MERGED TREE-VIEW UI OBJECTS

• US 20100088651A1
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Srivastava, Ankur, Reddy, Neeraja, Vainer, Moshe
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/854
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Merging user interface (UI) object trees comprising UI trees from different technologies (e.g., host and one or more guest technologies) can involve registering guest technologies with a technology adapter layer, for example, used to manage UI tree merging. Further, identifying whether a UI object can be switched from a first technology to a second technology can comprise using a host technology provider to identify if a UI object can be switched, when navigating down the UI tree. When navigating up the UI tree, information stored by the technology adapter layer can be used to identify if a UI object can be switched. Additionally, identifying the second technology can comprise having the technology adapter layer request technology switching capability information from registered technologies for the UI object when navigating down the UI tree. When navigating up the UI tree, information stored by the technology adapter layer can be used to identify the second technology. Also, converting the UI object from the first technology to the second technology in the UI tree can be performed using a COM-based conversion.

Claims

1. A method for providing a merged tree of user interface (UI) objects in a windowless UI, where multiple technologies may be used to expose objects in a UI tree, comprising:

registering guest technologies that may be used in the UI with a technology adapter layer;

identifying if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched from a first technology to a second technology, comprising;

using information stored by the technology adapter layer to identify if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched when navigating up the UI tree; and

a host technology provider identifying if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched when navigating down the UI tree;

identifying the second technology utilized when switching the UI object in the UI tree, comprising;

using information stored by the technology adapter layer to identify the second technology when navigating up the UI tree; and

the technology adapter layer requesting technology switching capability information from one or more registered technologies for the UI object when navigating down the UI tree; and

converting the UI object from the first technology to the second technology in the UI tree using a COM-based conversion for the UI object.

2. The method of claim 1, using information stored by the technology adapter layer to identify if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched when navigating up the UI tree comprising using information stored as a container UI Object in a cache used by the technology adapter layer.

3. The method of claim 2, the information being stored by the technology adapter layer when navigating down the UI tree.

4. The method of claim 2, the container UI object comprising information identifying one or more registered guest technologies to which the UI object can be switched.

5. The method of claim 1, a host provider identifying comprising the technology adapter layer asking the host technology provider if switching can be performed.

6. The method of claim 1, using information stored by the technology adapter layer to identify the second technology when navigating up the UI tree comprising using an identity of the second technology stored in a technology adapter layer cache.

7. The method of claim 6, the identity stored in the cache by the technology adapter layer when navigating down the UI tree.

8. The method of claim 1, the technology adapter layer requesting technology switching capability information from one or more guest technologies for the UI object comprising the registered guest technologies implementing a request function that returns the UI object from a container UI object.

9. The method of claim 8, identifying the second technology comprising returning a UI object that is not null from the request function that returns the UI object from a container UI object.

10. The method of claim 8, if no UI objects are returned by the request from the technology adapter layer no switching is performed on the UI object.

11. The method of claim 8, if more than one guest technology returns a UI object from the request by the technology adapter layer a technology switch is selected based on a pre-determined priority basis.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising converting the UI object from the first technology to the second technology in the UI tree using a guest technology convert function registered with the technology adapter layer, the convert function comprising inputting the UI tree UI object and returning a guest technology supported UI object.

13. The method of claim 8, the request function comprising:

one or more guest technologies retrieving a UI native object;

one or more guest technologies converting the native object to a guest technologies using a wrapper; and

one or more guest technologies returning the converted UI object.

14. The method of claim 1, comprising storing information identifying the converted UI object and its children in a container UI object.

15. A system for providing a merged tree of user interface (UI) objects, where multiple technologies may be used to expose objects in a UI tree, comprising:

a UI host technology provider configured to identify if a UI object can be switched from a first technology to a second technology when navigating down the UI tree;

a technology adapter layer comprising;

a guest technology registration function configured to register guest technologies for the UI;

a TAL cache function configured to store UI tree information when navigating down a UI tree, the information comprising;

information identifying technology switches in the UI tree;

information identifying a first technology for a UI object prior to switching;

information identifying a second technology for the UI object after the switching; and

information identifying children of the UI object; and

a technology switching capability request function configured to request technology switching capability information from respective registered technologies for the UI object when navigating down the tree;

a UI object technology switching identifier configured to;

use information stored by the TAL cache function to identify whether a UI object can be switched from a first technology to a second technology when navigating up the UI tree; and

use the host technology provider to identify whether a UI object can be switched from a first technology to a second technology when navigating down the UI tree;

a second technology identifier configured to;

use information stored by the technology adapter layer to identify the second technology when navigating up the UI tree; and

use the technology switching capability request function to identify the second technology when navigating up the UI tree; and

a UI object conversion function configured to convert the UI object from the first technology to the second technology in the UI tree using a COM-based conversion for the UI object.

16. The system of claim 15, the technology adapter layer comprising a technology capability identification function configured to identify whether a registered technology returns a desired response to the technology switching capability request by the technology switching capability request function.

17. The system of claim 16, the desired response comprising a supported UI object that has been converted to the guest technology providing the response.

18. The system of claim 15, the UI object conversion function comprising a guest technology convert function registered with the technology adapter layer configured to return a technology supported UI object for the UI object.

19. The system of claim 15, the technology adapter layer comprising a priority function configured to select a UI object technology switch based on a pre-determined priority.

20. A computer usable medium comprising computer readable programming configured to provide a merged tree view of user interface (UI) objects, where multiple technologies may be used to expose objects in a UI tree, which when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:

register guest technologies with a technology adapter layer that may be used in the UI;

identify if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched from a first technology to a second technology, comprising;

using a container UI Object stored by the technology adapter layer when navigating down the UI tree to identify if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched when navigating up the UI tree; and

a host technology provider identifying if a UI object in a UI tree can be switched when navigating down the UI tree;

identify the second technology utilized when switching the UI object in the UI tree, comprising;

use information in a container UI Object stored by the technology adapter layer when navigating down the UI tree to identify the second technology when navigating up the UI tree; and

the technology adapter layer requesting technology switching capability information from one or more registered guest technologies for the UI object when navigating down the tree comprising;

the registered guest technologies implementing a request function that returns the UI object from a container UI object; and

a guest technology returning a UI object that is not null from the request function that returns the UI object from a container UI object; and

convert the UI object from the first technology to the second technology in the UI tree using a COM-based conversion for the UI object.