System and method for customizing appearance and behavior of graphical user interfaces

• US 6,104,391 A
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 08/15/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Cobb, Jeffrey R., Johnston, Robert G. Jr., Ulrich, Robert R., Craycroft, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): dela Torre, Crescelle N.
• Application Number:
  US09/337,663
• Time in Patent Office: 420 Days
• Field of Search: 345/334, 345/333, 345/335, 345/339, 345/340, 345/326
• US Class Current: 715/745
• 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 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a user with increased flexibility and control over the appearance and behavior of objects on a user interface are disclosed. Sets of objects can be grouped into themes to provide a user with a distinct overall impression of the interface. These themes can be switched dynamically by switching pointers to drawing procedures or switching data being supplied to these procedures. To buffer applications from the switchable nature of graphical user interfaces, colors and patterns used to implement the interface objects are abstracted from the interface by, for example, pattern look-up tables.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium comprising:

a first portion having stored therein data relating to a first set of graphical user interface objects and object parts whose individual appearances are associated with a first common theme;

a second portion having stored therein data relating to a second set of graphical user interface objects and object parts, each of which correspond to an associated interface object or object part in said first set, but whose individual appearances are associated with a second common theme different from said first common theme; and

a third portion having stored therein an object, displayable on a user interface, for actuation by a user which selectively facilitates a change between said first theme and said second theme, whereby a graphical user interface displays interface objects using one of said first set and said second set wherein a predetermined one of said interface objects has a first outline with a first shape when displayed using said first set of interface objects and has a second outline with a second shape when displayed using said second set of interface objects.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein a set of attributes corresponding to said appearance include size, color, and location.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said object parts include at least one of zoom boxes, close boxes, sliders, checkboxes, bevels, separators, grouping boxes, disclosure triangles, buttons and scrollbars.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of said object parts which comprises one of said interface objects in said first set exhibits a first behavior which is different from a function attributable to said at least one of said object parts.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein said at least one of said object parts is a close box, said first behavior is to become shaded and said function is to close a window object.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 4, wherein an object part in said second set of interface objects which corresponds to said at least one object part and user actuation of which results in said function, exhibits a second behavior which is different from said first behavior.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, further comprising:

a fourth portion having stored therein an effect generator which generates a transitional effect when said first theme is switched to said second theme.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the object stored in the third portion for selectively changing themes is a control panel which allows a user to selectively change between themes.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein a user defines a plurality of themes.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the object stored in the third portion for selectively changing themes switches pointers from a first set of drawing procedures which correspond to said first theme to a second set of drawing procedures which correspond to said second theme.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the object stored in the third portion for selectively changing themes supplies a set of data structures corresponding to said second theme to a set of parametric drawing procedures.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 1 further comprising:

a pattern look-up table which abstracts color and pattern information of said interface objects from the interface itself.

13. A computer readable medium comprising:

a first portion having displayable interface objects and parts wherein each of said objects and parts are displayed using an appearance associated with one of at least two themes, said themes being defined by appearance attributes including a first outline which has a first shape, for object parts of said interface objects that project a common impression;

a second portion having appearance attributes corresponding to said at least two themes wherein a first shape associated with said outline and corresponding to the first of said two themes is different from a second shape associated with said outline and corresponding to the second of said two themes; and

a third portion having an object for facilitating a change in the theme from a first of said two themes to a second of said two themes wherein said interface objects and parts are initially displayed using an appearance corresponding to the first of said two themes and then upon a change facilitated by said object displays objects and parts using an appearance corresponding to the second of said two themes.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein said object parts are at least one of a zoom box, a close box, a slider, a checkbox, a bevel, a separator, a grouping box, a disclosure triangle, and a scrollbar.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein a first behavior is exhibited to produce a resultant function when an object part of one of said interface objects is actuated while displaying said one of said interface objects using said appearance associated with said first theme, and

a second behavior is exhibited to produce the resultant function when said object part of said one of said interface objects is actuated while displaying said one of said interface objects using said appearance associated with said second theme.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the exhibition of the first behavior for producing a resultant function comprises the shading of a close box and the closing of a window object.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the exhibition of the second behavior for producing said resultant function comprises drawing lines emanating from said close box and closing said window object.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein said changing of a selected theme comprises displaying a control panel for inputting theme selections.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein a transitional effect is generated prior to displaying said interface objects using an appearance associated with said second theme.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the changing of a selected theme comprises changing pointers from a first set of drawing procedures which correspond to said first theme to a second set of drawing procedures which correspond to said second theme.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 13, the changing of a selected theme comprises supplying a set of data structures corresponding to said second theme to a set of parametric drawing procedures.

22. A computer readable medium encoded with a drawing resource for drawing an object on a user interface, said resource comprising a plurality of data structures comprising:

a first set of interface objects and object parts, said interface objects and object parts having appearances corresponding to a first theme having appearance attributes, including a first shape, of object parts which comprise said interface objects; and

a second set of interface objects and object parts, said interface objects and object parts having appearances corresponding to a second theme having appearance attributes, including a second shape, of object parts which comprise said interface objects;

wherein said first set of interface objects, corresponding to said first theme, are displayed initially on the user interface and upon receiving an input to switch the appearance of said interface from said first theme to said second theme, said second set of interface objects, corresponding to said second theme, are displayed on the user interface, said second shape being different from said first shape and a function of interface objects and object parts belonging to the first theme being equivalent to a function of corresponding interface objects and object parts belonging to the second theme.

23. The computer readable medium of claim 22 wherein said first and second themes are stored in a library of themes.