Transformation of platform specific graphical user interface widgets migrated between heterogeneous device platforms

• US 7,392,483 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Song, Yu, Wong, Hoi Lee Candy, Kurakake, Shoji, Katagiri, Masaji, Chu, Hao-hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Lo; Weilun
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nunez; Jordany
• Application Number:
  US10/271,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070061A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,079 Days
• Field of Search: 715 1-999, 707 1-999, 717 1-999
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A scalable graphical user interface system may dynamically transform platform specific graphical user interface widgets migrated within an application graphical user interface between any of a plurality of heterogeneous device platforms. The scalable graphical user interface system includes a platform independent presentation model that is mapped to platform specific graphical user interface widgets. The platform independent presentation model includes platform independent graphical user interface widgets. The platform independent graphical user interface widgets may be selectively transformed with transformation rules to generate a platform specific presentation for use by the application graphical user interface on one of the heterogeneous device platforms. Applicable transformation rules may be prioritized for each selected platform independent graphical user interface widget. A highest priority transformation rule may be applied to transform the selected platform independent graphical user interface widget.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically transforming graphical user interface widgets to allow migration of an instance of an operating scalable application between a source heterogeneous device platform to a target heterogeneous device platform, the method comprising:

a) identifying a platform independent graphical user interface widget to be transformed within a platform independent presentation model, wherein the platform independent presentation model is compatible with, but not specific to, the source and target heterogeneous device platforms, wherein the platform independent presentation model is based on an application graphical user interface (GUI) of the operating scalable application, and wherein the platform independent presentation model provides a logic structure for a platform specific presentation generated by the operating scaleable application for the target heterogeneous device platform;

b) prioritizing a plurality of transformation rules applicable to the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget, wherein prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules comprises;

categorizing the plurality of transformation rules into one of a plurality of types;

prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules as a function of type;

filtering the plurality of transformation rules to eliminate unsupported transformations; and

prioritizing the supported transformations of the plurality of transformation rules as a function of a space reduction parameter, wherein prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules as the function of the space reduction parameter comprises changing priority of supported transformation rules in the plurality of transformation rules according to a set of one or more space reduction parameters that have a dynamically changeable priority based on at least one of a condition of the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget that triggered the transformation and an amount of size reduction resulting from application of each of the plurality of transformation rules; and

c) transforming the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget with a highest priority transformation rule, wherein the highest priority transformation rule is a transformation rule of the plurality of transformation rules that provides less space reduction than the other transformation rules of the plurality of transformation rules.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a) comprises identifying the platform independent graphical user interface widget as one of a single scaleable graphical user interface component and a composite scaleable graphical user interface component.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a) comprises retrieving transformation rules applicable to the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the composite scaleable graphical user interface component includes a plurality of single scaleable graphical user interface components and a) further comprises:

identifying the single scaleable graphical user interface components included in the composite scaleable graphical user interface component as one of core scaleable graphical user interface components and optional scaleable graphical user interface components; and

performing b) and c) on the optional scaleable graphical user interface components and then on the core scaleable graphical user interface components.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the types include at least one of one-to-one type transformation rules;

one-to-multiple type transformation rules;

multiple same class-to-one type transformation rules and multiple-to-multiple type transformation rules, and wherein prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules as the function of type comprises assigning the multiple-to-multiple type transformation rules as a lower priority than the one-to-one type transformation rules, one-to-multiple type transformation rules, and multiple same class-to-one type transformation rules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein filtering the plurality of transformation rules comprises filtering the plurality of transformation rules to retain those transformation rules that result in a transformed platform independent graphical user interface widget that is compatible with the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the space reduction parameter includes at least one of a width reduction ratio, a height reduction ratio and a dimension reduction ratio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein b) comprises:

prioritizing the transformation rules as a function of type;

filtering the transformation rules to eliminate unsupported transformations; and

prioritizing the transformation rules as a function of a space reduction parameter.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising d) mapping the transformed platform independent graphical user interface widget to a platform specific widget in a platform specific presentation.

10. A method of dynamically transforming graphical user interface widgets to allow migration of an instance of an operating scalable application between a source heterogeneous device platform to a target heterogeneous device platform, the method comprising:

a) categorizing a plurality of single scalable graphical user interface components included in a composite scalable graphical user interface component of a platform independent presentation model as core and optional, wherein the platform independent presentation model is compatible with, but not specific to, the source and target heterogeneous device platforms, wherein the platform independent presentation model is based on an application graphical user interface of the operating scalable application, and wherein the platform independent presentation model provides a logic structure for a platform specific presentation generated by the operating scaleable application for the target heterogeneous device platform;

b) identifying a plurality of transformation rules applicable to each of the single scalable graphical user interface components;

c) prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules applicable to each of the single scalable graphical user interface component, wherein prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules comprises;

categorizing the plurality of transformation rules into one of a plurality of types;

prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules as a function of type of transformation rule;

filtering the plurality of transformation rules to eliminate unsupported transformations; and

prioritizing the supported transformation rules as a function of a space reduction parameter, including changing priority of transformation rules in the identified transformation rules according to a set of one or more space reduction parameters that have a dynamically changeable priority based on at least one of a condition of each single scalable platform independent graphical user interface component and an amount of size reduction resulting from application of each of the identified transformation rules; and

d) selectively transforming the single scalable graphical user interface components with an applicable transformation rule of highest priority, wherein the highest priority transformation rules is a transformation rule of the plurality of transformation rules that provides less space reduction than the other transformation rules of the plurality of transformation rules.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a) comprises selecting the category as one of core and optional based on an importance property associated with each single scalable graphical user interface component.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein b) comprises eliminating transformation rules that result in transformed scalable graphical user interface components with input methods unsupported by the single scalable graphical user interface components.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the types of transformation rules include at least one of one-to-one type transformation rules;

