Cross version and cross product user interface

• US 7,886,290 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Andy Chung-An, Hayashi, Sylvia Antje, Ramani, Preethi, So, Angela Wai Ga, Morton, David Andrew, Dhanjal, Savraj Singh
• Primary Examiner(s): Puente; Emerson C
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLS, PAUL V
• Application Number:
  US11/154,278
• Publication Number:
  US 20070006206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,063 Days
• Field of Search: 717/170, 715/762, 715/763, 715/825, 715/826, 715/841, 715/844
• US Class Current: 717/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

When a user interface of a parent software application is modified such that user interface components of an add-in application are not compatible with the parent application user interface, user interface components associated with functionalities of the add-in application are added to the modified parent application user interface. A prior user interface of the parent application to which the add-in application user interface components are added is run in a background of the parent application and is not visible to users. User interface components in the parent application user interface are linked to corresponding add-in application user interface components in the prior user interface. Selection of a user interface component from the present user interface that is associated with an add-in application functionality causes selection of a corresponding user interface component in the background user interface, and the associated add-in functionality is executed.

Claims

1. A method for exposing functionalities of an add-in software application via a modified parent user interface, the method comprising:

providing a first set of functionalities of a parent software application via a prior parent user interface;

providing a second set of functionalities of the add-in software application to the parent software application via an add-in user interface and

a first set of components of the add-in user interface which are integrable with a second set components of the prior parent user interface;

receiving the modified parent user interface, wherein the modified parent user interface is a modified version of the prior parent user interface;

determining the first set of components of the add-in user interface are not integrable with a modified set of components of the modified parent user interface;

integrating, in response to the determining, the first set of components of the add-in user interface with the prior parent user interface into which the first set of components of the add-in user interface are integrable, wherein integrating the first set of components of the add-in user interface with the prior parent user interface into which the first set of components of the add-in user interface are integrable comprises running the prior parent user interface including the integrated add-in user interface components as a background user interface that is not visually displayed;

generating a plurality of selectable components in the modified parent user interface corresponding to the integrated add-in user interface components which are integrated into the prior parent user interface, wherein generating the plurality of selectable components in the modified parent user interface comprises;

creating, in the modified parent user interface, a selectable add-in component comprising a plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application, the selectable add-in component populating, upon selection, a portion of the modified parent user interface with the plurality of selectable controls, and

grouping the plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application into logical groupings comprising icons associated with the plurality of selectable controls, wherein grouping the plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application into the logical groupings comprises laying out the plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application consistently with a layout of the modified parent user interface;

linking each generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface with each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component;

displaying the modified parent user interface; and

selecting, in response to a selection of the generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface, the integrated add-in user interface component in the background user interface corresponding to the selected generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the modified parent user interface comprises:

exposing the first set of functionalities of the parent software application, and exposing each generated selectable component of the modified parent user interface corresponding to each integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior parent user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein linking each generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface with each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component includes embedding in each generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface a path to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the integrated component corresponding to the selected generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface includes passing an execution call along the path from the selected generated component in the modified parent user interface to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface that is linked to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component; and

activating, in response to receiving the selection of the generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface that is linked to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component, the corresponding selectable control of the plurality of selectable controls.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising executing a first functionality of the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application associated with the activated corresponding selectable control.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein running the prior version of the parent user interface including the integrated add-in user interface components as a background user interface that is not visually displayed comprises, running the prior version of the parent user interface while displaying the modified parent user interface, wherein any one of the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application that is provided to the parent software application is executed by the selection of the associated selectable control of the modified parent user interface that corresponds to the integrated add-in user interface component which is integrated into the prior parent user interface.

8. A method for exposing functionalities of an add-in software application via a parent software application user interface, the method comprising:

receiving a parent software application providing a first set of functionalities via the parent user interface;

receiving the add-in software application to be added to the parent software application, the add-in software application including an add-in user interface providing a second set of functionalities of the add-in software application, wherein the add-in user interface includes a first set selectable components each of which executes an associated functionality of the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application, the first set of selectable components of the add-in user interface not being compatible with the parent user interface;

integrating the first set of selectable components of the add-in user interface with a prior version of the parent user interface with which the first set of selectable components of the add-in user interface are compatible, wherein integrating the first set of selectable components of the add-in user interface with a prior version of the parent user interface with which the first set of components of the add-in user interface are compatible comprises running the prior version of the parent user interface including the integrated add-in user interface components as a background user interface that is not visually displayed;

generating a second set of selectable components in the parent user interface each corresponding to one of the integrated add-in user interface components, wherein generating the second set of selectable components in the parent user interface comprises;

creating, in the parent user interface, a selectable add-in component comprising a plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application, the selectable add-in component populating, upon selection, a portion of the parent user interface with the plurality of selectable controls, and

