Methods and systems for creating and using skins

• US 7,340,681 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2004
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Novak, Michael J., Olson, Kipley J., Nadalin, David M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid; Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LE V
• Application Number:
  US10/842,999
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210825A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 715/744
• US Class Current: 715/744
• 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. 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.

2. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, wherein the property registrar comprises multiple registrar objects, each object being associated with a different property or state.

3. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 2, 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.

4. The one or more computer-readable media of claim 1, 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.

5. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 4.

6. 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.

7. A computing device embodying the one or more computer-readable media of claim 6.

8. 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.

9. The method of claim 8, 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.

10. The method of claim 8, 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.

11. 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.