Resolution independent user interface design

• US 8,130,237 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2006
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zimmer, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, JIN CHENG
• Application Number:
  US11/459,140
• Publication Number:
  US 20060284878A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,055 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345473-474, 345/581, 345/582, 345/156, 345/158, 345/419, 715/718, 715/744, 715/765, 715/800
• US Class Current: 345/619
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

Graphical user interface material map objects are specified by a collection of attribute-value pairs, the collection of which comprises a complete description of the material map and may be used by a rendering engine to create a visual representation of the material map at any resolution. That is, material map representations in accordance with the invention are resolution independent. Another benefit of representing material maps in accordance with the invention is that they may be encrypted to prevent unauthorized inspection or use.

Claims

1. A method to represent a material map for a graphical user interface element for presentation by a programmable control device, the method comprising:

receiving, by a programmable control device, information to define a plurality of attribute-value pairs for a material map, each attribute-value pair comprising a display attribute and one or more data items, the material map for use with presenting a graphical user interface element on a display device;

associating each received data item with a corresponding display attribute,

wherein at least one data item comprises two or more display time values for the associated display attribute, the two or more display time values corresponding to two or more run-time resolution settings of the display device,

wherein the plurality of attribute-value pairs are sufficiently complete to permit the material map to be rendered on the display device using display time values corresponding to an operational resolution setting of the display device; and

storing the plurality of attribute-value pairs of display attributes and their associated data items in a file accessible by the programmable control device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating comprises assigning a default display time value to a data item of one or more of the display attributes.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the file to a rendering means for generating a visual representation of the graphical user interface object'"'"'s material map.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a display time value for a data item associated with at least one display attribute of the graphical user interface object'"'"'s material map is independent of a display device operational resolution setting.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of associating comprises a user explicitly associating a display time value with a data item of one or more of the display attributes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of storing comprises storing display attributes and their associated data items in a flat file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of storing comprises storing display attributes and their associated data items in a hierarchically-ordered file.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of storing comprises storing display attributes and their associated data items in an eXtensible Markup Language file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving data items through a graphical user interface design application.

10. A graphical user interface object material map rendering method, the method comprising:

receiving a graphical user interface object material map recipe file stored in a memory;

extracting a plurality of display time values from the file, wherein each display time value in the file is associated with a data item further associated with a display attribute for the graphical user interface object material map, at least one attribute having two or more associated display time values, each of the two or more display time values associated with a different operational display device resolution setting; and

rendering, on a display device communicatively coupled to the memory, the graphical user interface object material map based on the extracted plurality of display time values.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of receiving comprises receiving a hierarchically-ordered graphical user interface object material map recipe file.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the act receiving a hierarchically-ordered graphical user interface object material map recipe file comprises receiving an eXtensible Markup Language file.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the act of rendering is performed by an operating system level module.

14. A program storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored thereon for causing the programmable control device to:

receive information to define a plurality of attribute-value pairs for a material map, each attribute-value pair comprising a display attribute and one or more data items, the material map for use with presenting a graphical user interface element on a display device;

associate each received data item with a corresponding display attribute,

wherein at least one data item comprises two or more display time values for the associated display attribute, the two or more values corresponding to two or more run-time resolution settings of the display device and

wherein the plurality of attribute-value pairs are sufficiently complete to permit the material map to be rendered on the display device using display time values corresponding to an operational resolution setting of the display device; and

store the plurality of attribute-value pairs of display attributes and their associated data items in a file accessible by the programmable control device.

15. The program storage device of claim 14, wherein the instructions to receive comprise instruction to receive a flat file.

16. The program storage device of claim 14, wherein the instructions to receive comprise instruction to receive a hierarchically-ordered file.

17. The program storage device of claim 16, wherein the instructions to receive a hierarchically-ordered file comprise instruction to receive an eXtensible Markup Language file.

18. The program storage device of claim 14, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to render the graphical user interface object material map.

19. A computer system comprising:

one or more programmable control devices; and

a program storage device communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more programmable control devices wherein the one or more programmable control devices are collectively configured to render a graphical user interface object material map by collectively performing the programmed acts of;

receiving a graphical user interface object material map recipe file stored on the program storage device;

extracting a plurality of display time values from the file, wherein each display time value in the file is associated with a data item further associated with a display attribute for the graphical user interface object material map, at least one attribute having two or more associated display time values, each of the two or more display time values associated with a different operational display device resolution setting; and

rendering, on a display device communicatively coupled to the programmable control device, the graphical user interface object material map based on the extracted plurality of display time values.

20. A program storage device, readable by a programmable control device, comprising instructions stored thereon for causing the programmable control device to render a graphical user interface object material map by performing the programmed acts of:

receiving a graphical user interface object material map recipe file stored on a program storage device;

extracting a plurality of display time values from the file, wherein each display time value in the file is associated with a data item further associated with a display attribute for the graphical user interface object material map, at least one attribute having two or more associated display time values, each of the two or more display time values associated with a different operational display device resolution setting; and

rendering, on a display device communicatively coupled to the programmable control device, the graphical user interface object material map based on the extracted plurality of display time values.

21. A computer system comprising:

one or more programmable control devices;

a display device communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more programmable control devices; and

a program storage device communicatively coupled to at least one of the one or more programmable control devices wherein the one or more programmable control devices are collectively configured to present a graphical user interface element on the display device by collectively performing the programmed acts of;

receive information to define a plurality of attribute-value pairs for a material map, each attribute-value pair comprising a display attribute and one or more data items, the material map for use with presenting a graphical user interface element on a second display device;

associate each received data item with a corresponding display attribute,

wherein at least one data item comprises two or more display time values for the associated display attribute, the two or more values corresponding to two or more runtime resolution settings of the display device and

wherein the plurality of attribute-value pairs are sufficiently complete to permit the material map to be rendered on the second display device using display time values corresponding to an operational resolution setting of the second display device; and

store the plurality of attribute-value pairs of display attributes and their associated data items in a file accessible by the programmable control device.