grouping the plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application into logical groupings comprising icons associated with the plurality of selectable controls, wherein grouping the plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application into the logical groupings comprises grouping the plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application in a consistent manner with a layout of the parent user interface;

linking each generated selectable component of the second set of selectable in the parent user interface with each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component;

displaying the parent user interface; and

selecting, in response to a selection of at least one generated selectable component in the parent user interface, the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component in the background user interface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein linking each generated selectable control of the second set of selectable controls in the parent user interface with each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component includes embedding in each generated selectable control in the parent user interface a path to each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein selecting the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component includes passing an execution call along the path from the selected generated control component in the parent user interface to the at least one corresponding integrated add-in user interface component.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein displaying the parent user interface further comprises, exposing the first set of functionalities of the parent software application and exposing each generated selectable control in the parent user interface corresponding to each selectable control in the add-in user interface;

and

wherein running the add-in user interface as a background user interface that is not visually displayed further comprises, executing the functionality of the first second set of functionalities of the add-in software application that is configured to be executed via the add-in user interface by selection of the associated selectable control of the parent user interface that corresponds to the integrated add-in user interface component which is integrated into the prior version of the parent user interface.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the selection of the generated selectable control component in the parent user interface that is linked to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component;

activating, in response to receiving the selection of the generated selectable component in the parent user interface that is linked to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component, the corresponding selectable control of the plurality of controls; and

executing a first functionality of the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application associated with the activated corresponding selectable control.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium which stores a set of instructions which when executed by a computer performs a method for exposing functionalities of an add-in software application via a modified parent user interface, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

providing a first set of functionalities of a parent software application via a prior parent user interface;

providing a second set of functionalities of the add-in software application to the parent software application via an add-in user interface and a first set of components of the add-in user interface which are integrable with a second set components of the prior parent user interface;

receiving the modified parent user interface, wherein the modified parent user interface is a modified version of the prior parent user interface;

determining the first set of components of the add-in user interface are not integrable with a modified set of components of the modified parent user interface;

integrating, in response to the determining, the first set of components of the add-in user interface with the prior parent user interface into which the first set of components of the add-in user interface are integrable, wherein integrating the first set of components of the add-in user interface with the prior parent user interface into which the first set of components of the add-in user interface are integrable comprises running the prior parent user interface including the integrated add-in user interface components as a background user interface that is not visually displayed;

generating a plurality of selectable components in the modified parent user interface corresponding to the integrated add-in user interface components which are integrated into the prior parent user interface, wherein generating the plurality of selectable components in the modified parent user interface comprises;

creating, in the modified parent user interface, a selectable add-in component comprising a plurality of selectable controls associated with the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application, the selectable add-in component populating, upon selection, a portion of the parent user interface with the plurality of selectable controls,

organizing the plurality of selectable controls into a plurality of logical groupings of selectable controls comprising a first logical grouping of selectable controls associated with the add-in software application and at least one additional logical grouping of selectable controls associated with at least one additional add-in software application, the at least one additional logical grouping of selectable controls comprising additional selectable controls associated with the at least one additional add-in software application,

laying out the plurality of logical groupings of selectable controls consistently with a layout of the modified set of components of the modified parent user interface;

linking each generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface with each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior parent user interface, wherein each generated selectable component is one of the following;

added by the add-in software application and modified by the add-in software application;

displaying the modified parent user interface; and

selecting, in response to a selection of the generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface, the integrated add-in user interface component in the background user interface corresponding to the selected generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein displaying the modified parent user interface further comprises:

exposing the first set of functionalities of the parent software application and exposing each generated selectable component of the modified parent user interface corresponding to each integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior parent user interface.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein linking each generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface with each corresponding integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior parent user interface includes embedding in each generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface a path to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior parent user interface.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein selecting the integrated add-in user interface component in the prior parent user interface corresponding to the selected generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface includes passing an execution call along the path from the selected generated component in the modified parent user interface to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior parent user interface.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a selection of the generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface that is linked to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior version of the parent user interface; and

activating, in response to receiving the selection of the generated selectable component in the modified parent user interface that is linked to the corresponding integrated add-in user interface component that is integrated into the prior version of the parent user interface, the corresponding selectable control of the plurality of selectable controls.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising executing a first functionality of the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application associated with the activated corresponding selectable control.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein running the prior version of the parent user interface including the integrated add-in user interface components as a background user interface that is not visually displayed comprises running the prior version of the parent user interface while displaying the modified parent user interface, wherein any one of the second set of functionalities of the add-in software application that is provided to the parent software application is executed by the selection of the associated selectable control of the modified parent user interface that corresponds to the integrated add-in user interface component which is integrated into the prior parent user interface.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising automatically initiating the background user interface upon receiving a selection to display the modified parent user interface.