Method and data structure for user interface customization

• US 7,827,495 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2004
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Zinn, Scotte, Klassen, Gerhard Dietrich, Bells, Matthew, Wallis, Kenneth
• Primary Examiner(s): Sax; Steven P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Belousov; Andrey
• Application Number:
  US10/930,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744, 715/746, 715/747, 715/748, 715/815
• US Class Current: 715/744
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions

Abstract

A method for changing visual attributes presented by a graphical user interface of a device such as a mobile electronic device by loading onto the device a file containing information for changing selected visual attributes of the interface. A method or compiler for generating or compiling a file that contains information used by a device to change the user interface presented by the device.

Claims

1. An automated method of providing a user interface customization file for use by a mobile device to customize the user interface of the mobile device, including:

receiving an instruction file including;

a) a list identifying custom graphic image files each defining an image for presentation by the user interface; and

b) an instruction set defining custom visual attributes of elements of the user interface, the visual attributes including at least two color attributes, wherein the visual attributes specified for at least some of the elements of the user interface include a foreground and background color;

using the list for retrieving the custom graphic image files identified in the list;

automatically scaling at least some of the custom graphic images specified in the list of custom graphic image files to produce scaled graphic images, as required by the instruction file;

performing relational error checking on at least some of the visual attributes defined in the instruction set to determine if the colors of at least two of the color attributes are sufficiently different by consulting predetermined color relationship tables, wherein the relational error checking includes comparing the foreground and background colors specified for at least some of the elements to determine if the compared foreground and background colors are sufficiently different according to predetermined criteria;

generating in dependence on the instruction set in the received instruction file and the scaled graphic images a downloadable user interface customization file usable by the mobile device that includes (i) instructions for the mobile device defining, the custom visual attributes of the elements of the user interface in accordance with the instruction set and (ii) graphic image files for the mobile device defining the images; and

sending the user interface customization file over a network to the mobile device,

wherein the user interface customization file is a self-executing file.

2. The method of claim 1 including syntactic error checking of the instruction file prior to the generating.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the custom graphic image files include files defining icons for presentation in the user interface, and the instruction set includes a hierarchy list defining a presentation layout for at least some of the icons.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the elements of the user interface include text, and the instruction set includes a font definitions list defining custom visual attributes for the text, wherein the defined

custom visual attributes for the text include at least one of font;

font-family;

font-style;

font-weight;

font-stretch; and

font-size.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the instruction set includes a style sheet, the color attributes including at least one of:

foreground color;

background color;

focus foreground color;

selection foreground color; and

selection background color, and the color attributes are defined in the style sheet.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the instruction file is in an XML compatible format and the graphic image files include both bit image files and SVG compatible files.

7. The method of claim 1 including automatically

compressing at least some of the custom graphic images specified in the custom graphic image files and including the compressed images in the downloadable user interface customization file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the instructions included in the user interface customization file define visual attributes that are associated with a theme.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile device has a plurality of displayed elements each having pre-existing visual attributes, the method further including:

changing at least one pre-existing visual attribute of at least one of the displayed elements on the mobile device to a substitute visual attribute specified in the user interface customization file.

10. A user interface theme compiler device for generating, in dependence on an instruction file, a user interface customization file for use by a mobile device to customize a user interface thereof, the instruction file including:

a) a list identifying custom graphic image files each defining an image for presentation in the user interface, and b) an instruction set defining custom visual attributes of elements of the user interface, the visual attributes including at least two color attributes, the theme compiler including, wherein the visual attributes specified for at least some of the elements of the user interface include a foreground and background color;

collection means for using the list to retrieve from at least one source the custom graphic image files that are identified in the of custom graphic image files of the instruction file;

an auto-scaling function for automatically scaling at least some of the custom graphic images specified in the list of custom graphic image files to produce scaled graphic images, as required by the instruction file;

an error checking function for performing relational error checking on at least some of the visual attributes defined in the instruction set to determine if the colors of at least two of the color attributes are sufficiently different by consulting predetermined color relationship tables, wherein the relational error checking includes comparing the foreground and background colors specified for at least some of the elements to determine if the compared foreground and background colors are sufficiently different according to predetermined criteria; and

file assembly means for producing, in dependence on the instruction set in the instruction file and the scaled graphic images, a downloadable user interface customization file that includes image files defining the images and instructions defining, in accordance with the instruction set, the custom visual attributes the elements of the user interface; and

a communication subsystem for sending the user interface customization file over a network to the mobile device,

wherein the user interface customization file is a self-executing file.

