Choosing between multiple versions of content to optimize display

• US 7,694,221 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Fortes, Filipe
• Primary Examiner(s): Hutton; Doug
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMITH, TIONNA M
• Application Number:
  US11/364,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20070203878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,498 Days
• Field of Search: 715/523, 715/249
• US Class Current: 715/249
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9038 Presentation of query results

Abstract

Described is a technology by which a piece of content is selected from among at least two pieces of content in response to a request to return content. The selection is based on an evaluation of current state data against the properties/characteristics of the content. For example, the state data may define a currently available size; each piece of content has associated size properties (e.g., height and width ranges) that can be matched in the selection process. In a layout system, a parent container may request content from a child container that is associated with the selection process. The selection process may, for example, evaluate the child'"'"'s pieces of content in an evaluation order, with the first appropriate matching piece of content selected. If no content matches, a default piece of content, or a code that indicates that no content is to be shown, is returned.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having stored computer-executable instructions, which when executed perform a method, comprising:

receiving a request to return content to a display of a computing system;

identifying current conditions corresponding to the computing system;

accessing an element tree that includes a plurality of different pieces of the content that have been provided by a developer and that each correspond to different display properties;

identifying an evaluation order of the different pieces of content, wherein the evaluation order corresponds to a developer specified order for evaluating the different pieces of content based on current conditions and for selecting one of the different pieces of content to be displayed;

evaluating the different pieces of the content in the evaluation order while searching for a match between the current conditions and a matching piece of the content;

upon finding the matching version of the content, selecting the matching piece of the content to be returned to the display or, alternatively, upon determining that there is no match, returning a default piece of the content to the display; and

returning, directly or indirectly, the selected piece of content or, alternatively, the default piece of the content to the display and in response to the request.

2. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the request is received from a parent container in a layout environment.

3. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the request includes state data corresponding to the requested content.

4. The computer-readable medium of claim 3 wherein the different display properties include a maximum and minimum height and a maximum and minimum width corresponding to each of the different pieces of the content, and wherein said evaluating the different pieces of the content includes searching for a matching piece of the content based on a maximum height or width corresponding to the available size information identified with the state data.

5. The computer-readable medium of claim 4 wherein the state data corresponds to size property data specified as at least one size range.

6. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein said evaluating includes evaluating at least two different pieces of the content based on current state data before selecting the matching piece of content.

7. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises determining that there is no match and returning the default data to the display.

8. In a computing environment, a method implemented by a computing system having a processor and one or more storage media storing instructions for implementing the method, the method comprising:

receiving a request to return content to a display of a computing system;

identifying current conditions corresponding to the computing system;

accessing an element tree that includes a plurality of different pieces of the content that have been provided by a developer and that each correspond to different display properties;

identifying an evaluation order of the different pieces of content, wherein the evaluation order corresponds to a developer specified order for evaluating the different pieces of content based on current conditions and for selecting one of the different pieces of content to be displayed;

evaluating the different pieces of the content in the evaluation order while searching for a match between the current conditions and a matching piece of the content;

upon finding the matching version of the content, selecting the matching piece of the content to be returned to the display or, alternatively, upon determining that there is no match, returning a default piece of the content to the display; and

returning, directly or indirectly, the selected piece of content or, alternatively, the default piece of the content to the display and in response to the request.

9. In a computing environment, a system comprising:

a processor; and

one or more storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, implement the method of claim 8.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the current conditions comprise at least one member of a set, the set containing, height data, width data, aspect ratio data, color-related data, screen resolution data, online versus offline state data, signal quality data, an interactivity state, proximity data, location data, and current usage data.

11. The method recited in claim 8, wherein the default piece of the content indicates that the content corresponding to the request is to not be displayed at the device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the current conditions comprise a zoom level associated with the display.