System and method for controlling the screen display appearance for a data processing system

• US 7,761,798 B1
• Filed: 04/18/2000
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Alexander, Peter, Esfahani, Cameron J., McDaniel, Debbie, Wong, David, King, Nick
• Primary Examiner(s): BONSHOCK, DENNIS G
• Application Number:
  US09/551,303
• Time in Patent Office: 3,745 Days
• Field of Search: 345/744, 345/745, 345/746, 345/747, 345/765, 345/864, 345/866, 345/905, 715/744, 715/745, 715/747, 715/764, 715/765, 715/781, 715/789, 715/809, 715/811, 715/866
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling the screen display appearance for a digital processing system. In one exemplary embodiment, a data value, typically stored in a non-volatile memory, is retrieved; this data value represents an appearance of an enclosure of a digital processing system. An appearance of a display of this digital processing system is then set based upon the appearance of the enclosure. In one example, the appearance is the color of the enclosure which determines various colors and backgrounds of objects in a graphical user interface of the digital processing system. Other methods, apparatuses and computer readable media for causing methods to be performed are also described.

Claims

1. A computer readable media storing executable computer program instructions which when executed on a digital processing system cause said digital processing system to perform a method comprising:

retrieving a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing said digital processing system including a microprocessor, wherein said data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of said enclosure of said digital processing system; and

determining an appearance of a display of said digital processing system based upon said appearance of said enclosure.

2. A computer readable medium as in claim 1 wherein said data value is stored in a memory which is coupled to said digital processing system.

3. A computer readable medium as in claim 2 further comprising:

determining whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored in said digital processing system before said determining of said appearance of said display.

4. A computer readable medium as in claim 3 wherein said determining whether said user defined set has been stored is performed before said retrieving.

5. A computer readable medium as in claim 4 wherein if a user defined set of display preferences has not been stored in said digital processing system, then said retrieving is performed and said data value is used to store said user defined set.

6. A computer readable medium as in claim 5,

wherein if said user defined set has been stored, said appearance of said display is determined based on said user defined set.

7. A computer readable medium as in claim 2 wherein said determining said appearance comprises setting an appearance of at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by said digital processing system.

8. A computer readable medium as in claim 1, wherein said data value is stored in a memory which is coupled to sad digital processing system, and

wherein said memory is a non-volatile memory and wherein said data value is stored in said memory by a manufacturer of said digital processing system.

9. A digital processing system comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to said processor;

a bus coupled to said processor;

a memory coupled to said bus, said memory storing a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing said digital processing system including a microprocessor, said processor retrieving said data value and setting an appearance of said display based upon said appearance of said enclosure, wherein said data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of said enclosure of said digital processing system.

10. A digital processing system as in claim 9 wherein said data value is retained by said digital processing system even when power is not supplied to said digital processing system.

11. A digital processing system as in claim 10 wherein said processor determines whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored before setting said appearance of said display.

12. A digital processing system as in claim 11 wherein if said user defined set has been stored, said processor sets said appearance of said display based upon said user defined set.

13. A digital processing system as in claim 10 wherein said setting of said appearance of said display comprises setting an appearance of at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by said digital processing system.

14. A method of manufacturing a digital processing system, said method comprising:

determining an appearance of an enclosure enclosing a digital processing system including a microprocessor; and

storing in a non-volatile memory of said digital processing system a data value representing said appearance of said enclosure, wherein said data value is retrieved when said digital processing system is first used in order to set an appearance of a display of said digital processing system, wherein said data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of said enclosure.

15. A method as in claim 14 wherein said appearance of said display includes at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by said digital processing system.

16. A method for operating a digital processing system, said method comprising:

retrieving a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing said digital processing system including a microprocessor, wherein said data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of said enclosure of said digital processing system; and

determining an appearance of a display of said digital processing system based upon said appearance of said enclosure.

17. A method as in claim 16 wherein said data value is stored in a memory which is coupled to said digital processing system.

18. A method as in claim 17, wherein said memory is a non-volatile memory and wherein said data value is stored in said memory by a manufacturer of said digital processing system.

19. A method as in claim 17 further comprising:

determining whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored in said digital processing system before said determining of said appearance of said display.

20. A method as in claim 19 wherein said determining whether said user defined set has been stored is performed before said retrieving.

21. A method as in claim 20 wherein if a user defined set of display preferences has not been stored in said digital processing system, then said retrieving is performed and said data value is used to store said user defined set.

