Layout of platform specific graphical user interface widgets migrated between heterogeneous device platforms

• US 7,895,522 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Song, Yu, Wong, Hoi Lee Candy, Kurakake, Shoji, Katagiri, Masaji, Chu, Hao-hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; William L
• Assistant Examiner(s): NUNEZ, JORDANY
• Application Number:
  US10/271,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20030067489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,052 Days
• Field of Search: 715/746, 715/243, 715/788
• US Class Current: 715/746
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

A scaleable graphical user interface system utilizes a device platform independent model to provide dynamic layout of graphical user interface widgets migrated between any of a plurality of heterogeneous device platforms. The device platform independent model includes at least one platform independent graphical user interface widget. Based on the device platform independent model, platform specific graphical user interface widgets that correspond to each of the platform independent graphical user interface widgets may be laid out on a page and compared to the size of a display screen of a heterogeneous device platform. Where the page does not fit within the display screen, the platform independent graphical user interface widgets may be dynamically rearranged within the page to fit the display screen. In addition, where designated as splitable, the platform independent graphical user interface widgets may be split among multiple pages of a presentation to fit within the display screen.

Claims

1. A method of dynamically customizing the layout of a migratable application graphical user interface for a heterogeneous device platform, the method comprising:

a) laying out a plurality of platform independent graphical user interface widgets in a platform independent presentation model as a function of properties associated with each of the platform independent graphical user interface widgets;

b) dynamically adjusting the layout of those platform independent graphical user interface widgets that do not fit within a display screen of a heterogeneous device platform;

c) identifying a platform independent graphical user interface widget designated as splitable among different pages that does not fit within the display screen; and

d) splitting the identified platform independent graphical user interface widget among multiple pages.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a) comprises laying out the platform independent graphical user interface widget to fit the largest anticipated display screen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a) comprises designating the relative position of the platform independent graphical user interface widgets in the display screen with the properties.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein b) is performed on those platform independent graphical user interface widgets that cause the size of the display screen to be exceeded following a).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein b) comprises dynamically rearranging the platform independent graphical user interface widgets with a flow layout manager.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein c) and d) are performed when the size of the display screen is exceeded following b).

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising e) dynamically laying out the platform independent graphical user interface widget that is split within multiple pages with a flow layout manager.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising e) applying a transformation rule to a platform independent graphical user interface widget designated as not splitable that fails to fit within the display screen.

9. A method of dynamically customizing the layout of a migratable application graphical user interface for a heterogeneous device platform, the method comprising:

a) determining the presentation support capability of a display screen of a heterogeneous device platform;

b) processing a node in a platform independent presentation model as a function of the determined presentation support capability and properties associated with the node, wherein a platform independent graphical user interface widget is also associated with the node;

c) positioning a platform specific graphical user interface widget that corresponds to the platform independent graphical user interface widget on a page as a function of the properties; and

d) splitting the platform independent graphical user interface widget among multiple pages when the page does not fit within the display screen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a) comprises determining user interface capabilities that include at least one of a display screen size and a user input mechanism.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein b) comprises selecting the node as a function of the hierarchical position of the node within the platform independent presentation model and a priority property specified for the node.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein c) comprises dynamically rearranging the platform independent graphical user interface widget within the page when the page does not fit within the display screen.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein d) comprises:

calculating the size of the page; and

comparing the display screen size to the calculated size of the page.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein d) comprises splitting the platform independent graphical user interface widget after confirmation that the platform independent graphical user interface widget has been specified as splitable.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein d) comprises dividing a plurality of platform specific graphical user interface widgets that correspond to the split scalable graphical user interface widget among multiple pages.

16. A method of dynamically customizing the layout of a migratable application graphical user interface for a heterogeneous device platform, the method comprising:

a) processing a node included in a platform independent presentation model of an application graphical user interface for placement in a first page, wherein a composite scalable graphical user interface component is associated with the node;

b) comparing the size of the first page to the size of a display screen of a heterogeneous device platform;

c) splitting the composite scalable graphical user interface component into at least two scalable graphical user interface components when the first page is too large to fit within the display screen; and

d) dividing placement of the scalable graphical user interface components between the first page and at least one second page.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a) comprises applying properties associated with the composite scalable graphical user interface component, the properties indicative of positioning on the first page.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein b) comprises dynamically rearranging the composite scalable graphical user interface component within the first page when the first page is too large to fit within the display screen.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein b) comprises probing the heterogeneous device platform to determine the graphical user interface capabilities, wherein the graphical user interface capabilities include the size of the display screen.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein c) comprises initiating the split as a function of a splitability property specified for the composite scalable graphical user interface component.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein d) comprises dividing the scalable graphical user interface components among the pages as a function of a priorities property associated with the scalable graphical user interface components.

22. The method of claim 16, where c) comprises modifying the platform independent presentation model to generate a platform specific presentation;

and the method further comprises e) transmitting the platform specific presentation to the heterogeneous device platform.

23. A scalable graphical user interface system to dynamically customize the layout of a migratable application graphical user interface for a heterogeneous device platform, the scalable graphical user interface system comprising:

a server operable to generate a first page with a platform independent presentation model that includes a node, wherein the node includes a composite scalable graphical user interface component;

a target heterogeneous device platform in communication with the server, the server operable to compare the size of the first page to the size of a display screen included with the target heterogeneous device platform,

the server operable to split the composite scalable graphical user interface component into at least two scalable graphical user interface components when the first page is too large to fit within the display screen, the scalable graphical user interface components dynamically arranged on the first page and at least one second page to generate a platform specific presentation.

24. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the first page generated with the platform independent presentation model is sized to fit the largest anticipated display screen of any of plurality of target heterogeneous device platforms.

25. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to place the composite graphical user interface component in first page as a function of a detailed layout property included in each node.

26. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to first check a split-ability property prior to the split to confirm that the composite graphical user interface component is splitable.

27. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server comprises a scalable graphical user interface library and a transformation manager module, wherein the transformation manager module is in operable cooperation with the scalable graphical user interface library to generate the platform specific presentation for any one of a plurality of target heterogeneous device platforms from the platform independent presentation model.

28. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the transformation manager module includes a flow layout manager, the flow layout manager operable to dynamically arrange the scalable graphical user interface components to fit within the display screen.

29. The scalable graphical user interface system of claim 23, wherein the server is operable to generate a copy of the platform independent presentation model and adaptively modify the copy of the platform independent presentation model to generate the platform specific presentation.