Graphical user interface with hierarchical structure for customizable menus and control objects

• US 6,664,981 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2001
• Issued: 12/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruff, Joseph A., Johnston, Robert G. Jr., Clifford, Daniel, Ashe, Dylan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Cao (Kevin)
• Application Number:
  US09/927,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20020093523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: 345/762, 345/765, 345/744, 345/764, 345/781, 345/835
• US Class Current: 715/765
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

The program code for control objects in a graphical user interface is organized in a multi-level hierarchial structure. At one level of the structure, each different type of control defines a class of objects. The definition of a class includes most, if not all, of the functionality associated with the objects of that class. In addition, the class definition includes the overall structure of the object, such as the relative positions of different elements which make up the object. The actual appearance of these elements is defined by user selectable software that resides at a lower level of the hierarchy. Using this approach, only one instance of the program code which defines the functionality and overall structure of each object is required, resulting in smaller the overall memory requirements of the program code.

Claims

1. A graphical user interface for a computer, said interface including graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of the computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, said interface comprising a plurality of definitions that are respectively associated with said graphical objects, each of said definitions comprising a hierarchical set of software code modules, including:

a first code module at one level of the hierarchy which defines the structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of the graphical object; and

a second code module at a lower level of the hierarchy which depends from said first code module, said second code module defining an appearance for each of the elements in the image of the graphical object to be displayed on the monitor.

2. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein a plurality of second code modules depend from each first code module, where each second code module which depends from a first code module defines a different appearance for the elements of the graphical object associated with the first code module.

3. The graphical user interface of claim 2 wherein said second code modules are alternatively selectable by a user of the computer to present different themes for the graphical user interface.

4. The graphical user interface of claim 1 wherein said graphical objects include control objects and menus.

5. The graphical user interface of claim 4 wherein the first code modules for control objects also define functionality associated with said control objects.

6. The graphical user interface of claim 1 further including a third code module at a level of the hierarchy above said first code modules, for calling one of said first code modules in response to a command to draw one of said graphical objects.

7. The graphical user interface of claim 6 wherein said third code module identifies one of a plurality of states for said one object when calling the first code module, and said first code module provides data to one of said second code modules to cause said second code module to draw said one element in said state.

8. A graphical user interface for a computer, said interface including graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of the computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, said interface comprising:

a plurality of first code modules, each of which defines the structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of an associated graphical object;

a plurality of sets of second code modules which depend from said first code modules, wherein each set of second code modules includes a code module which depends from a respective one of said first code modules, each of said second code module defining an appearance for each of the elements in the image of a graphical object to be displayed on the monitor; and

means responsive to a user command for selecting one of said sets of second code modules to controls the appearances of the graphical objects in the user interface.

9. The graphical user interface of claim 8 wherein the selection of one of said sets of second code modules controls the appearance of all of the graphical objects in the user interface.

10. The graphical user interface of claim 9 wherein said graphical objects include control objects and menus.

11. The graphical user interface of claim 10 wherein the first code modules for control objects also define functionality associated with said control objects.

12. The graphical user interface of claim 8 further including a third code module at a level of the hierarchy above said first code modules, for calling one of said first code modules in response to a command to draw one of said graphical objects.

13. The graphical user interface of claim 12 wherein said third code module identifies one of a plurality of states for said one object when calling the first code module, and said first code module provides data to a second code module from the selected set to cause said second code module to draw said one element in said state.

14. A method for organizing an architecture of a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of definitions that are respectively associated with the graphical objects, each of the definitions comprising a hierarchical set of software code modules, the method comprising the steps of:

ordering a first code module at one level of the hierarchy, wherein the first code module defines the structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of the graphical object; and

ordering a second code module at a lower level of the hierarchy that depends from the first code module, wherein the second code module defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of the graphical object to be displayed on the monitor.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein a plurality of second code modules depend from each of a plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the plurality of second code modules that depends from each of the plurality of first code modules defines a different appearance for the elements of the graphical object associated with the first code module.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of second code modules are alternatively selectable by a user of the computer to present different themes for the graphical user interface.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the graphical objects include control objects and menus.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first code module for control objects also defines functionality associated with the control objects.

