Providing a user interface

• US 9,141,402 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2006
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hewitt, Joseph Raymond, Kotay, Sreekant S., Lucier, Corey Robert, Besbris, David G., Brannam, Todd C., Early, Veronica Marie, Hirschberg, Peter David, Ning, Ke, Robinson, John D., Wright, Michael Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, ANHTAI V
• Application Number:
  US11/410,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20060259870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,437 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A system for providing a user interface includes a gadget definition, a style definition, and a scene file. The gadget definition includes one or more XML-based gadget definition tags defining a gadget element and the style definition includes one or more XML-based style definition tags defining one or more style attributes to be applied to the gadget element. The scene file is an XML-based document that includes a gadget element tag that specifies the gadget element. The system further includes a parser to parse the scene file, the style definition, and the gadget definition, and to generate an object that includes a gadget object corresponding to the gadget element. The system also includes a layout engine to determine, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface, and a rendering engine to render, based on the determined layout, the user interface including the gadget element.

Claims

1. A system for providing a user interface comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing;

a behavior library including an XML-based behavior definition element, the behavior definition element including one or more XML-based behavior elements including at least one XML-based reaction element that specifies a script function to be called in reaction to an event;

a gadget library including an XML-based gadget definition element defining gadget for instantiation in a user interface and specifying that the gadget is associated with the behavior definition element, the XML-based gadget definition element including properties of the gadget and an identifier for the gadget;

a style library including an XML-based style definition element specifying one or more styles to be applied to an instance of the gadget when the instance of the gadget is instantiated, the XML-based style definition element including;

a tag selector attribute set to the identifier for the gadget, the tag selector attribute specifying that the one or more styles specified by the XML-based style definition element are to be applied to the instance of the gadget when the instance of the gadget is instantiated, and

one or more style attributes to be applied to the instance of the gadget that control a visual appearance of the instance of the gadget, when the instance of the gadget is instantiated;

a scene file, wherein the scene file is an XML-based document specifying the user interface, the scene file including an element referencing the gadget stored in the gadget library and specifying that the gadget is to be instantiated as a component of the user interface; and

instructions; and

at least one processor that is configured by the instructions to implement;

a parser to parse the XML-based behavior definition element, the scene file, the style library including the XML-based style definition element, and the gadget library including the XML-based gadget definition element, and to generate an object model based on the parsed scene file, the parsed XML-based style definition element, and the parsed XML-based gadget definition element, the object model including a gadget object corresponding to the gadget, the gadget object being attached to a plurality of event listeners including a first event listener and a second event listener;

a layout engine to determine, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface;

a rendering engine to render, based on the determined layout, the user interface, the user interface including the instance of the gadget having the one or more properties defined by the XML-based gadget definition element and being styled according to one or more styles specified by the XML-based style-definition element; and

a dispatcher, responsive to detecting the event, to dispatch an instance of an event object corresponding to the event to the first event listener, the first event listener, responsive to determining that the event object has not been handled, propagating the event object to the second event listener.

2. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein the XML-based gadget definition element includes multiple XML-based child elements, each of the multiple XML-based child elements specifying a constituent element of the gadget.

3. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein the first event handler, responsive to determining that the event object has been handled, does not propagate the event object.

4. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein the first event handler propagates the event object recursively.

5. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein the XML-based style definition element further comprises an XML-based state element, the XML-based state element associating a state with one or more styles to be applied in response to entering the state.

6. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein:

the XML-based gadget definition element includes a child, XML-based parts definition element, the XML-based parts definition element specifying a first constituent component of the gadget and a second constituent component of the gadget; and

the XML-based style definition element includes;

a first XML-based part selection element specifying one or more styles to be applied to the first constituent component, and

a second XML-based part selection element specifying one or more styles to be applied to the second constituent component.

7. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 further comprising an XML-based animator element for applying an animation to an attribute of the gadget.

8. The system for providing a user interface of claim 7 wherein the animator element further comprises:

a from parameter for specifying an initial value of the attribute of the gadget before the animation is applied; and

a to parameter for specifying a final value of the attribute of the gadget after the animation is applied, wherein the initial value specified is a variable.

9. The system for providing a user interface of claim 8 wherein:

the attribute of the gadget is set to a current value, and

the initial value specified by the from parameter of the animator element is a reserved word that sets the initial value equal to the current value of the attribute of the gadget.

10. The system for providing a user interface of claim 7 wherein the animator element further comprises:

a from parameter for specifying an initial value of the attribute of the gadget before the animation is applied, and

a to parameter for specifying a final value of the attribute of the gadget after the animation is applied, wherein the final value is specified as a variable.

11. The system for providing a user interface of claim 10 wherein

the XML-based style definition element includes an XML-based state element, the XML-based state element associating a state with the gadget and specifying a new value for the attribute of the gadget, the new value of the attribute of the gadget to be set in response to entering the state, and

the final value specified by the to parameter of the animator element is a reserved word that sets the final value equal to the new value of the attribute of the gadget.

12. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein the element having the name specified for the gadget includes a binding element that binds an attribute specified for the instance of the gadget to be instantiated as a component of the user interface to a data source.

13. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein:

the XML-based gadget definition element specifies a base set of elements to be composited to form an instance of the gadget, and

the element having the name specified for the gadget includes a child element that specifies an element of the instance of the gadget that is to be instantiated as a component of the user interface that is in addition to the base set of elements.

14. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein

the XML-based gadget definition element specifies a base set of attributes for an instance of the gadget, and

the element having the name specified for the gadget specifies an attribute that supplements the base set of attributes specified by the XML-based gadget definition element.

15. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein

the XML-based gadget definition element specifies a base set of attributes for an instance of the gadget, and

the element having the name specified for gadget specifies an attribute that overrides an attribute of the base set of attributes specified by the XML-based gadget definition element.

16. The system for providing a user interface of claim 1 wherein the user interface comprises a user interface for a desktop application.

17. A computer-implemented method for providing a user interface comprising the following operations performed by one or more processors:

parsing an XML-based scene file, the scene file specifying the user interface and referencing an identifier of a gadget element that specifies that an instance of a gadget is to be instantiated as a component of the user interface, the gadget element being associated with an XML-based style definition element;

parsing a gadget library including the XML-based gadget definition element, the XML-based gadget definition element defining one or more properties of the gadget for instantiation in the user interface;

parsing an XML-based behavior definition element associated with the XML-based gadget definition element, the XML-based behavior definition element including one or more XML-based behavior elements including at least one XML-based reaction element that specifies a script function to be called in reaction to an event;

parsing a style library including;

a tag selector attribute set to the identifier for the gadget, the tag selector attribute specifying that one or more styles specified by the XML-based style definition element are to be applied to the instance of the gadget when the instance of the gadget is instantiated, and

the XML-based style definition element, the XML-based style definition element having one or more style attributes to be applied to the instance of the gadget that control a visual appearance of the instance of the gadget when the instance of the gadget is instantiated;

generating an object model based on the parsed XML-based behavior definition element, the parsed scene file, the parsed XML-based gadget definition element, and the parsed XML-based style definition element, the object model including a gadget object corresponding to the gadget element of the user interface;

attaching a plurality of event listener objects to the gadget object in the object model, the plurality of event listener objects corresponding to the event and including a first event listener object and a second event listener object;

determining, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface;

rendering, based on the determined layout, the user interface, the user interface including an instance of the gadget having one or more properties defined by the XML-based gadget definition element and being styled according to one or more styles specified by the XML-based style-definition element;

capturing information describing the event;

creating an instance of an event object based on the captured information describing the event;

dispatching the instance of the event object to the first event listener; and

responsive to determining that the event object has not been handled, propagating, by the first event handler object, the event object to the second event listener object.

18. The method for providing a user interface of claim 17 wherein the XML-based gadget definition element includes multiple XML-based child elements, each of multiple XML-based child elements specifying a constituent element of the gadget.

19. The method for providing a user interface of claim 17 wherein the first event handler object, responsive to determining that the event object has been handled, does not propagate the event object.

20. The method for providing a user interface of claim 18, wherein propagating, by the first event handler object, the event object to the second event listener object is performed recursively.

21. The method for providing a user interface of claim 20 wherein:

dispatching the instance of the event object to the first event listener includes the event listener passing the instance of the event object to the script function.

22. The method for providing a user interface of claim 18 wherein the XML-based style definition element includes an XML-based state element, the XML-based state element associating a state change with an attribute to be set in response to the state change, and the method further comprising:

detecting the state change; and

setting the attribute in response to detecting the state change.

23. The method for providing a user interface of claim 22 wherein the XML-based style definition element includes an XML-based animator element for applying an animation to an attribute of the gadget in response to a state change, and the method further comprising:

detecting the state change; and

applying the animation to the attribute of the gadget.

24. A non-transitory computer useable storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program including instructions for causing at least one processor to perform the following operations:

parse an XML-based scene file, the scene file specifying the user interface and referencing an identifier of a gadget element that specifies that an instance of a gadget is to be instantiated as a component of the user interface, the gadget element being associated with an XML-based style definition;

parse a gadget library including the XML-based gadget definition element, the XML-based gadget definition element defining one or more properties of the gadget for instantiation in the user interface;

parse an XML-based behavior definition associated with the gadget definition element, the behavior definition comprising one or more XML-based behavior tags including at least one XML-based reaction tag that specifies a script function to be called in reaction to an event;

parse a style library including;

a tag selector attribute set to the identifier for the gadget, the tag selector attribute specifying that one or more styles specified by the XML-based style definition element are to be applied to the instance of the gadget when the instance of the gadget is instantiated, and

the XML-based style definition element, the XML-based style definition element having one or more style attributes to be applied to the instance of the gadget that control a visual appearance of the instance of the gadget when the instance of the gadget is instantiated;

generate an object model based on the parsed scene file, the parsed XML-based gadget definition element, and the parsed XML-based style definition element, the object model including a gadget object corresponding to the gadget element of the user interface;

attaching a plurality of event listener objects to the gadget object in the object model, the plurality of event listener objects corresponding to the event and including a first event listener object and a second event listener object;

determine, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface;

render, based on the determined layout, the user interface, the user interface including an instance of the gadget having one or more properties defined by the XML-based gadget definition element and being styled according to one or more styles specified by the XML-based style-definition element;

capture information describing the event;

create an instance of an event object based on the captured information describing the event;

dispatching the instance of the event object to the first event listener object; and

responsive to determining that the event object has not been handled, propagating, by the first event handler object, the event object to the second event listener object.

25. The non-transitory computer useable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions further comprise instructions to cause the at least the processor to:

responsive to determining that the event object has been handled, not propagate the event object.

26. The non-transitory computer useable storage medium of claim 24, wherein the instructions to propagate, by the first event handler object, the event object to the second event listener object are performed recursively.