11. The user interface theme compiler device of claim 10 wherein the visual attributes specified for at least some of the elements of the user interface include a foreground and background color and the relational error checking includes comparing the foreground and background colors specified for at least some of the elements to determine if the compared foreground and background colors are sufficiently different according to predetermined criteria.

12. The user interface theme compiler device of claim 10 including compression means for compressing at least some of the custom graphic image files, wherein the file assembly means includes the compressed graphic image files in the image files of the downloadable user interface customization file.

13. The user interface theme compiler device of claim 10 wherein the elements of the user interface each convey a meaning that is unaffected by the visual attributes defined in the instruction set.

14. A computer program product comprising a machine readable storage medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions for providing a user interface customization file for use by a mobile device to customize the user interface of the mobile device, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving an instruction file, the instruction file including;

a) a list identifying custom graphic image files each defining an image for presentation by the user interface; and

b) a style sheet an instruction set defining custom visual attributes of elements of the user interface, the visual attributes including at least two color attributes, wherein the visual attributes specified for at least some of the elements of the user interface include a foreground and background color;

instructions for using the list to retrieve the custom graphic image files identified in the list;

instructions for automatically scaling at least some of the custom graphic images specified in the list of custom graphic image files to produce scaled graphic images, as required by the instruction file;

instructions for performing relational error checking on at least some of the visual attributes defined in the instruction set to determine if the colors of at least two of the color attributes are sufficiently different by consulting predetermined color relationship tables, wherein the relational error checking includes comparing the foreground and background colors specified for at least some of the elements to determine if the compared foreground and background colors are sufficiently different according to predetermined criteria;

instructions for generating in dependence on the instruction set in the instruction file and the scaled graphic images a downloadable user interface customization file usable by the mobile device that includes (i) instructions for the mobile device defining the custom visual attributes of the elements of the user interface in accordance with the instruction set and (ii) graphic image files for the mobile device defining the images; and

instructions for sending the user interface customization file over a network to the mobile device,

wherein the user interface customization file is a self-executing file.

15. An automated method of providing a user interface customization file for use by a mobile device to customize the user interface of the mobile device, including:

receiving an XML theme file defining the custom visual attributes for the user interface, wherein the XML theme file includes (a) a file list identifying custom graphic image files each defining an image for presentation by the user interface, (b) a font definition list defining a font for the user interface, (c) an application hierarchy list defining the layout of application icons on the user interface, and (d) a style sheet defining at least the screen format, foreground color, and background color for the user interface, the visual attributes including at least two color attributes, wherein the visual attributes specified for at least some of the elements of the user interface include a foreground and background color;

error checking the XML theme file, including a syntactic check and a heuristic semantic analysis;

using the list for retrieving the custom graphic image files identified in the file list;

converting the XML file into another format to produce a converted theme file;

scaling and compressing the custom graphic image files, as required by the instruction file, to generate compressed image files;

assembling the compressed image files and converted theme file into the user interface customization file; and

transmitting the user interface customization file to the mobile device over a wireless network, wherein error checking the XML theme file includes performing relational error checking on at least some of the visual attributes defined in the XML theme file to determine if the colors of at least two of the color attributes are sufficiently different by consulting predetermined color relationship tables, wherein the relational error checking includes comparing the foreground and background colors specified for at least some of the elements to determine if the compared foreground and background colors are sufficiently different according to predetermined criteria, and wherein the user interface customization file is a self-executing file.