19. The method of claim 14, comprising the step of:

ordering a third code module at a level of the hierarchy above the first code module, wherein the third code module calls one of a plurality of first code modules in response to a command to draw one of the graphical objects.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the third code module identifies one of a plurality of states for one of the graphical objects when calling one of the plurality of first code modules, and wherein the one of the plurality of first code modules provides data to one of a plurality of second code modules to cause the one of the plurality of second code modules to draw the one of the graphical objects in the state.

21. A method for controlling an appearance of a graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, the method comprising the steps of:

organizing a plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the plurality of first code modules defines a structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of an associated graphical object;

organizing a plurality of sets of second code modules that depend from the plurality of first code modules, wherein each set of second code modules includes a code module that depends from a respective one of the plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the second code modules defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of a graphical object to be displayed on the monitor; and

selecting one of the plurality of sets of second code modules to control the appearances of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the selection of one of the plurality of sets of second code modules controls the appearances of all of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the graphical objects include control objects and menus.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the plurality of first code modules for control objects also define functionality associated with the control objects.

25. The method of claim 21, comprising the step of:

organizing a third code module at a level of the hierarchy above the plurality of first code modules, wherein the third code module calls one of the plurality of first code modules in response to a command to draw one of the graphical objects.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the third code module identifies one of a plurality of states for one of the graphical objects when calling one of the plurality of first code modules, and wherein the one of the plurality of first code modules provides data to one of a plurality of second code modules from the selected set to cause the one of the plurality of second code modules to draw the one of the graphical objects in the state.

27. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

a first portion having stored therein a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer, the graphical user interface comprising a plurality of definitions that are respectively associated with the graphical objects, each of the definitions comprising a hierarchical set of software code modules;

a second portion having stored therein a first code module at one level of the hierarchy, wherein the first code module defines the structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of the graphical object; and

a third portion having stored therein a second code module at a lower level of the hierarchy that depends from the first code module, wherein the second code module defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of the graphical object to be displayed on the monitor.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein a plurality of second code modules depend from each of a plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the plurality of second code modules that depends from each of the plurality of first code modules defines a different appearance for the elements of the graphical object associated with the first code module.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, wherein the plurality of second code modules are alternatively selectable by a user of the computer to present different themes for the graphical user interface.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, wherein the graphical objects include control objects and menus.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the first code module for control objects also defines functionality associated with the control objects.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 27, comprising:

a fourth portion having stored therein a third code module at a level of the hierarchy above the first code module, wherein the third code module calls one of a plurality of first code modules in response to a command to draw one of the graphical objects.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the third code module identifies one of a plurality of states for one of the graphical objects when calling one of the plurality of first code modules, and wherein the one of the plurality of first code modules provides data to one of a plurality of second code modules to cause the one of the plurality of second code modules to draw the one of the graphical objects in the state.

34. A computer-readable medium, comprising:

a first portion having stored therein a graphical user interface, wherein the graphical user interface includes graphical objects that are displayed on a monitor of a computer and that are accessed by users to control the operation of the computer;

a second portion having stored therein a plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the plurality of first code modules defines a structural relationship of elements that constitute a displayed image of an associated graphical object;

a third portion having stored therein a plurality of sets of second code modules that depend from the plurality of first code modules, wherein each set of second code modules includes a code module that depends from a respective one of the plurality of first code modules, wherein each of the second code modules defines an appearance for each of the elements in the image of a graphical object to be displayed on the monitor; and

a fourth portion having stored therein an object, responsive to a user command, for selecting one of the plurality of sets of second code modules to control the appearances of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the selection of one of the plurality of sets of second code modules controls the appearances of all of the graphical objects in the graphical user interface.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, wherein the graphical objects include control objects and menus.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the plurality of first code modules for control objects also define functionality associated with the control objects.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 34, comprising:

a fifth portion having stored therein a third code module at a level of the hierarchy above the plurality of first code modules, wherein the third code module calls one of the plurality of first code modules in response to a command to draw one of the graphical objects.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the third code module identifies one of a plurality of states for one of the graphical objects when calling one of the plurality of first code modules, and wherein the one of the plurality of first code modules provides data to one of a plurality of second code modules from the selected set to cause the one of the plurality of second code modules to draw the one of the graphical objects in the state.