modified dynamic graphic by way of the Web browser.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing within the Web browser a user interface for specifying a color for the dynamic graphic, and wherein the request for the dynamic graphic transmitted to the Web service further comprises data identifying the color.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining whether the color for the dynamic graphic has been modified;

in response to determining that the color has been modified, transmitting a second request for the dynamic graphic to the Web service, the second request for the dynamic graphic comprising data identifying a modified color for the dynamic graphic;

receiving from the Web service a modified dynamic graphic; and

displaying the modified dynamic graphic by way of the Web browser.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the parameters specify a layout type and a list of text items for the dynamic graphic.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 17, wherein the parameters specify a color for the dynamic graphic.

16. A computer storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

expose a world wide web (Web) service for generating a dynamic graphic based upon one or more supplied parameters;

receive at the Web service a request for a dynamic graphic, the request supplying the parameters;

generate a dynamic graphic based upon the parameters in response to the request; and

return the dynamic graphic as a response to the request for a dynamic graphic.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 16, wherein the parameters further specify a style for the dynamic graphic.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the Web service operates in a stateless mode of operation or a stateful mode of operation, wherein when operating in the stateful mode of operation the Web service maintains a state identifying the layout type, list of text items, style, and color for the dynamic graphic.