Programming interface for a computer platform
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method, executed by a central processing unit, of organizing a set of types for a user interface into a hierarchical namespace, the method comprising:
- creating a plurality of groups from the set of types, each group containing at least one type that exposes logically related functionality;
assigning a name to each group in the plurality of groups, a first group includes functionality related to re-useable user interface controls, a second group includes functionality related to re-useable user interface dialogs and re-useable user interface wizards, and a third group includes functionality related to extending functionality of a user interface desktop;
selecting a top level identifier and prefixing the name of each group with the top level identifier in which the types in each group are referenced by a hierarchical name that includes the selected top level identifier prefixed to the name of the group containing the type;
providing the functionality of the user interface desktop, which includes allowing a sidebar to provide a capability of dynamic communication access in an integrated interactive display within which communication contacts and informational elements are dynamically tracked or received and being provided to a user on an ongoing basis, the capability being provided via at least one tile displayed in the sidebar of a display device, at least one or more tiles describe the communication contacts and informational elements of interest;
providing instructions to determine which of the communication contacts or which of the informational elements is to be represented by the at least one or more tiles; and
providing a user context system to determine if a notification related to the communication contacts or the informational elements represented by the at least one or more tiles should be delivered at the sidebar, deferred and delivered later at the sidebar, denied delivery at the sidebar, or routed to another system for delivery, the determination based on a user context; and
providing pointers to one or more services for accessing and/or interacting with the communication contacts and the informational elements, the one or more services automatically interact, track, or receive a status of the communication contacts or a status of the informational elements in which the one or more services may be used simultaneously by the at least one or more tiles.
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Abstract
A programming interface for a computer platform can include various functionality. In certain embodiments, the programming interface includes one or more of a first group of services related to re-usable user interface controls, a second group of services related to user interface dialogs and user interface wizards, a third group of services related to extending the user interface functionality, and a fourth group of services related to extending functionality of a desktop of the user interface.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method, executed by a central processing unit, of organizing a set of types for a user interface into a hierarchical namespace, the method comprising:
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creating a plurality of groups from the set of types, each group containing at least one type that exposes logically related functionality; assigning a name to each group in the plurality of groups, a first group includes functionality related to re-useable user interface controls, a second group includes functionality related to re-useable user interface dialogs and re-useable user interface wizards, and a third group includes functionality related to extending functionality of a user interface desktop; selecting a top level identifier and prefixing the name of each group with the top level identifier in which the types in each group are referenced by a hierarchical name that includes the selected top level identifier prefixed to the name of the group containing the type; providing the functionality of the user interface desktop, which includes allowing a sidebar to provide a capability of dynamic communication access in an integrated interactive display within which communication contacts and informational elements are dynamically tracked or received and being provided to a user on an ongoing basis, the capability being provided via at least one tile displayed in the sidebar of a display device, at least one or more tiles describe the communication contacts and informational elements of interest; providing instructions to determine which of the communication contacts or which of the informational elements is to be represented by the at least one or more tiles; and providing a user context system to determine if a notification related to the communication contacts or the informational elements represented by the at least one or more tiles should be delivered at the sidebar, deferred and delivered later at the sidebar, denied delivery at the sidebar, or routed to another system for delivery, the determination based on a user context; and providing pointers to one or more services for accessing and/or interacting with the communication contacts and the informational elements, the one or more services automatically interact, track, or receive a status of the communication contacts or a status of the informational elements in which the one or more services may be used simultaneously by the at least one or more tiles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method executed by a central processing unit, the method comprising:
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creating a first namespace with functions that enable extending functionality of a user interface; and creating a second namespace with functions that enable extending functionality of a desktop of the user interface, the functions provide access to a customizable thumbnail displayed on a portion of an interactive display, the customizable thumbnail comprises a combination of tiles in which at least one or more tiles describe communication contacts or informational elements of interest; the functions further track or receive the communication contacts and the informational elements in the interactive display while being provided to a user in an ongoing basis; the functions further provide instructions to identify the communication contacts or the informational elements to be represented by the at least one or more tiles; the functions further provide a user context system to determine if a notification related to the communication contacts or the informational elements represented by the tiles should be delivered at the thumbnail, deferred and delivered later at the thumbnail, denied delivery at the thumbnail, or routed to another system for delivery, the determination based on at least one element of the notification; and the functions further provide pointers to one or more services to access and to interact with the communication contacts and the informational elements in which the one or more services automatically interact, track, or receive a status of the communication contacts or a status of the informational elements such that the one or more services may be used alone or in combination by the at least one or more tiles. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method executed by a central processing unit, the method comprising:
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calling one or more first functions to use controls of a user interface; calling one or more second functions to extend functionality of the user interface; and calling one or more third functions to extend functionality of a desktop of the user interface, the one or more third functions to provide; awareness to information in an interactive display via a dynamic thumbnail displayed in an entire display in which the dynamic thumbnail comprises a combination of tiles such that at least one or more tiles describe communication contacts and informational elements of interest, and to track or to receive the communication contacts and the informational elements while being provided to a user on an ongoing basis; a user context system to determine if a notification related to the communication contacts or the informational elements represented by the combination of tiles should be delivered at the dynamic thumbnail, deferred and delivered later at the dynamic thumbnail, denied delivery at the dynamic thumbnail, or routed to another system for delivery, the determination based on a user context and predetermined rules; and pointers to one or more services to automatically interact, track, or receive a status of the communication contacts and a status of the informational elements, such that the one or more services may be used simultaneously by the at least one or more tiles. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification