Methods and systems for creating and using skins

• US 20040210825A1
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novak, Michael J., Olson, Kipley J., Nadalin, David M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,340,681 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/500.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/02 Digital function generators
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/00 Input arrangements for transferring data to be processed into a form capable of being handled by the computer; Output arrangements for transferring data from processing unit to output unit, e.g. interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/30 Creation or generation of source code
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/06 using stored programs, i.e. using an internal store of processing equipment to receive or retain programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/00 2D [Two Dimensional] image generation

Abstract

Methods and systems for creating and rendering skins are described. In one described embodiment skins can be defined as sets of script files, art files, media files, and text files. These files can be used to create new and different skin appearances, layouts and functionalities. The files are organized for use using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, an example of which is an XML data structure. The data structure is processed to provide an object model. The object model can be a scriptable object model that enables script to execute to provide an interactive, dynamic skin that can respond to internal and external events. In one embodiment, a computer architecture used for rendering the skin includes a layout manager that processes an intermediate representation of the XML data structure to provide the scriptable object model. Various components of the scriptable object model can include a script engine for receiving and executing script, and one or more rendering elements. Each rendering element represents a different skin element and can be individually configured to respond to script via the script engine. The inventive systems and techniques can provide a robust, dynamic skin that can be rendered and re-rendered at runtime. In other embodiments, properties associated with a skin'"'"'s elements can be synchronized with other skin element properties or state that is associated with a software application. Synchronization can take place through the use of keywords that can be used in connection with the XML data structure. Synchronizations can be one- or two-way synchronizations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a skin comprising:

providing multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface; and

synchronizing a property of at least a first of the skin elements with a property of a second of the skin elements such that a change in the property of the second of the elements causes a change in the property of the first of the elements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing comprises establishing a one-way synchronization between the properties.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said synchronizing comprises establishing a two-way synchronization between the properties such that a change in the property of the first element causes a change in the property of the second element.

4. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface; and

synchronize a property of at least a first of the skin elements with a property of a second of the skin elements such that a change in the property of the second of the elements causes a change in the property of the first of the elements.

5. One or more computer-readable media embodying a skin, the skin comprising:

a first skin element having at least one property; and

a second skin element having at least one property, the first skin element'"'"'s property being synchronized with the second element'"'"'s property independent of a script-enabled, event-response paradigm comprising a part of either skin element.

6. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 5 further comprising a hierarchical tag-based data structure associated with and defining a synchronization between the first and second skin element properties.

7. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 5.

8. One or more computer-readable media embodying a skin, the skin comprising:

at least a first skin element having at least one property;

at least a second skin element having at least one property; and

a hierarchical tag-based data structure configured to establish a synchronization between said at least one property of said first skin element and said at least one property of the second skin element.

9. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 8.

10. A computer-implemented method of providing a skin comprising:

providing multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface that is executing under the influence of a software application;

synchronizing a property of at least one of the skin elements with a state associated with the software application such that a change in the state of the software application causes a change in the property of the one skin element.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said synchronizing comprises describing a synchronization using a hierarchical tag-based structure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said describing comprises using a keyword to establish the synchronization.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said describing comprises:

associating a keyword with the property of the one element; and

associating the state of the software application with the keyword.

14. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method of claim 10.

15. One or more computer-readable media embodying a computer architecture configured to render a skin, the architecture comprising:

a first object model component having at least one property;

a second object model component having at least one property that is to be synchronized to the one property of the first object model component;

a central processing object associated with the first and second object model components;

the first object model component being configured to generate a notification responsive to the one property being changed; and

the central processing object being configured to receive the notification and route a property change value to the second object model component so that its one property can be synchronized with the one property of the first object model component.

16. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the central processing object is configured to determine whether any object model components are interested in the notification.

17. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the first and second object model components do not have their own collection of script to listen for events associated with property changes and provide responses thereto.

18. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 15.

19. One or more computer-readable media embodying a computer architecture configured to render a skin, the architecture comprising:

multiple object model components having properties and being configured to have one or more of their properties synchronized with either or both of (1) properties of other object model components and (2) a state associated with a software application of which they comprise a part;

an event manager configured to receive and route notifications pertaining to object model property changes and state changes; and

a property registrar configured to receive notifications from the event manager and route property values associated with such notifications to appropriate object model components so that their associated properties can be synchronized.

20. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the property registrar comprises multiple registrar objects, each object being associated with a different property or state.

21. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 20, wherein the different property or state with which each registrar object is associated comprises a property or state for which there is at least one object model component that desires to be synchronized thereto.

22. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 19, wherein the event manager comprises multiple synchronization objects, individual synchronization objects being associated with and receiving notifications from individual respective object model components and routing those notifications to the property registrar.

23. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 19.

24. One or more computer-readable media embodying a computer architecture configured to render a skin, the architecture comprising:

multiple object model components having properties and being configured to have one or more of their properties synchronized one or more properties of other object model components;

an event manager configured to receive and route notifications pertaining to property changes, the event manager comprising multiple synchronization objects, individual synchronization objects being associated with and receiving and routing notifications from individual respective object model components; and

a property registrar having multiple registrar objects, each registrar object being associated with a different property and being configured to receive notifications from one or more synchronization objects and route values associated with such notifications to appropriate object model components that are interested in having one or more of their properties synchronized.

25. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 24.

26. A computer-implemented method of providing a skin comprising:

providing multiple object model components each of which having one or more properties;

generating, with an object model component, a notification when one or more of its properties changes;

receiving the notification with an event manager;

routing, with the event manager, the notification to a property registrar;

routing, with the property registrar, one or more values associated with the notification to one or more object model components that have properties that are to be synchronized with the one or more properties of the object model component that generated the notification.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said receiving is performed by the event manager by providing a synchronization object for each object model component, each synchronization object receiving and routing notifications associated with their object model component.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said routing that is performed by the property registrar is performed by providing a registrar object for each property to which synchronization is desired, and then routing, with a registrar object, the one or more values.

29. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide multiple object model components each of which having one or more properties;

generate, with an object model component, a notification when one or more of its properties changes;

receive the notification with an event manager comprising multiple synchronization objects, one for each object model component, each synchronization object receiving notifications from their associated object model component;

route, with at least one synchronization object, the notification to a property registrar comprising a registrar object for each property to which synchronization is desired, each registrar object being configured to route values to object model components that are listeners of the particular registrar object; and

route, with the property registrar objects, one or more values associated with the notification to one or more object model components that have properties that are to be synchronized with the one or more properties of the object model component that generated the notification.

30. A computer-implemented method of providing a skin comprising:

receiving one or more notifications that pertain to a property or state change associated with a skin;

determining whether any object model components associated with the skin are interested in the property or state change;

responsive to determining that one or more object model components are interested in the property or state change, notifying the one or more object model components so that one or more of their properties can be synchronized relative to the property or state change.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising prior to said receiving, generating one or more notifications using object model components relative to which a change has taken place.

32. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

receive one or more notifications that pertain to a property or state change associated with a skin;

determine whether any object model components associated with the skin are interested in the property or state change;

responsive to one or more object model components being interested in the property or state change, notify the one or more object model components so that one or more of their properties can be synchronized relative to the property or state change.

33. A computer-implemented method of providing a skin comprising:

providing multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface; and

synchronizing, using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, a property of at least a first of the skin elements with a property of a second of the skin elements such that a change in the property of the second of the elements causes a change in the property of the first of the elements.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said synchronizing comprises establishing a one-way synchronization between the properties.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said synchronizing comprises establishing a two-way synchronization between the properties such that a change in the property of the first element causes a change in the property of the second element.

36. One or more computer-readable media having computer-readable instructions thereon which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to implement the method of claim 33.

37. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 36.

39. The computing device of claim 33, wherein said code means for synchronizing comprises means for establishing a one-way synchronization between the properties.

40. The computing device of claim 33, wherein said synchronizing means comprises means for establishing a two-way synchronization between the properties such that a change in the property of the first element causes a change in the property of the second element.

38. A computing device comprising:

code means for providing multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface; and

code means for synchronizing, using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, a property of at least a first of the skin elements with a property of a second of the skin elements such that a change in the property of the second of the elements causes a change in the property of the first of the elements.

41. A computer-implemented method of providing a skin comprising:

providing multiple skin elements that comprise part of a user interface that is executing under the influence of a software application;

synchronizing, using a hierarchical tag-based data structure, a property of at least one of the skin elements with a state associated with the software application such that a change in the state of the software application causes a change in the property of the one skin element.