PROCESSING USER INPUT EVENTS IN A WEB BROWSER

• US 20120174121A1
• Filed: 01/05/2011
• Published: 07/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: FIDLER, Eli Joshua, TAPUSKA, David Francis, TREAT, Adam Chester, NILSSON, Karl Arvid, Mak, Genevieve Elizabetts
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 719/318
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2209/545 Gui
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications

Abstract

A method and computing device are provided for processing user events received via a user interface, such as a touchscreen, in multiple threads. When a user event is received for a target element in a webpage, the user event is dispatched to both a main browser thread and a secondary thread. The secondary thread processes user events in accordance with established default actions defined within the browser, while the main thread processes the user events in accordance with any event handlers defined for that target element. The main thread processing may be delayed by other interleaved task, and the secondary thread may be given priority over the main thread. When the secondary thread completes processing, an updated webpage is displayed. When the main thread subsequently completes processing, its updated rendering of the webpage is displayed. The secondary thread thus provides an early user interface response to the user event.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

in response to a user event received for a target element in a webpage, concurrently dispatching the user event for processing in a main thread and a secondary thread;

processing the user event in the main thread using an event handler associated with said target element;

processing the user event in the secondary thread using a default handling action defined for the webpage; and

rendering the webpage for display by a first one of the main thread and the secondary thread upon said first one of the main thread and the secondary thread completing said processing of the user event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing of the user event in the main thread and said processing of the user event in the secondary thread are carried out at least partially concurrently.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising, while said processing of the user event in the main thread and said processing of the user event in the secondary thread are executing concurrently,

the main thread determining that the default handling action is to be prevented for said user event;

and

the main thread notifying the secondary thread to terminate, such that said rendering is executed by the main thread.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said rendering is executed by the main thread, the method further comprising the main thread notifying the secondary thread to terminate said secondary thread'"'"'s processing of the user event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said rendering is executed by the secondary thread, the method further comprising:

displaying said rendered webpage;

upon completion of said processing of the user event by the main thread, the main thread rendering said webpage for display;

displaying said webpage as rendered by the main thread.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing of the user event by the secondary thread commences before said processing of the user event by the main thread.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said processing of the user event by the secondary thread is delayed by a predetermined period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying said rendered webpage.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event is a mouse event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said user event is a touch event.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said event handler associated with said target element is assigned to said target element.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said event handler associated with said target element is assigned to an ancestor of said target element.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the user event in the main thread comprises processing said user event using a JavaScript script provided for said webpage.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the default handling action comprises either one of a scrolling action and a zoom action.