one-to-multiple type transformation rules;

multiple same class-to-one type transformation rules and multiple-to-multiple type transformation rules.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein c) comprises prioritizing as a function of the size reduction of each of the single scalable graphical user interface components when the transformation rule is applied.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein d) comprises converting the running state of the single scalable graphical user interface components to the running state of the transformed single scalable graphical user interface components, wherein the running state includes at least one of appearance, state changes and data.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein d) comprises mapping an event handling mechanism of the single scalable graphical user interface components to the event handling mechanism of the transformed single scalable graphical user interface components.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising first performing b), c) and d) on the single scalable graphical user interface components categorized as optional and subsequently performing b), c) and d) on the single scalable graphical user interface components categorized as core.

18. A method of dynamically transforming graphical user interface widgets to allow migration of an instance of an operating scaleable application between a source heterogeneous device platform to a target heterogeneous device platform, the method comprising:

a) forming a platform independent presentation model in which a container node is logically associated with a plurality of first component nodes, wherein the platform independent presentation model is compatible with, but not specific to, the source and target heterogeneous device platforms, wherein the platform independent presentation model is based on an application graphical user interface (GUI) of the operating scalable application, and wherein the platform independent presentation model provides a logic structure for a platform specific presentation generated by the operating scaleable application for the target heterogeneous device platform;

b) transforming a plurality of platform independent graphical user interface widgets represented with respective first component nodes to at least one different platform independent graphical user interface widget represented with at least one second component node, wherein transforming the plurality of platform independent graphical user interface widgets comprises prioritizing a plurality of transformation rules applicable to the plurality of platform independent graphical user interface widgets, wherein prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules comprises;

filtering the plurality of transformation rules to eliminate unsupported transformations; and

prioritizing the supported transformations of the plurality of transformation rules as a function of a space reduction parameter, including changing priority of supported transformation rules in the plurality of transformation rules according to a set of one or more space reduction parameters that have a dynamically changeable priority based on an amount of size reduction resulting from application of each of the plurality of transformation rules, and wherein transforming the plurality of platform independent graphical user interface widgets further comprises selectively transforming at least one of the plurality of platform independent graphical user interface widgets with a highest priority transformation rule, wherein the highest priority transformation rule is a transformation rule of the plurality of transformation rules that provides less space reduction than the other transformation rules of the plurality of transformation rules; and

c) linking the second component node with the container node to create a logical association that replaces the existing logical association between the container node and the first component nodes.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein b) comprises applying at least one of a multiple same class-to-one type transformation rule and a multiple-to-multiple type transformation rule to generate the at least one different platform independent graphical user interface widget when the platform independent graphical user interface widgets are part of different classes.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein b) comprises applying a multiple same class-to-one type transformation rule to generate a single different platform independent graphical user interface widget when the platform independent graphical user interface widgets are part of the same class.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein c) comprises applying form-filling relationships to transform the running state of the platform independent graphical user interface widgets.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein c) comprises applying the running state of the platform independent graphical user interface widgets as the running state of the at least one different platform independent graphical user interface widget.

23. A scalable graphical user interface system for dynamically transforming graphical user interface widgets to allow migration an instance of an operating scalable application between a source heterogeneous device platform to a target heterogeneous device platform, the scalable graphical user interface system comprising:

a server operable to identify a platform independent graphical user interface widget to be transformed within a platform independent presentation model, wherein the platform independent presentation model is compatible with, but not specific to, the source and target heterogeneous device platforms, wherein the platform independent presentation model is based on an application graphical user interface (GUI) of the operating scalable application, and wherein the platform independent presentation model provides a logic structure for a platform specific presentation generated by the operating scaleable application for the target heterogeneous device platform,

wherein the server is operable to prioritize a plurality of transformation rules applicable to the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget, wherein the server is operable to prioritize the plurality of transformation rules by;

categorizing the plurality of transformation rules into one of a plurality of types;

prioritizing the plurality of transformation rules as a function of type;

filtering the plurality of transformation rules to eliminate unsupported transformations; and

prioritizing the supported transformations of the plurality of transformation rules as a function of a space reduction parameter by changing priority of transformation rules in the plurality of transformation rules according to a set of one or more space reduction parameters that have a dynamically changeable priority based on at least one of a condition of the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget and an amount of size reduction resulting from application of each of the plurality of transformation rules, and

wherein the server is operable to transform the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget with a highest priority transformation rule, wherein the highest priority transformation rule is a transformation rule of the plurality of transformation rules that provides less space reduction than the other transformation rules of the plurality of transformation rules.

24. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the priority of the transformation rule is determined by at least one of categorization of the transformation rules according to type;

filtration of the transformation rules to eliminate incompatible transformation results and space reduction parameters associated with transformation.

25. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to transform the event handling of the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget.

26. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to generate a platform specific presentation for a heterogeneous device platform that includes a platform specific graphical user interface widget that is mapped from the transformed identified platform independent graphical user interface widget.

27. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server comprises a transformation module and a scaleable graphical user interface library, the transformation module cooperatively operable with the scaleable graphical user interface library to perform transformations.

28. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget is a composite scaleable graphical user interface component that includes a plurality of single scaleable graphical user interface components, and the server is operable to transform the single scaleable graphical user interface components as a function of categorization of the single scaleable graphical user interface components as one of core and optional.

29. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to link the transformed identified platform independent graphical user interface widget to other platform independent graphical user interface widgets in the platform independent presentation model.