Widget authoring and editing environment

• US 20060005207A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Grignon, Andrew M., Louch, John O., Peyton, Eric Steven, Bumgarner, Timothy Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,546,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/328
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

An authoring environment for creating and/or editing user interface elements such as widgets used in a unified interest layer. The authoring environment facilitates creation of widgets that have a consistent appearance and mechanism, and allows third-party developers to easily create widgets that have a look and feel that is consistent with a predefined set of widgets.

Claims

1. A method of creating a user interface element to be used in a computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a set of predetermined attributes for the user interface element;

receiving author input selecting one or more predetermined attributes from the set of predetermined attributes; and

performing at least one of storing and displaying the user interface element incorporating the one or more predetermined attributes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined attributes are selected from the group comprising theme, color, shape, sidedness, and expandability.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving author input comprises receiving author input selecting a theme, and wherein the user interface element incorporates at least one attribute associated with the selected theme.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the user interface element comprises displaying the user interface element concurrently with displaying at least a subset of the attributes.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising installing the user interface element in a unified interest layer.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising distributing the user interface element for installation in a unified interest layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

10. A computer readable memory storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program producing a user interface of a widget authorship application, the user interface comprising:

an attribute area displaying a set of predetermined attributes for the user interface element; and

a preview area displaying the user interface element, visually distinguished from and concurrently displayed with the attribute area.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, the user interface further comprising:

an executable process that responds to author input in the attribute area to update the user interface element displayed in the preview area.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the predetermined attributes are selected from the group comprising theme, color, shape, sidedness, and expandability.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising an executable process that installs the user interface element in a unified interest layer.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising an executable process that distributes the user interface element for installation in a unified interest layer.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

18. A method of editing a user interface element to be used in a computer system, the method comprising:

displaying a set of objects included in the user interface element;

receiving author input editing at least one of the set of objects; and

performing at least one of storing and displaying the user interface element incorporating the author input.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein receiving author input comprises receiving author input selecting a theme, and wherein the user interface element incorporates at least one attribute associated with the selected theme.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the set of editable objects include at least one selected from the group consisting of buttons and controls.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

displaying a set of additional objects that can be added to the user interface element;

receiving author input adding at least one of the set of additional objects; and

displaying the user interface element incorporating the author input.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the author input adding at least one additional object comprises dragging and dropping the at least one object.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprising installing the user interface element in a unified interest layer.

26. The method of claim 18, further comprising distributing the user interface element for installation in a unified interest layer.

27. The method of claim 18, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

28. A computer readable memory storing a computer program executable by a processor, the computer program producing a user interface of a widget authorship application, the user interface comprising:

a user interface element display area for displaying a user interface element;

a contents area, visually distinguished from and concurrently displayed with the user interface element display area, for editing at least one object included in the user interface element; and

a library area, visually distinguished from and concurrently displayed with the user interface element area and the contents area, for adding at least one additional object to the user interface element.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising an executable process that installs the user interface element in a unified interest layer.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, further comprising an executable process that distributes the user interface element for installation in a unified interest layer.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

32. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

33. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

34. A system for creating a user interface element to be used in a computer system, the system comprising:

a display device, for displaying a set of predetermined attributes for the user interface element; and

an input device, coupled to the display, for receiving author input selecting one or more predetermined attributes from the set of predetermined attributes; and

wherein the display device displays the user interface element incorporating the one or more predetermined attributes.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the input device receives author input selecting a theme, and wherein the user interface element incorporates at least one attribute associated with the selected theme.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

38. The system of claim 34, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

39. A system for producing a user interface of a widget authorship application, the system comprising:

an attribute area displaying a set of predetermined attributes for the user interface element; and

a preview area displaying the user interface element, visually distinguished from and concurrently displayed with the attribute area.

40. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

an executable process that responds to author input in the attribute area to update the user interface element displayed in the preview area.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

44. A system of editing a user interface element to be used in a computer system, the system comprising:

a display device, for displaying a set of objects included in the user interface element; and

an input device, coupled to the display device, for receiving author input editing at least one of the set of objects;

wherein the display device displays the user interface element incorporating the author input.

45. The system of claim 44, wherein the input device receives author input selecting a theme, and wherein the user interface element incorporates at least one attribute associated with the selected theme.

46. The system of claim 44, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

47. The system of claim 44, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

48. The system of claim 44, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

49. A system for producing a user interface of a widget authorship application, the system comprising:

a user interface element display area for displaying a user interface element;

a contents area, visually distinguished from and concurrently displayed with the user interface element display area, for editing at least one object included in the user interface element; and

a library area, visually distinguished from and concurrently displayed with the user interface element area and the contents area, for adding at least one additional object to the user interface element.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the user interface element comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a calendar element;

a calculator element;

a music player element;

an address book element;

a notes element;

a stock quote element;

a weather element;

a traffic element;

a package tracking element;

a contact manager element; and

a clock element.

51. The system of claim 49, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer.

52. The system of claim 49, wherein the user interface element comprises a widget for use in a unified interest layer that detects a first trigger event for activating the unified interest layer, and, responsive to the first trigger event, temporarily inactivates a user interface and displays the unified interest layer comprising a plurality of layer elements.

53. An authoring tool for creating a user interface element to be used in a computer system, comprising:

a display area, for displaying a set of predetermined attributes for the user interface element;

an input device, for receiving author input selecting one or more predetermined attributes from the set of predetermined attributes; and

a processor, for performing at least one of storing and displaying the user interface element incorporating the one or more predetermined attributes.

54. A widget for use in a computer system, the widget comprising characteristics defined by:

displaying a set of predetermined attributes for the widget; and

receiving author input selecting one or more predetermined attributes from the set of predetermined attributes; and

wherein the widget is displayed in a user interface, and wherein the displayed widget incorporates the one or more predetermined attributes.