22. A method as in claim 17 wherein said determining said appearance comprises setting an appearance of at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by said digital processing system.

23. A computer readable medium storing executable computer program instructions which when executed on a digital processing system cause the digital processing system to perform a method comprising:

retrieving a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing the digital processing system including a microprocessor;

determining an appearance of at least one object displayed on a display of the digital processing system based the data value.

24. A computer readable medium as in claim 23 wherein the data value is stored in a memory which is coupled to the digital processing system.

25. A computer readable medium as in claim 24 wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory and wherein the data value is stored in the memory by a manufacturer of the digital processing system.

26. A computer readable medium as in claim 24 further comprising:

determining whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored in the digital processing system before the determining of the appearance of the display.

27. A computer readable medium as in claim 26 wherein the determining whether the user defined set has been stored is performed before the retrieving.

28. A computer readable medium as in claim 27 wherein if a user defined set of display preferences has not been stored in the digital processing system, then the retrieving is performed and the data value is used to store the user defined set.

29. A computer readable medium as in claim 28 wherein if the user defined set has been stored, the appearance of the display is determined based on the user defined set.

30. A computer readable medium as in claim 24 wherein the data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of the enclosure of the digital processing system.

31. A computer readable medium as in claim 24 wherein the determining the appearance comprises setting an appearance of at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by the digital processing system.

32. A digital processing system comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a bus coupled to the processor;

a memory coupled to the bus, the memory storing a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing the digital processing system including the processor, the processor retrieving the data value and setting an appearance of at least one object displayed on the display based upon the data value.

33. A digital processing system as in claim 32 wherein the data value is retained by the digital processing system even when power is not supplied to the digital processing system.

34. A digital processing system as in claim 33 wherein the processor determines whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored before setting the appearance of the display.

35. A digital processing system as in claim 34 wherein if the user defined set has been stored, the processor sets the appearance of the display based upon the user defined set.

36. A digital processing system as in claim 34 wherein the data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of the enclosure of the digital processing system.

37. A digital processing system as in claim 33 wherein the setting of the appearance of the display comprises setting an appearance of at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by the digital processing system.

38. A method of manufacturing a digital processing system, the method comprising:

determining an appearance of an enclosure enclosing a digital processing system including a microprocessor;

storing in a non-volatile memory of the digital processing system a data value representing the appearance of the enclosure, wherein the data value is retrieved when the digital processing system is first used in order to set an appearance of at least one object displayed on a display of the digital processing system.

39. A method as in claim 38 wherein the data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of the enclosure.

40. A method as in claim 38 wherein the appearance of the display includes at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by the digital processing system.

41. A method for operating a digital processing system, the method comprising:

retrieving a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing the digital processing system including a microprocessor;

determining an appearance of at least one object displayed on a display of the digital processing system based upon the data value.

42. A method as in claim 41 wherein the data value is stored in a memory which is coupled to the digital processing system.

43. A method as in claim 42 wherein the memory is a non-volatile memory and wherein the data value is stored in the memory by a manufacturer of the digital processing system.

44. A method as in claim 42 further comprising:

determining whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored in the digital processing system before the determining of the appearance of the display.

45. A method as in claim 44 wherein the determining whether the user defined set has been stored is performed before the retrieving.

46. A method as in claim 45 wherein if a user defined set of display preferences has not been stored in the digital processing system, then the retrieving is performed and the data value is used to store the user defined set.

47. A method as in claim 42 wherein the data value includes a value representing at least one of a machine type and a color of the enclosure of the digital processing system.

48. A method as in claim 42 wherein the determining the appearance comprises setting an appearance of at least one of (a) a desktop background;

(b) a desktop background picture;

(c) colors of objects in menus;

(d) colors of window controls;

(e) font of text in menus; and

(f) sounds produced by the digital processing system.

49. A machine readable medium providing executable program instructions to cause a data processing system to perform a method for operating the digital processing system, the method comprising:

determining whether a user defined set of display preferences has been stored in the digital processing system;

if a user defined set of display preferences has not been stored in the digital processing system, retrieving a data value representing an appearance of an enclosure enclosing the digital processing system including a microprocessor, wherein the data value is stored in a memory coupled to the digital processing system; and

determining an appearance of a display of the digital processing system based upon the appearance of the enclosure,

wherein if the user defined set has been stored, the appearance of the display is determined based on the user defined set.