Methods and systems for creating skins

• US 7,458,020 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novak, Michael J., Olson, Kipley J., Larkin, Kevin P., Nadalin, David M., Sanborn, Frank G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Queler; Adam M
• Application Number:
  US11/129,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20050210051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 715/513, 715/744, 715/746, 715/762, 715/234
• US Class Current: 715/234
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment skins can be defined as sets of script files, art files, media files, and text files. These files can be used to create new and different skin appearances, layouts and functionalities. The files are organized for use using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, an example of which is an XML data structure. The data structure is processed to provide an object model. The object model can be a scriptable object model that enables script to execute to provide an interactive, dynamic skin that can respond to internal and external events. In one embodiment, a computer architecture used for rendering the skin includes a layout manager that processes an intermediate representation of the XML data structure to provide the scriptable object model. Various components of the scriptable object model can include a script engine for receiving and executing script, and one or more rendering elements. Each rendering element represents a different skin element and can be individually configured to respond to script via the script engine. The inventive systems and techniques can provide a robust, dynamic skin that can be rendered and re-rendered at runtime.

Claims

1. A computing device embodying a skin-rendering computer architecture comprising:

a layout manager configured to process a hierarchical data structure associated with a software application user interface skin, the hierarchical data structure containing information that can be used by the layout manager to render the skin at software application runtime, wherein the information in the hierarchical data structure comprises;

at least one tag pair that contains information that identifies a mapping image, the mapping image having one or more colors, each color defining a region of the mapping image; and

at least one tan pair that contains information that establishes a color mapping relationship between a skin element and an associated color in the mapping image; and

one or more rendering elements associated with the layout manager, each rendering element being associated with a skin element and being configured for use in rendering their associated skin element,

wherein when the skin is rendered, each color region of the mapping image defines an area of the skin that is dedicated to its associated skin element.

2. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1, wherein the layout manager comprises an object model builder configured to process the hierarchical data structure and, responsive thereto, create the one or more rendering elements.

3. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1 further comprising a script engine operably associated with the layout manager and configured to receive and execute script associated with one or more of the rendering elements, the script defining a degree of interactivity for the skin.

4. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1, wherein:

the layout manager comprises an object model builder configured to process the hierarchical data structure and, responsive thereto, create the one or more rendering elements; and

further comprising a script engine operably associated with the layout manager and configured to receive and execute script associated with one or more of the rendering elements, the script defining a degree of interactivity for the skin.

5. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1, wherein the layout manager is configured to:

process a hierarchical data structure that is derived from an XML file that describes the skin and its attributes; and

create the one or more rendering elements based on information contained in the hierarchical data structure.

6. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1, wherein the layout manager is configured to process the hierarchical data structure and provide a scriptable object model therefrom.

7. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1 further comprising an XML parser for parsing an XML file to provide the hierarchical data structure.

8. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1, wherein the layout manager is further configured to dynamically reform the skin based on a user interaction with the skin.

9. The skin-rendering computer architecture of claim 1, wherein the layout manager is further configured to render visible one or more hidden subviews within one or more subsections of the skin based on a user interaction with the skin.