Method and apparatus for user customized shading of a graphical user interface

• US 7,184,056 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2002
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasko, Tim, Kondrk, Robert, Brody, Sarah
• Primary Examiner(s): Tung; Kee M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CASCHERA, ANTONIO A
• Application Number:
  US10/301,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104911A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 345/833, 345/589, 345/592, 345/601, 345/606, 345/594, 715/744, 715/765, 715/833, 715/866
• US Class Current: 345/594
• 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 3/04897 Special input arrangements or commands for improving display capability

Abstract

To allow users to compensate for different and dynamically changing lighting conditions, the present invention introduces a graphical user interface shading system. The graphical user interface shading system provides a very simple intuitive interface to the user. In one embodiment, the user is presented with an adjustable user interface widget such as a slider that allows the user to select any shading setting along a shading continuum. The graphical user interface shading system reacts to the users control by adjusting a number of different graphical user interface elements in response to the new shading setting. In one embodiment, the graphical user interface shading system adjusts singled colored areas with a linear interpolation, text with a font color selection, icons with an icon bitmap selection, textured areas with a texture blend, and decals with a decal blend.

Claims

1. A method of rendering a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

accepting a shading setting value through a user interface;

determining a first user interface element appearance based upon a first operation with said shading setting value, said first operation not requiring any input through the user interface other than said shading setting value;

determining a second user interface element appearance based upon a second operation with said shading setting value, said second operation not requiring any input through the user interface other than said shading setting value, wherein said second operation is different from said first operation;

determining a third user interface element appearance based upon a third operation with said shading setting value, said third operation different from said first operation and said second operation; and

displaying at least one of said user interface elements based on the corresponding appearance of said at least one user interface elements.

2. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first operation comprises a linear interpolation and said second operation comprises a table look-up.

3. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 2 wherein said table look-up comprises determining a font color.

4. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 2 wherein said table look-up comprises selecting an icon bitmap.

5. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first operation comprises a linear interpolation, said second operation comprises a table look-up, and said third operation comprises a blend operation.

6. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1 wherein said shading setting value is set using a slider user interface element.

7. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first operation comprises a computation operation with said shading setting value.

8. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 7, wherein the second operation comprises a computation operation with said shading setting value.

13. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 2 wherein said linear interpolation is only performed along a luminance value.

9. A method of rendering a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

accepting a shading setting value through a user interface;

determining a first user interface element appearance based upon a first operation with said shading setting value, said first operation not requiring any input through the user interface other than said shading setting value;

determining a second user interface element appearance based upon a second operation with said shading setting value, said second operation not requiring any input through the user interface other than said shading setting value, wherein said second operation is different from said first operation; and

displaying at least one of said user interface elements based on the corresponding appearance of said at least one user interface elements;

wherein said first operation comprises a linear interpolation and said second operation comprises a blend operation.

10. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 9 wherein said blend operation comprises blending a first texture and a second texture.

11. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 9 wherein said blend operation comprises blending a first decal and a second decal.

12. The method of rendering a graphical user interface as claimed in claim 9 wherein said linear interpolation comprises interpolating between a first color and a second color.

14. A method of rendering a graphical user interface, said method comprising:

accepting a shading setting value through a user interface;

determining a first user interface element appearance based upon a first operation with said shading setting value, said first operation not requiring any input through the user interface other than said shading setting value;

determining a second user interface element appearance based upon a second operation with said shading setting value, said second operation not requiring any input through the user interface other than said shading setting value, wherein said second operation is different from said first operation; and

displaying at least one of said user interface elements based on the corresponding appearance of said at least one user interface elements;

wherein said first operation comprises a blend operation and said second operation comprises a table look-up.