UPDATING A USER INTERFACE TO A SERVICE

• US 20150205464A1
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Borysenko, Michael I., Alev, Umut, Carter, Benjamin Franklin, Kozlowski, Dawid, Wood, Matt, Himberger, Andrew Michael, Bernstein, Ethan Joseph, Wells, Stephen Thomas
• Application Number:
  US14/160,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205464A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/52 Program synchronisation; Mutual exclusion, e.g. by means of semaphores
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software are described herein to facilitate the enhanced updating of user interfaces to a service. In an implementation, an application renders a user interface to a service and an initial visualization is surfaced in response to the occurrence of an event. After surfacing the initial visualization, the application receives an update from the service that includes a proposed visualization and determines whether or not the proposed visualization accounts for the event. If the proposed visualization accounts for the event, the proposed visualization is surfaced in place of the initial visualization. But if the proposed visualization does not account for the event, the initial visualization may be persisted until another visualization is identified that accounts for the event.

Claims

1. A method for updating user interfaces comprising:

in a user interface to a service, surfacing an initial visualization associated with an event in response to the event occurring;

after surfacing the initial visualization, determining if a proposed visualization identified by the service accounts for the event;

if the proposed visualization accounts for the event, surfacing the proposed visualization in place of the initial visualization; and

if the proposed visualization does not account for the event, persisting with the initial visualization until another visualization is identified that accounts for the event.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising associating an initial correlation identifier with the initial visualization and associating a proposed correlation identifier with the proposed visualization, wherein determining if the proposed visualization accounts for the event comprises determining if the proposed visualization accounts for the event based at least in part on a comparison of the proposed correlation identifier to the initial correlation identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the comparison of the proposed correlation identifier to the initial correlation identifier indicates that the proposed visualization accounts for the event when a correlation identifier used to generate the proposed correlation identifier comprises the initial correlation identifier and indicates that the proposed visualization does not account for the event when the correlation identifier does not comprise the initial correlation identifier.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of interface objects, wherein the event comprises a user interaction via the user interface with at least an interface object of the plurality of interface objects, wherein the initial visualization comprises an initial revision to the interface object, and wherein the proposed visualization comprises a proposed revision to the interface object.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein associating the initial correlation identifier with the initial visualization and associating the proposed correlation identifier with the proposed visualization comprises associating the initial correlation identifier with the initial revision to the interface object and associating the proposed correlation identifier with the proposed revision to the interface object.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

in response to the user interaction occurring, reporting the user interaction to the service in association with the initial correlation identifier; and

in the service, generating the proposed correlation identifier based at least in part on a correlation identifier for the interface object most recently reported relative to other correlation identifiers reported for the interface object.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the comparison of the proposed correlation identifier to the initial correlation identifier indicates that the proposed revision to the interface object accounts for the user interaction when the correlation identifier comprises the initial correlation identifier and indicates that the proposed revision to the interface object does not account for the user interaction when the correlation identifier does not comprise the initial correlation identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the service comprises at least one of an email service, a calendar service, an e-commerce service, a social networking service, an office productivity service, an anti-virus service, and a micro-blogging service.

9. An apparatus comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media; and

program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media that, when executed by a processing system, direct the processing system to at least;

in response to a user interaction with at least an email object in a user interface to an email service, surface an initial revision to the email object;

process an interface update from the email service that comprises a proposed revision to the email object to determine if the proposed revision accounts for the user interaction;

if the proposed revision accounts for the user interaction, surface the proposed revision in place of the initial revision; and

if the proposed visualization does not account for the user interaction, persist the initial revision to the email object at least until another user interaction occurs with respect to the email object or an occurrence of another interface update from the email service.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to associate an initial correlation identifier with the initial revision to the email object and identify a proposed correlation identifier associated with the proposed revision to the email object, and wherein to determine if the proposed revision to the email object accounts for the user interaction, the program instructions direct the processing system to perform a comparison of the proposed correlation identifier to the initial correlation identifier.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to, in response to the user interaction occurring, report the user interaction to the email service in association with the initial correlation identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the email service generates the proposed correlation identifier based at least in part on a correlation identifier most recently reported relative to other correlation identifiers reported in association with other user interactions.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the comparison of the proposed correlation identifier to the initial correlation identifier indicates that the proposed revision to the email object accounts for the user interaction when the correlation identifier comprises the initial correlation identifier and indicates that the proposed revision to the email object does not account for the user interaction when the correlation identifier does not comprise the initial correlation identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising:

the processing system configured to read the program instructions from the computer readable storage media and execute the program instructions; and

a user interface system configured to display the user interface;

wherein the user interaction comprises a command received via the user interface system to change a state of an email represented by the email object.

15. A method for updating user interfaces comprising:

in a service to which an application provides a user interface, receiving a report from the application indicative of at least a user interaction that occurred in the user interface and an initial correlation identifier associated with an initial visualization surfaced in the user interface in response to the user interaction;

in the service, identifying a proposed visualization to surface in the user interface, generating a proposed correlation identifier based at least in part on a correlation identifier, and associating the proposed correlation identifier with the proposed visualization; and

in the service, communicating an interface update to the application comprising the proposed visualization and the proposed correlation identifier.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising, in the application:

surfacing the initial visualization in response to the user interaction;

communicating the report to the service and receiving the interface update; and

determining if the proposed visualization identified by the service accounts for the user interaction based at least in part on a comparison between at least the initial correlation identifier and the proposed correlation identifier.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein, if the proposed visualization accounts for the user interaction, surfacing the proposed visualization in place of the initial visualization, wherein, if the proposed visualization does not account for the user interaction, persisting the initial visualization in the user interface, and wherein:

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of interface objects, wherein the user interaction comprises a wherein the user interaction comprises a gesture made with respect to at least an interface object of the plurality of interface objects, wherein the initial visualization comprises an initial revision to the interface object, and wherein the proposed visualization comprises a proposed revision to the interface object.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the comparison of the proposed correlation identifier to the initial correlation identifier indicates that the proposed revision to the interface object accounts for the user interaction when the correlation identifier comprises the initial correlation identifier and indicates that the proposed revision to the interface object does not account for the user interaction when the correlation identifier does not comprise the initial correlation identifier.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the service comprises at least one of an email service, a calendar service, an e-commerce service, a social networking service, an office productivity service, an anti-virus service, and a micro-blogging service.