System and method of skinning themes

• US 7,840,901 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2007
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Rojas, Jose Jose, Fomitchev, Mikhail, Lacey, Jon-David Kenneth, Garrood, Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): HAILU, TADESSE
• Application Number:
  US11/748,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271523A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: 715/738, 715/864, 715/825, 715/815, 715/234, 715/249, 715/800, 715/744, 709/204, 709/218
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/38 for implementing user interfaces

Abstract

A media engine for creating a graphical interface for an application on a device is disclosed. The media engine comprises an interaction interface for notifying the media engine of changes to the application, a renderer for rendering the graphical interface, a parser for parsing, from a template file, template information for controlling how the renderer renders the graphical interface, and a layout manager for optionally controlling the display of template information.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a display;

a processor coupled to the display; and

a memory containing code for providing an operating system when executed by the processor, the operating system providing;

system providing;

at least one application comprising;

at least one application data element; and

application code comprising;

code for modifying the at least one application data element;

code for creating at least one application custom event; and

code for communicating the at least one application data element and the at least one application custom event to a media engine using an interaction interface;

at least one template file comprising;

a set of data element objects; and

a set of custom event objects;

the media engine comprising;

the interaction interface for receiving notifications of changes to the at least one application;

a renderer for rendering a graphical interface on the display;

a parser for parsing, from the at least one template file template information for controlling how the renderer renders the graphical interface on the display based on the changes to the at least one application; and

a layout manager for optionally controlling the display of template information;

wherein the code for communicating the at least one application data element and the at least one application custom event to the media engine binds the at least one application data element to at least one data element object of the set of data element objects of the template information and binds the at least one application custom event to at least one custom event object of the set of custom event objects of the template information.

2. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the template information further comprises at least one of:

layout manager control information for controlling how the layout manager controls the display of template information; and

renderer control information for controlling;

how the renderer renders the set of data element objects; and

how the renderer renders the graphical interface based on at least one custom event of the set of custom events.

3. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the layout manger control information comprises at least one of:

information for dynamically modifying the length of at least one data element of the set of data elements prior to being rendered; and

information for controlling the display of template information to the graphical interface that the renderer cannot render.

4. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an event engine for providing event notification to the application.

5. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interaction interface comprises a content interaction application programming interface, API including calls for:

updating data elements;

notification of custom events;

querying of new events;

getting a new event; and

registering an event listener.

6. The mobile communication device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the template file comprises a markup language description of:

the set of data element objects;

the set of custom event objects;

the layout manager control information; and

the renderer control information.

7. A computer readable memory containing code for providing a media engine for creating a graphical interface for an application on a display of a device, the code when executed on a processor providing:

an interaction interface for notifying the media engine of changes to the application;

a renderer for rendering the graphical interface;

a parser for parsing, from a template file, template information for controlling how the renderer renders the graphical interface on the display based on the changes to the application, the template file comprising;

a set of data element objects; and

a set of custom event objects;

a layout manager for optionally controlling the display of template information;

the application comprising;

at least one application data element; and

application code comprising;

code for modifying the at least one application data element;

code for creating at least one application custom event; and

code for communicating at least application data element and the at

least application custom event to the media engine using the interaction interface;

wherein the code for communicating the at least one application data element and the at least one application custom event to the media engine binds the at least one application data element to at least one data element object of the set of data element objects of the template information and binds the at least one application custom event to at least one custom event object of the set of custom event objects of the template information.

8. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 7, wherein the template information further comprises at least one of:

layout manager control information for controlling how the layout manager controls the display of template information; and

renderer control information for controlling;

how the renderer renders the set of data element objects; and

how the renderer renders the graphical interface based on at least one custom event of the set of custom events.

9. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 8, wherein the layout manger control information comprises at least one of:

information for dynamically modifying the length of at least one data element of the set of data elements prior to being rendered; and

information for controlling the display of template information to the graphical interface that the renderer cannot render.

10. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 7, further comprising an event engine for providing event notification to the application.

11. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 7, wherein the interaction interface comprises a content interaction application programming interface, API including calls for:

updating data elements;

notification of custom events;

querying of new events;

getting a new event; and

registering an event listener.

12. The computer readable memory as claimed in claim 7, wherein the template file comprises a markup language description of:

the set of data element objects;

the set of custom event objects;

the layout manager control information; and

the renderer control information.